Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (2010–…): Season 1, Episode 11 - The Corpse's Bride - full transcript

BARBRA

MASTROMARINO LOVED BEING A

DOCTOR'S WIFE.

AND FOR A WHILE SHE HAD IT ALL.

LIFE TO EVERYONE WHO SAW US

WAS PICTURE-PERFECT.

BARBRA AND MICHAEL WERE LIKE

THE BARBIE AND KEN.

BUT WHEN THE GOOD

DOCTOR'S BURIED SECRETS SUDDENLY

SURFACED...



IT WAS SHOCKINGLY CALLOUS IN

ITS DISREGARD FOR THE SANCTITY

OF HUMAN REMAINS.

THERE WAS BLOOD AND ENTRAILS

ALL OVER THE PLACE.

...THE GRUESOME

TRUTH SHATTERED BARBRA'S LIFE

AND SHOCKED THE WORLD.

I COULDN'T STOP SHAKING.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE HE HAD NO SOUL.

WHEN IT COMES TO

LOVE AND MARRIAGE, THINGS AREN'T

ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM.

IN JANUARY OF 1989,



BARBRA MASTROMARINO WAS JUST

ANOTHER HARD-WORKING BROOKLYN

GIRL FOLLOWING A DREAM.

I WAS WORKING IN A TANNING

SALON AS A SECOND JOB, WORKING

AS A DENTAL ASSISTANT FULL-TIME.

BARBRA WAS ALWAYS THE

POPULAR ONE, THE GO-GETTER, THE

SMART ONE OF THE FAMILY.

THE ONLY THING THAT

BARBRA WAS MISSING WAS A

BOYFRIEND, UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN A

HANDSOME DENTAL STUDENT NAMED

MICHAEL STROLLED INTO THE

TANNING SALON.

HE WAS JUST A STRONG, SILENT,

GORGEOUS GUY, BIG.

I WAS LIKE A GIDDY SCHOOLGIRL IS

WHAT I WAS.

MICHAEL WAS DEFINITELY

ATHLETIC, INTELLIGENT.

HAD A SLIGHT BIT OF ARROGANCE TO

HIM, YOU KNOW.

HE JUST... HE KNEW WHO HE WAS.

A FEW WEEKS AFTER

THEY MET, BARBRA HAD A FIRST

DATE WITH MICHAEL.

AND FROM THEN ON, SHE WAS

SMITTEN.

MICHAEL ACTUALLY AS WE BEGAN

TO DATE TOLD HIS FRIENDS THAT I

BELONGED WITH HIM.

I WAS JUST OVER THE TOP.

YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE I FOUND MY

MR. WONDERFUL.

THREE YEARS AFTER

THEY MET, BARBRA MARRIED HER

MR. WONDERFUL IN A CATHOLIC

CHURCH IN BROOKLYN.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, CLASSY

AFFAIR, SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

CLOSE FAMILY, IT WAS THE PEOPLE

THAT MATTERED TO US.

BARBRA'S DREAM

WEDDING WENT OFF WITHOUT A

HITCH, SAVE FOR ONE SLIGHT SNAG.

WHEN I WENT TO GO LIGHT THE

CANDLE IN CHURCH, IT DIDN'T

LIGHT.

I DIDN'T REALLY THINK MUCH OF

IT.

I KIND OF LAUGHED IT OFF.

BUT THE DAY ITSELF BESIDES THAT

ONE LITTLE GLITCH WAS ABSOLUTELY

A DREAM.

A FEW MONTHS LATER,

BARBRA PUT HER OWN CAREER

AMBITIONS ASIDE TO FOCUS ON

MICHAEL'S.

HE WAS ASPIRING TO BE A

CRANIAL-FACIAL SURGEON, AND I

WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE

OF HIM.

HE WORKED SO HARD.

FOUR YEARS LATER,

MICHAEL HAD REACHED HIS DREAM.

AND AS HIS ORAL-SURGERY PRACTICE

GREW, SO DID THE COUPLE'S BANK

ACCOUNT.

BY THE TIME THEIR TWO SONS CAME

ALONG, BARBRA AND MICHAEL

SEEMED TO HAVE IT ALL.

FOR THEM IT WAS A STORYBOOK

ROMANCE OF FOOTBALL STAR BECOMES

DOCTOR, HE MEETS MY BEAUTIFUL

SISTER AND HAS BEAUTIFUL

CHILDREN, BEAUTIFUL HOUSES,

ANYTHING THEY WANTED.

BUT LIFE FOR THE

COUPLE WASN'T ALWAYS SMOOTH

SAILING.

BY THE FALL OF 2005, BARBRA AND

MICHAEL HAD BEEN MARRIED

13 YEARS.

AND LIKE ANY MARRIAGE THAT

LASTS, THEY'D WEATHERED SOME

SERIOUS STORMS.

BUT ONE DAY, BARBRA GOT A PHONE

CALL THAT WAS MORE LIKE A

HURRICANE.

MICHAEL HAD CALLED ME FROM

HIS OFFICE, WHISPERING, AND KIND

OF VERY TENSE.

HE SAID, "BARB, THE AUTHORITIES

ARE HERE, AND THEY'RE SEARCHING

MY OFFICE.

THEY'RE CONFISCATING MY

EQUIPMENT."

AND I WAS LIKE, "WELL, WHY?"

I WATCHED THE NEWS ON THAT

PARTICULAR DAY.

I SEE MICHAEL MASTROMARINO,

GHOULISH CRIME.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE CASE?

NOT RIGHT NOW.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

AND I SAID, "WHAT THE HECK IS

GOING ON HERE?"

MICHAEL WAS BEING

ACCUSED OF ONE OF THE MOST

BIZARRE AND GRUESOME CRIMES OF

THE DECADE.

MY MOM GOT THE CALL THAT

MICHAEL IS GOING TO BE ARRESTED,

AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER

FOR WHAT HE DID.

THEY'RE SAYING ALL THESE

THINGS ABOUT HIM, AND I DIDN'T

KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE.

FIVE YEARS BEFORE

THE PHONE CALL THAT WOULD CHANGE

EVERYTHING, BARBRA MASTROMARINO

WAS MARRIED TO THE MAN OF HER

DREAMS... A SUCCESSFUL ORAL

SURGEON NAMED MICHAEL.

LIFE TO EVERYONE WHO SAW US

WAS PICTURE-PERFECT.

EVERYTHING ABOUT US EXUDED ENVY.

BUT BEHIND THE

FLAWLESS FAçADE, THINGS WERE

BEGINNING TO FALL APART.

THE YOUNG COUPLE'S TROUBLES

STARTED IN EARLY 2000.

THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED

ANYTHING IN HIS BEHAVIOR CHANGE

WAS REALLY BEING MORE IRRITABLE.

HE WAS ALWAYS EASILY SET OFF.

HIS TEMPER WAS A BIT

FRIGHTENING.

WHILE HIS ANGER WAS

A PROBLEM AT HOME, LONG-TIME

FRIENDS NOTICED A CHANGE IN

MICHAEL'S APPEARANCE.

ONE PARTICULAR EVENING, HE

JUST SEEMED DISHEVELED.

HE SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING WASN'T

RIGHT.

HE WASN'T HIMSELF.

WHEN BARBRA

BROUGHT UP HER CONCERNS, HER

HUSBAND HAD AN EASY ANSWER.

HE HAD A BACK INJURY FROM

FOOTBALL.

HE WAS LIKE, "I TOOK SOME

MEDICATION.

I TOOK SOME OF THE DEMEROL FROM

MY OFFICE FOR MY BACK, AND I

MUST HAVE JUST TAKEN A LITTLE

TOO MUCH."

BUT MICHAEL'S

COLLEAGUES AT WORK HAD NOTICED

SOMETHING, TOO, AND ONE DAY THEY

HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TELL

BARBRA ABOUT IT.

ONE OF THE ASSOCIATES CALLED

ME UP.

HE'S LIKE, "BARB, DO YOU NOTICE

ANY KIND OF DIFFERENT BEHAVIOR

IN MICHAEL LATELY?"

I SAID, "NO, HE JUST SEEMS MORE

A LITTLE BIT MORE ON EDGE.

MAYBE HE'S JUST SPREADING

HIMSELF TOO THIN."

BUT IT WAS MUCH

MORE THAN THAT.

HE SAID, "WELL, WE DID FIND

HIM TODAY IN THE BATHROOM WITH A

NEEDLE STICKING OUT OF HIS ARM."

AND I SAID, "WELL, IS HE OKAY?

IS ANYBODY ELSE OKAY?

ARE THE PATIENTS OKAY?"

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO

START.

HE WAS PRACTICING MEDICINE

UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

AND TO ME, I WAS LIKE, "WELL,

WHAT WOULD MAKE HIM DO SOMETHING

LIKE THAT?"

IT WAS CLEAR TO

BARBRA.

HER HANDSOME HUSBAND WAS A DRUG

ADDICT.

I WAS UPSET, AND I WAS ANGRY.

HOW DO YOU TREAT A PATIENT AND

THEN GO IN THE BATHROOM AND

SHOOT UP?

AND I KNEW THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS

SO MUCH BIGGER THAN I REALLY

HOPED IT WOULD BE.

BUT THE DAMAGE TO

HIS REPUTATION HAD ALREADY BEEN

DONE.

SOON AFTER, MICHAEL SURRENDERED

HIS DENTAL LICENSE AND WAS LEFT

WITH ONE CHOICE... REHAB.

HE ENDED UP GOING TO A PLACE

DOWN IN WEST PALM BEACH.

BUT MICHAEL CHECKED

OUT OF REHAB AFTER ONLY THREE

DAYS.

AND WITHIN TWO WEEKS, HE

APPEARED TO RELAPSE.

AT THAT TWO-WEEK POINT, HE

COULDN'T FIGHT IT ANYMORE.

HE WAS COMING HOME DISHEVELED

AGAIN.

BARBRA SUSPECTED

MICHAEL WAS USING DRUGS ONCE

AGAIN.

AND THEN ONE NIGHT, HE DIDN'T

COME HOME AT ALL.

FOR MY SON'S BIRTHDAY, WE HAD

A BIRTHDAY DINNER THAT HE DIDN'T

SHOW UP FOR.

AS THE HOURS TICKED

AWAY WITH NO SIGN OF MICHAEL,

BARBRA DECIDED TO TAKE MATTERS

INTO HER OWN HANDS.

SOMETHING WENT OFF IN ME.

IT WAS MIDNIGHT, AND I SAID,

"HE'S NOT COMING HOME.

I NEED TO GO FIND HIM.

I NEED TO KNOW IF HE'S DRUGGED

UP.

I NEED TO KNOW IF HE'S ALIVE OR

DEAD."

BARBRA JUMPED IN

HER CAR AND DROVE AROUND THE

NEIGHBORHOOD, FRANTICALLY

SEARCHING FOR HER HUSBAND.

FINALLY, SHE FOUND HIM.

I COME UPON JUST A WHOLE SLEW

OF FLASHING LIGHTS, AND I DRIVE

UP TO IT.

AND I SEE MICHAEL STANDING

THERE.

HE HAD A POLICEMAN ON EACH SIDE

OF HIM, AND HE LOOKED VERY

DISHEVELED.

MICHAEL HAD BEEN IN

AN ACCIDENT, AND BARBRA WAS

RELIEVED THAT HE WAS ALIVE.

BUT THERE WAS ONE MORE SURPRISE

IN STORE.

THERE WAS ANOTHER WOMAN

THERE, AND HE WAS WITH HER.

AT THAT VERY MOMENT WAS WHEN I

KNEW MY WORST NIGHTMARE HAD COME

TRUE.

BETRAYAL WITH DRUGS WAS ONE

THING, BUT BETRAYAL WITH ANOTHER

WOMAN?

THAT JUST SHATTERED ME TO THE

CORE.

MY PERCEPTION WITH MICHAEL

WAS HE DEFINITELY WAS A CHEAT.

AND I DIDN'T LIKE IT.

MICHAEL DENIED THE

AFFAIR, BUT HE COULD NO LONGER

TURN HIS BACK ON THE DAMAGE HIS

RECKLESS LIFESTYLE WAS CAUSING

AT HOME.

HE ENTERED REHAB ONCE AGAIN.

ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T WANT TO

LOOK AT HIM AND TALK TO HIM, OF

COURSE I WAS THERE TO BRING HIM

TO REHAB.

I AM HIS WIFE.

THAT'S WHAT WIVES DO.

THIS TIME, MICHAEL

STAYED IN REHAB FOR THREE WEEKS.

AND WHEN HE EMERGED, HE SEEMED

LIKE A CHANGED MAN.

HE WAS HUMBLE.

HE FOUND HUMILITY, AND THROUGH

THIS WHOLE REHAB PROCESS, I

LEARNED A LOT.

BARBRA WANTED TO

BELIEVE THAT THE WORST WAS

FINALLY BEHIND THEM.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE CASE?

NOT RIGHT NOW.

BUT LITTLE DID SHE

KNOW THAT HER TROUBLES WERE FAR

FROM OVER.

MY EYES WERE GLUED, OF COURSE,

TO THE TELEVISION SET.

AFTER THE NEWS HAD HIT, AND

HE GOES, "BARB, I'M REALLY

THINKING OF RUNNING.

YOU THINK I SHOULD RUN?"

BY THE FALL OF

2000, BARBRA MASTROMARINO HAD

SEEN HER HUSBAND THROUGH DRUG

ADDICTION, THE LOSS OF HIS

DENTAL LICENSE, AND AN ALLEGED

AFFAIR.

I WAS JUST DESTROYED AND

UPSET AND JUST FEARFUL AS FAR AS

AN AFFAIR AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

BUT I JUST WAS SO PROUD OF HIM

THAT HE BEAT THE ODDS.

STILL, WITHOUT HIS

DENTAL LICENSE, MICHAEL NEEDED A

NEW CAREER.

SO HE TRIED TO REINVENT

HIMSELF, AND HE CAME UP WITH A

CAREER FOR TISSUE RECOVERY.

IT WAS JUST THE PERFECT FIT.

IN 2002, MICHAEL

LAUNCHED A COMPANY CALLED

BIOMEDICAL TISSUE SERVICES,

WHICH SOLD BODY TISSUE FOR

TRANSPLANTS, RESEARCH, AND BONE

GRAFTS.

WITH THE FAMILY'S CONSENT,

TISSUE HARVESTING IS LEGAL.

IT SEEMED THAT HE COULD

PRACTICE MEDICINE WITHOUT

PRACTICING MEDICINE BECAUSE IT

WAS NOT A LIVE PERSON ANYMORE.

IT WAS TISSUE HARVESTING.

MICHAEL PARTNERED

WITH SEVERAL FUNERAL HOMES IN

THE AREA, AND IN A MATTER OF

MONTHS, HIS NEW ENTERPRISE TOOK

OFF.

ONCE AGAIN, HE SEEMED TO HAVE

THE MIDAS TOUCH AND A HEAD FOR

BUSINESS.

WHAT MICHAEL MASTROMARINO WAS

DOING WAS PAYING FUNERAL HOME

OWNERS HERE IN NEW YORK $1,000

PER CORPSE.

HE THEN SOLD THE PARTS TO THESE

THREE PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES

THAT IN TURN SOLD THE PARTS TO

HOSPITALS, DOCTORS, AND WHAT

HAVE YOU FOR ABOUT $17,000,

$18,000.

SO HE HAD A HUGE MARKUP.

BEFORE LONG,

MICHAEL'S COMPANY WAS HARVESTING

AN AVERAGE 20 BODIES A MONTH.

THE MONEY STARTED COMING IN.

AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE

FROM OUR RENTAL TO ANOTHER NICE

HOME.

WHILE BASKING IN

THEIR GOOD FORTUNE, BARBRA KEPT

A TIGHT EYE ON HER HUSBAND.

AS THE YEARS WENT ON WITH NO

SIGN OF MICHAEL'S DEMONS, SHE

FINALLY LET HERSELF BELIEVE THAT

LIFE WAS BACK ON TRACK.

THE BUSINESS WAS GROWING.

AND HE WAS EXPANDING TO

DIFFERENT PLACES, AND HE WAS

ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH US

AS A FAMILY.

ALL OF IT WAS LIKE A DREAM COME

TRUE.

BUT SOMETIMES

THINGS THAT SEEM TOO GOOD TO BE

TRUE REALLY ARE.

NEARLY FIVE YEARS AFTER MICHAEL

LOST HIS LICENSE, BARBRA GOT

ANOTHER DEVASTATING CALL.

AND THIS TIME, MICHAEL WOULD

STAND TO LOSE EVEN MORE.

MICHAEL TOLD ME THAT HIS

OFFICE WAS BEING SEARCHED.

I ASKED HIM WHY.

AND HE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW."

HE SAID, "THEY HAVE A WARRANT,

AND THEY ARE CONFISCATING

EVERYTHING FROM MY ERASERS TO MY

LAB EQUIPMENT."

WHEN BARBRA PRESSED

HER HUSBAND FOR ANSWERS, HE

CLAIMED HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS

GOING ON.

HE SAID, "NO."

HE GOES, "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.

I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH MY

PARTNER."

BUT THE CHARGE WAS

UGLY.

HARVESTING HUMAN REMAINS WITHOUT

CONSENT.

THE D.A. CLAIMED MICHAEL HAD

BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.

MICHAEL MASTROMARINO,

ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, WAS

STEALING BODIES AND BODY PARTS.

AND HE WAS DOING THIS WITHOUT

THE PERMISSION OF THE NEXT OF

KIN, WHICH IS ILLEGAL.

SIR, CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE

CASE?

NOT RIGHT NOW.

AND IT WASN'T LONG

BEFORE IT MADE HEADLINE NEWS.

IT WAS SHOCKINGLY CALLOUS IN

ITS DISREGARD FOR THE SANCTITY

OF HUMAN REMAINS.

MY EYES WERE GLUED, OF COURSE,

TO THE TELEVISION SET.

AND I PHONED HER.

AND I SAID, "WHAT IS GOING ON?"

AND SHE SAID, "IT'S GOING TO BE

OKAY.

MICHAEL WAS INVOLVED WITH SOME

SCANDAL, BUT IT WASN'T HIM."

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, FROM

THE MOMENT HE WAS SEARCHED IN

HIS OFFICE, I BELIEVED IN HIM.

I BELIEVED IN HIM, AND I

BELIEVED HIM.

BUT A FEW MONTHS

INTO THE INVESTIGATION,

MICHAEL'S COOL FAçADE STARTED TO

CRACK.

AFTER THE NEWS HAD HIT, HE

ASKED ME TO COME UP TO THE

BATHROOM WITH HIM, AND HE RAN

THE WATER IN THE SHOWER TO TRY

AND DROWN OUT SOUND BECAUSE HE

THOUGHT WE WERE BEING BUGGED AT

EVERY MOMENT.

AND HE GOES, "BARB, I'M REALLY

THINKING OF RUNNING.

DO YOU THINK I SHOULD RUN?"

I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS INNOCENT.

HE TOLD ME, "YES."

I SAID, "IF YOU RUN, YOU ARE A

GUILTY MAN RIGHT AWAY."

AND HE TOLD ME, "IF YOU TELL ME

TO STAY, I'LL STAY."

MICHAEL STAYED, AND

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, BARBRA

REMAINED AT HER HUSBAND'S SIDE

WHILE OTHERS HAD THEIR DOUBTS.

THERE WERE FRIENDS DEFINITELY

IN THE GROUP THAT SAID, "IS SHE

CRAZY?

IS SHE STUPID?"

BUT SOON BARBRA'S

WORLD WOULD COME CRASHING DOWN

AS THE GRUESOME TRUTH ABOUT

MICHAEL'S CRIMES IS REVEALED.

THERE WERE PEOPLE WHOSE

BODIES HE HARVESTED WHO DIED OF

CANCER, WHO HAD AIDS.

IT'S ABHORRENT.

I WAS MORTIFIED.

IT WAS DISGUSTING.

AFTER 13 TUMULTUOUS

YEARS OF MARRIAGE,

BARBRA MASTROMARINO'S HUSBAND,

MICHAEL, STOOD ACCUSED OF ONE OF

THE MOST GRISLY CRIMES

IMAGINABLE... BODY SNATCHING.

THE NEWS WAS STATING THAT HE

WAS THE GHOULISH MASTERMIND

BEHIND THIS HEINOUS CRIME.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT'S

SOMETHING TO EVEN BELIEVE.

AS THE

INVESTIGATION ENSUED,

AUTHORITIES WERE CLAIMING THAT

MICHAEL WAS STEALING DEAD BODIES

WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT,

CHOPPING THEM UP, AND SELLING

THE BONE AND TISSUE FOR TOP

DOLLAR.

IT IS SIMPLY ASTONISHING TO

CONCEIVE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE

OUT THERE STEALING DEAD BODIES.

MICHAEL'S DOWNFALL

BEGAN WHEN THE FUNERAL HOME WAS

SOLD WHERE MUCH OF THE

HARVESTING TOOK PLACE.

THE NEW OWNERS BECAME SUSPICIOUS

AND CALLED THE POLICE.

WHAT THEY FOUND WAS SOMETHING

STRAIGHT OUT OF A HORROR FILM.

IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE DISGUSTING

HELLHOLE.

THERE WAS BLOOD AND ENTRAILS ALL

OVER THE PLACE.

THEY HAD A SPECIAL ELEVATOR, AND

THE CORPSES WOULD BE LIFTED

STRAIGHT UP TO THIS SECOND-FLOOR

ROOM, AND IN THIS ROOM, THEY DID

THE CUTTING.

AND WHAT THEY DID

IN THE CUTTING ROOM WAS JUST

PLAIN NASTY.

ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE

ASPECTS OF

MICHAEL MASTROMARINO'S OPERATION

WAS THAT WHEN HE EXCAVATED THE

BONES FROM PEOPLE'S BODIES, WHAT

HE WOULD DO THEN WAS REPLACE

THAT BONE WITH PLUMBER'S

FLEXIBLE PVC PIPE.

THEY COULD DRESS THE BODY SO

THAT IF THERE WAS AN OPEN

CASKET, NOBODY WOULD KNOW THAT

THE BONES WERE MISSING.

BY THE FALL OF

2005, THE BROOKLYN D.A. WAS

INVOLVED, AND THE CASE BLEW WIDE

OPEN.

WHAT MICHAEL WAS DOING WAS

UNIMAGINABLE.

AND IT DIDN'T STOP THERE.

HE WAS ALSO FORGING PAPERS

WHICH SAID THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

AND IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU

CANNOT USE BODY PARTS OF PEOPLE

WHO HAVE DIED OF CANCER OR

VENEREAL DISEASE OR AIDS.

DURING HIS FOUR

YEARS IN THE TISSUE-RECOVERY

BUSINESS, MICHAEL AND HIS TEAM

DISSECTED MORE THAN A THOUSAND

BODIES, AND NOT ALL OF THEM WERE

HEALTHY.

THE GRUESOME PART TO ME WAS

THAT, ACCORDING TO THEM, THEY

WERE TAKING TISSUE FROM UNVIABLE

DONORS, OF SOMEBODY WHO WAS 85

AS SUDDENLY ON PAPER 65.

OR IF SOMEBODY DIED OF CANCER,

THEY ACTUALLY DIED OF A HEART

ATTACK.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS

GOING ON.

IT WAS SOMETHING OUT OF A

17th-CENTURY NOVEL.

IN FEBRUARY OF

2006, MICHAEL MASTROMARINO WAS

ARRESTED.

FOUR DAYS LATER, HE WAS OUT ON

BAIL, STILL INSISTING THAT HE

HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG.

WE WERE STILL BEING LED ALONG

THAT IT WASN'T HIM.

IT WAS THE FUNERAL DIRECTORS.

IT WAS OTHER PEOPLE THAT FORGED

DOCUMENTS, AND HE WAS JUST THE

GUY THAT CAME IN AND SAID, "OH,

DOCUMENTS ARE GOOD.

I CAN TAKE THE TISSUE."

THE INVESTIGATION

INTO MICHAEL'S INVOLVEMENT

LASTED ALMOST TWO YEARS.

WHILE MICHAEL FOUGHT THE CHARGES

AND MAINTAINED HIS INNOCENCE,

BARBRA CONTINUED TO STAND BY

HIM.

SHE DEFINITELY BELIEVED HE

WAS INNOCENT.

WE ALL DID.

THEN, IN MARCH OF

2008, MICHAEL FINALLY CAME

CLEAN.

HE PLEADED GUILTY TO MULTIPLE

CHARGES, INCLUDING BODY

STEALING, RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT,

AND ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION.

BARBRA HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO

FACE THE COLD, HARD TRUTH ABOUT

HER HUSBAND.

HE TOLD ME, "BARB, I'M GUILTY

OF IT ALL."

AND I WAS IN A STATE OF FURY.

THAT'S IT.

I WAS DONE.

AND DONE SHE WAS.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER MICHAEL WAS

CONVICTED, BARBRA MASTROMARINO

FILED FOR DIVORCE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A

PERSON LIKE THAT CAN TURN.

SO TO ME IT'S ALL BEEN A BIG,

FAT LIE.

WHEN HER DIVORCE

BECAME FINAL, BARBRA GOT THE

CHANCE TO ASK MICHAEL THE ONE

QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND.

WHEN I ASKED HIM, "WHY,

MICHAEL?

WHY DID YOU DO IT?"

HE SAID, "GREED."

HE GOES, "PLAIN AND SIMPLE,

BARB.

IT WAS GREED."

AND THAT'S ALL.

IT DOESN'T SEEM GOOD ENOUGH.

BARBRA MASTROMARINO

WILL NEVER FORGET THE TRAIL OF

HEARTACHE LEFT BEHIND BY HER

ONCE-PRINCE CHARMING.

THE TRICKLE EFFECT WAS SO

JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

THE VICTIMS... THEY ARE TRULY

VICTIMS.

AS FAR WHAT THEY'VE BEEN

THROUGH, THEY WILL LIVE WITH

THAT FOR THE REST OF THEIR

LIVES.

AND I WOULDN'T EVEN BEGIN TO

KNOW HOW TO APOLOGIZE FOR

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND TODAY BARBRA'S

LIFE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE

ONE SHE HAD WITH MICHAEL.

MY SISTER, BARBRA, SHE

STARTED FRESH.

AND SHE'S MAINLY FOCUSED ON

BETTERING HERSELF, AND SHE'S

WRITING A BOOK.

SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT

THEY CAN DO TO EMPOWER

THEMSELVES.

SO I LIKE THE MESSAGE THAT SHE'S

CREATING.

IT'S A SHAME THAT I HAD TO

LEARN HOW STRONG I WAS FROM THE

EXPERIENCES THAT I HAD TO GO

THROUGH WITH HIM.

AND I THINK THAT HOPEFULLY

LOOKING AT STORIES LIKE THIS

WOULD HELP OTHER PEOPLE TO

REALLY LOOK AT THEMSELVES AND

SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT?

NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, I'M GONNA

GET THROUGH IT, AND I'M GOING TO

BE OKAY."