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Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 17:04:49 -0500
To: FastmetalBDF@aol.com
From: "a.b. shuman" <squarerollbars@yahoo.com>
Subject: Mickey Thompson
In-Reply-To: <ad.52b27d9.2788e7f9@aol.com>
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At 04:28 PM 1/6/01 -0500, you wrote:
>As for Mickey's death, all I know is what was reported, but I seem to
>remember that he had just won a large money settlement in court against
>an ex-partner in some business deal. There is no doubt that it was a hit.
Bruce,
I knew of Mickey T. and his exploits thru the mags, then got to know him as
a mag writer in the '67-'72 period. Yup, he was a great promoter. Trudy,
the girl he married in about '70, was the publisher's secretary while I was
at Motor Trend, and Lois and I went to the wedding -- along with several
hundred other of the Duke of El Monte's closest friends. It was at Caesar's
Palace in Vegas, and we all flew in chartered Electras, about four of them,
from Long Beach airport. We left about 6:00 p.m. and got back about 12
hours later. It was an affair to remember. At one point, I ran into Mickey
in a hallway holding 20 grand in fresh money--4 packs of $5K each -- from a
quick trip to the roulette table. He saw a girl he knew and gave her one of
them, which she promptly parlayed into zero bucks. Easy come, easy go.
It was always taken it was a professional hit, supposedly by two guys on
bicycles in sweat clothes. They killed both Mickey and Trudy, early in the
morning as the Thompsons were in the driveway, preparing to go to work.
There was a reward, put up by Colleen Campbell, Mickey's sister and some
friends, which still may be operative. The obvious suspect was the partner
who had to cough up around $400K for that settlement, as I recall, possibly
something to do with arena truck racing. I guess nothing was found that
could link him to the crime, though. Colleen was on America's Most Wanted a
few years back, still very much seeking whoever did it. Sal Fish, who was
a publisher of Car Craft while I was their, took over the offroad racing
business. As far as I know, he's still in it.
Arnie
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