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George Martorano’s one -of -a -kind story begins in 1950’s South Philadelphia. Son of “Long John” Martorano and godson to Angelo Bruno (“The Docile Don”) he was not meant to follow into the family business. Nevertheless, George fell into a circle of friends involved in marijuana. He was a small time player at first but would soon earn the nickname “The Cowboy”- a moniker picked up from FBI wiretaps. In 1982, he was arrested in connection with the seizure of a truck load of marijuana. The government labeled him a “kingpin”- head of a $75 million smuggling operation. George’s legal case soon turned political. He had to deal with a compromised defense attorney and an overzealous judge – all against the backdrop of a bloody Philly mob war involving “Little Nicky” Scarfo. Under false pretenses, George was talked into pleading guilty. George expected a maximum 5-10 years prison time (federal sentencing guidelines called for 3-5 Years) George was sentenced to life in prison without parole on September 20, 1984. Observers suspected that this harsh sentence was leverage to force George to flip on Philly mob members – people with whom George had no criminal connection.
His decade’s long prison odyssey began inauspiciously. A nonviolent offender, George was put into a succession of Reagan -era supermax facilities alongside a who’s who of murderers and notorious criminals. In a futile attempt to get him to snitch, the feds put him in solitary confinement for the better part of 5 years. Despite all this, his will would not be broken. Aside from the time he smuggled a sandwich to John Gotti, George was a model prisoner. His mind and body would heal with his daily yoga and running routine. He would soon find solace in the pen, eventually authoring 31 books, as well as numerous short stories and screenplays. Eager to share his newfound passion, George created “Write to Life”- a creative writing course aimed at prisoner rehabilitation. These efforts would lead to thousands obtaining their GEDs and completing civilian life reentry programs. Many times a bar of soap and a prison wall served as his classroom . He was elected to the prison chapter of the NAACP and was a suicide watch counselor, telling other prisoners: “If I have hope facing [my case]…everyone has hope”..” And in a scene straight out of the movie ConAir, George- always the coolest head in the room- was able to thwart the hijacking of a prisoner transport plane.
Family and friends never abandoned George, they helped pursue over 30 unsuccessful appeals. His story began to gain attention. John Lahiri- who had never met George- helped him to create We Believe Group, a lobbying organization advocating for nonviolent offenders serving disproportionately long sentences. Even Hollywood came calling- Chris Penn (brother of actor Sean Penn) became aware of George’s story and screenplay and wanted to develop a biopic project based on his life. These tireless efforts – along with long overdue prison reform – led to George’s release on October 5, 2015. At the time of his release, George held the dubious title of the longest serving, nonviolent offender in the federal prison system (32 years).
His decade’s long prison odyssey began inauspiciously. A nonviolent offender, George was put into a succession of Reagan -era supermax facilities alongside a who’s who of murderers and notorious criminals. In a futile attempt to get him to snitch, the feds put him in solitary confinement for the better part of 5 years. Despite all this, his will would not be broken. Aside from the time he smuggled a sandwich to John Gotti, George was a model prisoner. His mind and body would heal with his daily yoga and running routine. He would soon find solace in the pen, eventually authoring 31 books, as well as numerous short stories and screenplays. Eager to share his newfound passion, George created “Write to Life”- a creative writing course aimed at prisoner rehabilitation. These efforts would lead to thousands obtaining their GEDs and completing civilian life reentry programs. Many times a bar of soap and a prison wall served as his classroom . He was elected to the prison chapter of the NAACP and was a suicide watch counselor, telling other prisoners: “If I have hope facing [my case]…everyone has hope”..” And in a scene straight out of the movie ConAir, George- always the coolest head in the room- was able to thwart the hijacking of a prisoner transport plane.
Family and friends never abandoned George, they helped pursue over 30 unsuccessful appeals. His story began to gain attention. John Lahiri- who had never met George- helped him to create We Believe Group, a lobbying organization advocating for nonviolent offenders serving disproportionately long sentences. Even Hollywood came calling- Chris Penn (brother of actor Sean Penn) became aware of George’s story and screenplay and wanted to develop a biopic project based on his life. These tireless efforts – along with long overdue prison reform – led to George’s release on October 5, 2015. At the time of his release, George held the dubious title of the longest serving, nonviolent offender in the federal prison system (32 years).
His freedom didn’t diminish his passion to effect change. George soon became an in- demand speaker on the topics of prison and cannabis law reform at events including Seattle Hempfest and TEDX (Wharton School speech). Community was also close to George’s heart. Disturbed by the violence on the streets of his beloved Philadelphia, he set out to create Cannabis for Guns, a legal cannabis for weapons exchange program. Welcomed back by friends and family to his old neighborhood, George could often be seen holding court at The Saloon- the venerable South Philly restaurant owned by childhood friend, Richy Santoro. Eventually, George would take interest in CBD and its many health benefits. In 2019, he established Hip Hemp Cafe, Philadelphia’s first CBD lounge. Hip Hemp Cafe became an instant success, as well as a hub for CBD devotees and entrepreneurs. George’s goal with Hip Hemp Cafe from inception, was to “help people grow”. This led a friend to comment that George – in another of his lifelong series of transformations- had become THE GROWFATHER.