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"[Simon] Main grew up knowing Kamahl, Jackie Love, Jeanne Little and
Maria Venuti. Later he would sail on Rene Rivkin's boat through the Greek
islands and squire Liza Minnelli to the Oscars. But when Main jetted into
trouble in the Italian resort town of Lignano in April last year, his grand
world ended. Even his girlfriend, former Knots Landing actor Nicolette
Sheridan, has dumped him...." Sniff.
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http://1stheadlines.com/cgi/moq.pl
Ex-playboy begins life behind bars
Simon Main in Italy on trial for smuggling ecstasy into Europe, pictured
with his mother, Jenny Main. Photo: Tommasini/Il Piccolo
By Candace Sutton and Adrian Scardilli
Simon Main's world crumbled in an Italian courtroom last week.
The former glamour boy's red carpet days in Hollywood evaporated before a
triumphant prosecutor, the drug dealer who sold him out to police and one of
the few in court who still believed in his innocence - his mother.
Jenny Main screamed out her anguish as her son, once the big, handsome
boyfriend of Tinseltown starlets, was sentenced to eight years in one of
Italy's most notorious prisons.
Ms Main, the ex-wife of singer Barry Crocker, had to be restrained as the
31-year-old former actor and aspiring Beverly Hills entrepreneur was led
away.
Main will serve twice the jail term of his British co-conspirator, the man
who helped mastermind Europe's largest detected ecstasy deal. Alex Bruell
earned four years and a $90,000 fine for selling out Main to police and
allowing US Drug Enforcement Agency officers to arrest other members of the
drug ring.
Main grew up knowing Kamahl, Jackie Love, Jeanne Little and Maria Venuti.
Later he would sail on Rene Rivkin's boat through the Greek islands and
squire Liza Minnelli to the Oscars.
But when Main jetted into trouble in the Italian resort town of Lignano in
April last year, his grand world ended. Even his girlfriend, former Knots
Landing actor Nicolette Sheridan, has dumped him.
In the maximum security prison of Padua, one of Italy's "unhygienic and
overcrowded" or "cruel, inhuman and degrading" lock-ups, he has lost half
his body weight and developed a rash.
As judge Mario Trampus spends three months writing his judgment to explain
the sentence, Main faces a cold winter in an unheated jail.
Then he has 45 days in which to appeal against the case put by public
prosecutor Frederico Frezza, who Ms Main believes "has always been out to
get my son".
She yelled at Mr Frezza outside the court last week: "Do you know what you
have done to my son?"
Mr Frezza is no doubt pleased. From the moment police swooped, he promised
Bruell, 26, and Main long jail terms. When Bruell turned traitor, Main was
punished for his refusal to co-operate.
Ms Main and Mr Crocker maintain he had nothing to tell.
"I think Bruell had something to offer the police. Simon had nothing to tell
the police and was there for another reason, so he didn't have anything to
say," Mr Crocker said.
But police say Bruell flew to Amsterdam in February last year to take
delivery of 453,000 ecstasy tablets on behalf of a US syndicate.
Bruell had links with the Beverly Hills-based Victor Sokolovsky, accused of
running a three-continent drug trafficking ring.
In mid-April last year Bruell arrived in Lignano, at the home of his
girlfriend. Soon after, the town's trafficking police, the Militara della
Finanza, set up surveillance.
Main also arrived in Lignano and booked into a hotel.
Phone taps revealed Main and Bruell argued about where they were to meet and
exchange drugs and money.
On April 24, Easter Monday night, two tall, handsome men attracted attention
when they walked into the car park outside a pizzeria.
Lying in wait, the police decided to swoop. In the boot of Bruell's car were
two sports bags stuffed with 330,000 ecstasy tablets with a street value of
$US17 million ($33.65 million). Both men were arrested and taken to jail.
After several trial delays, Bruell rolled over and provided drug ring
information to prosecutors.
US Drug Enforcement Agency officers flew to Italy to interview Main and
Bruell. Main said he knew nothing. Bruell talked and three men were arrested
in California.
Last week, US authorities announced ecstasy busts in Florida and
Pennsylvania and the seizure of 800,000 tablets of the mood-altering club
drug.
Seven men were arrested, including a Colombian and Dutchman.
Mr Crocker said yesterday his former partner, Ms Main, had endured a
"horrific 20 months".
"It is awful what she has been through," he said. "She is very distraught
and was hopeful that Simon would have been home by this time.
"But when you are in a foreign country, you have to abide by their laws and
accept the judge's decision. Jenny has a lot of decisions to make. I am not
sure if she is returning home. I think Simon would want her to.
"It wasn't a good Christmas present for everyone concerned."
The Sun-Herald
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