I recently read ‘Doctor Dealer’ by Mark Bowden, and wanted to find out more about Larry Lavin.I was a little dissappointed that there were not the usual photos in the spine, and would like some photos also.Apparently there was also a book called Dr. Snow by Carol Saline, about exactly the same thing.4 years ago In the high-flying 1980’s, Larry Lavin was a clean-cut dentist living the good life in suburban Philadelphia. But, what his upper crust neighbors didn’t know was that Lavin led a double life – one that would finally be exposed by a shocking narcotics investigation.It was the early 1980s and Larry Lavin was Philadelphia’s yuppie prince. He was an Ivy League trained dentist with a BMW and a spacious home in the ritzy suburb of Devon. But Lavin wasn’t your typical Devon resident, and shortly after his arrival the quiet community would be rocked by a high-profile drug scandal. The crime would eventually put more than 50 people behind bars and forever change America’s original party town.Philadelphia is a city of contrasts. Its crumbling inner city is surrounded by some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country. One of these is Devon, the type of place where only society’s upper crust is made to feel at home. Sprawling mansions sit on immaculate, tree-lined lawns. Its residents are well known, well-established and wealthy beyond belief.Larry Lavin was a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, but dentistry was really only a hobby for him. Larry’s real profession was dealing cocaine. What started out as a small-time pot selling enterprise during his undergraduate days had become one of the largest cocaine rings on the East Coast by the time Larry graduated from dental school. At their peak, Larry and his old college buddies could bring in $5,000,000 in cocaine sales in a single month. By the time he had moved into the Devon community, Larry had earned the nickname “Dr. Snow.” Things appeared to be going well for Larry and his wife Marcia, but the curtain was about to come down on Dr. Snow’s empire.In 1983 Larry opened his own dental office. It was a small practice, clearly not enough to pay for his lavish, party-all-night lifestyle. Lavin told his neighbors that he’d made a lucrative investment in a record company. But at the same time Larry claimed to be cashing in on record sales, his company, WMOT Records, was going bankrupt. That led the IRS to wonder, “How is Larry Lavin getting paid?” Soon the FBI was involved, and it wasn’t long before the truth about Dr. Snow was revealed. The case against Lavin and company appeared air-tight. Except for one thing: Larry Lavin had skipped town after posting bail. He remained missing for almost two years until a tip led the feds to Dr. Snow. In 1985 he was brought back to Philadelphia, convicted and sentenced to 42 years in prison.It’s been more than a decade since Dr. Snow’s conviction, but the Devon community continues to shake its head in disbelief. Lavin’s former neighbors still can’t believe that the city’s largest coke dealer lived among them. Of course, Philadelphia has always been a party town. It’s a place where being an American means having the freedom to succeed. Where people like Larry Lavin try to make it big any way they can.Source(s):...
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