I liked being a smuggler. In 2009, he wrote for Newsweek about a quixotic Vietnam vet from Missouri jailed in Burma, who, as he told his editor, "reminded me of my father. "Guys like my dad see that as vindication," he says, "like they're the Rosa Parks of the legalization movement. His father, Anthony, whom he thought was in the real estate business, provided the family with a nice house, money for private school, a yacht, fancy vacations in the Caribbean and pretty much anything the family needed or wanted. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. "I've seen the abuses. Dokoupil's Newsweek Article: 'My Father The Dope Dealer'. Tony was raised in Miami in a wealthy family, his father Anthony Edward Dokoupil is a businessman while his mother Ann is a lawyer. Bush’s grandchildren. With a luxury apartment and a family yacht, he had a lavish life when his dad was alive. Although he has managed to keep information about his exact birth date secret, we know quite well that he is the son of Ann and Anthony Edward Dokoupil. We had a lot of it, and then we had none of it.". "My mother likes to say that his [Anthony's] personal motto has always been, 'I want to piss in their face and tell them it's raining,' " Dokoupil says. Bush. Up until Dokoupil was 9 years old, life was luxurious, safe and comfortable. "I felt like my world was cracked in two. Tony Dokoupil was born in America in the United States. ", At lunch, his son describes the "bad dad" who took him on a father-son outing to Disney World when he was 4, then left him alone at night, while dad hit the bars. Tony and his mother moved to Maryland where they would scrape by on her teacher's salary. "His taste buds were so fried from drugs that he used ten packs of Sweet 'N Low. He’s Dokoupil’s son, Anthony Edward Dokoupil’s son. ', Anthony "Big Tony" Dokoupil holds his infant son, Tony Dokoupil. Tony Dokoupil was born in Miami, the United States, to parents Ann Dokoupil and Anthony Edward Dokupil. Now Colorado and Washington have legalized pot and other states have softened their laws. But, he adds, "That's not a life I want to lead.". Bush. Age 37, tony, was created to Ann along with also moms and dads Anthony Edward Dokoupil. Dad left for good when his son was 6 and was busted in 1992 and served time for a deal involving 17 tons of Colombian … (Photo: Family photo), "I told him I heard rumors about drugs, but had no proof. Moreover, he is also a published author and has released a book entitled ‘The Last Pirate: A Father, His Son, And The Golden Age Of Marijuana’. ", Anthony "Big Tony" Dokoupil and his son, author Tony Dokoupil, in the Bahamas. He found out as a young journalist that real estate was only his cover occupation. ", He says his mother is "still struggling to figure out the decisions she made." Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2014/04/09/the-last-pirate-by-tony-dokoupil/7308581/, Tony Dokoupil, author of the book 'The Last Pirate. (Photo: Family photo), In, 2009, Little Tony confronted his father about his past. He learned later, though, that the real purpose of this and other trips was to find drug money that had been stashed away. Bush. The younger Dokoupil had no idea, growing up in Miami, that Anthony Edward Dokoupil was big in the drug business. Tony Dokoupil was born on Dec 24, 1980 in Connecticut, USA. However, very soon the truth about the real origin of money in his family was revealed to the boy, and his long trips with his mother had the only goal of collecting money from cannabis in various secret places. At lunch, Dokoupil doesn't reveal much about his mother other than she's 63, lives in West Virginia and teaches school. After virtually no communication between the two men for many years, Dokoupil, armored with a notepad and a recorder, met with his father in Cambridge, Mass., where the elder Dokoupil lives in government-subsidized housing. After two years in jail, Big Tony "looked like a guy who had been on an all-night bus every night of his life," his son writes. I know the human wreckage.". Dokoupil was born in Connecticut in 1980 to Ann, a teacher, and Anthony Edward Dokoupil a prolific drug smuggler and dealer. Who is the Father of Tony Dokoupil? Born to Ann and Anthony Edward Dokoupil, Tony enjoyed an affluent lifestyle. Tony Dokoupil bio, early life & family. Yes, he says, but not since he was 20, hiking in Colorado, and "it was glorious." "I became extremely sensitive to labels on clothes — all high-school kids do to some extent, but I feel my sensitivities were more intense.". Bush’s grandchildren, and going on Caribbean vacations in a private yacht. ", Dokoupil was nearly 30 before he dug up the family history. When he was just 6 years old, his life took a tragic turn when his father stopped supporting t… "The Last Pirate" by Tony Dokoupil (Photo: Random House), His dad "broke a cardinal rule of dealing and became an addict himself. The rise and fall of a certain kind of outlaw who no longer exists. Before Dokoupil's 10th birthday, his father's addiction to drugs escalated and spiraled out of control, resulting in the loss of their income and lifestyle. Further, he has not mentioned any detail about his siblings. How Anthony Dokoupil made - and lost - millions smuggling pot. And the book, he says, "should help Tony's career. Decades ago, she aided the drug deals, kept the financial books, but was never caught. That life ended when he was 6. ', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In fact, says Dokoupil, whose wife works at Human Rights Watch, his son's last name isn't Dokoupil. At that time, six-year-old Tony’s father, Anthony Dokoupil, disappeared from his life. "Willpower is capable of overcoming even a chemical dependence ... By telling himself, 'once an addict always an addict,' which has been a mantra of his for years, he was never really required to test his willpower," he says. Mostly, a CBS News correspondent earns a salary of $62,000 in the US. The crimes I committed were victim-less. Besides, he raised by a single mother because his father stopped supporting him and his mother when he was just 6 years old. His life took a horrific turn when he was just 6 years old when his father stopped helping the family and … His dad, Anthony "Big Tony" Dokoupil, was a graduate school dropout who made – and lost – millions smuggling and selling tons of marijuana for more than a decade. As of 2019, Tony Dokoupil is 39 years old. And I realized that I kind of wanted to replant the family tree," Dokoupil says. But, Dokoupil says, he couldn't really feel any sympathy for him. "I'm conflicted about my family legacy," he says. As a young child, Dokoupil idolized his father, even though he was a spotty presence in his life. Before that, Tony was living the high life in a luxurious condo, attending private school with the late George H.W. "Someday, I'll try to explain that to him. '(Photo: Random House). Both his parents were well-off than most people and had connections in high places. Tony’s birthday is 1981. A haunting and often hilarious memoir of growing up in 80s Miami as the son of Big Tony, a flawless model of the great American pot baron. His Father’s name is Anthony Edward Dokoupil and his mother’s name is Ann. His father, Anthony Edward Dokoupil was the victim of drug addiction, and his mother, Ann Dokoupil raised him and later moved to Maryland. I liked to do it. Since his father Anthony Edward Dokoupil smuggled cannabis, he soon became addicted to them. He is American and belongs to the white ethnic group. Furthermore, he runs an Instagram page under the name @tonydokoupil with … It's one of the story's many ironies, or as Dokoupil writes, "The world of drugs and crime is stupid with paradox. No one got hurt. I never cheated anyone." "But then you got that journalistic bug, and I thought, 'Oh boy, here we go.' He was having a luxurious life with a luxury condo and a family yacht while his dad was alive. Tony Dokoupil, author of the book 'The Last Pirate. Due to low earnings, it became difficult for them to persist in daily … When his own son was born five years ago, his father, then 62, eagerly asked if his grandson would be named Tony. He's grateful she sued for custody (his parents never married and he's their only child), but he adds "she put herself in that situation. He is an American by nationality and his ethnicity is white. Tony Dokoupil was born in America in the United States. He was born to father Anthony Edward Dokoupil and mother Ann. His book traces shifting policies on marijuana from decriminalization in the Carter administration to Reagan's punitive war on drugs. Lunch ends with the question reporters like to ask political candidates: Has he — the son of the pot dealer — smoked pot? That's part of his memoir, The Last Pirate: A Father, His Son, and the Golden Age of Marijuana (Doubleday). He was six years old when his father left the family and he was raised by his mother. ", He wrote the book to explain his own father, who was smart and self-destructive and finally was arrested in 1992. He is the only son of Anthony Edward Dokoupil and Gail Dokoupil. Dokoupil enrolled at George Washington University and completed his studies in marketing and communications. On his birth certificate, "Little Tony" is officially Tony, so he's not a junior. I enjoyed smuggling. " Dokoupil, was a graduate school dropout who made – and lost – millions smuggling and selling tons of marijuana for more than a decade When Dokoupil was 7 years old, his mom took him on a road trip from Florida to Albuquerque, N.M., where he bought fossils and visited the Petrified Forest National Park. However, he raised up with his single mother. I wouldn't trade it for anything. ", The son asked, "Why did you think a drug-dealing, drug-taking smuggler would be a good dad? To celebrate the birth of his first son, Anthony lit up a joint in Farmington Medical Center. There was a before, when anything was possible, all doors were open. ", About then his wife got pregnant, which triggered "questions I was finally ready to confront.". Born as Anthony Dokoupil in Connecticut in 1980, Tony grew up in Miami, Florida. His Father’s name is Anthony Edward Dokoupil and his mother’s … "There are worse fates than having a father like mine, so I am OK with that. Now 33, Dokoupil, is a writer for NBC News, and over lunch in the employee cafeteria at Rockefeller Center, he smiles as he recalls his "weird relationship to money. Tony Dokoupil, aged 39 was born on December 24, 1980, in Connecticut, United States. As a child, Tony had a very rough childhood, due to his parent's substance abuse. He ran stateside operations for one of the largest marijuana rings of the twentieth century. However, he raised up with his single mother. His mum was able to accept him into Albuquerque, at which he even visited with the Petrified Forest National Park and purchased fossils After he … He’s Dokoupil’s son, Anthony Edward Dokoupil’s son. ", The father replied, "I guess I was delusional. His Father’s name is Anthony Edward Dokoupil and his mother’s name is Ann. He was born onDecember 24, 1980, in the United States of America. Tony’s birthday is 1981. His childhood, however, resembled more of a roller coaster ride than any ordinary coming-of-age story. Later, she used drug profits to pay for a graduate certificate in drug and alcohol counseling from the University of Miami. As earlier hinted, Tony Dokoupil had a very rough childhood owing to his dad’s involvement … But the man he met bore the signs of a hard life — disheveled and broke, smoking crack from plastic bottles. Son of Anthony Edward Dokoupil and Ann Dokoupil, Tony Dokoupil, was born on 24 December 1981 in Miami, Florida. Growing up, Tony experienced a life of luxury, going to private schools with grandchildren of the former President George H.W. Tony Dokoupil, 28, is a reporter for Newsweek magazine. He started selling marijuana as a young man with his friends to support the "good times" they were having, listening to music and smoking pot, hash or taking pills. ". However, this way of life began crumbling when it was discovered that his both parents were drug addicts and worked with … Tony Dokoupil is one of the most famous reporters in the American media industry. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. And there was an after, where you had to scrimp," he says. While discussing his educational background, he attended … Tony liked up to nine years of era a luxury condo and private school with President G.H.W. CBC News correspondent Tony Dokoupil, a 37-year-old, was born in Miami in 1981 to the house of parents Ann & Anthony Edward Dokoupil. But then there's "my dad, this colorful American character who's given me such a story.". Tony Dokoupil interviewed his father for Newsweek and asked him about his life as a drug smuggler. His Father’s name is Anthony Edward Dokoupil and his mother’s name is Ann. It was great. Soon, "Big Tony," as he was called, was smuggling tons of marijuana from Mexico, and later from Colombia. But things changed for Tony when both his parents were arrested for having worked … ", He takes a dimmer view of whether pot should be sold and marketed like beer. ", As for his father, he concluded it wasn't just about the money: "He loved the shadow of catastrophe, how it erased the elevator stillness of the everyday, the emptiness that made him quake with anxiety. "When the due date was announced, I immediately began thinking about the kind of father I wanted to be, and that left me searching for role models, thinking about my father. "No, I don't think so," came the response. He is married, has an infant son and loves playing squash — a pretty ordinary life. On the way back, mother and son couldn't board a plane with more than $10,000 in cash, hence the cross-country trip. Dokoupil, however, remains optimistic that his father's story can be a cautionary and even adventurous story for his own young son. Tony is the son of Ann and Anthony Edward Dokoupil. His father was part of the Colombian marijuana cartel in America. To his fellow smugglers, Anthony Edward Dokoupil was the Old Man. As a writer, the son saw a "larger story about my father's generation and the world he lived in. "So, he imagines himself to be a big man who can shape the world to his desires.". He grew up in a luxurious house and he went to elementary school together with grandkids of President G.H.W. After he found his father's 14-page indictment for importing 35,000 pounds of pot, he called his mother, as he writes: "That seemed about right," she said. His father was a marijuana dealer and his mother was a teacher. Up until Dokoupil was 9 years old, life was luxurious, safe and comfortable. Anthony Edward Dokoupil was born in 1946 in northern New Jersey. © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. His dad, who was fun and wild and erratic, abandoned his family. Coke and hookers, mostly.". The decision to reconnect with his father came after Dokoupil learned he would soon become a father himself. ", In a phone interview from Cambridge, Mass., where he lives in a home for the elderly and disabled, Big Tony says he's read The Last Pirate and "it felt good to see my past come out. I am at peace with that," Dokoupil says. Talents From Canada: Dina Pugliese [Breakfast Television] Married Life & Husband Details He studied at George Washington University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business … His youth resembled a lot far much more of the rollercoaster trip. While he was sleeping at his cousin's house in Albuquerque, his mother dug up a cooler containing a quarter-million dollars from the backyard. He is American and belongs to the white ethnic group. Tony writes in his book that for his fourth birthday, Anthony took Little Tony to Disney, but left him in the hotel room while his father barhopped the night away. NEW YORK – As a boy in Miami in the 1980s, Tony Dokoupil enjoyed a luxury condo, a family yacht, and private school with grandchildren of President George H.W.
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