MONKEY HOUSE: Ralph Griffith & Bernie Madoff
About this audiobook
Ralph Griffith's Monkey House is a memoir of his time served at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Butner in North Carolina. He spent the last seven years of his sentence with Bernie Madoff, Jonathan Pollard, Nicky Scarfo, Carmine Persico, and other well-known criminals.
FMC Butner is a high-security prison that houses inmates with serious medical conditions and mental health issues. The prison also has a designation for high-profile criminals. Griffith describes the prison as a "giant Monkey House for the criminally insane."
Monkey House is a fascinating and often humorous account of prison life. Griffith writes about the day-to-day routines of the inmates, the power dynamics within the prison, and the challenges of living in close quarters with dangerous criminals. He also shares his insights into the minds of some of the most notorious criminals in the world.
The book has been praised for its honesty, humor, and insight. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of crime and punishment.
Here are some of the things that make Monkey House such an interesting and memorable book:
The author's unique perspective. Griffith is not a typical prison memoir writer. He is a skilled storyteller with a sharp wit and a keen eye for detail. He is also able to see the humor in even the bleakest situations.
The cast of characters. Griffith's fellow inmates are a fascinating bunch. They include some of the most notorious criminals in the world, as well as lesser-known offenders with their own unique stories to tell.
The setting. FMC Butner is a unique and challenging environment. It is a place where the rules are constantly changing and where danger is always lurking around the corner.
If you are looking for a book that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, I highly recommend Monkey House. It is a book that you will not soon forget.
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About the author
A Life Lived in Ink:
From the Federal Prison System to Saint Petersburg: The Unconventional Path of a Crime Novelist
When asked recently about the background behind my Dmitri Petrov Crime Novels, it made me reflect on my unusual journey. My path to becoming an author is perhaps not what you would expect.
For over three decades, I served two 14-year sentences in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for bank robberies. The federal system is a unique environment, a melting pot of individuals from every corner of the globe. In 2004, as I was beginning my last sentence, I decided it was time for a profound change. I felt a new path calling me, and I believed that as an author, my past would not and should not define my future.
In 2010 I was transferred to Butner, North Carolina. It was a smaller medical facility, and my unit of sixty inmates, and the prison's total population of around six hundred, provided an intimate, and in many ways, an unprecedented classroom. I shared that space for seven years with some truly infamous figures, including Bernie Madoff, Jonathan Pollard, Nicky Scarfo, and Carmine Persico—and that’s only a small glimpse of the experiences I had there.
During those twenty years, I dedicated myself to an intense study of Russian, Chinese, German, Japanese, and Spanish, along with my native English. I would seek out foreign inmates from those countries, intentionally "zoning in" on them to test my language skills. I believe that when you make the effort to learn someone's language, it opens doors to understanding that remain firmly shut otherwise. It was in this unique educational environment that I met a number of Russian vory, or "thieves," in the BOP.
One Thief-in-law at Butner, a man who had his own reputation, was so taken with me that he hired me to ghostwrite his life story. The money he paid me was vital—I saved every penny for my release—but the real value was the education he gave me. What I learned about the inner workings of organized crime in the Russian Federation was more valuable than any textbook could ever be. He would often tell me my Russian was terrible, but he'd add with a laugh, "when you imitate a Russian trying to speak English, you are spot on."
Since my release, that foundation has served me well. I have now published twenty-eight novels across seven different series. But the one that remains closest to my heart is my Dmitri Petrov Crime Novels, which I began in that very unit. Dmitri Petrov is an inspector for the Saint Petersburg Police in the Russian Federation. The first book, Vodka Express, introduces his world, and the second, White Nights, immerses him in the city's famous festival. Red Star is the third, and I am thrilled to announce that the fourth novel in the series, Russian Roulette, is now available.
My journey is proof that inspiration can be found in the most unlikely of places. The lessons I learned—about language, culture, and the complex human beings on all sides of the law—continue to fuel my writing. It's a reminder that every experience, no matter how unconventional, can be a tool to create something new. I am now a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Crime Writers Association in the U.K.
