Anybody remember Sam Green the monk? (Dallas, San Antonio: sales, real estate, unemployed)

[markie]

I'm researching Sam Green who developed/hawked real estate in SA in the 70s or 80s. I'm working on an article for publication. If you have any information/memories of him, or know anybody who knew him personally, please let me know. You can speak on background and off the record if necessary.

He was the purported ring leader of a group at a Blanco monastery in all sorts of trouble -- in jail -- for abusing young boys. Also, the "weeping" icon at the monastery was supposedly a fraud.

I'm trying to understand his early times in San Antonio -- apparently, he was quite the marketing genius, very charismatic and posed as a religious man to suit his purposes.

Thanks in advance for any help or information.

[SnappyBob]

Sam Green was the Mike Lugnutz of the 70's and 80's. Sam sold real estate lots on the radio. Mike sells glasses on TV. Both seem cheesey. Sam was a con man/salesman. Didn't Sam get killed or die somehow?

[Paka]

He committed suicide about 2 months ago...was under charges and facing a lengthy jail sentence and decided not to deal with it.

He was THE land guy in the 70's and 80's in San Antonio...I remember during the dreaded COFFEE CRISIS (coffee beans were in very short supply and a regular can of coffee was going for about $25 per can) they were offering free cans of coffee to anyone who came out and took the land tour! Don't ask me why I remember that, but I sure do...anyone else???

And I think it is Mike Yuchatz (sp?) not lugnuts...altho that might be more appropriate. He is fairly cheezy in that neru jacket..where DO you find those these days????

[wCat]

Markie...I posted some info on the "gone but not forgotten" thread. I personally don't know of Sam Green's connection to the monastery.

Paka....I always wondered about the coffee bean crisis! LOL! Your story made me laugh.

[messenger0515]

Oh yes, Sam Greene - you may be able to interview him for your research if you can get an appointment in hell where he is rotting.

[JunkYardSaint]

If you're still looking for info about Sam Greene aka "Father Benedict" there is quite a bit online. I did a search on Google not long ago and found an incredible amount of info out there about the trial, his recent death (possible suicide) his admissions to fraud and abuse and so forth. If I recall there isn't a whole lot on his 'pre-Monastery' life, but there was some, I even found a forum of Real Estate folks that apparently knew him discussing him.

Here is an article about his death:
Monk was a fraud, yet now I am blessed | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Columnists: Rod Dreher (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/columnists/rdreher/stories/DN-dreher_30edi.ART.State.Edition1.422489b.html - broken link)


I could probably dig up all the links I found, but it's probably easier to just recommend you do a Google Search using "Sam Greene" and or "Father Benedict" - I was quite amazed to find as much written about him as I did.

Quite a story - and yeah I knew him... I'm embarrased to say I even fell for his act and had no idea what was going on out there, I had my suspicions at times but thought that there was no way, to be honest it makes me sick now.

Good luck - I'll try to dig up that forum I found and post it, it might be a good place for you to post this question.

[John_Braddock]

Yes. I remember him. There's also a LOT of information that will raise the hair on the back of your neck: photos, letters, news articles. He goes back a LONG, LONG way in the early 70's. From what I understand, reading the news, he committed suicide early Monday morning, September 17, 2007 by taking a large overdose of pain meds with lots of wine: enough to drop a bull elephant. Also, the rest of the "crew" out there have all been convicted and are either serving time or on deferred adjudication.

[SATX56]

Seems the gift of BS works on children as well as adults! Oh Yeah, I remember him selling land ...acreage out north somewhere. Mike Yucknitz or yuchnitz is the optical and tatoo guru!!! I'm glad we got rid of Joe what's his face who now does infomercials.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by satx56

Seems the gift of BS works on children as well as adults! Oh Yeah, I remember him selling land ...acreage out north somewhere.

I remember reading an article in one of the local papers -- maybe late 1970s or early 1980s -- where Greene claimed his only connection to the land sales was as a spokesman. He didn't have any other connection to the real estate he was promoting. He was just an unemployed hitchhiker who got picked up one day by somebody involved in marketing of the land, who thought he (Greene) would make a great pitchman if they put him in a suit in front of a TV camera and gave him a script. Greene claimed that despite the notoriety and name recognition he had achieved, he didn't personally make much money from his gig as a pitchman.

I imagine anybody who lived in San Antonio around the early to mid 1970s is familiar with the name Sam Greene. When my Mom was shopping for a new kitchen range in the early 1970s, she said the salesman at one of the appliance stores told her that Sam Greene had just purchased the same model range that she was looking at.

[RGJ]

I believe he pitched land sales in Timberwood Park.