meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

Remembering the Super Dopey Bombastic Life of Ryan Leone From Ritalin Kid to Heroin Cartel, Federal Prison & Writing "Wasting Talent" | Dopey Greatest Hits

Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

Dave & Chris

Comedy, Mental Health, Alternative Health, Health & Fitness

4.82.9K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2026

⏱️ 180 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

⏱️ Timestamped Key Notes 00:18 – 05:06: Dave intro – Thursday Greatest Hits, Ryan Leone poll winner, Ryan’s background, Wikipedia read, his death in 2022 from fentanyl/meth. 05:06 – 09:55: Dade’s wild voicemail – Naked drunk coke-fueled fight, putting feet through walls, hospital stitches + Dilaudid. 09:55 – 14:42: Patreon & Spotify comments on previous Long Island episode (Motorcycle Gang Gary). 14:42 – 21:51: More comments, Dopey updates, Ryan Leone tribute, his books (Wasting Talent, Antiheroes), documentary A Tortured Mind. 21:51 – 26:32: Start of Ryan Leone interview – Early Ritalin/Adderrall as a kid, applesauce story, feeling inadequate, first drugs (weed, drinking, LSD). 26:32 – 35:56: Wilderness programs, seeing a kid slit his wrists, expulsions, first cocaine bump at 16, rapid addiction, selling drugs. 35:56 – 44:47: First heroin (chasing the dragon at 17), China White in Massachusetts, first IV shot at gunpoint in abandoned house with dirty rig. 44:47 – 54:03: Early junkie chaos – Shooting abscesses, Hep C, toxic relationship, stealing $80k savings bonds for a kilo of coke, acid-fueled trip to confront girlfriend’s father (skateboard attack). 54:03 – 01:05:36: Stabbing the skinhead story (real life basis for Wasting Talent opening), pregnant stripper, stealing heroin & needles. 01:05:36 – 01:17:20: Big-time dealing era – Pink Floyd ticket scam, trading fake DMT (water softener pellets) for massive amounts of Molly/acid, becoming a major MDMA dealer. 01:17:20 – 01:28:34: Recruited by big cartel-connected dealer, selling kilos of Molly + heroin balloons, associate producer job, federal indictment with Mendoza Clan. 01:28:34 – 01:40:25: Girlfriend’s death, turning self in, kicking 180mg methadone + 11g heroin habit in federal prison, maximum security, running with Southsiders. 01:40:25 – 01:54:10: Prison violence (riots, stabbings, murders), writing Wasting Talent in prison, solitary confinement for 60 days, grandfather’s death, white light spiritual bottom → gets sober. 01:54:10 – 02:09:49: Post-prison success then relapse, marriage to a fan, alcoholism, second & third prison terms, missing son’s birth. 02:09:49 – 02:29:40: Final relapse stories, suicide attempt on Christmas after family rejection, trying to OD in Bank of America parking lot. 02:29:40 – End: Getting clean for good after best friend Paul’s death, current success (YouTube, Patreon, screenplays, Johnny Depp friendship), starting Paul Project nonprofit for Narcan, closing thoughts.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello and welcome to Dopey, the podcast on drugs, addiction, and other dumb shit.

0:23.6

My name is Dave.

0:25.0

And Thursday is meant to be Dopey's greatest hits.

0:30.4

I mean, it's really meant to be another day that we put something out that you guys haven't heard in a while.

0:36.0

And we're trying to run a poll on patreon to

0:39.3

determine what Thursday's greatest hits are but it's hard the Thursday's greatest hits

0:45.0

dopey's greatest hits are and I'm always trying to come up with themes and you pick the best

0:50.4

theme the best kid of a famous person, the best musician, the best writer.

0:56.1

This week, I just made it a kind of grab bag on the poll.

1:01.6

And we finally launched the dopey sticker contest on Patreon.

1:07.0

Now, this fucking poll has only been up for an hour, but I don't care.

1:12.8

That's enough.

1:14.1

It's enough for me.

1:15.4

The choices were Brandon Novak's third episode, because I think that was his best episode.

1:20.7

Ryan Leone's first episode, A.C. Slade's Patreon show, because Jeremy Dushel loved that show. And I figured I'd throw a nod to good old Jeremy Dushel. Shout out to Jeremy. He's been around forever in a day. Or DMC. And Ryan Leone's first episode eeked it out. And if you guys don't know who Ryan Leone is, I will tell you, he was a writer

1:49.3

who passed away probably six years ago. He was ridiculously handsome, very talented, very funny, and a horrible drug addict.

2:04.1

He was on the show twice.

2:06.6

I'm going to read what Wikipedia says about Ryan.

2:10.1

It says Ryan Harrison Leone was an American author and writer.

2:13.6

He was best known for his semi-autograph autobiographical addiction novel Wasting Talent.

2:20.3

And that book is nuts.

2:23.0

He also went on Brett Easton Ellis's podcast, which I was always jealous of.

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 17 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dave & Chris, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dave & Chris and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.