The Christmas Tree Mafia - Snap Classic

Snap Judgment

Snap Judgment and PRX

Snap, Glynn, Storytelling, Wnyc, Society & Culture/personal Journals, Performing Arts, Washington, Society & Culture/documentary, Arts/performing Arts, Music, Arts

4.8 • 11.2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2022

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse. And a covert operative is assigned to extract a high-level target from Russia, and it’s about to ruin his holiday plans.

STORIES

The Christmas Tree Mafia

Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse. The crazy true story of the New York Christmas tree industry, full of turf wars, karate fights, and the mafia.

This story contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

This story is dedicated to the memory of Scott Lechner, the pontiff of Soho and the emperor of New York city treemen. Thanks as well to Russ and Little Scott.

Produced by Ilana Strauss, John Fecile & Annie Nguyen. Original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Secrets in Siberia

Mike Ramsdell is a covert operative for the federal government. He’s assigned to capture and extract a high-level target from Russia, but the mission goes horribly wrong.

Find Mike’s book here.

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 – Episode 41

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Snap, judgment, studios.
0:07.0	Every year, right around the start of the holidays, we have a ritual.
0:19.0	To tell my kids, all right kids, we're off to target.
0:23.0	To pick up one of those pre-fab Christmas trees I've gotten the box there.
0:28.0	And you don't have to worry, it comes already decorated in everything.
0:33.0	The day starts screaming, bloody murder.
0:36.0	No! No! You can't get a fake tree.
0:41.0	What do you mean, fake?
0:43.0	I just spray a bottle of some of that pying smell stuff for Roma.
0:46.0	It's just like the real thing.
0:48.0	No needles all over the floor, no matter.
0:50.0	You can't! It's not right.
0:52.0	We'll be right back. There's no such thing as a pre-decorated tree.
0:57.0	We holler and argue all the way to the Christmas tree line.
1:07.0	Where they run about, they pick up the perfect real tree, daddy.
1:12.0	And they insist I pay some burly fellow and enormous sum of money in cash.
1:17.0	Cars not accepted. What's that about?
1:21.0	And we haul this treasure back to the house.
1:26.0	We drape it in lights and ornaments and ribbons while drinking eggnog.
1:30.0	And they play last Christmas on the radio again and again and again attempting to drive me out of my mind and then magically.
1:39.0	In the midst of our household cacophony, a Christmas miracle.
1:44.0	But once stood just a piece of wood.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

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

Generated transcripts are the property of Snap Judgment and PRX and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.