Jeff Melnick

The question of where Manson's born has been debated for quite a while. The more interesting question is how quickly and at what a young age he entered the prison system. By the age of 12, he was already being charged with fairly major crimes. And one of the things I like to kind of frame when we talk about the Manson family is that he is what we call these days an incarcerated personality.

The question of where Manson's born has been debated for quite a while. The more interesting question is how quickly and at what a young age he entered the prison system. By the age of 12, he was already being charged with fairly major crimes. And one of the things I like to kind of frame when we talk about the Manson family is that he is what we call these days an incarcerated personality.

The question of where Manson's born has been debated for quite a while. The more interesting question is how quickly and at what a young age he entered the prison system. By the age of 12, he was already being charged with fairly major crimes. And one of the things I like to kind of frame when we talk about the Manson family is that he is what we call these days an incarcerated personality.

He always said that the jailhouse was my father, and that was like a real rhetorical flourish. But I think it's actually useful for us to think about rather than think about him in traditional sense of where did he grow up? Who was his mother? What was her occupation? And folks love to talk about that. Maybe she was a sex worker. Maybe he was the product of one of her work assignations.

He always said that the jailhouse was my father, and that was like a real rhetorical flourish. But I think it's actually useful for us to think about rather than think about him in traditional sense of where did he grow up? Who was his mother? What was her occupation? And folks love to talk about that. Maybe she was a sex worker. Maybe he was the product of one of her work assignations.

He always said that the jailhouse was my father, and that was like a real rhetorical flourish. But I think it's actually useful for us to think about rather than think about him in traditional sense of where did he grow up? Who was his mother? What was her occupation? And folks love to talk about that. Maybe she was a sex worker. Maybe he was the product of one of her work assignations.

And I think what we really need to focus on with Madsen is that he's raised in jail. He comes of age in prison in the Midwest. and then later on out on the West Coast. And that's where I really like to kind of press the gas, if that makes sense, to sort of say the details of his own early biography are sad and dark, but they don't really tell us that much about who he ended up being.

And I think what we really need to focus on with Madsen is that he's raised in jail. He comes of age in prison in the Midwest. and then later on out on the West Coast. And that's where I really like to kind of press the gas, if that makes sense, to sort of say the details of his own early biography are sad and dark, but they don't really tell us that much about who he ended up being.

And I think what we really need to focus on with Madsen is that he's raised in jail. He comes of age in prison in the Midwest. and then later on out on the West Coast. And that's where I really like to kind of press the gas, if that makes sense, to sort of say the details of his own early biography are sad and dark, but they don't really tell us that much about who he ended up being.

That story begins when he's about 12 and his prison life begins.

That story begins when he's about 12 and his prison life begins.

That story begins when he's about 12 and his prison life begins.

That's right. I mean, there was some talk, and I don't know if this has ever been completely nailed down, that he was in Boys Town for a while, kind of classic orphan or quasi-orphan scenario. So yeah, he's in the Midwest and then makes his way, I think, after his grand theft auto joyride out to California and ends up forging a treasury check and ending up in prison for quite a while.

That's right. I mean, there was some talk, and I don't know if this has ever been completely nailed down, that he was in Boys Town for a while, kind of classic orphan or quasi-orphan scenario. So yeah, he's in the Midwest and then makes his way, I think, after his grand theft auto joyride out to California and ends up forging a treasury check and ending up in prison for quite a while.

That's right. I mean, there was some talk, and I don't know if this has ever been completely nailed down, that he was in Boys Town for a while, kind of classic orphan or quasi-orphan scenario. So yeah, he's in the Midwest and then makes his way, I think, after his grand theft auto joyride out to California and ends up forging a treasury check and ending up in prison for quite a while.

in california and that's where the manson that we are familiar with really sort of like comes of age comes into being he's in fairly intense penitentiary you know scene in in the 50s and by his own account and this has been you know well confirmed like that's where he starts meeting like the real bad guys who shape him in a number of different ways including quite crucially this guy alvin karpis creepy karpis uh is his nickname who was in jail because he was a member

in california and that's where the manson that we are familiar with really sort of like comes of age comes into being he's in fairly intense penitentiary you know scene in in the 50s and by his own account and this has been you know well confirmed like that's where he starts meeting like the real bad guys who shape him in a number of different ways including quite crucially this guy alvin karpis creepy karpis uh is his nickname who was in jail because he was a member

in california and that's where the manson that we are familiar with really sort of like comes of age comes into being he's in fairly intense penitentiary you know scene in in the 50s and by his own account and this has been you know well confirmed like that's where he starts meeting like the real bad guys who shape him in a number of different ways including quite crucially this guy alvin karpis creepy karpis uh is his nickname who was in jail because he was a member

It's almost, it moves with like the cadence of mythology. He was a member of Ma Barker's gang, you know, and also a guitar player. He taught Manson to play guitar and he also seemed to have taught him a bunch of other things as well. Right. About how to be a more successful criminal.

It's almost, it moves with like the cadence of mythology. He was a member of Ma Barker's gang, you know, and also a guitar player. He taught Manson to play guitar and he also seemed to have taught him a bunch of other things as well. Right. About how to be a more successful criminal.