Richard Heller

In 1982 I saw a tiny little advert in the International Herald Tribune.  International law firm looking for English speaking secretary.  I applied for it and got it.  It seemed that Harvard-educated lawyer, Richard Moffet Heller, had a small international law firm handling income taxes and estate planning for various international clients.

He had an Italian lawyer who fixed things.  He had an office manager, Elizabeth, whom he was sleeping with.  He was married to the principal of the British Overseas School on Via Cassia.  He was handsome, witty, and a quick talker. Probably one of the funniest, weasely, crooks I have ever known. Then there was Roberto Manfredo, a failed rock musician pothead, who ran errands for him.  As time went by we moved into a bigger space on Via Lombardia.  We added two writers for the Galling Report.  We added Lilliane who was French and did tax returns.  We hired Kay, English, the receptionist.  And for some reason Barbara Lief.  I was never sure exactly what she did.  Then we had an Italian partner, a maritime lawyer, and then an American lawyer who had two teenage children and a very alcoholic wife.

Richard was beginning to get referrals from an attorney in Washington, D.C. for Iranians who were leaving Iran after the Shah took over in 1979.  One of the first was Hamid Hejazi.  He became our translator while his case was being processed.  He was married and he had come via Lisbon and his pregnant wife, Ferouzeh, and their son Benjam, paid smugglers to get out via Turkey.  She was in Silver Spring, MD where she had an uncle.

Eventually, there were so many Iranians hanging around that Hamid and I rented office space nearby.  We continued to process cases through the American Embassy’s refugee program.  Finally, Hamid was cleared to leave.  Heller took me to the Embassy’s Library and pointed out the immigration code and suggested that I read it. I handled all the immigration cases. I took over the Iranian refugee side of the practice.  We hired another translator, Mehran.  He was being processed to return to UC Long Beach.

We were very successful.  We processed probably upward of 100 families.  We had very few rejections and most of those I won on appeal.  And then Heller did a strange thing, he offered Hamid a job and he came back.  Mehran was cleared and he left.  The problem was that Hamid was not about to work for me so there was continual competition.  He tried to cheat me out of money.  Strange Hezbollah types would come to the office.  One client was very angry with Hamid.  She was screaming at him in Farsi but he would not tell me what she was upset about.

One day, I had an appointment to discuss quotas with Donald Woessner who was head of the INS at that time.  I set out along Via Veneto and I see Richard Heller in front of me; I go through security and just as I get to Woessner’s office I see the tail end of Richard’s coat slip through the door.  

On another occasion, the Embassy wanted to speak to Richard and he dragged me along too.  They were questioning his accreditation.  And for good reason, I would later find out.  I was having my hair done and Australian, Sandra Kennedy, said did you hear about the American lawyer who is in big trouble for income tax evasion and tax fraud.

In the end, my association with Heller would cost me dearly on many levels. I did, however, make friends with Paulyne Day who remains a lifelong friend.