Roadglide----


Could you explain this?

"Hmmnn I wonder if any of this had to do with the welcome Paulyvegas got when he stepped off the plane in Miami."

Much adew about nothing...

It may be time for a marketing adjustment here. As a long time traveller and one of the first few who was hosted by the Mansion group (prior to the Mansion, prior to the Playboy penthouse, I have watched this business evolve. Its original mission statement was to show its visitors a good time along with a reasonable place to stay. It used the "boards" to pass information on and now these "boards" have become a hollywood type of Medellin report. Every business has to sustain itself through sales. Every business will do what is necessary to protect itself from changes in its enviornment and political influences. The Mansion should set up its mission statement: Hospitality and fun at a reasonable price. No more no less. Female introductions are just that. What you make of it is your business and your business alone. If you want to make commentary about the progress of the business, start your own line of business reporting and keep it out of the general information of entertainment. There is no need for pro-forma statements concerning heuristic happenings or the financial quality of those participating in the market. Have fun and follow the mission statement while keeping your psuedo polictical/philosophical opinions among yourselves. If you want to pay more, give bigger tips.

MANSION ROBBED LAST NIGHT!!!!
I have a good friend visiting Colombia right now and is staying at the Mansion. I received this email from him this morning.

"Well not good news. The Mansion was robbed tonight, 3 people tied up, guns to their heads and most of all room safes were opened, personal PC's, cameras, PASSPORTS, credit cards, cash, all were stolen.

I was lucky I was out tonight and came home to it. Of course I am one of the lucky ones, I lost ALL the above mentioned items. I guess I am glad to be alive, along with all others. I do not think I will be returning here again.

Its late (4AM) and I am going to try to get some sleep. I guess I/we have to fly to Bogata to the American Embassy to get new passports, not sure how we will pay for it, or what the Mansion will do. Will keep you informed as more unfolds."

Having been to Medellin (last year) and having stayed at the Mansion this just blows my mind. The Mansion is in the best part of town and there are M-16 carrying police everywhere in that area. Unfucking believable!

I talked to Alvaro today and he varifies everything that tbird reported he said the talk is it was an inside job.

Tbird; Pass this link on to your friend: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/emergencies.html

It may help him get a new passport, I don't think that there are any Consular services for American citizens there in Medellin.

RG.

Thanks, after I posted and got over the shock of what my friend reported I came to the conclusion that it had to be an inside job also. With all the girls that are in and out of this place and their seedy unemployed local boyfriends hearing about all the money, computers, cameras etc that guys bring with them I'm actually surprised this hasn't happened before now. I hooked my buddy up with Alvaro and he's been with him all week so I know he’s in good hands with Alvaro

They let a lot staff go recently, maybe they were invloved. they would know where everything is kept.

This could happen anywhere so I don't think it will change my plans, I will still stay at the Mansion but I hope that they up the security a little.

I always take 2 photo copys of all my important documents, one I keep in my luggage the second I leave with a friend back home so he can fax them to me if I need them., but the above report does make me wonder if there is anything I could do to make the other valuables I travel with safer.

This is the breaking news story of the year in Colombia so far and I was wondering why it took so long. 20 money and superficial itemed heavy Gringos in one place? It was not IF but WHEN. EXACTLY what TBIRD said ALL those prepagos coming in and out of there, going home to their Novios or telling their crooked brothers or family members what was going on over there. Some people seem to have forgot or are forgetting that this is COLOMBIA WTF are you thinking? I wonder if it will be "fair and balanced" while being presented over at that "other" heavily "moderated" agenda minded forum? Isawal, Could happen anywhere? Yes of course. But maybe more common in some countries than others and I doubt this could happen in a larger hotel or maybe your going with the gamble that "hey, it already happened what are the chances of it happening again so soon?" Good Luck to you either way!

UPDATE ON THE HOME INVASION AT THE MANSION. Heard from my friend last night and hear is part of what he wrote

"The front gate has been broke for the last week, the idiot guard let them (3 guys, 1 girl) in at 11pm, they tied him up, got the keys to all the rooms and all the room safes. Tied Greg up, and held a gun to the head of the intended victum. ALL CIRCUMSTANTIAL for now. So ALL security precautions were broken, including the guard NOT having the safe's keys. LUCKILY we arrived back here about 30 minutes after it happened. Or else who knows what could have happened......I have my original DL which I was carrying with me, and I have a copy of my passport, so hopefully I will be able to get the funds that were wired to me. I leave for Bogata tomorrow so WE can be at the US embassy 1st thing Monday morning. I think as this drama unfolds, the plot will thicken. Well thats all for now. I'll try to write you on Monday or Tuesday."

Very interesting at the least. I'm glad no one was hurt who was staying there. I feel bad for the guys who were there. It's a beautiful city, and I liked the Mansion this will certainly leave a sour taste in their mouths. I wouldn't let it deter me though from going back to Colombia again.

Tbird

IMHO, the fault lies with the owner. Any customer who lost cash or items should be reimbursed or given FREE nights stay at the Mansion that equates to how much money they lost. The local authorities will do nothing except possibly share the spoils.

To some extent, I'd agree with Blaze, if it's true about the lax security, then Greg needs to step up and make it right. I was surprised last month when I stayed there that there was no armed presence whatsoever. The night security more resembled a butler than a guard.

With all those putas coming and going, they had to notice there was no real security presence and how vulnerable the place was. How many putas have been banned recently?

Despite all this, I will still stay at the mansion or castillo if they improve security...

Truly a shame for the guests and the Mansion. Just glad no one was hurt or killed (or tried something stupid).

Sure sounds like an inside job. I have never stayed at the Mansion (stayed at CLUBVIP twice and had no problems) but given that nobody was injured or killed (thanx God), and it seemed that the robbers knew where everything was, you really have to wonder. Too many people coming and going, leads to suspicion and opportunity

Guys, lets remember that Greg was also one of the victims here and as a matter of honer we should never blame the victim. Sure the owners could do things to make MM a safer place to stay and knowing them I imagine they will, They live at the Mansion (from time to time) too.

In May they forgot to pick me up from the airport and it took a few calls to sort it out Greg not only apologized but upgraded my room for the duration of my stay, so I am confident that he and the other owners will do what ever they can or the other victims, not only because they are decant guys but out of enlightened self interest.The way they handle this could make or break the place.

That's interesting about the security cause when I stayed there, there was always a security guard at the gate but I think he was paid for by the office building. At night there was a guy who was there all night outside with a shot gun right out side the front door, and there was a security man inside guess thats what complacency gets you. On every other trip I went to Medellin even though I never stayed at the Mansion again, the locals who knew of the place always said it was ripe for the pickins. They also told me that Greg had pissed off enough of the locals that they would not be suprised if he was found face down in a ditch some day. How soon people forget that not to many years ago Medellin was akin to a wild west town people were killed by the dozens on a daily basis, that mentality does not go away very easy.

I hope all the men who were victimized get home safe and the Mansion makes it right for them.

(Message edited by scooby_1781 on September 22, 2008)

"The way they handle this could make or break the place."

Ain't that the truth. I had planned to stay there for sure whenever I got the time to get to Colombia again...now I have to say wait and see.

But all hassles notwithstanding the important thing is no one got hurt.

A tip for guys looking for an alternative to Mansion. Try Medellinmadman's new penthouse. Plenty of security, reasonable rates and you will meet girls, pros and non-pros. Saw he was even having a big party in a couple of weeks. Seen the place and it is quality.

In general, and experienced guys know this, hide your shit in your room in different spots. I'll use a safe to keep a few hundred bucks and maybe my laptop, house keys, stuff like that. But I put the two credit cards I never use, plus my passport, elsewhere. Under a floor board, under a flower pot, in an air conditioning vent, sometimes just wrapped in the folds of an extra blanket in a closet or something. A good Ziploc bag is very useful, put stuff in it and put it in the bottom of the toilet tank.

Unless they totally trash the room and start ripping furniture and fixtures apart, they won't find those things. You can also do this with your money - keep a few large bills tucked away in hard-to-find spots. If I have a flower pot/planter on my room, I'll actually dig up a little dirt, fold up my cash and literally bury the cash in the flower pot/planter. I've also put cash inside a hair dryer or something. Don't put it in the TV or stereo, they may steal that shit.

Just don't be the guy with their life - wallet, passport, money, ATM card, credit card, Blackberry, etc - all in the same place. Always assume you may be robbed, and the safe is not the safest place for stuff.

LATEST RANT by a "FIRST TIME POSTER" by the name of "Code Pinker" INSTEAD of the usual "CODE PINK".

REMINDER TO ALL this is from another forum and is a CUT AND PASTE!


"The mansion robbery was an inside job. There is no way it was a random act. Anyone who thinks otherwise does not know anything about Medellin.

First, the mansion is in a very secure part of Poblado. No robber is going to go into that area without knowing exactly who and what they are robbing. If some thief was to go into the "wrong" house they would end up dead quickly. Or if they went into the "really wrong" house their entire family would end up dead quickly. Poblado probably has more hardcore mafia players living in it then any other place in the world. Not only are the mafia guys living in Poblado but so are their mothers and families. Before doing any type of home invasion in Poblado you better know exactly where you are hitting.

Next, these robbers took the time to tie everyone up and go room to room getting laptops and other things. The police in Poblado could have responded to a call at the mansion in less than 2 minutes. These robbers were very confident in that they were doing. So they somehow knew that no one at the mansion knew how to call the police and that there was no automatic alarm system. Or, perhaps they knew that the police were not going to respond. If it is the later then you can bet the police or someone important have already targetted the mansion. If the mansion has been targetted then it's days are numbered. This will not be the last robbery. Indeed, this will be the "warning" for something much worse to happen if the mansion does not get it's act togther.

This was absolutely a planned robbery by professionals. More than likely it was done by some paracos. It is the paracos that guard Majorista so they clearly know about the mansion given the Walmart Gringos love Majorista so much. The paracos probably contacted the local police in Poblado and got the green light to do this robbery. If that is the case then the police have decided the mansion has to go. This is how things work in Colombia.

It has been said before, and it needs to be said again and again. The problem here is not that the mansion has hookers in it. That is perfectly permitable in Colombia. The problem here is the LOWLIFE gringos who are staying in places like the mansion. These losers think they are so smart because they can find some drugged out street girl for $20. However, what you idiots bring with your little sweethearts is the lowest of the low in Medellin.

It was only a matter of time until something like this happened. As I understand it the robbers got many thousand of dollars in computer equipment, cameras, cash and a shitload of other things. These guys are all up in the barrio right now bragging to other thieves about how they cleaned out these stupid gringos. Most Colombians make minimal wage which is around $300 a month. These guys scored a couple years salary in an hours work. There WILL be more coming once the word gets out.

Medellin is going to quickly become very dangerous for gringos once all the robbers know how easy it is to score big time with these idiots. And who do we have to thank for our new status? Of course the answer very clearly is the Walmart Gringos. You idiots thought you were so smart finding ghetto girls but now the ghetto shit you attracted is going to hunt you fuckers down.

I think every gringo in Medellin should go out tonight and punch a Walmart Gringo in the face. When you see one walking around Parque Lleras with his ghetto hooker just walk over and sucker punch the retard. You idiots are fucking up Medellin for the rest of us! Go the fuck back to Walmart where you belong and stay the fuck out of my city!"

Sounds like a guy who possibly owns a competing apartment or has a stake in making money off of high end hookers or escorts.

I seriously doubt the robbers or the local people make a distinction between Wal Mart hookers and escorts/strippers/"nice" hookers. The only distinction they make is between easy money and hard work for pennies. I do believe the locals, including the police, dont like that Medellin is turning into a major sex tourist destination and I am sure there are a couple of mongers who are anything but discrete.

"I do believe the locals, including the police, dont like that Medellin is turning into a major sex tourist destination"

Its almost, juuuust about there already! lol

There is a ton of negative talk on non-mongering Colombian sites about all of the gringos coming down for sex. If guys are not discrete about it, we are going to start getting more of this.

AZguy - very correct. You need to stay "under the radar" guys. I know difficult to do sometimes, but it is best for sure, both short term and long term for yourself and Medellin.
After all this is their country and we are just visitors. - Hemp

Here is part 2 of COMEDIC RANT of Code Pinker! lol

Remember this is a CUT AND PASTE from another group. As you can see he doesn't even have a computer with a spell checker.

There are a number of complete idiots on here who just do not understand how Colombia works. There is no "law and order" in Colombia like in the United States. Things work here through a process of what the people who control things want. If someone high up wants something done they will just have criminals do it with the consent of the police, the politicians or whoever else is needed.

We do not know exactly what happened at the mansion. However, it looks to me like it was a very clear "message". Word on the street is the thieves did not even wear masks and left fingerprints everywhere. They were very very confident in that they were doing. They knew no one is going to catch them.

Do you idiots know there are at least 6 other security guards in the buildings around the mansion? All of them are armed and have walkie-talkies. Their walkie-talkies are linked with the police. If one makes a call the police will respond in less than 3 minutes. The mansion is very close to a police depot.

So a group of three criminals somehow knew they could do a home invasion in one of the most secure areas of the country without concerns of hiding their faces and they knew they could spend over 30 minutes inside the house without worry someone would call the police. The police in Medellin ride with two cops on a motorcycle. The cop on the back carries an M16 or a fully automatic Uzi. The response time to the mansion would be about 3 minutes. They shoot criminals dead without any fear of lawsuits. There are no Rodney Kings in Colombia. In fact, often criminals are beat to death by angry mobs and no one is ever prosecuted when this happens. Remember this is not the United States in any way. Remember where you are.

I am going to have to try and dumb down the conversation a bit in hopes some of the stupider people here get the message. Did you guys ever watch the Sopranos? Remember Tony? He was the big Italian mafia guy. I am going to use this analogy so even the stupidest of posters will be able to understand what I am saying.

Now, if you were a robber would you want to go to Tony’s house? I bet you would not! You would want an easy target. Robbing Tony would be a bad, baaaaad thing. You would probably get killed. If you made Tony really mad he might even kill some of your friends. Bad! Do you understand this? Bad!

In Poblado there are people who make Tony look like a joke. In fact Tony would probably say "you don’t want to fuck with those guys in Poblado". This is where the most violent drug traffickers in the world live. These people could order every gringo in the mansion dead with one single phone call and it would be done with approval of the police. Ring ring. Kill them all. It is that simple.

So these criminals knew EXACTLY where they were going. They knew EXACTLY who they were robbing. There is no room for error when you do a home invasion in Poblado. I do not think there has ever been a home invasion in Poblado before this. It is just too dangerous for the criminals. These guys knew Tony was not going to be inside the mansion. They knew it was a bunch of stupid gringos. They knew no one was going to call the police on them.

There was a time when some of these drug guys kidnapped American DEA agents and tortured them to death. They actually used medical doctors to keep them alive as long as possible so they could torture them longer. This was done as a "message" to anyone who was fucking with them. Remember, a "message" is very important in Colombia.

Another fine resident of Poblado was known as the "shoe maker". He use to take people he did not like and make them stand in a box of cement until the it became hard. He would listen to them beg for their lives while the cement was drying. He would then toss them off a bridge into a river.

Now, these guys do not give a shit about gringos. If you leave them alone they have absolutely no interest in you. But they are here. They are living in Poblado. You might even have bumped into one of them at one time. They tend not to look like criminals like in the United States. They usually do not have a bunch of tattoes or stupid indicators of what they do.

On Sunday they go to Church with their mother and wife. Their children all go to private school and speak English. Remember the Sopranos? Tony often was in contact with the Church. The big mafia types always keep an pleasant outside appearance. I hate using movie references but most of you guys are too stupid to understand anything else so I am explaining this as slowly as possible.

Now one day mommy calls up her mafia son and says "these dumb gringos are turning Medellin into a whorehouse". The son thinks silently "but I love those whores to! " but tells mommy "I will look into this". Now he does not want to kill all the gringos. He just wants mommy happy. He likes hookers as much as we do but he knows not to make a public display of his hookers. He goes to Church every Sunday with his wife and family while keeping his hookers secret. That is how it is done unless you are a stupid Walmart Gringo.

So mafia son decides he is going to send a message to all the gringos. Allow me to interpret this message because most of you are not reading it.

Here is what he said:

I can go to exactly where you are. I can take your leader and put a gun in his face. I can kill you if I want. No one is going to call the police on me. I am going to take all your belongings. I have your passports (that is clearly a way to intiminate you clowns). I can do whatever I want. Remember where the fuck you are.

Do you idiots understand the message now? People in Medellin are tired of you idiots. No one wants to see you and your ghetto trash walking around Parque Llerras. And it looks very clearly you have finally pissed off someone who is going to send a message. If you do not listen to this message then the next time it will be worse. Far, far, far worse.

So what can we do? Obviously there are always going to be Walmart Gringos who just cannot understand what is being said. We need to send the Walmart Gringos a very strong message. We need to tell them to stop fucking around in our city. When you see one with his ghetto girl just walk right up to him and get in his face. If needed give him a good punch in the head so he will understand. I do not like advocating violence but most of these guys are too stupid to understand anything else.

Also, I look at this as "self defence". Medellin could very easly become a very dangerous place for gringos if these idiots continue to offend the wrong people. We may all become targets for thieves because of the actions of the Walmart Gringos.

Word on the street is these guys got over $30, 000. 00 dollars from the mansion. That is like 10 years salary for a Colombian. Right now every criminal is talking saying "man those gringos all have bags of cash on hand. " They know none of you idiots have guns. So it looks like the Colombian criminals just discovered how easy it is to make in their minds a fortune. Who do we have to thank for all of this? Walmart Gringos!

Greg, I hope you read this. I have stayed at your place in the past and would like to stay there again. However, you really need to come to grips with the people who are staying there. I do not want to see you have more problems. Listen to the message very clearly. People are tired of the Walmart Gringos in Poblado. I suggest you raise your prices a lot so these guys will all go to another area. No one is going to care if they are parading around with their ghetto trash in a shithole like Laureles. But Poblado is Poblado. It is the best Colombia has to offer and the people here are taking notice.

I love Colombia. I have never felt in danger here. It is in fact very safe if you understand how the system works. I hope no one reads this post and decides not to come here. But we are guests in their country and need to act as they do if we want to continue here. Colombians do not care about prostitution. The supreme court here has already ruled it is perfectly legal. However, Colombians are very sensitive to how the world sees them since they have had such a bad reputation in the past which they want to change. Making a spectical of Medellin is something the Colombians do not want. They do not mind if you enjoy their hookers like they do but you have to understand they would never be seen dead in public with a street *****.

Everyone here has been put on notice.

Listen to the message before you fuck it all up.

That is a bunch of bullshit - It is all about the money!

This Pink-o has way too much time on his hands. I don't think he works at Walmart his writing style has more of a Target feel. LOL

I think Code Pinker is making a persuasive case that the robbery may not have been merely a random occurence. He is obviously irritated by the behavior of his fellow mongers but can you blame him? Paying too much for services rendered is rightly frowned upon here at Club Hombre because it screws things up for others in the future. People ought to view their behavior in the same way. Be discrete. Dont screw it up for others. And dont insult the people of the country you are in by parading around with obvious whores in an upper middle class part of town. Its simple good manners.

Code Pinker seems to have a different view of Poblado then I get from reading about the MM. I wouldn't expect high-rise apartments & condos to be built in Code Pinker's version of Poblado. Jag you got high-rises in your neighborhood?

It does seem that the MM was going a little over the top with the girls coming in and out, and the outdoor parties and such (I have never stayed there, so I can only go by what I read here). There might be a bit of truth to what that guy is saying, not the Walmart Gringo shit, but certainly about the fact that the MM seems to have made itself a bit of a target.

come on guys...don't bring the bullshit from the "other" boards here....this a civilized zone and much of this back and forth is a waste of time

Anyone who uses the term "stupider" as an adjetive should be immediately ignored. This guy is probably a self-hating Walmart monger himself and just hates the competition.

The issue that a cartel member could wipeout a bunch of gringos is a bunch of horseshit. The last thing they want is for them to be exposed on CNN and the tourism dollars eradicated, meaning the government would come down on the cartel extra hard.

Part #3 RANT of a CUT AND PASTE, because its SO entertaining! lol



Sailor: I do not consider Medellin to be my private playground. But I am tired of the lowlife gringos who are treating it like it is only a playground. There are women and children in Pobaldo and people who are trying to raise families. Good honest people. They do not want to see Walmart Gringos running around everywhere with grillas.

Here is what happened at the Mansion for all those inquiring minds. I have confirmed this story with several people who live in Poblado as well as two cops.

A girl showed up late at night. She knocks on the door. Given the fact that hookers go in and out of the mansion all night this was not something that seemed unusual. When they opened the door she pulled out a gun and then two armed men appeared who all entered the house.

None of the 6 security guards in the other buildings saw shit. You know why that is? Probably because the cops had given the green light to hit the place and it was approved by the people who control Pobaldo. The same people who do not enjoy looking at low class gringos in Parque Lleras.

None of the bandits wore gloves. There are finger prints everywhere. They did not hide their faces. They stayed inside the mansion ransacking the place for 30 minutes. They went room to room opening all safes. They wanted the passports so they knew who all the gringos were.

These guys clearly know the police are not going to find them. And the reason for that is because the police are not even going to look. They will say they are doing their best but nothing is going to ever be found.

You guys know all Colombians get finger printed many, many times over a year. If you buy a cell phone you are finger printed. If you exchange money you are finger printed. You are finger printed when you get your identification card that ALL Colombians must carry. You are finger printed when you open a bank account. You are finger printed when you get a drives licence. There are probably 100 other examples where you are finger printed.

These guys did not care about putting prints on anything. That is because they had permission to go in there. These were not petty desperate thieves. The fact the girl knew how to use a gun would make me think she was probably military or had some police training. It is unusual to see Colombians female act this ballsy. They were not worried about the cops which are 3 minutes away from responding. You guys really need a lesson on how things work in Colombia.

The politicians know killing a bunch of gringos will get very bad international media attention. But scaring a bunch of Walmart Gringos is ok. They have sent you guys all a message that is loud and clear. The next time the lesson is going to be a little more extreme. I am betting they are going to have one of the paracos beatup and rob someone at Majorista. I will put money on something like this happening very, very soon.

These robbers walked away with a LOT of money. I have heard it was over $20, 000 dollars. That makes all gringos the target of crime now. They are all saying to their pals "those gringos have bags of cash and no guns".

I would like to congradulate you all on making the city I love a little more dangerous for us all. Good fucking work!

I suggest Greg beefs up the security a lot. But more importantly is he has to stop letting these Walmart Gringos stay there. Start explaining to these guys to not make assholes of themselves in public. Write up a list of "rules" for how to act in public in Medellin. Learn to give the girls more money so not to make us all look like cheapasses. When you see a Walmart Gringo wondering around Parque Lleras cluelessly with his grilla dressed in hooker boots tell him this conduct is unacceptable. Tell him to go to a shitty area like Laureles or anywhere outside of Poblado. If he does not listen then esculate the situation.

Guys, we all have to work together! We got to save our Medellin from the Walmart Gringos. As I said before an excellent way of doing this is to spend lots of MONEY! Walmart Gringos HATE seeing others spend money since they have none to spend. Give the girl a brand new hundred dollar bill and tell her she diserves more. Buy her a box of chocolates as well. The girls love presents and will be much more passionate in bed if they think you care about them. The Walmart Gringos go crazy when I give the girls presents but I love doing it if only so I can tell Walmarters about it.

Spend spend spend! Offer the mansion more money for a room. Lets all make Greg even more rich so he can pick and choose his clients. Greg got tied up and everything for us all so we really should give him our full support at this time. I have heard some stories that it was almost like that very scary scene in Pulp Fiction involving the Gimp if you guys need some imagines of what Grey suffered for us.

Once Poblado is full of gringos who are blowing all kinds of money and have expensive high class girls then the bad perception the Colombians have of us will change. We got to work together to get rid of the Walmart Gringos!

This Pink guy does make some very legitimate points. Those mongers that act like "ugly Americans" make things harder on all of us. We should always show respect for the locals, whether they are pros or other civilians.

However, I don't agree with his exhortations to spend lots of money. To me that's a key characteristic of the ugly American -- thinks his Dollars make up for his lack of brains. These type of mongers can really spoil a great destination like Medellin.

walmart gringos,,,,i like that

In my humble opinion, even under the best of circumstances, trouble will find an operation such as this. I am sure the Medellin Mansion means well and cares about their guests.

From the various postings here and other places, it appears MM is set-up to attract newbie mongers (and seasoned ones seeking ease of use and comfort factors) and give them a training wheels environment somewhere between a monger friendly hotel and a true all-inclusive. Ideally all is hunky-dory, the girls play nice with good pay as incentive and the guys play nice and pick-up basic mongering rules from staff and vets staying there. The owners pay the bills and get their own little idyllic oasis.

Unfortunately, reality will catch up. The place is a brothel by proxy. The guests have disposable income and are there to party and cut loose. The staff at best is no more than one tiny step removed from nearby third world living. Location is not a closed resort and guests free to come and go. Girls also coming and going and this creates a traffic pattern noticeable to anyone natural rumors and discussion of the place.

For the girls who come to entertain, many guys seem to want to and do buy into the 'hooker with the heart of gold' / 'nice girls that want to just party' / 'paying for college' / 'high class professional' / 'this is a respectable job in this culture' deal. A classic facade. I have met guys like that have delusional beliefs like this in order to protect their own psyche. i.e. 'I would not fuck a third world hooker looking to fund her own bad or childish habits or even getting enough scratch to help fill basic needs of her family, therefore the girl I am with does not fit this profile. She dresses well and is far too attractive to be a common whore. Besides, the great guy running this places lets them in and everyone is having a great time.'

There is no real ideal perfect scenario when it comes to pay for play. Always some trade off in freedom, safety, cost, ease of use, and legality. The MM model of business is not perfect, but no model is.

Anyhow, I am not trying to wildly throw accusations of poor management, conspiracies, or claim some fucked up master sage knowledge. Just a touch of reality as I see it. Not much use to most guys that post here, but maybe one of the silent ones will get something out of my take.

And of course, suggestions of violence and vigilantism by the loony guy are just repugnant. The elitist views of free flowing money making for better mongers and improving a scene is just laughable.

Tbirdjoy; Did your friend get to Bogata and get his new passport? What kind of hassle did have to through to get a new passport, and what is his opinion on how the Mansion handled this problem?

What did Greg and company do to make up for the money and stuff that got ripped off, and most importantly would he return and stay at the Massion in the future?

RG.

Keeper

Very, very well said.

I sent an email to MM and hopefully they will take the opportunity to post their side of the story.

In all fairness I have looked through a lot of posts about MM and nowhere. prior to this event, has anyone posted that the place needed more security. I must admit that then I stayed there I felt safe but there as a great deal of truth in what you wrote. I guess hindsight is 20-20 vision.

Per my conversation with an actual MM rep., on September the 18th, this is what happened (It's stupid). There was a rich 70 year old American (I will not mention the name) who traveled with a little over $10,000. He went to the Mayorista area and picked up a girl as well as bought all of her friends food on the block (There were a large amount of hookers on the block). As he was paying for the food, he flashed the large amount of cash that was on his money clip (stupid). He brought that prostitute back to the mansion that night and she left after the session (Not sure about the actual time of departure). It is believed that she informed her brothers, and they made a plan to locate and rob the 70 year old man. On the September the 19th, the girl and her brothers traveled to the MM and were outside the gate. They buzzed the bell to gain access to the facility. The lacksadasical guard, who mistakenly decided to wake me up five hours prior to my flight departure to ensure that I was packed and ready to travel to the airport during my last trip(IDIOT!!), was somehow persuaded to open the door (Knowing that the girl was with other male counterparts). The last time I interacted with this new guard, I noticed that he was very gullible and not very bright. He allowed all three parties to come into the facility. They pulled out guns and asked for 70 year onld man. While they were there, they decided that they might as well completely rob the MM instead of going after one person (lucrative crime). THE LESSON IS, DO NOT CARRY/FLASH A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ANY MEDELLIN NEIGHBORHOOD!!!! This Colombia, not America. The rule of law doesn't exist. Paramilitary groups and narcotraffickers enforce law in Medellin. Being a gringo, you are already considered a target, don't become a "key" target by flashing large amounts of money. Only carry what is necessary (One credit/debit card and at the max 300,000). Let's use common sense.

Sounds like hearsay from a M.M. rep. It might be a way of trying to make light of the subject by claiming "randomness" like it was a 70year old man flashing money to mayorista girls and could happen to anyone. When in actuality it could be something much much more devious and dark like the place has been scoped for days by professional criminals maybe even mob or mafia tied who knows what has and is going on in the mansion. OR even the more abstract theories of POLICE, DAS, MOB ties as well. I just dont buy it that your average street punks put this plan together almost to perfection. Regardless the word is out in the ghettos that there are gringos confined to ONE location with money, computers, cameras and IPODS.

By Sobe9ball on Monday, September 29, 2008 - 08:58 pm: Edit

Sounds like hearsay from a M.M. rep. It might be a way of trying to make light of the subject by claiming "randomness" like it was a 70year old man flashing money to mayorista girls and could happen to anyone. When in actuality it could be something much much more devious and dark like the place has been scoped for days by professional criminals maybe even mob or mafia tied who knows what has and is going on in the mansion. OR even the more abstract theories of POLICE, DAS, MOB ties as well. I just dont buy it that your average street punks put this plan together almost to perfection. Regardless the word is out in the ghettos that there are gringos confined to ONE location with money, computers, cameras and IPODS.



Yes, I will agree that the facility has been exposed, but the MM has taken the proper actions by spending thousands of dollars on security. They now have an outside security survelliance camera, they have hired three more professional armed guards and every individual must be checked at gate by guards (pockets, purses, wallets, etc.) before being cleared to enter the facility. This reminds me of 9/11. Terrorist suprised us. Americans believed that we could never be hit. Prior to 9/11, we never took the proper action to secure our nation. It took an incident like 9/11 to help us understand that we must have more stringent guidelines to access any part of our government. It took an incident like this to help the MM owners and staff understand that they have to enhance their security procedures.

Yeah, local bandits hitting a monger bed-and-breakfast in Medellin is very comparable to 9/11. So tell me this, who will want to stay there if they have to be patted down by local "friendly" thugs employed by the MM just to get into their hotel?

Problem is, if the mob or the cops are involved, it won't matter how many armed security guards they have...who is going to protect you when you leave the place?

If the MM was run by Columbians, it might be different. For the same very reason why a termas would never fly if owned by gringoes...

One thing that keeps coming through my mind about this whole thing is the interchange here on CH (maybe a year or so ago) where Greg (I believe it was; or maybe it was the other guy who also runs the Mansion) posted some incendiary comments that insulted some of our members, a really stupid thing to do as the owner of a business that caters to our "demographic." Assuming this is his MO, as it seemed it was, it would not be surprising if he stupidly pissed some locals off and this contributed (and will continue to contribute) to the problem.

One does not need to be a brain surgeon to ascertain how such an incident might occur. Just
examine the simple facts:
1) The proprietors of the Mansion chose to establish there business in one of the most
affluent, and some would say conservative areas of Medellin, akin to our Beverly Hills
or a simliarly affluent community in any moderate to large city.
2) They chose to run their establishment like a mini Playboy Mansion South, complete with alcohol, food, pool parties, and a bevy of young available women running around some clothed, some less than clothed. Girls that by Colombian social class structure are not welcome in an area such as Poblado. All this in plain view of nearby buildings, thus drawing undo and unnecessary attention/talk from the locals, including a recent television news report.
3)They sponsor group outings to popular local night spots to party, thus raising the
visibility of the presence of Gringos in the city, and more specifically, the presence of
wealthy (by Colombian standards) P4P Gringos.
4) Inadequate and/or inept security. Theres a reason why one sees trained armed security and
military all over Colombia.
5) Working girls and employees who have left or been asked to leave, some doing so happily, and others possibly disgruntled. All however, possessing inside knowledge regarding the inner workings of the establishment and the comings and goings of the patrons.
6) Underestimating the savvy and boldness of people in a country with high poverty, easy
access to weapons, and a low premium on life, and a high premium on others peoples possessions.

Put all these factors together in a mixing bowl, stir well, and you come up with a recipe for potential problems.

There's an old Colombian proverb that says, "No Dar Papaya", "Don't give papaya", which loosely translated means, "Don't conduct yourself in such a manner as to make yourself a target". Apparently, the proprietors of The Mansion have never heard of this proverb,nor the words, "discrete", "low-key", or "flying under the radar", nor have some of their clients.

There's something to be said for hanging with the locals when you travel. You can learn alot.

Great post Tica, You took the words right out of my mouth and I could not have stated it any better. Listen, I dont know Greg or have never needed any kind of mansions or vip's to have great success in Medellin with p4p or non-pros. Anybody with a firm grip of the language and a little game can do well there and have a great time. I do however know MANY mongers personally that have stayed there with high regards. Greg does what he does and I have absolutely no problem with that, it is his livelihood and has been doing it in the past very successfully and im sure very lucratively as well. We all know he is a little rough around the edges BUT when concerned proprietors ask him questions like, and I quote "what measures have been taken by Greg and his partners to insure, to the greatest extent possible, that this will type of event will not be repeated in the future. And, what was done for those guests that lost their personal property, money, and PASSPORTS?" and Greg's direct response to that is

"Still full at the Mansion, rooms available at El Castillo.

We will always set the pace in Medellin.

Aussie Greg"

I mean WTF? I didnt think that was a business savy answer. You shrug your shoulders and wonder what kind of business practices go on over there?. lol Like I said before "Regardless the word is out in the ghettos that there are gringos confined to ONE location with money, computers, cameras and IPODS."

I should add, that my previous post was not meant to disuade people from utilizing the Mansions services, simply presenting the facts as I see them, so prospective travelers can weigh the risks VS rewards and make an informed decision as to what best suits them.

One thing I have learned in my travels through Central and South America is that the locals prefer to keep their P4P daliances on the low down. Culturally, the womens attitude is that all men are dogs. They are willing to tolerate
men straying and turn a blind eye to it provided the men are discrete with their "other women", so as not to bring attention, shame, or embarrasment to themselves or their family. As the old adage says, "When in Rome do as the Romans do".

TTT

RG, My friend has given me a full accounting about the incident and how the Mansion handled the situation. The previous accounting of the old rich guy staying at the Mansion is accurate. The robbers did come in asking what room this guy was in but apparently never went into it. They only went into rooms of the guys were were out at the time.

He and the other guys who lost their passports were flown on Sunday, compliments of Greg (but with only $50 in cash), to Bogata. They received temporary passports within two hours of arriving, on Monday AM at the US embassy. He said the embassy was great.

My freind has asked me to keep his issues with Greg confidential so I won't go into exact details, but I will share with the Board that Greg and the Mansion did some stuff right but fell short in many other areas that needed to be done in order to be professional and fair. He will not go back and from hearing about all that happened neither will I.

Mmmm...I like TTT first post. Some very good points.

Of course he has only ever posted 2 discuss/posts ever in CH (both on this thread)...mmm

I have to say that if Greg's response (as in whatever dude) is as reported I will take my money elsewhere...chicas are not hard to find in Colombia that you need an X marks the spot house (for chicas or robbery)