The Stakeout
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Hi, it's Andrea Gunning, the host of Betrayal. I'm excited to announce that the Betrayal podcast is expanding. We are going to be releasing episodes weekly, every Thursday. Each week, you'll hear brand new stories, firsthand accounts of shocking deception, broken trust, and the trail of destruction left behind. Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm John Walczak, host of the new podcast Missing in Arizona. And I'm Robert Fisher, one of the most wanted men in the world. We cloned his voice using AI.

In 2001, police say I killed my family and rigged my house to explode before escaping into the wilderness. Police believe he is alive and hiding somewhere. Join me. I'm going down in the cave. As I track down clues. I'm going to call the police and have you removed. Hunting. One of the most dangerous fugitives in the world. Robert Fisher. Do you recognize my voice? Listen to Missing in Arizona every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

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Sniffy's Cruising Confessions will broaden minds and help you pursue your true goals. You can listen to Sniffy's Cruising Confessions, sponsored by Gilead, now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday. Previously on Number One Dad. Hello, we are not available now. Please leave your name and phone number after the beep. We will return your call. Hi Dad, it's Gary. I am, uh, I know it's been a long time, but I am calling you because I...

I've been thinking a lot about memory. So I know this is like a weird question. I was wondering if you could help. So I have a number from my father who I haven't spoken to in like 20, 40 years. And I'm not sure if it's his phone number. What's the phone number? So it's 631. What's his name? Manny Veeder. I mean, that's the number that is showing on here.

It's a young boy looking for his father. It's hard to be funny in a situation like this. You make fun of me all the time about it. You say, Gary, is that your dad over there? I look, nope. No, look, I wish I was your dad and wasn't here right now. I'm on tour with my friend comedian Nate Bargetzi. We just finished up a show in Toronto, and I caught Nate up on everything that's been going on with my dad.

Since we last talked, I called my house. The last known address he's had is my old house, but that information is from that he lived there three years ago. So nobody has seen him in the last three years. Oh, really? Yeah, wow. So I called the house phone. I'm leaving a message, and then the machine just cuts off halfway through the message. Was it his voice on the message? No, it was an automated message. How long of a message did you leave? I

I mean, I'm talking like it was just a short, like 10 second message and then it got cut off. I'm like, hey, dad, this is Gary. I just want to let you know. And then it just cut off. So I've been trying to find somebody who has the most recent number, but I've been striking out. I did send him also a Facebook message and that is turned up empty also. I don't know what to do.

Did you go to the house? I went to the house to just see, like, if there's any sign of him living there. And it looks like a young family lives there. So I have no idea if he lives there. But the house, like, I looked up the house. It's not in his name. What if he moved, though, man? Because, I mean, a lot of people moved out of New York. Maybe. Everyone I spoke to so far, no one has seen him in the last three years. You think he's still alive, right? Yeah.

Yeah, this is where you told me that he's dead. Yeah, I don't know how to tell you this, Gary. I thought about him possibly being dead, but I think he's alive. He's just hard to get in touch with clearly. Maybe it's that family, though, and they're like, we can't be hearing from this old man calling for his dad. What if that family just screamed at the answering machine, just let it go? Yeah.

I hope you do track him down. Yeah. I think – I feel like if you track him down, I think he's going to be in your life more than – because it seems like someone like that, they're going to like it. Yeah. And then it's like now they can walk in it. You're giving them some –

I'm opening the door for him. Yeah, yeah. And he seems like a guy who wants to take advantage of the situation. Yeah. As soon as he sees that your name's on this. He might be on the bus. Yeah. It seems crazy that no one knows where he's at. No one knows. Does he have friends? Like, does he have lifelong friends? Yeah, there's one guy, this guy Howie.

And he's an option. Have you talked to him? I sent him a message, so hopefully he gets back to me. And then the other big one is the local rabbi. I'm like, maybe he still goes to temple. Yeah. So there's a good chance your dad has kept up with everything except you. Yeah, exactly. This is Number One Dad.

Hey, Gary. Hi, Rabbi. How are you? How are you? How's everything? Everything's good. It's been a while. A long time, Gary. A long time. That's my old rabbi from Long Island, Rabbi Sachs. I sent out emails to anyone who might still be in touch with my father in the hopes of getting his number, and so far, he's the only one who responded. We haven't spoken since 1996 when he helped me with my bar mitzvah.

My father was pretty religious when I was growing up, so I'm hoping he and the rabbi might still be in touch. I remember your dad asking me whether I would accept assignment. And I said, of course, he brought you in. You were this skinny little runt.

A lot of hair. And I saw you quite a bit. I do remember at that point of time, your parents were going through a lot. Yeah, it was a tough situation. Yeah. Rabbi, when was the last time you saw my father? That I don't remember. But I remember your dad came into synagogue and he said, you're not going to believe this, but Gary is, you know, he's climbing up the ladder on America's Got Talent. You should watch him. And he was...

He was smiling like a treasured cat, you know, from ear to ear. He was happy, he was proud, and I wasn't the only one he told.

You know, Gary, I loved your first performance. I thought you were terrific and you were very memorable. Was your family excited that you got through the next round? I actually didn't tell them that I got through the next round. Why is that? Just in case, you know, I keep on advancing, I want to keep the money to myself. So that would have been 2015. Somewhere around there, I have a very funny recollection of him telling me

Look, you see that? They're following me. I said, who's following you? You see that car? Watch, when I leave, they're going to leave. I said, who?

Who are they? So he goes, they're making sure that I don't go to work. I guess some type of insurance or workers' comp. I'm not sure what. But sure enough, there was a sun visor. So you couldn't see there was anybody in there. So your dad got in and he smiled at me as he got in the car. I was looking from the window and he left right away. So he knew he had a tail. That's hilarious.

Yeah, there's always some type of insurance thing going on with him. But that's my dad. That's exactly what he would do. Yeah. Rabbi, do you have my father's phone number? So I can get the number. Enough people here have his number. I can get the right one. I so appreciate that. Thank you so much for your help with this. And please let me know if you get that number. Sure thing. Of course, anytime.

While waiting for the rabbi to get back to me with my dad's number, I actually heard from one of the other people I had reached out to. It was an old high school buddy of my father's, Howie Robertson, who I met a couple of times when I was a kid.

He also happens to be a former warden at Rikers Island. You're giving me goosebumps, man, because you sound just like him. Really? Really. You sound just like him. That's the truth. Yeah, I was going to say, it's interesting that you say that I sound like my father because we haven't talked in 24 years, so I don't think he and I have spoken since my voice has changed. So to hear that, it's weird. I mean, the reflection in your voice, you sound just like him. Since my father and Howie were so close...

I had to ask if he had any stories to share. He told me one about my dad having his payphone business in a halfway house. It was a halfway house in Brooklyn. I knew three guys who worked there, and this was during the time when your father had a payphone business. Again, we're going back now before cell phones. And I had a guy in there, his name was Kenneth McGriff, a.k.a. Supreme.

Investigators say a lot of drugs moved through these two buildings. In the past six months to a year, they estimate that in excess of 1,000 vials of crack were sold and bought here each day.

Supreme was the founder of the Supreme Team, an organized crime syndicate that operated out of the Baisley Projects in South Jamaica, Queens. His gang focused on the widespread distribution of crack cocaine. At its peak in 1987, the Supreme Team was making $200,000 a day. Your father would come in, he had his phones there, and he'd walk around talking to people, and he's walking amongst these guys, sitting down with them, having long conversations.

Wow. Yeah.

So when's the last time you talked to my dad? Do you have his phone number? Alright, amazing. I appreciate it, Howie. Thank you. Bye.

I am about to call the number that Howie gave me and hopefully talk to my dad. You gotta be kidding me. If you feel you have reached this recording error, please check the number and try your call again.

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On September 17, 2009, 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson was released from the Malibu Lost Hill Sheriff's Station. She had no money, no phone, and no ride. She walked out of the station and into the night. And she never made it home. Nearly a year later, Mitrice's naked, skeletonized remains were discovered in a canyon six miles from the station.

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I am on my way to Long Island once again. And the reason is because it's been two weeks since I started this thing. And the number Howie gave me has been disconnected. I still haven't heard back from the rabbi. And I still haven't heard back from my dad after leaving a message on what may or may not be his answering machine. I guess you could add that to the 24 years he and I haven't spoken.

So, using my best judgment, I've decided I'm going to do a steak out of my child at home. Sausage and caprese. How you doing? Good. Can I order a large cheese pizza? Yes, sir. All right, perfect. We're here to go. To go, please. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right, we want to put this in the DoorDash bag. Yep.

It's designed to keep you warm. Oh, nice. I've enlisted the help of my friend Chris Roach. He's going to pretend to be a DoorDash delivery guy. I need to get confirmation if my dad lives in my childhood home. I'm still not sure, and I can't just go up and ring the doorbell myself. I see it. I put my seat warmer on. You feel like these people should get the best? Yeah. We were ready. I had a lav mic, a pen mic, and a keychain mic taped to the bottom of the DoorDash bag.

I wanted to make sure if Chris had contact with my father, I didn't miss a second. So this is the plan. You are going to knock on who I think is my dad's neighbor's door and deliver them a pizza. You're going to say, I have a pizza for Manny Viter. Hopefully they say, oh, you know, he doesn't live here. He lives next door. And that will give us confirmation that

My dad actually lives in that house. - Yeah, yeah. - So you then go next door, knock on that door, and hopefully he answers. I see my dad for the first time in forever. - Right. Manny Vida. - Yep. - Yo, Manny Vida, I've been fucking waiting to meet you again.

So why am I going to my neighbor's house first? If we go directly to where I think my father lives with a fake pizza delivery and he doesn't answer, that gives me nothing. And then I can't have Chris walk across the street to the neighbors and say, we have a pizza for Manny Viter, because they'll go, that's weird. We just saw you over at his house.

Also, I'm having Chris say Manny Viter instead of Manny Veter. My last name is constantly mispronounced, so this is a little added detail that helps sell the mix-up. As a son of a con man, I know what I'm doing. When you were a kid and somebody asked you what your dad did for a living, what did you say? Well, I mean, he had a payphone company. That was, like, his main gig. That was legit? That was... No, it wasn't legit, but it was... He found a way to con into that, too. But...

And pretty much everything he did, he always found a way to hustle. All right, hit me with the test. Check one, two. Check one, two. Check one, two, three. Pizza for Manny Viter. Okay, you're good. Testing one, two. Testing one, two. All right, I am good to go. It's a real deal. Don't get in there. Yeah. We're going in. Delivering a pizza. Manny Viter. Viter?

Manny Viter, pizza, Viter. We're going to do a loop. We've got to go around again. Gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, this is getting intense. This is the real deal here. I know, I see now you're getting excited. This is time, all right? Here we go. Not messing around. Possible Manny Viter sighting coming at you. I was freaking out. Then Chris and I parked and set up to make the delivery at the neighbor's. That's where you're going to do the delivery.

You got it. And so, yeah, just park right, oh, right here, yeah. Where's the house? Yeah, right here, right here. This one, this one, this one. You got it, buddy. Chris leaves. I cover myself with a black sheet in the back of his SUV. And now I'm waiting, peering through his windows with binoculars. He's approaching the house. All right, Chris is approaching the house. This is the neighbors. We need them to answer. Hopefully they give us something. Come on. Come on, Chris.

Hello? DoorDash, Mandy Viter. That's across the street.

Oh yeah, that'd be great. Okay. Oh, I think he's got something. Okay, I guess I'll just leave it at his house then.

Bingo. My door dash goes, "What?" I said, "Manny Viner?" He goes, "He's next door." Really? Check it out. Oh, wow, the video's great. He called your dad on his cell phone. And he goes, "I think somebody's playing a joke on me," something like that. I heard him talk to me down through the door. He goes, "Yeah, I don't like it either. I don't like it either."

- Really? - All right, so we know he lives there. You're gonna do a loop and then you're gonna go right next door, make a left. You got to be at my dad's house. Okay, I'll be spinning around here. Just making a regular delivery like I always do. - Yep. There might be somebody home. It looks like the TV's on. All right, right here, right here, right here. - Here? - Yeah. Chris parked directly on the side of my father's house and I could see the front door perfectly. He's at the porch right now. Holy shit.

Alright, he's just knocking. Oh man. Come on, answer. Oh, he's knocking again. Alright, he's not there. Yo! Chris! Oh man, I'm trying to get his attention. Oh, he left the pizza. I love it. There's no doorbell. He knocked on the door. There's three chairs up front, almost like a barricade. The front door, whole unit looks brand new. There's also like another one that's pulled out. And...

There's like stuff in front of the door. Like I see through the window, like he must be renovating. And there was like boxes and stuff. - There was just tons of boxes that you could see in there? - Yeah, but I didn't see any movement. Did you see any movement? - No, I didn't see anything. Did you see any cameras or no? - Yeah, no ring or camera. Oh, there's a light. I see that light we were talking about. Is somebody peering out over there? - Yeah, that was on the floor. - So nobody's peering out of it. - All right, yeah, let's get out of here.

Now, Chris and I weren't totally sure if my dad was home or not. Maybe, yeah.

Chris and I drove back to our meeting spot, we're happy, the stakeout totally worked. I confirm my father 100% still lives in my childhood home. But there was one more thing I had to do. I will let you know about that pizza. Feels good, what a rush, huh? I love it. Yeah, dude. I am going to see if the pizza that Chris left on the porch chair

If that is still there or if my dad took it. So we will see. All right, I am approaching the house. That pizza is gone. My dad took the pizza. This is a bit of good news. It's been a few days since I did the stakeout and I just got a voicemail from Rabbi Sachs.

Hey, Gary, Rabbi Sachs here. Hope you're well. So listen, I was able to track down your dad's cell phone number. So it's 631-821. I also told him that you might be reaching out. All right. Best of luck. God bless. So here we go. I am going to call my dad. Hello? Hey, how's it going? Gary? No, it's LeBron James. Yeah.

Hey, LeBron James. My son is a Sports Illustrated kid. Yeah, oh, you saw that? Yeah, that's what he does. Would you be interested in an interview? Yeah. It's funny. Did you see that article? I did. I thought it was great. I really did. Thank you. You know, I thought it was really fantastic. In a way, I was surprised that you came out and said what you said, but, you know, that you...

bought it out i never told anybody about it you know uh but um listen first of all let me just tell you i'm very very happy to hear from you you have no idea okay and i'm very proud of you everything you've done the day doesn't go by that i don't think about you okay so do i owe you money is that what you called no i was just uh just calling i mean

I have a family of my own and I'm a father now too. So a lot of time has gone by. Hold on a second, Gary. Hold on. I'm on my car phone. I thought there was a cop in my car behind me. Yeah. Yeah. I hope that we'll be able to see each other. Are you in New York?

No, no, no. I went down to Florida and I'm catching a plane back in about a half hour. Have you seen the house lately? Have you ever driven past the house? No, not in, I don't know, 15 years maybe. Or maybe four days ago when I delivered a pizza to you. Oh, okay. Well, maybe a little bit longer. You know, you're welcome. And of course, your family's welcome. You still have the house? Yeah, yeah. I mean,

I don't plan on getting rid of it. We got a lot of memories in that house. Good. I don't like to say the word bad because, you know, there's nothing bad that I want to remember. I just want to try to remember the good things. Yeah. It is something that, you know, I thought about too. And I, you know, obviously we haven't talked in a while and I don't know how much

Of my life I want you to be a part of, but I'd be interested in you and I meeting. Okay. That's great. I'll do it at your pace. I don't push myself. And, you know, how you want to do it, I'm not just open to it. I'll go by the rules. You make the rules and I'll follow them. All right.

But yeah, we'll figure something out. If you're in town next week, maybe we do something next week. Yeah, I'll be in town next week. I'm leaving it up to you because you steer the ship and I'll just raise the sails. Got it. Sounds good. Okay. All right. Well, I'll be in touch. Okay, good. Good. Listen, don't wait too long, okay?

All right. And you can tell me more about you and I'd love to see you. All right. Sounds good. Don't be angry at me if I try to kiss you when I see you. No, let's not do that. I know. I kissed you my whole life. I always kissed you. All right. Keep your lips to yourself. Okay.

All right. Will do. Okay. Hey, thank you for calling. I'm so happy to hear from you. I'll talk to you. Bye-bye. All right. Bye. On the next episode of Number One Dad. I'm happy to sit here with you. I'm happy that you reached out to me. I really mean that. I said that. Some good memories. A lot of them.

I have no regrets. You have no regrets? Well, that's all. And any, anything? Well, I mean. I haven't talked to you in 27 years. I'm not talking to Jamie or Danny. Well, you know, I tried. Things happen, and that's it. Number One Dad is a production of Radio Point, Big Money Players Network, and iHeart Podcasts.

created and hosted by Gary Veeder. Executive producers are Gary Veeder, Adam Lowett, Alex Bach, Daniel Powell, Houston Snyder, Kenneth Slotnick, and Brian Stern. Written by Gary Veeder and Adam Lowett. Produced by Bernie Kaminsky. Co-producer is Taylor Kowalski. Edited and mixed by Ian Sorrentino at Little Bear Audio.

Recording engineer is Kat Iosa. Original music by Andrew Gross. Special thanks to Charlotte DeAnda. Jonathan Karsh is creative consultant. Executive producers for Big Money Players Network and iHeart Podcast are Will Farrell, Hans Sani, and Olivia Aguilar. Sound services were provided by Great City Post.

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Hi, it's Andrea Gunning, the host of Betrayal. I'm excited to announce that the Betrayal podcast is expanding. We are going to be releasing episodes weekly, every Thursday.

Each week, you'll hear brand new stories, firsthand accounts of shocking deception, broken trust, and the trail of destruction left behind. Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm John Walzak, host of the new podcast Missing in Arizona. And I'm Robert Fisher, one of the most wanted men in the world. We cloned his voice using AI. I'm John Walzak.

In 2001, police say I killed my family and rigged my house to explode before escaping into the wilderness. Police believe he is alive and hiding somewhere. Join me. I'm going down in the cave. As I track down clues. I'm going to call the police and have you removed. Hunting. One of the most dangerous fugitives in the world. Robert Fisher. Do you recognize my voice? Listen to Missing in Arizona every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.