The Montreal clan that grew the Seagrams booze empire after selling booze illegally during the prohibition, continues to generate juice news stories.
Here's a list of the scandals, ranked and rated for juiciness.
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☆☆☆☆ Albany N.Y.-based Clare Bronfman, daughter of Edgar, was among six arrested and charged yesterday in connection activities ranging from 2006 to 2018 connected to Keith Ranieri's NXIVM sex cult, of which she was a top figure. "She has financed the defendant repeatedly over the years, including providing him with millions of dollars," according to a document written by prosecutors in March. Bronfman has denied any wrongdoing. "Determining the truth is extremely important to me, and I can say firmly that neither NXIVM nor Keith have abused or coerced anyone," she wrote.
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☆☆☆☆ Sam Bronfman II was kidnapped by hostage takers in 1976, who asked his father Edgar for $2.3 million. Edgar ponied up. New York fireman Mel Patrick Lynch and limo driver Dominic Byrne later testified that Sam, who was Edgar's oldest son, was in on the hoax, and that they were acquainted from gay discos. The duo was convicted of extortion but not kidnapping. Police recovered the loot and returned it to Edgar, who snubbed Sam, his eldest, in favour of Edgar Jr. Sam II moved to California and became a wine connoisseur.
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☆☆☆ Barbara Bronfman's (nee Baerwald), wife of Charles, brought put up $40,000 bail money for Philadelphia hippie impresario Ira Einhorn who murdered his girlfriend Holly Maddux in 1979. He skipped bail and fled to Europe and questions arose concerning her possible complicity in his lengthy stay on the lam. Charlie and Barbie later divorced.
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☆☆☆ Mitchell Bronfman was ordered to testify at the CECO crime commission concerning his connection to a pump-and-dump stock operation between 1965 and 1968. He was also forced to answer questions about his financial ties to underworld kingpin Willie Obront, to whom he paid extravagant interest on loans even though he was worth millions. Bronfman was accused in parliament of using political connections to score a contract to provide security at Dorval airport at a time when many employees were involved in bringing in drugs.
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☆☆ Jeffrey Bronfman, who attended St. George's School and had considerable interest in the Moonie cult, devotes his life to running an obscure religious sect that favours DMT hallucingenic plants. His group has about 130 people and has been located near Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1992. The group frowns on alcohol.
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☆☆ Edgar boycotted his son Edgar Jr. after the younger Bronfman married a black woman who had acted in the film Shaft. Dad eventually came to terms with it but the couple split in 1991 after three kids. Edgar Jr. then headed his father's empire but was widely criticized for swapping immensely profitable Du Pont interests for weak companies that might make him a bigger deal in Hollywood.
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As for the sex cult element to this story, Coolopolis hopes to get an interview with someone close to the story. Montreal, meanwhile, is no stranger to sex cults, several of which are detailed in the indispensable book Montreal 375 Tales.
Here's a list of the scandals, ranked and rated for juiciness.
☆☆☆☆ Albany N.Y.-based Clare Bronfman, daughter of Edgar, was among six arrested and charged yesterday in connection activities ranging from 2006 to 2018 connected to Keith Ranieri's NXIVM sex cult, of which she was a top figure. "She has financed the defendant repeatedly over the years, including providing him with millions of dollars," according to a document written by prosecutors in March. Bronfman has denied any wrongdoing. "Determining the truth is extremely important to me, and I can say firmly that neither NXIVM nor Keith have abused or coerced anyone," she wrote.
☆☆☆☆ Sam Bronfman II was kidnapped by hostage takers in 1976, who asked his father Edgar for $2.3 million. Edgar ponied up. New York fireman Mel Patrick Lynch and limo driver Dominic Byrne later testified that Sam, who was Edgar's oldest son, was in on the hoax, and that they were acquainted from gay discos. The duo was convicted of extortion but not kidnapping. Police recovered the loot and returned it to Edgar, who snubbed Sam, his eldest, in favour of Edgar Jr. Sam II moved to California and became a wine connoisseur.
☆☆☆ Barbara Bronfman's (nee Baerwald), wife of Charles, brought put up $40,000 bail money for Philadelphia hippie impresario Ira Einhorn who murdered his girlfriend Holly Maddux in 1979. He skipped bail and fled to Europe and questions arose concerning her possible complicity in his lengthy stay on the lam. Charlie and Barbie later divorced.
☆☆☆ Mitchell Bronfman was ordered to testify at the CECO crime commission concerning his connection to a pump-and-dump stock operation between 1965 and 1968. He was also forced to answer questions about his financial ties to underworld kingpin Willie Obront, to whom he paid extravagant interest on loans even though he was worth millions. Bronfman was accused in parliament of using political connections to score a contract to provide security at Dorval airport at a time when many employees were involved in bringing in drugs.
☆☆ Jeffrey Bronfman, who attended St. George's School and had considerable interest in the Moonie cult, devotes his life to running an obscure religious sect that favours DMT hallucingenic plants. His group has about 130 people and has been located near Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1992. The group frowns on alcohol.
☆☆ Edgar boycotted his son Edgar Jr. after the younger Bronfman married a black woman who had acted in the film Shaft. Dad eventually came to terms with it but the couple split in 1991 after three kids. Edgar Jr. then headed his father's empire but was widely criticized for swapping immensely profitable Du Pont interests for weak companies that might make him a bigger deal in Hollywood.**
As for the sex cult element to this story, Coolopolis hopes to get an interview with someone close to the story. Montreal, meanwhile, is no stranger to sex cults, several of which are detailed in the indispensable book Montreal 375 Tales.