A story of misplaced justice and the perils of innocence. Convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child, Greg Torti has spent the the last two decades in the shadow of a system that places a high priority on banishing sex offenders even after their release.  Living in rural Texas with children of his own now, Torti would be the first to tell you he agrees with the system. Yet still, after years behind bars and now subject to the process a sex...

A story of language, communism, and 9/11. As a young man growing up in the Dominican Republic, Miguel Vargas-Caba had an early interest in foreign language.  With minimal resources in a country wrapped up in political turmoil and an eventual civil war, Cabas began writing to people overseas to request books and stamps for his collection.  After teaching himself various languages from Latin to Russian, it was ultimately his curiosity in the latter that would land him in the United States...

A story of a runaway, sexual identity, and survival in the wake of loss. In part two of our episode we pick up with Jerry as he returns to New York City from Saudi Arabia.  With money in his pocket he decides to indulge in a free lifestyle, immersing himself in the gay community at various bath houses and night clubs on a regular basis. After running a successful business and ultimately losing a loved one to the AIDS epidemic, he struggles with addiction in the rough and tumble 1980s East...

A story of a runaway, sexual identity, and survival in the wake of loss. Part one of this two-part episode follows Jerry Torre - well known for his appearance in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens. As a child he ran from his home in Brooklyn and began working as a gardener for the wealthy in East Hampton, NY. While there he stumbles upon the now-famous Grey Gardens property and begins regularly staying with the Beales, helping maintain the property and becoming friends with the two women. ...

A story of drug trafficking, deception, and family identity. In the final part of La Retirada, Rocío Gómez and her family enter the United States Federal Witness Security Program. The family must create new identities, while moving from state to state. But they soon realize that fabricated identities do not change their personal history. La Retirada is a collaboration between Everything Is Stories and Love and Radio Love and Radio is produced by Nick van der Kolk

A story of drug trafficking, deception, and family identity. The story continues as Rocío Gómez divorces her husband Rodrigo, a master drug trafficker in Colombia. Rocío and her children move to Miami where she begins a relationship with a new man, Carlos, whose dangerous past with the mafia catches up with Rocío’s family. La Retirada is a collaboration between Everything Is Stories and Love and Radio Love and Radio is produced by Nick van der Kolk Photo by Justin Hollar

A story of drug trafficking, deception, and family identity In Colombia, Rocío Gómez marries into an empire of wealth and power. She is told the family operates a low-profile import/export business, and finds comfort in her role as wife and mother. However, she soon learns the family business is not what it seems as Rocío becomes entangled with drugs, money, and mafioso. La Retirada is a collaboration between Everything Is Stories and Love and Radio Love and Radio is produced by Nick van der...

A story of terrorism, family, and forgiveness. For the first seven years of her life, Sulome Anderson never met her father, journalist Terry Anderson. Three months before she was born, her father was kidnapped and imprisoned by Shiite Muslim militants in Lebanon. Through hostage videos and letters, Sulome began forming an image of a perfect parent. But after his release, she soon realized Terry Anderson was not the person she imagined. Years later, Sulome began investigating the events the...

Stories of protest from Standing Rock. In the Summer of 2016, members from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe began organizing demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), an underground pipeline that would stretch over 1,300 miles. If completed, it would carry oil through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. Many believed DAPL's route would destroy sacred Sioux grounds and affect the local water source. As Indigenous tribes from all over the world united against the...

A story of the Navajo reservation, native rock and roll, and action against a colonial government. For over two decades, Duane “Chili” Yazzie has been an activist for Native American rights. Of the Navajo tribe, Chili has spent his life on the reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico, following tribal traditions and questioning the relationship between Native Peoples and Anglo-Americans. As a young man, he became a member of the influential Native American rock band, XIT, playing at political...

A story of military vets barred from the country they served. In the final part of this series, EIS visits the Deported Veterans Support House in Tijuana. Commonly known as "The Bunker" by residents, the house hosts veterans released from the military and deported out of the United States. A number of veterans tell stories of hardships in Mexico, efforts to join military branches in other countries, and retaining American pride after banishment. Produced by Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and...

A story of military vets barred from the country they served. At age seven, Hector Barajas crossed the Mexico border into United States as an illegal citizen. His family soon settled in Compton, California, where Hector encountered crime, gang violence, and racial division. Hector escaped the lifestyle by joining the United States Army as a non-citizen, becoming a medic for the 82nd Airborne Division. But personal problems soon led him to honorable discharge, prison, and deportation back to...

A story of public relations and lethal injection. Michelle Lyons witnessed over 270 executions carried out by the state of Texas. At age 22, Lyons started reporting for The Huntsville Item, which gave her the opportunity to see her first lethal injection. In 2001, she became the Director of Public Information for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), a spokesperson for 110 prisons across the state. Here, Lyons talks the politics of death row, the infamous Walls Unit execution...

A story of justice found within the shape of a face. Lois Gibson is considered by many to be the most successful forensic artist in the world. Using skills in art, witness interviewing, and facial reconstruction, Gibson has helped solve over 1,200 cases by sketching portraits of both victims and criminals all over the United States. In 2005, she was even placed in the Guinness Book of World Records because of her success in suspect identifications. EIS finds Gibson at her home in Spring,...

A story of activism at sea. For over 30 years, Peter Willcox has been a sea captain for Greenpeace, an environmental organization based out of Amsterdam. Willcox helps international campaigns against whaling, anti-nuclear activities, and global warming. In this episode, he tells his experiences of growing up in an activist family, his first protest at sea, being attacked by the French government and jailed in Russia. He also shares the history of the Rainbow Warrior, the famous Greenpeace...

A story of protest and assumed identity. After anti-war protests at Washington University in 1970, Howard Mechanic became the first person arrested and charged under the Civil Obedience Act. Claiming innocence, Mechanic jumped bail to avoid prison time. He moved out West and created a new identity. For 28 years, he lived as Gary Tredway while raising a family and starting his own business. But what happens when Gary Tredway's background is questioned? Can he continue under an assumed name or...

A story of divine fate and segregation within the Secret Service.   Abraham Bolden was the first black Secret Service agent on the White House detail. Serving under John F. Kennedy, Bolden cracked counterfeiting cases and provided security for the President. However, the segregated 60s led Bolden from the White House to prison. In this story, EIS finds Bolden inside his Chicago home as he recounts his experiences of racial tension and why he considers himself a tool of fate.   Music by...

A story of compassion and saintlike devotion in the streets of New Orleans. B.B. St. Roman is the only staff member for the New Orleans Police Department Homeless Assistant Unit. Before helping the homeless, she traveled the world, recording sound for documentaries involving shamans, Buddhist monks, and Mother Teresa. And at one point, she became the tour manager for Dr. John, Louisiana musician and legend.  Now, she works full-time with the homeless. She tells her stories of Hurricane...

A story of travel without destination. Scooter Tramp Scotty is a writer who’s lived on the road for over 20 years. Traveling across North America on an old Harley Davidson, Scotty never stays in a single place more than two months. In this episode, we find Scotty in New Orleans, Louisiana and Harlingen, Texas where he talks about becoming a drifter, finding places to stay, and the loneliness of the road. Produced by Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray Music by Destruction Unit...