Community Rebirth Transforming Russian Fraud Clinic

"They're lined up around the block." Laverne looked out the window. The guests attending the Grand Opening of the Starzinsky Elder Lifestyle Improvement Center were dressed to the nines, despite the black puddles of slush on the sidewalk. The only flaw in this picture was the lump of rags in the shape of a man, dumped on top of a pile of wet cardboard, across the street. It had been there for as long as it had taken for the snow to melt it into one. If you took a closer look, it was a person with what looked like blood and broken bones as a face.

Laverne still couldn't believe how smoothly things had gone during this year, transforming the Star Ortho/Surg Clinic into an innovative Neighborhood Adult Cafe. The federal auditors had taken most everything out after the scandal, except the bare walls. Still, the prime real estate across from the old Verizon Building turned condo's, was worth a fortune. Donating it to the city was what had made today possible.

Dr. Tony Starr took a fast look in the back seat of his Mercedes. The stupid Russians won't miss a couple of hip-replacements here, a few knee surgeries there. He paid them plenty for the referrals their No-Fault scam provided. He knew that he would soon be basking in the sun, spending the cash that was now stashed in the Mercedes boot. He'd be long gone before the Courier News caught wind of the Attorney General's investigation into fraud at the clinic.

Dr. Star was lost in a fantasy land where an ice cold Mohito was brought to him on the beach, by the young native girl sans bathing top. No more Russian mule sweat for him. He had his American passport and New York accent. Right after he did this one last procedure, he'd be someone else. The one just before, Lieutenant Dan's insurance had paid off big time. The seconds pins that Dr. Star had gotten from China wouldn't hold up to any fancy footwork, but the savings were paying for the Cessna. He thought he remembered some talk about the kid wanting to go to college on scholarship anyway.