Greatest Hollywood Bootlegger EVER!

The NY Time front-pages the story of a DVD bootlegger who will never be prosecuted. Their only mistake was running it below the fold.

At 92, a Bandit to Hollywood but a Hero to Soldiers

By ALAN SCHWARZ

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — One of the world’s most prolific bootleggers of Hollywood DVDs loves his morning farina. He has spent eight years churning out hundreds of thousands of copies of “The Hangover,” “Gran Torino” and other first-run movies from his small Long Island apartment to ship overseas.

“Big Hy” — his handle among many loyal customers — would almost certainly be cast as Hollywood Enemy No. 1 but for a few details. He is actually Hyman Strachman, a 92-year-old, 5-foot-5 World War II veteran trying to stay busy after the death of his wife. And he has sent every one of his copied DVDs, almost 4,000 boxes of them to date, free to American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With the United States military presence in those regions dwindling, Big Hy Strachman will live on in many soldiers’ hearts as one of the war’s more shadowy heroes.

“It’s not the right thing to do, but I did it,” Mr. Strachman said, acknowledging that his actions violated copyright law.

“If I were younger,” he added, “maybe I’d be spending time in the hoosegow.”

Capt. Bryan Curran, who recently returned from Afghanistan, estimated that from 2008 to 2010, Mr. Strachman sent more than 2,000 DVDs to his outfits there.

“You’re shocked because your initial image is of some back-alley Eastern European bootlegger — not an old Jewish guy on Long Island,” Captain Curran said. “He would time them with the movie’s release — whenever a new movie was just in theaters, we knew Big Hy would be sending us some. I saw ‘The Transformers’ before it hit the States.”

Jenna Gordon, a specialist in the Army Reserve, said she had handed out even more of Mr. Strachman’s DVDs last year as a medic with the 883rd Medical Company east of Kandahar City, where soldiers would gather for movie nights around personal computers, with mortar blasting in the background. Some knew only that the discs came from some dude named Big Hy; others knew not even that.

“It was pretty big stuff — it’s reconnecting you to everything you miss,” she said. “We’d tell people to take a bunch and pass them on.”

This ought to be made into a movie, although to compound the drama Hollywood ought to sue him first. Would there be a dry eye in the house for the courtroom scene? Or they could play it as a comedy - picture a bunch of suits stalking the nefarious "Big Hy" and discovering their actual nemesis.

Just a little more:

White-haired, slightly hunched and speaking in his Depression-era Brooklyn brogue (think Casey Stengel after six years of Hebrew school), Mr. Strachman explained in a recent interview that his 60-hour-a-week venture was winding down. “It’s all over anyways — they’re all coming home in the near future,” he said of the troops.

As he spoke, he was busy preparing some packages, filled with 84 discs of “The Artist,” “Moneyball” and other popular films, many of them barely out of theaters, to a platoon in Afghanistan.

As for his brazen violation of domestic copyright laws, Mr. Strachman nodded guiltily but pointed to his walls, which are strewed with seven huge American flags, dozens of appreciative letters, and snapshots of soldiers holding up their beloved DVDs.

“Every time I got back an emotional e-mail or letter, I sent them another box,” he said, adding that he had never accepted any money for the movies or been told by any authorities to stop.

“I thought maybe because I’m an old-timer,” he said.

In February, Mr. Strachman duplicated and shipped 1,100 movies. (“A slow month,” he said.) He has not kept an official count but estimates that he topped 80,000 discs a year during his heyday in 2007 and 2008, making his total more than 300,000 since he began in 2004. Postage of about $11 a box, and the blank discs themselves, would suggest a personal outlay of over $30,000.

Yeah, book 'em.

Ok, but seriously - suppose he was shoplifting from WalMart to send packages to Mother Teresa's operation in India. Still OK?

One might argue that if Uncle Sam or an energetic charity wants to ship DVDs to the troops abroad that they ought to cut some fair deal with Hollywood producers, who might line up for the good publicity. A nation of laws, not Robin Hoods!

Or one might argue there is something ephemeral about intellectual property and copyrights, since one person's use doesn't affect the availability to others (although it affects Hollywood's revenue). In contrast, medicine shoplifted from WalMart is no longer available to others.

On the other hand, we are talking about Hollywood, and this guy got it done. Pin a medal on him. Or sue him.  Or both.

Comments

[Clarice]

I'll worry about the ethics tommorow, I've decided I love this guy.

[Papal dispensation.]

Somebody show him how to set up PayPal for his defense.
======================

[daddy]

C'mon JOMer's.

We need euphemisms for Jane's next Pow Wow with Dick talking about Big Chief Elizabeth Warren.

Sacajawannabee?

Last of the MoHavardans?

Geroniwho?

Her Pocohighness.

Harvards answer to Ward Churchill?

Help Jane out Kimosabee's:)

What do we want?
Ridicule.
When do we want it?
Now.

[iqvoice]

It's a victimless crime. The assumption is that somehow the soldiers (or Mr. Strachman) would have paid the $14.99 per DVD. Ridiculous.

I have the same problem with the BSA claiming billions of dollars of losses on software piracy. The "billions" are bogus: I only used pirated software when I was a teenager, and if they had somehow tried to force me to pay the $499 pricetag for the software, I wouldn't have been able to, thus they would not have had any more revenue. Instead, I would have gotten into the Free Software movement even earlier in life.

Microsoft finally gets it: they now have Free Word and Free Excel, with on-screen ads.

[Captain Hate]

Harvards answer to Ward Churchill?

Princess Heap Big Pantload?

[Ralph L]

Give him hemlock for corrupting the youth of Athens.

Where is he getting the originals, if he's sending out first run movies?

[MaryD]

Re Warren: Nut case and a double for Miss Piggy's little sister. I can't take her seriously.

[matt]

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!

PR your way out of this one, Hollywood!

[daddy]

I love how George Zimmerman is described as a "White Hispanic", yet how Elizabeth Warren is described by Harvard as "a Native American."

Yet the beauty of the story (for those who haven't followed it yet) is that there is no evidence supporting her claim of being "a Native American."

"Warren’s claim, which surfaced yesterday after a Herald inquiry, put the candidate in an awkward position as campaign aides last night scrambled but failed to produce documents proving her family lineage. Aides said the tales of Warren’s Cherokee and Delaware tribe ancestors have been passed down through family lore.

“Like most Americans, Elizabeth learned of her heritage through conversations with her grandparents, her parents, and her aunts and uncles,” said Warren’s strategist Kyle Sullivan."

"The Ivy League law school prominently touted Warren’s Native American background, however, in an effort to bolster their diversity hiring record..."

"Heap Big Pantload" is right on the money Captain Hate.

[narciso]

Daddy, I was pointing out from the wiki that this might have been the source in the current bio

http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Cambridge_companion_to_the_Age_of_Co.html?id=cfRTip1qBJcC

[Clarice]

Daddy, great idea. You judge and make sure Jane gets the winner nd runners up.

[Bill in AZ sez it's time for Obama/Holder murder trial in Mexico]

Sounds like yet another of the WalkingEagle tribe. That's TooFullaShitToFly in Apache.

[daddy]

Who's Massachusetts most famous Indian?

Squanto.

How much American Indian Blood is in Elizabeth Warren?

Squanto.

[Clarice]

Sack-a-witchea

[daddy]

Narciso,

I saw last night you mentioned "Lions Of The West." I enjoyed that a lot myself. A lot of arcane info that I certainly did not expect but definitely enjoyed, such as James K Polk's 1820's kidney stone surgery for example---Yee-ouch!!!

[daddy]

Poco-who-ness?

[centralcal]

Daddy - I am sure Her Pocohighness is reserved for Michelle Obama.

I thought your first - Sacajawannabee - was more Warren's speed.

[henry]

Follows Dogeater
Speaking Bull
Nose in Air

[NK]

Amazing story. If someone is nutz enough to prosecute him or sue him tell me how to contribute to the defense fund. In the meantime give him a medal

[centralcal]

As someone who can barely operate my dvd player to watch a movie, I am impressed with this old guy burning cd's by the thousands.

[daddy]

Little Big Mouth!

[matt]

somehow I think this old geezer had accomplices. It takes a couple of minutes to burn a DVD, and I can't imagine him running down the Best Buy and buying new burners every time he fried one.

[daddy]

Black Elk spins?

Black Elk Spiels?

Black Elk Farts?

The Teachings of Don Warren: A Yaqui Way of Bullshit.

[henry]

Dances with Mao

[Rick Ballard]

Speaks With Forked Tongue

[Janet]

We need euphemisms for Jane's next Pow Wow with Dick talking about Big Chief Elizabeth Warren.

Maybe someone passed her a feather & she got confused??? Elizabeth learned of her heritage through conversations...

[Chubby]

warrens are for rabbits aren't they?

Princess Crazy Rabbit

aka Pee Cee Rabbit

[Ja]

Matt,

I confess. I was one of his helpers.

We all were. It was easy. I would drop by Radio Shack and by the DVD 's and Rush and Mark and Sean and Dennis and Neal would supply feeds. It was easy. I hope they sue.

[Ja]

Matt,

I confess. I was one of his helpers.

We all were. It was easy. I would drop by Radio Shack and by the DVD 's and Rush and Mark and Sean and Dennis and Neal would supply feeds. It was easy. I hope they sue.

[Ja]

Matt,

I confess. I was one of his helpers.

We all were. It was easy. I would drop by Radio Shack and by the DVD 's and Rush and Mark and Sean and Dennis and Neal would supply feeds. It was easy. I hope they sue.

[sbw]

Princess Hokum

[Appalled]

Princess Egg on Face

[centralcal]

Ja Ja Ja. There is an echo echo echo in here here here.

[Jack is Back!]

Shitting Bull.

[RichatUF]

This seems like a big story that isn't getting much attention. I seem to recall that Obama made favorable mentions of the Spanish economic model in the last few years.

[Threadkiller]

If Obama had a Native-American son, he would look just like Elizabeth Warren.

[centralcal]

oh gawd, JiB - I just snorted my cocktail! Took my breath away.

[Ignatz]

LOL, TK.

[RichatUF]

Wow. JiB FTW.

[Threadkiller]

Natural born is well understood, Ben, just ignored:

http://www.art2superpac.com/issues.html

But its day is coming:

" A federal judge has determined in a case challenging Barack Obama’s eligibility for a state ballot that the meaning of the constitutional phrase “natural born citizen” is “important and not trivial.”

U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson of Tennessee said the courts ultimately must define “natural born citizen,” affirming that the “issue of whether President Obama is constitutionally qualified to run for the presidency is certainly substantial.”

“This specific question has been raised in numerous lawsuits filed since President Obama took office,” Anderson wrote in his opinion. “The outcome of the federal question in this case will certainly have an effect on other cases presenting the same issue about whether President Obama meets the constitutional qualifications for the presidency.”"

http://www.wnd.com/2012/04/judge-wants-definition-of-natural-born-citizen/

[Jane]

Talk about irony - I am watching myself on TV talking about Elizabeth Warren and reading this thread. How weird is that?

[centralcal]

We want to watch too, Jane! Not fair. (pout).

[Annoying Old Guy]

Matt;

somehow I think this old geezer had accomplices. It takes a couple of minutes to burn a DVD, and I can't imagine him running down the Best Buy and buying new burners every time he fried one.

Why Best Buy? Just order from Amazon. You can get the blanks there too. If he spent $30K on postage, something like this DVD duplicator would be a minor cost.

[Jack is Back!]

Ig,

Are they Native American?

[Beasts of England]

Ignatz@9:01 - Fits in nicely regardless. My date doesn't get off (from work) until ten. Now I have something to contemplate...

[Clarice]

Geraghty--Professor dances with occupiers.

[Jack is Back!]

Nite all. Need to walk the puppy

[archie goodwin]

Ot, a mild slapdown of that silly, silly man;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-review-the-crisis-of-zionism-by-peter-beinart/2012/03/30/gIQAlQ3rlS_story.html

[Clarice]

I think my suspicion that she listed herself as Indian may prove true:

From the Bston Herald:

"She added she does not “recall” ever using her Native American heritage when applying for a job.

“I believe that I was recruited at Harvard because I’m a good teacher and recruited for my other jobs because I do good work,” she added.

As the Herald first reported today, the Ivy League law school prominently touted Warren’s Native American background in an effort to bolster their diversity hiring record in the ’90s as the school came under heavy fire for a faculty that was then predominantly white and male."

[archie goodwin]

In other news;

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/04/27/palin-endorses-mourdock-over-dick-lugar-in-indiana-senate-primary/

[archie goodwin]

I think they are being too charitable here:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/elizabeth-warren-isnt-only-one_642145.html

[peter]

OT. Would the secser under Reagan even consider going to bordellos in Columbia?

[Ignatz]

--Ig,

Are they Native American?--

Jack,
They're long and tan so I'm going with 'who cares'?

[lily rowan]

archie goodwin - for the win.

I enjoyed A&E's series, but it took some acquiescing to their creative license. For one, Archie should not have a Hollywood style NY accent and attitude - he's originally from the midwest. Indiana I think, but maybe Ohio.

[daddy]

"Dances with Mao"

Beautiful henry, beautiful! LOL

[Have Blue]

ignatz - Third picture down, did you see that woman's elbows before you posted that?

[archie goodwin]

With crow t robot and tom servo;

http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/27/potus-gets-mstied/#disqus_thread

[daddy]

"Shitting Bull"!!!

Killer JiB! JOMer's on a roll:)

[daddy]

Clarice,

Makes you wonder if Harvard happened to get any special Federal Funding once they had "a Native American Professor" among their faculty.

Wonder how a person could ever track that bit of funding info down.

[archie goodwin]

Well this seems to precede her arrival;

http://www.hunap.harvard.edu/academics/fellowships-and-grants

[Ann]

While we are making fun of Shitting Bull (too funny), can we have a thread mocking Obama the Osama Killer?

Yeah this guy:

I think his campaign should leak that it was really Michelle's idea. It would be more believable. :)

[daddy]

Elizabeth Warren---She owned a Pontiac!

Squawking with Squaws?

[Clarice]

evidence of her claiming to be Indian on her admission papers of in her resume when she applied at HLS for a faculty position would be worth its weight in gold.

[Ignatz]

--ignatz - Third picture down, did you see that woman's elbows before you posted that?--

Uh, wasn't looking at elbows.
However now that I've been alerted to their presence I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to do. Heap opprobrium on them?
Looks like they'd adequately deliver a mint julep to a thirsty man so what's the prob?

[RichatUF]

And a sort of on topic comment regarding Elizabeth Warren. Does that bring to mind a Pitzer college professor passing around a feather and an audience of college sophomores wiggling their fingers? She was the 99% before there was a 99%!

[daddy]

Here's a 1984 story from the Harvard Crimson Newspaper on Native Americans at Harvard. It doesn't mention Elizabeth Warren, but this sounds a bit familiar to our quips today:

"The attitude of whites is more subtle than just open prejudice, say Tsosie and Fines (Harvard American Indian students). Sometimes, they say, a person will smile broadly and exclaim: "I have some Indian blood! Some very far ancestor of mine married an Indian princess." They call it the "Pocahontas' syndrome."

Another group of liberals is what Indian students jokingly call the "wannabee" tribe (translate: the Want-to-be Indians), who flock to reservations carrying the good word of education and health care. Of course they are appreciated, and Tsosie says his education started with them; but their outsider, holier-than-thou attitude is hard to stomach, Tsosie says."

[Have Blue]

Ignatz - Way too sharp, way too sharp. Why those things are practically deadly weapons. A man could injure his self on those.

[daddy]

Here's the 1986 Harvard Crimson saying that Elizabeth Warren is a Native American. Link.

[Elliott]

On the second page of the Boston Herald article on Warren, it is mentioned that genealogical research has not established the veracity of similar claims made by B. Obama and H. Clinton as to their own ancestry. I thought, however, that the long-running musical "Blood Bluffers" had already covered this ground.

[daddy]

Harvard Crimson Feb 1998: Harvard Law School currently has only one tenured minority woman, Gottlieb Professor of Law Elizabeth Warren, who is Native American.

Harvard Crimson Jan 1998: About three years ago, Gottlieb Professor of Law Elizabeth Warren, who is of Native American descent, become the first woman with a minority background to be tenured.

[centralcal]

Annie Banannie - you still have the knack of posting the most appropriate pictures!

[daddy]

Bet her campaign staff is scrambling like hell to memory hole Sacajwannabee's records.

[Ignatz]

Joel Kotkin is rapidly becoming pretty indispensable as a prophet trying to call the Dems back from the lefty precipice. [which incidentally is a bad thing Barry]

[Gus]

are any of you "suggesting" that LIBTARD WARREN is a LYING sack of chit??

So it isn't so!!!

[centralcal]

You will win that "bet," daddy.

[centralcal]

You, BETCHA we are, Gus!

[Ignatz]

--Ignatz - Way too sharp, way too sharp. Why those things are practically deadly weapons. A man could injure his self on those.--

I must have been doing something wrong all these years, having yet to impale myself on an elbow. :)

Or perhaps you're Italian and you're speaking of what happens when, from behind, one samples wares not necessarily on the market, if you get my drift. Then I could see your point.

[Melinda Romanoff]

I'm starting to believe that what got her minority status was her secret knowledge of telex operations, which are, obviously, the equivalent of smoke signals to college students.

Fixed that for her.

Have at it Scottie.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Oh, Gus, you effed up. You didn't open the kwame e-mail I sent.

[RichatUF]

Mel-

I'm starting to believe that what got her minority status was her secret knowledge of telex operations, which are, obviously, the equivalent of smoke signals to college students.

I'm going to need a decoder ring for that.

[archie goodwin]

AS I pointed out earlier, this seems more what
native american looks like;

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoTCXWptPm1oAOj2JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%

[centralcal]

archie: all I got from your link was "Sorry. Bad request."

Niters everyone.

[Gus]

Sorry Melinda, I've been off the grid for a couple weeks.

[Ann]

Hi CC!

Even liberal Charlie Cook is calling Obama a “metrosexual president.”

Dot and Ignatz:

I mentioned the beautiful bottom pics posted at JOM tonight to my husband. I usually tell him the things we discuss here and have always wanted him to join in because he is so funny.

Anyways, tonight he wanted to know why the HELL I never showed him those posts. LOL

You both would love him. (I am afraid,lol)

[archie goodwin]

It's Jeanne Tripplehorn from Basic Instinct and the Firm.

[archie goodwin]

Yikes, now we've done it,

http://weaselzippers.us/2012/04/27/epa-chief-lisa-jackson-no-need-for-official-who-made-crucify-remarks-to-resign/#comment-667050

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rich-

If you wanted to communicate with "anyone who was anyone" back in days of yore internationally (pre-fax), there was a separate # for any business on The Continent that would deliver a message much like a telegraph, or today's text message. It was expensive, right up to and through the 70's, and she would know precisely how, and where, she could send one. I will bet 5 large she knows.

[Gus]

Melinda, I don't see a message. Send me your e-mail and I'll explain.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ann-

I tried to work on that....

[Threadkiller]

Elbowing during intimacy?

The Kama Stupid.

[archie goodwin]

Maybe this works better:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=moz35&va=Tripplehorn%2C+Jeanne

[Sandy Daze]

from: me
to: Hyman Strachman
Subject: DVDs

1. SIR, BRAVO ZULU.

2. TAKE GOOD CARE.
Sandy

[Gus]

Melinda, check your mail.

[Elliott]

Why are conservatives so hostile to Warren? Isn't she involved in that Tepee Party movement?

[Gus]

Why is Elliot such a DOUCHEBAG? Why does the Tea Party scare Elliot the Douchebag?
What will Elliot the Douchebag do when Opie gets SHITCANNED in Nov.?

[Ignatz]

--You both would love him.--

I think he's a very blessed man already, Ann. :)

[Ignatz]

Gus=chill pill.
Elliott is a good guy; one of the best.
He makum heap big joke.
You lay off em firewater.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Gus-

I obviously don't have the right kwame_kil addy, tell henry to ping it (won't happen 'til Monday) to me, and we can try another SE Lake Michigan meet up.

I'm doing the early AM (8) thing in Beloit then and then back to the IL North Shore afterwards. There be flexibility.

[OldTimer]

Talk about some interesting firewater.... this story reminds me of daddy :)

http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/26/rough-draught-the-great-wall-of-baltimore/

[Ann]

LOL, Elliott! Miss you so much. ♥

Mel, I should of included you,too. ♥ ♥