Michael Ames Viner, a more miserable fuck of life would be hard to find. Oh I certainly agree that Hollywood has no shortage of these wealthy scum such as Viner, but he was special! Other than some of the people he was fond of having breakfast with he was a loner as a child and in life he was terribly disliked. I had a front row seat to the final years of his life, and it was an ending that I would have wished on no one! Clearly thinking he would live forever, I am guessing. My reason for this thought is that he was such a bastard towards his former wife and his daughter. Divorce is an ugly proposition even when those involved try to be reasonable. Michael Ames Viner took it to the very highest level of nasty and I would have to say it appeared he enjoyed it. Did he know he was dying? Not in the beginning as he fought like an animal to assure that Deborah Raffin got nothing. How did I get that seat to watch wealthy humanity at its worst? I worked for Deborah Raffin as her investigator and security consultant and got a lesson of what the once wealthy will do to the ones they love, for the rest of us who fall into the lives of these people, you need to do so with caution and to realize, what they do to those they don’t love.
After all why not, Viner had Anthony Pellicano on his side and Larry King, these guys were best friends. Anthony Pellicano and Michael Viner had plans to make big money, for Viner, Pellicano was a trophy. Funny how Viner and Pellicanos lives went to shit, and what is that old saying? Birds of a feather flock together. It was I, John J Nazarian, who served Viner his divorce papers as he sat down in a booth with Larry King and a few other old gas bags in 2004, they were getting ready for breakfast. It was almost like a ritual that Viner would eat at Nate N Als Deli in Beverly Hills whenever his pal King was around. Larry King had been eye balling me as I sat and waited for Viner to arrive, when I followed the foursome to their table I was almost seated along with the crew! I heard King say, I knew it, I knew it. The King of Softballs had to be wondering as he stared at me why I was just sitting…..simple, why stand when you can sit?
For those who hated Michael A. Viner I have to say I had a great deal of pleasure screwing with him. It was I that prevented him from entering his multi million dollar mansion, his gorgeous Coldwater Canyon home. No you are not coming in here, and all he could do was to stare at me. Got to give Viner credit for realizing he was screwed and I was the screw driver. I remember looking through the house and in Michael Viners bathroom was dozens and dozens of vitamins & supplements and all kinds of crap that obviously did nothing to enhance his health. (I recall being told he died of some sort of a blood cancer…Nate N Als?) He died real quick from the time of diagnosis and his taking the dirt nap. The house Viner and Deborah shared was very cool and if you have ever traveled along Coldwater Canyon you have passed it. Even being close to the street, it had a nice sense of peace and tranquility, it would be sold to a single female as I recall…..It had to be tough for process servers to serve him, as Michael Viner always, it seemed had problems with being sued. Viner too had a love for suing which is surprising, as he seldom if ever won. For me it was no problem I just walked in and sat and waited. When Michael came home he got to look at me. I had to look up actually as he was a tall fellow. The conversation was short, he knew he was screwed as I had three Beverly Hills patrol cars controlling traffic as I had a contingent of staff present to keep the peace. Did not want the guy to fall on me.
From 2004 to early 2009 Michael Viner made Deborah Raffins life a living hell and to some degree she to his. For Viner, he had many happy times and through all of that there was a part of Viner that I am sure he enjoyed the hatred and turmoil. In this case he was without question a world champion at screwing with people. The mere fact that this was the mother of his daughter made no difference to him. One of Michaels lawyer during his final time on earth was Elyse Margolin Esq., LMAO, having this one as his lawyer you can bet he had no peace, zilcho! Having Ms. Margolin as his divorce lawyer should give a little justice for Viner Haters! If his divorce was wallowing in a sea of crap I am sure that Margolin was sure to keep him at the beach. It could not have happened to a nicer guy. He was a Harvard grad, interesting, he was at one time a pretty smart guy…but not fond of paying and always a real SOB. He was famous for stiffing anyone and everyone, just a full time prick and he really did not care. He seemed to really enjoy the ability to annoy and screw with everyone.
But Viner was special. He filed for bankruptcy several times, refused to pay royalties, cheated authors, cheated on his wife with a hooker, published books by hookers (not that they were bad people), and sued just about everyone. And lost. Roger Friedmans comment on 8.11.2009.
Deborah Raffin died on November 21, 2012 from a blood disorder, interesting that they would both die of issues of blood disorders. Was it the stress from DIVORCE? Towards the end all the stuff that Michael Viner had accused Deborah and/or her lawyers of stealing was given by him to Deborah and their daughter. Nothing was missing! Why did he have to be such a son of a bitch almost to the very end? Why not just have done the right thing, being reasonable and have been a father to their little girl and lived his final days in peace and quiet. They both gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to their lawyers, not the fault of the lawyers on this one, Michael Viner was just being himself. He enjoyed making the mother of his daughter miserable, he loved it better than having a greasy breakfast with King at the deli. Deborah on the other hand had to try and fight at his attempts to smoke her out. She too was tough at times but in the end it appears all of this killed them both.
Never ever in my 21 years having handled some of the biggest divorces in the United States have I ever seen this kind of an end. Both of the battling former love birds, Viner and Raffin, dead within a few years of fighting to the bitter end and both of blood related cancers…..got to admit, very weird! I am hoping that the child is in good hands and will not remember any of this, she always seemed to be a happy little girl.
The point I am making that both of these peoples final months on the planet was nothing short of a living hell. The big fancy house, gone! The nice offices, gone! The life of glamor and being a part of the game, gone! Glitter and Glam of Hollywood, gone! In the end they could have been decent to each other, maybe spending time with their daughter and making memories…….unfortunately all they left was a disgusting stain on what could have been a life of admiration.
Michael Ames Viner: February 27, 1944 to August 8, 2009 (2004 to 2009 time of divorce )
Deborah Raffin: March 13,1953 to November 12, 2012 (2004 to 2009 time of divorce )
Note: A little humor to the insanity of my dealing with Michael A. Viner. One time while we were following HIM around Beverly Hills….. a car pulls up and this very young little blond, who looked as if she had spent the night under Viners bed runs up to me and takes MY picture! I was a distance away trying to keep track of everyone and I got BAGGED! Ah the life of an old gumshoe!
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Straight Talk with John J. Nazarian, Private Investigator
July 17, 2013
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