Scott Rothstein pleads for leniency in 'Sonny Boy' letter

Washington Examiner ^ | June 8, 2010 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

"Could you just SHUT UP, Bernie?"

That is what the South Florida "Mini Madoff" Ponzi schemer, Scott Rothstein, must be thinking about Bernie Madoff who made this recent comment about the people he bilked as reported by New York Magazine:

"F--- my victims! I carried them for twenty years, and now I’m doing 150 years.”

In a case of incredibly poor timing, this must have been especially painful to Rothstein who will be sentenced for his Ponzi crimes by a judge on Wednesday. In fact, Rothstein, also known for his large political contributions to senate candidate Charlie Crist to the tune of at least $84,000, has to be worried that Madoff's unwanted message will completely undermine the leniency letter he wrote to sentencing judge James Cohn. The best way to read Rothstein's incredibly schmaltzy plea for mercy is to read it alongside Al Jolson's equally schmaltzy "Sonny Boy" song. Here are a few excerpts of Rothstein's convenient retroactive regret mixed with the song lyrics in italics:

[PJ-Comix]

I wonder how many years Rothstein will get shaved off his sentence for ratting out Charlie Crist? When this is all over, Charlie might not even get as many votes as Meek in the Senate election which would be an incredibly poor performance.

[PJ-Comix]

A new blogger at the Washington Examiner. Note the “Sonny Boy” song. It could someday make the basis for a great song parody. I believe when Jolson first saw the song he absolutely hated it because it was so corny. However, it turned out to be a hit.

[longtermmemmory]

I think it will either be 1/2 way between max and minimum or the max.

If he cooperated it will not be the max in order to encourage cooperation by others in other cases.

[PJ-Comix]

South Florida FYI.

I say the judge gives him 40 years tomorrow and then later they start quietly shaving off time when he rats out the others including a certain tanning lamp fan.

[Frantzie]

Rothstein supposedly help “catch” two Mafia types who were involved in his deals. He is a psycho and ego maniac. Just about every one involved in his deals were slimy incluidng most of the investors.

[PJ-Comix]

My mistake. "Sonny Boy" was written as a joke but Jolson loved the song. Here is the STORY behind that song:

...In his next film, The Singing Fool, Jolson was to play the part of a brash entertainer who is heartbroken at the death of his little boy. Although the movie had to include a song on this theme, no one had been able to come up with the right one. In desperation, Jolson had decided to track down the three buddies who had written so many hit songs for him in the past.

Jolson was not noted for his tact, and the three songwriters were piqued by this last-minute, long-distance order. They were amazed that Jolson could want a song on such a sentimental theme. As DeSylva said: “Who could take a thing like that seriously?”

Reacting to the request as if it were a joke, between them, amid hysterical laughter, the three put together “Sonny Boy,” a song containing just about every musical cliché imaginable. So ridiculous did they feel the song to be that they could not bring themselves to put it in the mailbox but instead asked a bellboy to do it for them.

Jolson did not see the joke. Instead of throwing the song into the garbage can, he gave it everything he had as a performer. The result: “Sonny Boy” was among the first recordings to sell a million copies, and The Singing Fool became the greatest box-office success of all time, unsurpassed until Gone With the Wind opened in 1939.