Beyond the Gemstone Files
Written by Jim Moore
Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.
Beyond the Gemstone Files
Written by Jim
Moore
Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.
|
INTRODUCTION The
Skeleton Key AUTHORSHIP ALPHA-1775 GEMSTONES A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z |
Who
is Peter Renzo?
Born in Queens, NY in 1946. Claims he became active in intelligence (CIA) in 1974. Claims to be an expert in martial arts, small arms and corporate/business communications. Last known to be living in Arizona with his pet tigers. Claims to be author of Behind the Gemstone Files, a paperback published in 1980 by Fighting Tigers, Inc. Aug. 12, 1980: The tabloid Globe began serializing Renzo’s Gemstone Files, calling them “fantasy.” This could have been a CIA disinformation plot to get the Key quickly planted in the public eye as “fiction.” It would be interesting to look into the Globe’s intelligence ties. The Globe headline proclaimed: “Onassis Had JFK and Many Others Slain.” The story was reportedly written by a 34-year-old “Cuban CIA agent” named Peter Renzo. “This is the book they say is fact … but which Globe sees as a dramatic piece of fiction.” The Globe does not publish “fiction” (though many of its “factual” stories are said to be phony). The Globe said the book’s publisher is “a CIA front according to several sources.” This “airline” went into the publishing business for some strange reason – and only to print this one book. The LA-based outfit is said to be a subsidiary of Air America, as is Republic Picture Corporation, which was said to have made a movie of the book – but no one can find any trace of such a movie existing. Air America is widely known to be a CIA airline, but there is no evidence Renzo or Fighting Tigers, Inc. has any connection to Air America. He claims to have worked for Fighting Tigers, Inc., whose Director was a “V. J. Taylor.” However, despite exhaustive searches, no record can be found of any such person even remotely matching that description and connections. The only possible conclusion is that much of what Renzo has passed off about himself and his “intelligence connections” are fiction or simply undocumentable..
No record of Fighting Tigers, Inc. can be found, but the name is very close to Flying Tigers, an outfit formed in the 1950s to fight for the Taiwanese against Communist China. Their pilots were known as Flying Tigers, and the company was an earlier version of Air America, running CIA missions. It’s possible the Flying Tiger name was chosen so as to mislead people into thinking it was Fighting Tigers, thus enhancing his “reputation” as a spy and daredevil. The only possible evidence is six photographs (which could have been staged), plus Renzo’s possession of some pet tigers, which could give him a Malaysian connection.
Photo above left: “Peter Renzo and his pet 750-lb. Siberian tiger, Pumpkin, enjoy the snow in the author’s backyard. (Photo by M. S. Cutright) Photo at right is captioned “The author [Renzo] relaxing and enjoying the company of two good friends.” (Photo by M. S. Cutright) The other black-and-white photos are said to have been taken by K. Costello.
Cat owner moves felines before deadline
Marilyn Newton Peter Renzo has moved his four Siberian tigers and black leopard from Lemmon Valley, but he’s already planning to bring the cats back to Patrician Drive as soon as possible, his lawyer said Wednesday. Renzo transported the cats in a U-Haul trailer to an undisclosed location in Lyon County on Tuesday afternoon, just beating a 5 p.m. deadline set by a Reno judge. Renzo risked going to jail if he had failed to remove the felines from the county limits. Renzo set up a nonprofit organization last month to raise funds to buy the Lemmon Valley property after county commissioners voted to issue an exotic animal permit on the condition he build a proper facility for the cats. Already, Renzo’s SABRE Foundation has collected significant donations, but it is a long way from meeting the goal, said Renzo’s lawyer Kevin Karp. “He still has thousands and thousands of dollars to raise but once the money is there he could be back within three months,” Karp said. “He’s not happy with where he went in Lyon County, but he’s hopeful things will move along quickly.” Renzo brought the cats to Lemmon Valley in December after animal control officers ordered him to remove the animals from a Sparks warehouse because he didn’t have an exotic animal permit. Renzo faced the same fate in Washoe County. Deputy District Attorney Chris Wilson argued in court that the cats were inherently dangerous and presented a significant liability to the county should they escape from their pen. “That was a dangerous situation he put the community in,” Wilson said after the cats were moved. He said several Lemmon Valley neighbors expressed concern about the cats’ living in a residential area. Renzo has lived with tigers and leopards in South Lake Tahoe and Grass Valley, Calif., before coming to Washoe County Karp said Renzo is interested in returning to Washoe County to present the tigers, four of the estimated 350 left in the world, for educational purposes in local school programs. He said many Lemmon Valley residents have shown support by signing a petition to have the cats stay in the area. Karp said Renzo, who feeds the cats by hands, is the only person who can care for the animals, which would likely die if they were separated from the handler. Copyright
© 2002 The Reno Gazette-Journal Renzo
Tigers You may remember our stories about Peter Renzo. He's the man who
has four Siberian tigers and a black leopard and has been trying to
find a place to keep them in Washoe County. Well, he's moved again. Renzo had to move his big cats out of Lemmon Valley earlier this
week, or face jail time, because he couldn't meet the requirements
given to him by the county for keeping the cats. He barely beat the 5:00 PM deadline on Tuesday, but he managed to
move the big cats out of Washoe County and into an undisclosed
location in Lyon County. Renzo says he hopes the new location is only temporary and he wants
to bring the cats back to the property in Lemmon Valley as soon as
possible.
There seems to be a conscious effort to stress the “macho” character of this man. Whether he indeed has a mercenary background or whether these photos are staged is impossible to judge without more information. Movie
References: Air
America Flying
Tigers
Renzo's
Tigers – KOLO-TV (Reno,
Nev.) Lyon County officials are looking for Peter Renzo. He's the man who owns four Siberian Tigers and a black leopard. It's believed that Renzo moved his exotic cats to Lyon County,
after being asked to leave Washoe County because of a problem with
an exotic animal permit. But a Lyon County animal services supervisor said that anyone who
sees Renzo and his cats, they should call authorities. Currently Lyon County does not have an exotic animal permit, but
that may soon change.
Social
Network of Peter Renzo HUGHES HOWARD R 1
KEITH JIM 1
ONASSIS ARISTOTLE 1
CARUANA STEPHANIE 1
ROBERTS BRUCE 1
WALKER W.SCOTT 1
The
closest connection that could be found between any “Taylor” and
the Flying Tigers was an artist named Robert Taylor.
Fighting Tigers, by Robert Taylor "Greetings, you American bandits of the Flying Tigers, and especially you young American kids of the USAAF who have come to take their place. The invincible Japanese Air Force will utterly destroy you on your first day of activation - the fourth of July - your Independence Day!" Tokyo Rose was
screeching her propaganda over the short-wave radio out of Shanghai
as the 23rd Fighter Group prepared to assume the mantle of
Chennault's American Volunteer Group - the Flying Tigers. Her
rantings served only to fill the new pilots with greater
determination, and to provoke Chennault into immediate action: Robert Taylor has painted a superb picture reconstructing an action fought over the Hsiang Chiang river on August 5, 1944. Following a successful attack on Japanese forces just north of Changsha, P-40 Warhawks of the 75th and 16th Fighter Squadrons, 23rd F.G., are attacked by enemy Nakajima fighters and a massive dog-fight has developed with aircraft wheeling and turning in all directions. The action is set against the distinctive, haunting landscape of Southern China, Robert's panoramic canvas capturing all the atmosphere of a crucial aerial campaign fought in the skies above a distant land so many years ago. Just 500 prints are available worldwide each signed by five Flying Tigers. THE SIGNATURESMajor General JOHN ALISON John
Alison served initially as Assistant Military Attaché in England
and later Russia. His first combat tour was with the Flying Tigers
in China, serving with the 23rd F.G. where he became an Ace. He
returned to China for a 2nd tour as Commander of the Ist Air
Commando Force and led the glider assault carrying General Orde
Wingate's forces behind enemy lines in Burma. He finished the war
with 8 victories. Colonel 'TEX' HILL After
serving as a Navy Pilot, Tex Hill volunteered for the A.V.G.,
becoming Squadron Leader in the 2nd Sqn. (Panda Bears) until
disbandment in 1942, by which time he had 12 1/4
air victories. He remained in China with the 75th F.S./23rd F.G.
before returning to the U.S. He went back to China to command the
23rd F.G., increasing his total to 18 1/4
victories. Lt. Colonel DON LOPEZ In
October 1943, Don was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron/23 F.G.
'Flying Tigers', in Hengyang, China and was soon in the thick of the
fighting, scoring a victory in his very first air combat. He
completed his tour in 1945 as Squadron Operations Officer, having
scored 5 air victories. He later became Deputy Director of the
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington. Colonel CHARLES OLDER (A.V.G. Folio Edition) Resigning
from the Marine Corps in 1941 to join the A.V.G., Chuck Older took
part in the great 'Christmas' air battles over Rangoon shooting down
5 Japanese aircraft. With 10 1/4
victories to his credit he joined the 23rd F.G. when the A.V.G. was
disbanded, flying P-51s. He led the first strike against Shanghai
resulting in the destruction of 77 Japanese aircraft. He completed
the war with 18 1/4 air victories. Colonel ED RECTOR Ed
Rector originally flew dive bombers off carriers before being
recruited into the A.V.G. flying with the 2nd Sqn. Ed Rector was one
of the five pilots who volunteered for continuous service in China
after 4th July, 1942 and joined the 23rd Fighter Group. He returned
to China later for a 2nd tour of duty. He had a total of 10 1/2
air victories. Flight Leader DICK ROSSI (A V.G. Folio Edition) Dick
Rossi resigned his Navy commission in 1941 to join the A.V.G. He saw
combat over Burma and China flying at varying times with all three
Flying Tiger Squadrons, achieving 6 1/2
confirmed victories. With disbandment of the A.V.G. in 1942, Rossi
joined the China National Aviation Corporation, ferrying vital
supplies on more than 750 trips across the Hump, from India into
China. Brigadier General WILTZ SEGURA After
combat training with the Army Air Corps in 1943, Wiltz Segura joined
the Flying Tigers in China, serving with the 75th Fighter
Squadron/23rd Fighter Group. Flying over 102 combat missions he was
twice shot down by ground fire but managed to parachute from his
disabled P-40 and evade capture by the Japanese. He finished the war
with 6 air victories. Flight Leader ERIK SHILLING (A.V.G. Folio Edition) Erik
Shilling was amongst the first volunteer pilots with the A.V.G.
Although credited with only one air victory, Erik flew many
dangerous photo missions in his P-40 modified for vital camera work,
which included the removal of 4 of his machine guns. In 1942 he
joined the China National Airways flying 700 round trips over the
Hump. |
