Report: Japanese mob boss gave $100,000 to UCLA

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Japanese gang boss and another alleged gangster who had liver transplants at UCLA Medical Center each donated $100,000 to the hospital soon after their surgeries, according to a published report.

The donations came from two of four Japanese gang figures who received liver transplants at a time when several hundred Los Angeles-area patients died while awaiting transplants, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper published a story Thursday about the liver transplants and posted a separate story on its Web site late Friday discussing the donations.

According to the Times, a donation of $100,000 came from Tadamasa Goto, 65, who leads a gang called the Goto-gumi.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gF8PAZM4mMYZ5PyFkCWxDcNXOspQD910HF7O0

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FBI helped Japanese gangster to have life-saving transplant in US

A Japanese gangster, known as the "John Gotti of Japan", was flown to the United States for a life-saving liver transplant with the connivance of the FBI.

Tadamasa Goto is head of a major Yakusa, or crime family, with a reputation for brutality. He was operated on at UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles by Ronald Busuttil, a world-renowned surgeon and editor of a definitive text on liver transplants. Dr Busuttil is among the highest-paid employees of California's state university system.

It is not known whether UCLA or Dr Busuttil knew at the time that the patient and party were Japanese mobsters. But there is nothing to prevent US hospitals from giving priority to high-paying foreign patients with criminal histories.

Dr Busuttil subsequently flew to Japan for follow-up treatments on Mr Goto and gave medical testimony which helped secure his release from jail there. Mr Goto is still barred from entering the US because of his criminal record.

more:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fbi-helped-japanese-gangster-to-have-lifesaving-transplant-in-us-837427.html

[PSPS]

1. Only the rich deserve health care

It's the amerikan way!

The "mob boss" part doesn't bother me as much as "there is nothing to prevent US hospitals from giving priority to high-paying foreign patients with criminal histories." Take out "foreign" and "with criminal histories" and there's still a story there.

I thought the Mickey Mantle scandal cleaned up the corruption in the transplant program.

[LiberalFighter]

2. How about this part? "with the connivance of the FBI."

[AlphaCentauri]

3. Donations, another loophole for corruption

great great great, it sucks

[bluerum]

4. and "Mr Goto is still barred from entering the US because of his criminal record."

except of course for life saving medical procedures sponsored by the FBI.

How did this guys livers go bad anyway? A lifetime of being soaked in alcohol like Mickey Mantles?

[Demeter]

5. Maybe Hepatitis?

Doesn't matter. In BushWorld, you're sins are forgiven by cash.

[DBoon]

6. I thought Protestants were against buying indulgences?

or has the reformation become what it fought against?