Philadelphia RowHome Magazine Article
By Maria Merlino, Photo by Peter Frechie
"You don't look for a cause. Causes find you," explains Jill Frechie, a widely respected journalist and Senior Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Montgomery County Community College. "I want to give voice to the underserved, to those who want a larger voice in the community, such as artists and people in prison who are silenced. It's very easy to forget about people."
The fact that George Martorano spent so many years in prison, his voice was silenced. One percent of the prison population are falsely convicted. That's 20,000 people." The documentary film, Life Without Parole, was an award-winning success.
Upon receiving a coveted Telly Award for Martorano’s story, this film went on to be highlighted at the prestigious Los Angeles/Philadelphia First Glance Film Festival. As Co-Director/Editor, Frechie was awarded Best Woman Documentarian. In the Philadelphia RowHome Magazine, Linda Pizick nominated her as the Best Director Award. *Life Without Parole* is a profound project produced by Jill's production company, Lum Line TV.
Frechie met Martorano while he was serving his life sentence. At the age of 70, he was released in 2015, serving first-time nonviolent offenders in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The film partners are currently looking for the rights to get Martorano’s story out to the public, either by self-distribution or finding distributors who are actively seeking films. Additional concepts such as a streaming series or movie are also being considered. We have all the transcripts and the journal. "You do not want to waste these things and not have anybody know this," said George. "John is extremely helpful and just clicked."
Frechie adds, "George is a born storyteller; his influence is in telling stories through forms of expression, something from which Martorano’s son would benefit. "We can see our way out because we see each other’s faces." There is no real artwork. It was all manufactured inside through an intense system of compression. You can go and do images daily and display it in a giant screen."
Frechie says that of all the people they interviewed for a potential feature, Martorano turned out to be the most credible.
"At the beginning it was like, I can’t believe he was like this," says Frechie. "But everything he told us checked out. There was never a lie."
For her next project, Frechie would like to do something in the music world. "I’m listening to a lot of Latin American music. I work with David Uosikkinen of The Hooters, too. He’s very involved. I think Philadelphia could be the next music scene if we do it right."
Frechie and Ricciardi also are interviewing Holocaust survivors. Her favorite of these interviews, so far, comes from a man, who was hidden in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp and a woman who had to change her name to survive. *David Tuck: A Story of Holocaust* shares a brilliant line that Tuck’s father said when he was a little boy, "the first lesson of life," he says. "He gives lectures to adults and children, and those memories are personal. A little boy was hidden for seven years by a friend, so she had taken in a convent in Southern France. She could use her Jewish name, but on holidays she was Maria."
She came to America, taught French and wrote a book, *Tzay Name & Renee*. She's in her 80s now. "I didn’t realize how she had to work to get out of France and survive." Frechie adds, "Who doesn’t like someone’s story about love? How do we stop terrorism? People love listening to children and our kids."
Frechie adds, "The world needs to be better. We don’t have to punch out a lot, but instead give them much to do. But I think in the end, we have to be very peaceful. We want to make things better for people."
Pictured: Jeff Kauffman, George Martorano, Andrea Giovino (Divorced from the Mob), John Flahive (brother-in-law) and defense attorney Louis Busico. (By Jill Frechie)
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The work of Louis Busico extends beyond the courtroom, intertwining with stories of resilience, justice, and the fight for voice and recognition. His involvement in these significant cases underscores his commitment to his clients and his belief in the power of storytelling to bring about change.
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