Paul Mohr was one of the good guys. So was Roger Young. And according to them, so was I.
Mohr was the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bureau in Phoenix, AZ. when the Phoenix Gazette hired me as the newspaper's federal beat reporter in 1976. The FBI office was just one of several federal agencies on my beat. I was also responsible for covering the U.S. Senatorial and Congressional offices, federal bankruptcy court, the U.S. District Courts and the Department of the Interior.
I know today the FBI doesn't have a great relationship with the press. Blame that on the Hillary Clinton e-mails scandal. But in the 1970s I worked hard to build a good working relationship with Mohr, Young and the other Special Agents who occupied the FBI office on Central Avenue in Phoenix.
My plan of action was simple and straightforward: I would never burn an FBI agent and I would always be truthful when dealing with them.
The plan worked amazingly well.
Mohr bore a striking resemblance to Peter Faulk, the actor who played 'Columbo.' He was about the same size, had the same facial features, and even talked a bit like him.
Mohr didn't trust all the other reporters in Phoenix who were charged with getting stories out of his office. But after a few months he began trusting me to the point of alerting me when an expected bank robbery was about to go down.
When we would get a call from Mohr, my City Editor Vic Thornton would assign me and a photographer to drive to the bank and park across the street so we could watch the drama unfold. Sometimes the bank robbery would happen and sometimes it would be a false tip. But we were there ready to pounce on the story when it did.
After while I was on a first-name basis with many of the FBI agents. Roger Young was the Special Agent who helped solve the Patty Hearst kidnapping case (After his retirement, Young moved to San Diego and set up the San Diego Crime Commission to help area business owners cope with criminal activity).
I was invited to their birthday parties, sometimes shared a drink with them at the Phoenix Playboy Club which was one of their favorite hangout, and even played poker with them. FBI agents loved to gamble. It helped relieve the stress of their job.
I was impressed with the high caliber of the agents who worked in the Phoenix office. They were dedicated law enforcement officers who conducted themselves in a way that did their profession proudly.
Young coached a Little League Baseball team. He was sandy-haired, quiet-spoken and laid back. But if you were in a precarious situation, there was no better man you would want in your corner than Young.
I stayed with the Gazette eight years. As I neared the end of my stint with the newspaper, Mohr announced his retirement and invited me to his retirement party at one of the more popular bars on Central Avenue.
I arrived there early and was talking with Young and another agent when Mohr walked through the door. He had been celebrating early and as he walked through the line of agents, he made a point of shaking their outstretched hands and hugging them.
He walked up to me and gave me a long steady look. Then he said, 'Are you still one of the good guys?'
I put down my drink and shook his hand. His grip was powerful.
'I'm still one of the good guys, Paul,' I said.
He nodded and gave me a strong hug.
'Stay that way,' he said.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
