190
Because his wife was curious rather than suspi- -
cious ]J.B. was able to extricate himself from the
situation for the moment. He said he would look into §
everything the next morning. Probably some kid
who worked on the picture was the way he described
~ Franco.
“Heres the Immlgratlon man’s telephone num-
- ber,” she said. “He wants you to telephone him.”

On the way to the studio ].B. stopped at a public
phone booth to make the call—and to hear the sor-
did story.

Franco had been caught in a vice raid on a home
in the canyons that had been watched for weeks. It
was run by two notorious homosexuals who charged
admittance to their orgies. Often as many as 20 or
30 men assembled there, spending the whole week-
end in a constant round of sex, liquor, even mari-
juana. A police officer had infiltrated the group,
planned the raid and broken it up. Franco, like
many of the others, was caught in an abnormal act §
in a bed with two other males. ’

].B. turned on his charm and after two or three
meetings with the Immigration people was able to
convince them that he would be responsible for §
returning Franco to Italy. He would be spared the
humiliation of a deportation hearing—and the possi- §&§