Reed Jensen

I hate the attitude that because it's "just business", you can knowingly shaft someone. I once had a customer string out paying me on a contract... his reply " you're taking this all to personally... it's only business".... I told him, " I'm going to come down to your office and before I leave..... you are going to either pay me.... or have an awfully big dental bill.... but I want you remember one thing.... don't take it personally.... it's only business.".... When I showed up... he had a check in his hand........

Ron P

Well, since it ain't gonna happen...I'll let you know we tried. I thought an interview with Ben would have been great. This is the letter I sent to him.



April 14, 2005


Hello Ben,

My name is Ron Polli, I’m friend of Lucy and Mark Bosma. I’m also the offshore editor for Extreme Boats Magazine. I had a conversation with Mark and he said that you would be interested in sharing some thoughts with me, and the readers of Extreme Boats Magazine.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen our magazine or not. The magazine is just two years old but we are really doing a nice job and are giving Powerboat Magazine a run for their money. We differentiate ourselves from the other magazines by exposing the high performance boating lifestyle. My angle for this story is to position you as the most extreme boater of all time.

If you’ll agree to an exclusive interview, I’ll assure you the following.
1. The article will be about you, and no one else.
2. You will get to read and approve the final copy before it gets printed.
3. If you don’t want to talk about certain subjects, we won’t.
4. The article will be about what you tell me, I won’t be getting anyone else’s input to counter your side of the story. This is your story, told by you.

Ben, you are a mystical figure within the power boating world, no one knows the whole truth expect you. I hope you take this in the light it was intended. If you don’t respond to me, I’ll understand. To bring some information into the light, I’d like to explore these subjects with you.

1. Where did you grow up?
2. What did you do before starting Apache boats?
3. Please tell me a story about building, designing and constructing Apaches.
4. Please tell me a story about racing Apache boats – Vees and Cats – favorite races and memories.
5. Please explain how there became two Apache Boat companies. One that built under 40’ and the other over 40’.
6. Who was your favorite throttleman to race with?
7. What was your greatest win?
8. Who was your greatest competitor and why?
9. What happened during the Miami to NY run?
10. Please explain some of your dealings with Don Aronow.
11. What you believe happened to Don?
12. How did you get into the boating building business?
13. How did you get into the drug smuggling business?
14. Can you tell a story or two about smuggling drugs using go fast boats?
15. When you get out of prison, what do want to do?
16. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
17. Are there any other topics that you’d like to talk about?

Basically I’d like to do a story about your adult life. If you’ll agree, we can use these questions to get started. You can also add any questions that you would like to answer that I should have asked. Based on your answers, I’m sure I’ll have many more questions. Also keep in mind, it might be interesting to write this article as an autobiography, as though it was directly written by you. Let’s see where it goes. I’m thinking we’ll go back and forth a few times over the next few months so this article should be in the issue that’s handed out at the Worlds in Key West next November.

I had to get formal permission from the prison to do this interview with you through the mail. At some point, as we get further along, I’ll try to get permission to visit you and with your approval, take some photos.

My ultimate goal is to clear up the confusion and lack of information regarding you, the Apache brand and offshore racing in the 1980s. I’d like to give our readers and inside look at the formation and life of Apache Powerboats through the eyes of its founder.

Hopefully this will be an experience that’ll we’ll both enjoy and learn from. My publisher has agreed to make this a major article between 4000 and 6000 words so there’s plenty of room for you to tell your story.

Please send your correspondence to:

Extreme Boats Magazine
P.O. Box 4130
Brick, NJ 08723
Attn: Ron Polli

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,


Ron Polli
Offshore Editor
Extreme Boats Magazine

Ron P

He wrote me back and agreed to the story as long as his lawyer was present. So then I sent this letter to the Warden.

June 16, 2005

Dear Warden,

Since our last conversation I have been in touch with Ben Kramer (ID #32655-004) via US mail as well having conversations with his attorney via phone.

After discussing the matter with his attorney, Mr. Kramer has agreed to an interview that will be published in Extreme Boats Magazine. As you may or may not know, Mr. Kramer built and raced boats prior to his incarceration. He is an interesting figure in the world of performance boating and an interview with him would be of great interest to our readers.

I’m writing to you with the hopes of gaining your permission to do a face-to-face interview with Mr. Kramer at some point over the summer. Here’s my request.

1. A one-hour meeting with Mr. Kramer at your facility.
2. Mr. Kramer has asked that his attorney – Ken Kukec - be present during the interview.
3. I would like to bring a camera – digital or film, whatever you prefer.
4. I would need to bring a small tape recorder, as I can’t write fast enough to take proper notes during the interview.
5. I would like the meeting to be on a weekday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of any week during the summer at your convenience.

I have never visited a prisoner in jail before so please help guide me through any procedures or guidelines that I might have missed in this letter.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,


Ron Polli
Extreme Boats Magazine
[email protected]

Ron P

August 1, 2005

Dear Warden,

I am in receipt of your letter denying my request for an interview with Ben Kramer (ID #32655-004). I would like to apply again, with different stipulations. I’m under the assumption that there would not be a problem with my speaking to Mr. Kramer in person, rather it was my request to bring electronic devices into the prison that caused the denial.

I am willing to forgo the camera, but I really need the tape recorder in order to do my job effectively and accurately. I would like to be accurate when quoting Mr. Kramer in the magazine article and without a recording device I’ll most certainly misquote his exact words. I would be willing to make any of the following concessions in order to gain the Warden’s approval of my use of a small handheld, microcassette tape recorder. Sony, Model M-560V.

1. I’ll send you my tape recorder one week prior to the interview so that you can have time to inspect it. Then give it to me upon my arrival.
2. Allow me to bring in a tape recorder and I’ll give it to you to keep after the interview. I only need to leave with the tape(s). I’ll buy a new recorder upon leaving the prison. (They are only $30)
3. Does the prison have a tape recorder that I could borrow for the hour interview? Just let me know what size tapes to bring, or provide me with two tapes and I’ll pay for them.
4. If you have another way that will still allow me to leave with the conversation on a recorded media, I’m sure I’ll be in agreement.

I also need your approval for the following:

1. A meeting with Mr. Kramer at your facility.
2. Mr. Kramer has asked that his attorney be present during the interview.
3. I would like the meeting to be on a weekday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of any week during the summer at your convenience.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you,


Ron Polli
Extreme Boats Magazine
[email protected]

Ron P

The Warden denied our first and second request. Even Ben's lawyer couldn't get him to budge.

So, we tried..... It would have been a great article.

Ron

vtec

And you can say "don't take it personally" for everything.

If Ben didn't take it (short end of a business deal)personally, then Don can't take it personally that he got wacked.

Of course, we can only speculate on certain business deals involving the Don, and Ben.

mr_velocity

Couldn't you call Ben from his lawyers office with the lawyer preset with your, or have Ben and his lawyer together and you on the phone?

Maybe you need to make a donation to the warden's fund

Von Bongo

If the hang up is over taping the conversation, can't you hire a stenographer or someone that can do short hand that would be able to get it right?

PhantomChaos

Do a phone interview......done all the time! Ron....this could have been a very interesting article!

Ron P

Ben wouldn't agree to that. He wanted to do it face to face, with his lawyer present.

At least Ben now gets EBM in Jail!