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Sol Wachtler As New York State's chief judge, Sol Wachtler had earned an exemplary reputation. Folks thought he might become governor someday -- or, who knows, maybe even a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. But in 1992 those dreams evaporated when FBI agents hauled him away in handcuffs. A married man for 41 years, Sol was obsessed with Joy Silverman, an attractive Park Avenue socialite. They had an affair that lasted several years. Then she broke it off. Sol couldn't get over her, so he started stalking her, harassing her. For several months, Joy received anonymous greeting cards threatening to blackmail her with embarrassing photos and tapes of her and her new boyfriend. Even her 14-year-old daughter received cards, including a dirty one with a condom attached. Then Joy got phone calls threatening to kidnap her daughter, so she got FBI agents to tap her phone to trace the calls. But not until his arrest did she even suspect it was Sol because he had used a voice-distortion device. She got to know him when he became executor of her late parents' estate. Joy's stepfather and Sol's father-in-law were brothers, which made Joy and Sol's wife step-cousins. Their family reunion must have been a hoot! In 1993, Sol was indicted on five counts of extortion, mailing threats, and lying to a government agency. He pleaded guilty to harassment and was sent to a medium-security federal prison for 13 months. |
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