EC Poem...yeah, that again.

[ger8nium]

First, allow me to state that I have not read through all of the threads about the EC poem, so I apologize in advance if any of this is redundant. Below is just yet another take at deciphering some meaning in a very poorly written poem that EARONS may or may not have actually written himself. So there you go – my disclaimer. The notes at bottom about the odd references to Son of Sam, Jesse James, and the Mafia may be of more interest to most of you.

Thoughts on this interpretation? Or the notes at bottom (coincidence)?



Excitement's Crave



All those mortal's surviving birth

Upon facing maturity,

Take inventory of their worth

To prevailing society.



Humans are born, grow up, and once reaching adulthood are expected (or perhaps feel compelled) to prove their relevance to society.



Choosing values becomes a task;

Oneself must seek satisfaction.

The selected route will unmask

Character when plans take action



The ‘values’ choice is either to conform (satisfy society/others), or not conform (satisfy ourselves). Either way, our choice is revealed in our actions (i.e., how we live our lives.)



Accepting some work to perform

At fixed pay, but promise for more,

Is a recognized social norm,

As is decorum, seeking lore.



Most will choose to conform and fit into the appropriate (decorum) and traditional (lore) norms of society, believing that through hard work, there will be more reward/advancement/fulfillment to be gained (wealth, better job, family, whatever)
.


Achieving while others lifting

Should be cause for deserving fame.



Being a non-conformer among conformers is worthy of recognition.



Leisure tempts excitement seeking,

What's right and expected seems tame.



Leisure time (or unstructured time, free time, if you will) makes one restless, spurring thrill-seeking behavior. However, what society defines as “acceptable” to fulfill this need (hobbies, sports, entertainment, etc.) is too boring and banal to the poem's author.



"Jessie James" has been seen by all,

And "Son of Sam" has an author.



Jesse James, Son of Sam (and Mafia later in the poem) – examples of non-conformists types who garnered fame (what I’d prefer to call infamy).



Others now feel temptations call.


The author of this poem is not the only one following in their footsteps – there are many.



Sacramento should make an offer.

To make a movie of my life

That will pay for my planned exile.



Pay me for my story and I’ll go away – but he is being sarcastic and thumbing his nose at the fact no one knows who he is – it is not a serious idea. He may also be hinting, perhaps, that he doesn’t need the money anyway (he’s well-off or wealthy?).



Just now I'd like to add the wife

Of a Mafia lord to my file.



Mafia “lord” versus “boss” is interesting language. Seems like a strong attempt to get reader to focus on the "Mafia" reference instead of the real reveal, which is that he keeps a frickin' literal file of his offenses.



Your East Area Rapist

And deserving pest

See you in the press or on T.V.



Feels like a promise – I am here to stay. I will keep offending. And you can’t stop me.



NOTES:

Son of Sam, Jesse James and the Mafia seem meaningless in this poem, in my view. The author could have come across these in November/December of 1977 in TV, movies, media reports, and comics/magazines:


Son of Sam - This poem was delivered to the Sac Bee in mid-December 1977. Berkowitz/Son of Sam was apprehended four months earlier, in mid-August. The December 1977 edition of True Detective magazine (which I personally view as a type of porn, and which is currently being discussed on Reddit EARONS sub) featured a Son of Sam cover/theme.
If the author was into those magazines, then Son of Sam is fresh in his mind.


Mafia – Throughout the 1970s, Joe Bonnano’s crime family was very active in the greater Sacramento/SF area and on the FBI's Sacramento field office radar. Although I don't know if Mafia activities received much press coverage in 1977, Bonnano and his associates were brought down in 1979 by Lou Peters, a car dealer in Lodi, CA, who cooperated with the FBI field office starting around 1970. Bonnano and his associates were attempting to buy Valley dealerships to launder money.



Jesse James – In November 1977, Little House on the Prairie, Episode 408, entitled “The Aftermath” aired. It featured Jesse James and his brother Frank, who take Laura Ingalls’ sister Mary hostage.

[jimcakes]

Wow ger8nium, your thoughts are very interesting.
I am pretty new to this case. When I first read this poem the Son of Sam reference stood out to me, probably because I was a teenager when he was hunting. Here are a few things that I've been thinking.


"Jessie James" has been seen by all,
And "Son of Sam" has an author.
Others now feel temptations call.
Sacramento should make an offer.

To make a movie of my life
That will pay for my planned exile.

Seems to me these lines may covey one overall theme, getting money for his fame or pretending he wants to.
Jesse James is famous (often seen as a folk hero in folk lore) and many authors and writers have profited well on his story (althgough he didn't).
Son of Sam never could profit from his story because of the Son of Sam Law that NY created to not allow criminals to profit from telling their story. As you stated, he was caught August 10th 1977, the law was created quickly because book deals, movies, etc were being discussed as soon as he was caught. New York Executive Law section 632-a, appropriately nicknamed the Son of Sam law.
I believe the law went into affect October 1977.
At this time Son of Sam did not have an author because there was no deal made with him. In addition to the new law, he initially plead not guilty due to insanity so I doubt that anyone would let him enter into a contract if he was claiming to be insane.
The Son of Sam story and the public outcry which contributed to the law passing was huge in the NY area -- not sure about whether the law was covered in the California papers.
My point being if he knew of the law why bring Son of Sam into a statement about getting money.

Sacramento should make an offer.

All I got on this is that I believe the State Legislature (who writes laws) resides in Sacramento the capital. They also hold the purse strings for CA. If he was looking to basicly bribe the powers that be to give him money in order to stop and "go into exile", maybe he thought now would be the time. (As a side note, California adopted the NY Son of Sam law a few years later.)


Just now I'd like to add the wife
Of a Mafia lord to my file.

The following is just a weird coincidence, I'm sure.
In doing research on the Son of Sam Law I came across this. In 1987 a publisher went to court fighting the constitionality of the Son of Sam Law because of a book they were publishing, "Wiseguys." It later became a movie by the same name --a big money maker. It was about a mobster named Henry Hill (played in the movie by Ray Liotta.) In real life Mr. Hill met his future wife Karen Hill in 1965 while on a doube date. The other male in this double date was Paul Vario, Jr. A son of a capo (captain) in the Lucchese crime family.
Mafia Lord?
The woman in this double date was a friend of Karen's who didn't want to go on this date without Karen -- this woman's name was Dana Shapiro. (a stretch as "the wife of a Mafia lord."?)
EAR's very next victum on Jan 28th, 1978 was named Dana Shapiro. "Just now I'd like to add the wife Of a Mafia lord to my file."

Weird!

[almagata]

Apr 16, 2018 1:20:44 GMT jimcakes said:

Wow ger8nium, your thoughts are very interesting.
I am pretty new to this case. When I first read this poem the Son of Sam reference stood out to me, probably because I was a teenager when he was hunting. Here are a few things that I've been thinking.


"Jessie James" has been seen by all,
And "Son of Sam" has an author.
Others now feel temptations call.
Sacramento should make an offer.

To make a movie of my life
That will pay for my planned exile.

Seems to me these lines may covey one overall theme, getting money for his fame or pretending he wants to.
Jesse James is famous (often seen as a folk hero in folk lore) and many authors and writers have profited well on his story (althgough he didn't).
Son of Sam never could profit from his story because of the Son of Sam Law that NY created to not allow criminals to profit from telling their story. As you stated, he was caught August 10th 1977, the law was created quickly because book deals, movies, etc were being discussed as soon as he was caught. New York Executive Law section 632-a, appropriately nicknamed the Son of Sam law.
I believe the law went into affect October 1977.
At this time Son of Sam did not have an author because there was no deal made with him. In addition to the new law, he initially plead not guilty due to insanity so I doubt that anyone would let him enter into a contract if he was claiming to be insane.
The Son of Sam story and the public outcry which contributed to the law passing was huge in the NY area -- not sure about whether the law was covered in the California papers.
My point being if he knew of the law why bring Son of Sam into a statement about getting money.

Sacramento should make an offer.

All I got on this is that I believe the State Legislature (who writes laws) resides in Sacramento the capital. They also hold the purse strings for CA. If he was looking to basicly bribe the powers that be to give him money in order to stop and "go into exile", maybe he thought now would be the time. (As a side note, California adopted the NY Son of Sam law a few years later.)


Just now I'd like to add the wife
Of a Mafia lord to my file.

The following is just a weird coincidence, I'm sure.
In doing research on the Son of Sam Law I came across this. In 1987 a publisher went to court fighting the constitionality of the Son of Sam Law because of a book they were publishing, "Wiseguys." It later became a movie by the same name --a big money maker. It was about a mobster named Henry Hill (played in the movie by Ray Liotta.) In real life Mr. Hill met his future wife Karen Hill in 1965 while on a doube date. The other male in this double date was Paul Vario, Jr. A son of a capo (captain) in the Lucchese crime family.
Mafia Lord?
The woman in this double date was a friend of Karen's who didn't want to go on this date without Karen -- this woman's name was Dana Shapiro. (a stretch as "the wife of a Mafia lord."?)
EAR's very next victum on Jan 28th, 1978 was named Dana Shapiro. "Just now I'd like to add the wife Of a Mafia lord to my file."

Weird!

The 1/28/1978 attack was near American River College and it was the incident where EAR kicked the front door down and attacked two teenage girls. 

[jimcakes]

Yep, Dana and Elaine, reading the accounts again, he sexually assaulted the younger sister Elaine and not Dana. But Dana was victimized too.
I thought it was a weird coincidence and haven't seen any other threads about the Mafia wife part of the message.
EAR would have had to have known about the Henry Hill blind date story, and have picked/stalked Dana Shapiro's house in advance of sending the poem.
Highly unlikely all around. Still weird though.
Jim

[almagata]

Apr 16, 2018 4:04:08 GMT jimcakes said:

Yep, Dana and Elaine, reading the accounts again, he sexually assaulted the younger sister Elaine and not Dana. But Dana was victimized too.
I thought it was a weird coincidence and haven't seen any other threads about the Mafia wife part of the message.
EAR would have had to have known about the Henry Hill blind date story, and have picked/stalked Dana Shapiro's house in advance of sending the poem.
Highly unlikely all around. Still weird though.
Jim

That's certainly a new angle on the poem.  Thanks for posting.  :-)

[ger8nium]

Apr 16, 2018 4:04:08 GMT jimcakes said:

Yep, Dana and Elaine, reading the accounts again, he sexually assaulted the younger sister Elaine and not Dana. But Dana was victimized too.
I thought it was a weird coincidence and haven't seen any other threads about the Mafia wife part of the message.
EAR would have had to have known about the Henry Hill blind date story, and have picked/stalked Dana Shapiro's house in advance of sending the poem.
Highly unlikely all around. Still weird though.
Jim

Interesting angle here. While the EAR assaulted the younger daughter, wasn't she the taller of the two? Make me wonder if he thought she was Dana/the older sister? All probably unlikely, as you say. thanks for the interesting take on this! Weird is right!

[jimcakes]

Thanks
I just think if this was written by EAR it was for a reason, not just showing how smart he is (in his own reality) by broadcasting his point of view on society and a way of only taunting LE. I also don't consider this a poem in a literary sense (artisticly). To me it's more likely a disguised message in the form of a poem. That is what interested me about the "Just now I'd like to add the wife Of a Mafia lord to my file." which could be pointing at his next "conquest's" name rather than an actual person who was a Mafia lord's wife. In any case the coincidence with Dana's name requires EAR having to have known stuff that we can easily know with a google search but would have required him to have intimate knowledge of the people involved.

I'm interested in determining first if there are any "sign posts" in the poem/message aiming at what he was planning to do. If that isn't it's purpose, then try to see if there is anything in the poem that points at something he had already done that hadn't been known to the general public. Both tactics could be deadends just because of what the public still does know about the investigation.

[californiah]

Apr 16, 2018 20:31:10 GMT jimcakes said:

Thanks
I just think if this was written by EAR it was for a reason, not just showing how smart he is (in his own reality) by broadcasting his point of view on society and a way of only taunting LE. I also don't consider this a poem in a literary sense (artisticly). To me it's more likely a disguised message in the form of a poem. That is what interested me about the "Just now I'd like to add the wife Of a Mafia lord to my file." which could be pointing at his next "conquest's" name rather than an actual person who was a Mafia lord's wife. In any case the coincidence with Dana's name requires EAR having to have known stuff that we can easily know with a google search but would have required him to have intimate knowledge of the people involved.

I'm interested in determining first if there are any "sign posts" in the poem/message aiming at what he was planning to do. If that isn't it's purpose, then try to see if there is anything in the poem that points at something he had already done that hadn't been known to the general public. Both tactics could be deadends just because of what the public still does know about the investigation.

Some additional timing that may be interesting.

#26  on 10/29/77  Woodson Ave.   ( Jesse Woodson James)

Excitments Crave Mailed in on 12/11/1977  To Sacramento Bee, Mayors office and  Channel 6 News.

Did Sac Bee publish this? or Channel 6 add it to their broadcast? (that day or the following day 12/12?)

12/12/1874  Jesse James 1st train robbery on the Kansas Pacific Railway.

[ger8nium]

Apr 16, 2018 20:31:10 GMT jimcakes said:

Thanks
I just think if this was written by EAR it was for a reason, not just showing how smart he is (in his own reality) by broadcasting his point of view on society and a way of only taunting LE. I also don't consider this a poem in a literary sense (artisticly). To me it's more likely a disguised message in the form of a poem. That is what interested me about the "Just now I'd like to add the wife Of a Mafia lord to my file." which could be pointing at his next "conquest's" name rather than an actual person who was a Mafia lord's wife. In any case the coincidence with Dana's name requires EAR having to have known stuff that we can easily know with a google search but would have required him to have intimate knowledge of the people involved.

I'm interested in determining first if there are any "sign posts" in the poem/message aiming at what he was planning to do. If that isn't it's purpose, then try to see if there is anything in the poem that points at something he had already done that hadn't been known to the general public. Both tactics could be deadends just because of what the public still does know about the investigation.

That only real signpost that I can discern clearly in this poem is the phrase, "planned exile" -- meaning that he intended to go dark by changing geography or just plain quitting at some point. After this poem was mailed in, he attacked in Sacramento just two more times (#31 and #43). All the other attacks until the ONS transition were Stockton, Modesto, Davis, Concord, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Danville, Freemont, San Jose, San Ramon, etc. Definitely outside Sacramento and in different LE jurisdictions. If you have other ideas about the poem, I'm interested in hearing them!