Paranoid Thinking: June 2000

June 21, 2000
3801 Connecticut Avenue, NW #136
Washington, DC 20008-4530

Nancy Shaffer, Ph.D.
Community Mental Health Center
Washington, DC 20007

Dear Dr. Shaffer:

In order to assist you in your evaluation, I submit the following thoughts about certain tenants in my building. Some of the thoughts are paranoid.

Genevieve V. Topliff (537-0551) Apt. 137 (known as "Toppie") [now deceased]

Next-door neighbor. Elderly (80+). Has resided at same address since at least August 1983, when I moved in at 136.

Friendly with Elizabeth Joyce, [retired as of 2003; resides in Silver Spring, MD] the apartment front-desk manager.

Used to have a roommate of about the same age, named Bernice Stiles [now deceased]. Stiles died about four years ago, following a long illness. Was hospitalized at Sibley Hospital. Stiles lived with Topliff since at least 1983. Stiles worked for years at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). I retrieved from the trash a copy of "The Informant" addressed to Bernice Stiles: Official Newsletter of the Society of FBI Alumni.

I believe that Topliff and Stiles must have seen former resident manager Elaine Wranik enter my apartment every day, after I had gone to work.

Topliff and Stiles helped raise a young girl named Esther, who is now married and lives elsewhere. Esther has a young child of her own now. Esther was about eight years old in 1983.

I had a specific paranoid impression about Esther. On the morning of October 13, 1994, as I was leaving my apartment for my first oral argument before the D.C. Court of Appeals (before Judges Ferren, Terry, and Mack) I looked over at Esther who was at the doorway of her apartment (137). She had a look of horror on her face when she saw me. October 13, 1994 was just a few days after I had sent a letter to the FBI Washington Field Office: a letter that contained references to the President of the United States, a letter that was ultimately referred to the U.S. Secret Service for investigation. I met with the Secret Service in mid-December of 1994. I connected Esther's demeanor to the fact that I had written a strange letter to the FBI. I had no idea as of October 13, 1994 that the FBI would take any action in regard to the letter.
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Gerald (Postow?) Apt. 137 [now deceased]

Tenant appears to suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder and has memory problems. On several occasions I have seen him at his door obsessively concerned about whether his door is locked. He has asked me on several occasions, when he saw me wearing a "Penn" t-shirt whether I went to Penn. He would routinely say, "I have a niece who went to Penn."

I believe his father was a medical doctor. I chatted with him on one occasion in the lobby of the building. Tenant lives in a one-bedroom apartment.

On one occasion some time ago he chatted with another tenant, Lawrence O'Sullivan. The two had shared cigarettes on a previous occasion.
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Lawrence O'Sullivan (966-9673)

Tenant is young with bleached hair. He has worked as a messenger. Tenant is an occasional patron at the Cleveland Park Public Library. He uses the computer at the library. Head librarian Brian Brown may know who he is.

Tenant is from Canada (Montreal). Native language appears to be French. Mentioned that he used to do research at McGill University in Montreal (and used computer there). Said that paternal grandfather was an engineer(?), accomplished in his profession.

Front desk manager Elizabeth Joyce is friendly with him. She appears to know about his family background. Joyce recently said to tenant Dawn White: "He's been having problems with his parents." (Evidence of confidential relationship?)
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Isabelle Fine (363-2536 ? -- listing for I. Fine)

Elderly woman who is friendly with tenant Dawn White. Usually drinks coffee and has doughnut in lobby of apartment building in morning: chats with White.

Oddity: I had conversation with Fine on Friday morning June 17, 2000. During course of conversation she volunteered the comment: "You don't drive." I thought, "how did she know that?"

Fine sometimes chats with Mary Blum, another elderly tenant. Blum was aware of details about some sexual assault that Dawn White was involved with somehow, some time ago (evidence of confidential relationship?)
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Dawn F. White (363-5687)

Elderly tenant. Friendly with front-desk manager Elizabeth Joyce. Joyce appears to share information about tenants with White. (e.g., "Lawrence has been having problems with his parents." see above).

White is friendly with another elderly female tenant named "Pam." They sometimes lunch and shop together.

I believe White has had Elizabeth Joyce to her apartment.

White is originally from Boston area. Has relatives in Florida whom she visits at Christmas.
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Bob and Wife. [both now deceased]

Husband and wife who live on 8th or ninth floor. Have lived in building since at least 1990. Appear to be mentally-challenged. They routinely made lewd sexual gestures at me in 1990 when I worked at Akin, Gump. I once called Bob a "faggot"; he seemed unfazed.

Wife will sometimes stare continuously at my genital region as I walk down the street.
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Mystery Man (tenant in 900) [moved away]

Middle-aged man. No visible means of support.

Failed to send in his 2000 census form on time. Census worker Gail Crawford had to make a personal visit.

Appeared to be friendly with former Apartment manager John Reuss.

Paranoid idea about tenant: Tenant never says hello. But on one occasion, the day I received opinion from Court of Appeals (September 1989) that I had lost my case, I happened to see him walking down street and he said hello. I had the paranoid idea that his reaction was a gloating response.
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Stanley Schmulewitz (244-7538)

Former president of tenants association. Nebbish-like. Appears to be retired. I have the feeling that he knows all about me.

Occasionally chats with another tenant, Jack DeLorenzo, an elderly man who is a retired government lawyer. I have chatted with DeLorenzo. DeLorenzo is originally from Buffalo, NY.

Once saw Schmulewitz greet Isabelle Fine: "Happy Passover.
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Daniel Ellsberg (Apt. 146) [moved in 2003]

Have suspicion that he now recognizes me. My suspicion has arisen in only about the last year-and-a-half.

Resides with his wife, Patricia. I remember reading in 1971 when the whole Pentagon Papers thing blew up that Ellsberg's wife was the daughter of the toy manufacturer, Marx (toy trains). I often wonder, "what the hell are they doing living here? Did her father disown her or what?"

The Introduction of Jeffrey Masson's most recent book (has a picture of an emperor penguin on the cover) acknowledges his friend "Daniel Ellsberg" -- I don't know if it's the same Ellsberg.
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David Grady, Esq. (686-6689) [still resides at 3801]

Attorney who practices law at law firm of Hogan & Hartson while I was employed as a temporary (from 9/85 to 2/88).

Has resided at 3801 since at least 1990. No longer engages in lewd gestures.
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\William ("Bill") Bianco, Esq.

Attorney at Akin Gump. Was hired in 1990, while I worked there (from 3/88 to 10/91). Had recently graduated Harvard Law School. Lived in building only a brief time, no longer tenant.

Bianco would have rented his apartment from Elaine Wranik, the former manager (1986 to 1992).

It was Wranik (now deceased) who used to inspect my apartment every day and report her findings back to her contact at Akin Gump.
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Richard ("Dick") Stanke

Tenant in building in the year 1989. Worked as telephone computer systems ("System 89") person at Akin Gump. My office space in 1989 was near his office. See Brief of Appellee District of Columbia Freedman v. D.C. Dept. Human Rights, No. 96-CV-961, at pages 8-9 (citing record on appeal at 341).

During the period March 20 through October 23, 1989, Freedman believes that he was being covertly observed by a computer systems manager at the law firm. According to Freedman, this individual would watch while Freedman was engaged in conversations with others and then go into his office and close his door to report "to a third party what he observed." R. 341.

Stanke would have known Elaine Wranik, then resident manager at Stanke's apartment, at 3801. Stanke got married in 1989; his wife was a lawyer.
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Library Patron

For a number of years I have had the idea that a patron at the Cleveland Park Public Library knows who I am. He visits the library frequently and checks out a lot of books.

He is middle-aged, tall, thin, balding -- dresses casually, but has an intellectual air. Gives the impression that he is highly intelligent. Tends to have a few words for Pauline Jones, the book check-out person. No visible means of support. Appears to spend a lot of time reading.

I think he lives at the Kennedy-Warren apartments at 3100 Connecticut Avenue.

Coincidentally, E. Barrett Prettyman, Jr., Esq. also resides at the Kennedy-Warren. Prettyman is the former Inspector General for the District Government and a partner at Hogan & Hartson, a law firm where I used to work. Prettyman is former president of the Faulkner-Pen Committee, an organization that awards authors for outstanding books.

On Saturday June 17, 2000 I saw patron return a single book: a novel titled "Rhapsody" by an author named Elizabeth Haydon.
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Two additional persons about whom I have paranoid ideas of reference.

KATHLEEN MATTHEWS:

Matthews is a local anchor woman on WJLA-TV (channel 7). About two years ago I was walking down Connecticut Avenue at about Porter Street; the studio is located a few blocks north on Connecticut. Matthews was walking north on Connecticut and appeared to recognize me. It was at about lunch time.

She looked at me intently and, I would say, admiringly. That struck me as very odd. I wondered how she could possibly know me.

I subsequently found out the following facts about Matthews:

She is married to Chris Matthews, a nationally-prominent reporter and political commentator. Just a few weeks ago Chris Matthews filled in for Dave Bloom on the weekend Today Show on NBC, from the New York studio.

http://dailstrug.blogspot.com/2010/02/dennis-race-symbolism-whats-symbolism.html

Kathleen Matthews is a graduate of Stanford University; Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton's daughter currently attends Stanford. On occasion, Matthews interviews prominent persons; she may have interviewed Mrs. Clinton at some time.

STEVE RUDIN

[I disavow, as of May 1, 2010, all of the statements about Steve Rudin.  It is my belief that all of the following statements about Mr. Rudin are pure, baseless paranoia.]

Rudin is a meteorologist on WUSA-TV. I have seen him in the Dupont Circle area on a number of occasions. I believe he recognizes me. Although, I also believe he is homosexual, and may have spotted me for other reasons.

I had earlier formed the opinion that Akin Gump may have been referred to Rudin by someone at the station who was aware of Rudin's sexual orientation; I had formed the opinion that Akin Gump was curious about why a young, good-looking homosexual was able to get along well with his coworkers. I believe the referring reporter was an African-American reporter name Bruce (?), who had done a story in the fall of 1995 about black persons who have problems with cab drivers who refuse to stop and pick them up.

Coincidentally, when I was a student at Penn State I took a class in introductory meteorology taught by Dr. Joel Myers, a nationally-prominent meteorologist and President of Accu-Weather. Myers and I attended the same high school in Philadelphia, Central High School. Myers' father, Herb Myers, was a friend (and lodge brother?) of my uncle, Lewis Freedman (now deceased). I do not know where Rudin attended college. They say that one in four meteorologists in the U.S. is a graduate of Penn State.
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It is a recurring feature of my paranoia that persons who seem to recognize me tend to be connected in some way, however tenuous, with other persons with whom I have some connection.

Coincidentally, Robert Strauss used to be an FBI agent. Maybe he spotted qualities in me -- shrewd, observant -- or just plain paranoid.

Sincerely,

Gary Freedman