Bill Mastro's upcoming sentencing

[Leon]

John- just like everyone, you have a right to your opinion. There is nothing you have said that I am not aware of. The Peck and Snyder card has been examined and no mark is discernible. Just like it says in the description.

"There is surface marring or erasure on the back in the same upper quadrant. This could be a library stamp, a collector stamp or the mark of some retailer."

It has been examined and whatever was erased can't be made out with any known equipment today. It has been tested. I only know where I got it and have an invoice for it. If you know more please let us know. I know the provenance of it for the last 25 yrs and that is all.

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

Leon,

I have to side a bit with Jeff on this one. For years you and others have been on here defending Mastro & Allen on a personal level or from the likes of O'Keefe and others who have been critical of these guys.

Each and every time you have kicked the can down the road...if they get caught I'll change my mind, if they get found guilty I'll change my mind then I'll write that letter no excuse for crime etc. Now it's I got a nice gift from Bill unexpected and appreciated, but now you've changed your tune on that and it's I'm it sending back. Hopefully to Bill not to Heritage as an internet only lot (kidding).

Look I get what it may be like to have a friend turn out to be a con man it has to be hard to wrestle with that torn feeling. However all that aside if you do really stand for what you say....then all bets should be off.

Here's what's disappointing to me about your stance. I'm going to be direct with you as most on here won't because they view you as some hobby god, or from fear of getting the boot. You call Jeff a hypocrite but be careful you may be just as guilty of hypocrisy as him.

You preach about ethics and fraud, yet take and publicize a gift from one of the biggest frauds the hobby has ever known. Sort of like blasting evil dictators then grabbing dinner and show with Stalin and posting selfies.

You beat up on folks for pimping their auctions/items but you not so much. You want people's names in their posts so they are on record for their statements. Yet in the Saco River thread after you jumped the gun and said some nasty things you locked and hid the thread.Then there's the whole Peck & Snyder card mess that's traveling the hobby rumor circles of you potentially having a card connected to Mastro that may have been stolen from the NYPL. Are you aware of this? If so I haven't seen you say much about that on here? Seems to me for a guy who is doing 99.9% more than others to clean up the hobby you would want to address or dispel any doubt to your items validity if there's any truth to the rumors. I know I would want the air cleared. My point Leon is these things could also be viewed as hypocrisy not to beat you up.

At the end of the day your choice write a letter or not nobody can make you it's your decision I respect that. But I do have to wonder why someone as outspoken and as passionate about this hobby would choose to be silent on something so important.

Cheers,

John

P.S. Leon if you don't write a letter you should at least have to give back your FBI windbreaker.