Jewellery heist at St. Maarten airport now estimated at $850,000
Latest data reports put the value of recent big jewellery heist at Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten at around $850,000. Early reports had the heist at $350,000 in Swiss luxury watches.
The jewellery is now thought to be (formerly) belonging to at least 7 companies.
This heist is probably the largest ever theft of its type ever in the tropical island of (Philipsburg,Dutch side) St. Maarten.
The jewellery was shipped in to St. Maarten in anticipation of a big holiday sale season.
Perfect time for a heist. You really can’t beat winter in the tropics.
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
The Guide to Getting More out of Life http://www.thegmanifesto.com
(Want to see something in The G Manifesto? Send suggestions to thegmanifesto@yahoo.com)
Guest G Manifesto: Side Hustles: The Art of Enhancing BankRoll
Although I have never met Michael formally, we have shared some correspondence regarding Side Hustles. In any occupation (at least any worth pursuing) there is usually always one big pay day or shall we say: Score. For Athletes, this may come as a signing bonus or perhaps after winning a tournament or fighting a bout (think huge novelty checks). For G’s and the like, it’s that final heist, the one that sets you up for life. For entrepreneurs, its bringing your company public. For a Platinum Digger, its that divorce you always waited for (no pre-nup, of course). For Bankers, its a Christmas bonus and for Lawyers, it’s that huge settlement (asbestos, pharmaceuticals, tobacco ect.).
On a side note… when you think about it, Fat Cat lawyers have the good life, they have their hands deep in products supplied to the street without being tied to the block. And their cut is a third off the top…But that’s neither Euro or Puro.
The point is, what do Professionals do while waiting for their Score? Some sit content and complacent while others pick up a some side scratch. Your guest writer (A banker by nurture and a G by nature) is cut from a cloth that insists upon side hustles. But before I go into further detail I must provide a little more color…
By definition, Side Hustles are those which bring in alternative revenue streams; they are not designed to nor should replace your Grand Hustle. In fact, a side hustle should directly relate to the core business. For example, Athletes do endorsements; G’s with deep connections put money in the streets with 2 points of vigor…weekly; Platinum Diggers hook their friends with plastic surgeons and Bankers put money in alternative investments (hedge funds and private equity).
Well back to the topic at hand…A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to discuss this subject with an old associate/mentor of mine and serious heavyweight in the Hedge Fund game. In true form to The G Manifesto, I think I was sporting a 3 button Heather Grey Etro suit with blue steel underlining to match the blue steel desert with mother of pearl handle tucked behind the jacket complementing the mother of pearl buttons on my powder blue Brioni shirt and Rolex Daytona watch face. Since trading Lenox Ave. for Park Ave, I haven’t had much need for the burner but I’m haunted by my past and I still love to accessorize.
Anyway, while dining at the Kobe Club on 58th Street, noshing on some saki cured salmon with tobiko cream cheese and bagel chips and ordering cuts of Kobe Beef like Shaquille O’Neal, my former mentor proposed a side business which he discovered while vacationing in Thailand. Countries like Thailand, Bali, Myanmar, The Salmon Islands, Comoros and the Philippines are in serious need of cheap building materials. Recognizing this need for cooper and steel, He asked if I wanted in on purchasing old decommissioned cruise ships and navy vessels, scraping the liners and selling the metals to these countries. This, of course, would be a side hustle. I would be putting my money to work for me. We raised our glasses of La Grande Dame and toasted to Health & Wealth.
On another side note… I would have probably agreed for free… this endeavor gives me an excellent opportunity to twist some Philippine princesses while overseeing construction of the landing strip near my vacation home.
In closing, sometimes ideas aren’t as easily presented to you nor is everyone in a position to let their money work for them. My advice would be to focus on your trade or craft. Understand your business and see what works. Try not to think too far away from your core business. Owning a car dealership with a body shop on the side is a prime example. The art of the hustle is complementing your current enterprise and utilizing existing ties and relations (think horizontal/vertical integration) . Side Hustles align businesses and build empires.
We all saw what happened to Nate Newton and Martha Stewart… Athletes shouldn’t push weight nor should Home Makers play with stocks.
Special Thanks to the Champ for lending me his site and audience
To Health & Wealth
~ Grad
O.C. – What Am I Supposed To Do?
Big Pun – How We Roll (sample of Janet Jackson- Let’s Wait Awhile)
Recently, in Paris, some G’s made off with $28.4 million in gems, one of the largest jewelry thefts ever. Four men in balaclavas (ski masks for those unfamiliar with the UK crime scene) entered the Harry Winston boutique near the Champs-Elysees at 10am. The heist men then overwhelmed the six employees arriving for work and had them open the safe (smart move). It was true to “the art” as no one was harmed. Very professional with plenty of dash and style.
Interpol is now claiming that jewelry store robberies are up 20% from 2005 (coincidentally, the year The G Manifesto went online). The hot talk is now is about a “new era” of criminality in the luxury sphere. Every time I hear this, it makes me laugh.
To clue everyone in, there are a few key elements going down in The Underworld.
1) Internationally, the penalties for small heists are very similar as big ones. Anyone with any kind of pedigree is making a move on the big stuff. Being involved in a car stereo thieving cartel doesn’t hold the glamour as it did when we were 13 years old.
2) The Underworld isn’t the same place as it was for our fathers. Drugs changed everything. Too many a snitches and informers. The sons of true old-school G’s are trying to exit stage left out of “The Life” as quickly as possible. Now, what is the easiest way to do that? Exactly, Big Heists.
The Coup – Fat Cats and Bigga Fish
3) The chasm between poor and rich in this world is only growing wider. Believe it or not, most “professional” Heistmen (I am talking the crème de la crème here) have deep concern for the poor, the future of the planet and mankind in general. I personally have never had a problem redistributing some of the world’s wealth. I hate seeing malnourished kids with bloated bellys. Rich beware, there are more poor out there than you. You can thank me and “my kind” from your gated communities, suburban enclaves and lame country clubs that “The Revolution” hasn’t already come.
4) The dollar is so weak now. Every International Playboy/Heistman/G is not going to break his back in the US only to get gouged on exchange rates in Europe. Trust me, the exchange rate can really sting when you are buying some handmade suits on Savile Row, London. Hence, more International high dollar heists.
5) Most importantly, the “tech” crims are making all the long coin these days. Hacking into a banks computer and moving $15,000,000 into a numbered Swiss account is a lot easier than actually going into a bank, Prada suited down with heaters and ski masks. My peers (G’s with ties to the old-school) are feeling like we are getting evolved out. And, truthfully, we are. We are feeling the heat, and we are running for the exit doors of “The Life” as quickly as possible. Of course, the “exit doors” means living the life of a Gentleman of Leisure on some tropical beach with a couple of Latina girlfriends. So, don’t shed a tear for us, Argentinian girl. Either way, that is the main reason for the increase in high dollar heists.
N.W.A. – Appetite For Destruction (listen for Eazy E’s verse)
Right now you are seeing the last generation of true heist men out there. We are about to become extinct not because of police pressure but by technology. This is our last great chance. (Our fathers and grandfathers had it so easy.)
And why not? Most of us are living much better than fine, young, brash, and handsome like Ali in his prime. Sure, we could maybe be “tech” crims or put tech crim crews together (say that ten times fast), but there is nothing quite like being an International Playboy/ Heistman. When was the last time you saw some “hacker guy” with a model on his arm? There will never be another quite like me. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Here is the new Jay-Z track Blue Magic. Pharrell Williams on the Beat. Chorus is an interpolation of En Vogue’s “Hold On”. Blue Magic was the blue packets of Heroin that Frank Lucas’ crew used to push.
Frank Lucas ruled supreme on One-sixteenth Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue where he made more than a million dollars a day. There were many “brands” of Heroin in those days. Most were at about 5% purity. Blue Magic Heroin was at 10% purity and the dopest.
I have been getting tons of emails lately such as, “What is the Best Halloween Costume for a G to wear?” or something to the tune of “I am going to a sick Halloween gig this year, what is the best costume?” Decent questions, all in all. I am going to go out on a limb and assume that when people say “Best” they mean the “Best Halloween Costume to Pick up Girls in”. Fair enough?
Now, keep in mind, I don’t really go out on Halloween anymore and I have mentioned this before in: Halloween Parties and Vampire Naps. To be quite honest, I don’t really go out on Holidays at all. Too many cops, guys, snitches, informers, protective boyfriends, grasses and corporate fools. (In fact, I am having trouble even going out on weekends nowadays. Weekends are for working stiffs. Tues, Wed, and Thurs you can get your most solid work done. And when I say “solid work” I mean swooping the flyest girls. Mondays are bad, because of Thurs seafood deliveries. Unless, of course, you go to Le Bernardin in NYC).
First off, here are some definite “Don’ts” for Halloween Costumes:
No face paint. (The stuff will get in your eyes and end up running down your face at some point in the night. Plus, you should want to take advantage of your good looks. You are in your prime, right?)
No “shirt off” costumes. (unless your gay)
No spandex. (If I need to explain this, your problems don’t end there.)
Now, keep in mind, I haven’t “battle tested” many of these costumes. But, I have picked the brains of many trusted sources and G’s active on The International Playboy Circuit, to come up with this data sheet on The Best Halloween Costumes for Guys:
The Classics:
The Mummy: Bad Idea, dressing up in toilet paper isn’t going to get you any girls.
Spiderman: No. Spandex. This also goes for Superman, Batman or any of those other clowns. Aquaman? Do me a favor. This is real life, not HBO’s Entourage. For the record, I out-Gamed Marky Mark heads up back in the day for a fly girl in Hollywood. And she was from Boston! Come on Marky? Skip along and go find your Funky Bunch. Dancing around in your underwear? That guy is so weesh. But I digress. Back to The Best Halloween Costume…
Pirate: Good move, especially if you spin it like a Pirates of the Caribbean-Johnny Depp style costume. Fly girls buy into that Hollywood-Johnny Depp crap, if you haven’t noticed.
Dracula: Best choice of the classics by far. Real good for submissive girls. You get to slick back your hair, and dress in black. Can be pretty sinister. Pretty haunting like Hope Sandoval’s voice. It’s no secret that Fly Girls like Vampires.
50’s Greaser: I wouldn’t recommend it. But, could be good for swooping white trash girls.
60’s Hippy: Not bad if you spin it into some drugged out Jim Morrison type cat. Also, girls that like weed and pills will probably step to you. Which is never a bad thing.
70’s Disco Cat: Best bet. You can wear fly clothes and if you are carrying drugs, you can play it off as some kind of “prop”.
The Whispers – And The Beat Goes On
“Funny” Costumes:
Not really a fan of “funny” costumes. The guy dressed as a “Condom” never gets any girls. Keep in mind, however, that wearing Condoms with any girl you meet on Halloween dressed in some scandalous outfit is advisable.
Occupational Based Costumes:
Fireman: I have heard from some fairly reliable sources that the Fireman does get chicks on Halloween. I could see it working especially well on girls with Blue-Collar backgrounds. Hell, might even work on Sophito Girls too.
Pimp: Pretty standard choice. Works pretty well on girls that have ever thought of a career in “The Life”. Which, these days, as much as we don’t want to face it, most girls have. Just, don’t be a rest haven for girls.
Doctor: Best bet. Later in the night, when everyone is out of their mind, you will seem more “trustworthy”. “Prescription pad” can be used for getting girls digits. “Pill bottle” you can use to hold Beans.
Celebrities (Personally, I hate Celebrities, except for heisting their cribs or their girlfriends, but if you must):
Pro Athletes: Bad move. You will only have guys coming up to you and high-fiving you all night. (Although, wearing a vintage Allen Iverson G-Town Jersey could be dope.)
Hugh Hefner: Best Bet. Unoriginal, but who cares? Best to be a young Hef vs and old Hef. Plus, it’s an easy costume to put together; just grab the custom red velvet smoking jacket and Italian silk purple pajamas from your closet and you are ready to go. Added bonus: The young Hef used to smoke cigarettes, so you can chain-smoke all night. If some girl you are with complains of your constant smoking you can say you just want to stay “In character”. Smooth.
Baseball Furies: Face paint, don’t do it. However, you do get to carry a baseball bat though, in case things get dicey.
Run-D.M.C.: Pretty dope. Just make sure you grab the Mic at some point in the night and have some skills:
“I met this little girlie, her hair was kinda curly,
Went to her house and bust her out, I had to leave real early
These girls are really sleazy, all they just say is please me,
Or spend some time and rock a rhyme, I said “It’s not that easy”.
Run-D.M.C. – It’s Tricky (listen for the GO-GO beat at the begining)
Alex and the Droogs (A Clockwork Orange): Not bad, especially from a young G’s perspective. The problem is you will end up in a fight and/or destroying property that night. Just, make sure you are Alex. Dim gets no chicks.
Movie Costumes:
Star Wars: No. I don’t care if your Puke Skysnotter, Barf Vader, Ham Salad or Chewbacon.
Zorro: Not a bad choice. Girls like Zorro. Plus, you get to wear a mask, if you want to do a Heist.
Patrick Bateman (American Psycho): Great choice. You can dress sharp, carry a gun, tons of cash and drugs. Sounds like a regular Tuesday night. Make sure you have a reservation at Dorsia.
Don Juan (Demarco): Real Good choice. You have the Johnny Depp factor in your favor and centuries of playboy lore working for you. If you can’t swoop fly girls dressed as Don Juan, then you really need to do some re-evaluation on your Game.
Tony Montana: Second best Choice of all. You are sharply dressed, full of swagger, smoking fine Cigars and cigarettes, Latin, Tooled up and suited down. You are dressed as men are supposed to dress and you don’t have to sacrifice personal style. Plus, you can have tons of Beeks on you and everyone will just think it is part of your costume. But then again, you should be like this every night, not just Halloween.
Manolo (from Scarface in case you have been living under a rock for the last 20 years): Best Choice of All. You get all the advantages of Tony but you get more girls. (You can skip the double-breasted suit if you like.) Tony was always about “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.” Manny was down with that also but he changed the order to Women – Power – Money. I like it in that order also. The G Manifesto Way.
In closing, The G makes the Halloween Costume; the Halloween Costume doesn’t make the G.
