Along with a childhood friend Dennis made his first trip to Mexico in a 1952 Chevy. They filled the trunk with 250 pounds of Red Brick marijuana from Costa Rica. George bought the weed for $20 per pound and sold it in Philadelphia and South Jersey for $120 per pound.

While in High school started getting hash from Canada and selling back in Philadelphia. He had received a State Senatorial scholarship to college but lost it when he was expelled. He was then sent to live in Baltimore and soon became entrenched running strip clubs and selling hash.

However, he ran into trouble in Baltimore with a Chicago gangster named Bernie Brown. For his safety his Godfather, Angelo Bruno, pulled him out of Baltimore and sent him to Las Vegas.

Looking for some down-time he and a friend drove to the Woodstock Music Festival. With the crowd becoming overwhelming and the downpouring rains there was nowhere to eat or drink. He met a local farmer who was allowing concert goers a drink of water from his garden hose. Once George realized the farm was an egg farm, ever the entrepreneur, he quickly came up with a scheme. He dug a hole, filled it with wood and hay, lowered a water trough, boiled the water, and began selling hard boiled eggs. Most folks paid with weed. George was now back in the marijuana business selling weed at the camp sites during the concert.

After his Baltimore stint Angelo Bruno sent George to Las Vegas to learn the casino business. George lived in Vegas with “Mike” the number 2 person in charge of the Aladdin Casino. “Mike” enrolled George in the Freemont School of Gambling. But George was not interested in learning and preferred the social scene. He met and became a regular at the Siegfried & Roy Show.

Returns to Philadelphia to continue selling hash and gets engaged to Francesca.

Gets married. Still selling hash he begins working at his family’s vending business. Along with Angelo Bruno, became a salesman for the vending business.

While in Florida with a Cuban friend, “Lou”, George met Griselda Blanco in Kendall Miami. Griselda was aligned with Pablo Escobar in the marijuana trade. Griselda and George “hit it off” and started working together. She had the best Columbian Gold marijuana wrapped in burlap bales. She eventually took over and controlled South Florida as the point person for Escobar’s Medellin cartel.

George gets heavily involved in the marijuana industry but must hide it from Angelo Bruno who was strongly against “drugs”. 

mbian Gold marijuana wrapped in burlap bales. She eventually took over and controlled South Florida as the point person for Escobar’s Medellin cartel.

Angelo Bruno is gunned down in an ambush in front of his home setting off a Mob War in Philadelphia.

George is approached by two guys from Florida “Angelo” and “Don” to ask George to take over the weed business in Philadelphia. They flew George to Florida in a Learjet to meet at the Diplomat Hotel to discuss their plans. They were bringing in boat loads of Columbian Gold. George quickly became known in Columbia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Mexico. 

George makes his first major weed deal of 7,400 lbs. With a street price of $300 per pound this was George’s first million-dollar deal. Over the next several years most of the weed in Philadelphia or South Jersey was from George’s stash. 

With Angelo and Don’s shipments were being seized George had to pivot and began sourcing marijuana from Jamacia. 

At one point while in Jamaica George and his driver were stopped by the local police. The driver had an UZI hidden under the seat. With political unrest in Jamaica the police thought he was supplying weapons to the rebels. George was arrested, held in a military compound, and threatened with execution. In case of an “emergency” George had a secret pocket sewn in his pants where he kept 3 diamonds. He gave the guards a diamond to allow him a phone call. He contacted a friend “Pepe” who brought him $20,000 in cash – to buy his freedom. 

George starts his own grow and factory to remove package his marijuana for shipment. He bought a Beechcraft Baron plane with a long-range bladder to hold enough fuel for the trip from Jamaica to Florida, shipping 2,200 – 2,500 pounds at a time. He also controlled airstrip runways in Florida and Pennsylvania.

 Being alerted that he was being watched, George was living at a friend “Carlos’’ house in Costa Rica to avoid arrest. “Carlos” stayed in Miami and continued to supply George with Red Brick weed.

September 19th, George is arrested in Florida and his grow in Jamaica was burned and his planes and airstrips were seized. This would be the last time George would see the streets for over 3 decades.   

As a nonviolent first offender George was sentenced to Life Without Parole. He spent over $1 million on legal fees and appeals. He served 32 years in the most violent prisons throughout the country.

While in Leavenworth prison, George got a book from a friend “The A-Z of Medicine”. George became inspired by holistic medicine including cannabis and started a holistic medicine clinic in his cell each morning at 6:00. 

Additionally, George created and managed a suicide prevention program, designed a hope program for inmate re-entry upon release, and created a Fathers Behind Bars program to help families cope. However, to participate in any of these programs’ inmates had to have a GED or be enrolled in George’s GED program. 

After 32 years and numerous appeals George is released from prison as part of the Compassionate Release Program. In a speech President Obama remarked “You cannot take the life of a first-time non-violent offender”.

 George opens one of Philadelphia’s first cannabis (CBD) store and lounge.

 George signs with a woman owned New Jersey Licensed cannabis manufacturer, Little Leaf Labs LLC, to develop and distribute The Growfather brand of THC products.

The Growfather products available throughout New Jersey Dispensaries.