How a Girl From the 'Burbs Became a Drug Kingpin

July 14, 2009 1:22 PM

How a Girl From the 'Burbs Became a Drug Kingpin
This is a story I did for the Daily Beast about Rian Thal, a party promoter in Philly who was boldly murdered on a Saturday evening in the luxury apartment complex where she lived. Police found four kilos of cocaine and $100,000 in her apartment. I relate some personal history to shape some understanding of how someone like her could wind up in a place like this.
posted by The Straightener (11 comments total)

! I read this the other day. I liked it but... sorry, but I wanted more facts on how she got where she got. Specifically who started her out, who kept her going, who liked her who didn't, what she was like on a day-to-day basis. Did she eat cereal in the morning? What did her parents think of her? Actually, all this shit that I wanted had nothing to do with your piece, which I enjoyed and related to a, uh, a lot. The details I was curious about were just that, details that would help me set myself up as an ex- Main Line blonde sweetie party promoter drug dealer because, you know, Philly's got an opening I hear and I'm kind of at loose ends...

Thanks for the good read.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:09 AM on July 15, 2009

Yeah, those details aren't really out there yet so that story wasn't really what I was going to be able to write in the time frame they wanted the piece by (while it was still in the headlines) so I kind of worked with what I had to do some speculating. There's a guy at Philly Magazine who is doing that piece, is doing tons of interviews and really digging in, I'm not sure what his time frame is, though.
posted by The Straightener at 4:15 AM on July 15, 2009

...those details aren't really out there yet...

Understood. I didn't mean to say it detracted from your piece - I meant that even with the 'real' details, the basic story is still crazy enough, the characters particular and peculiar enough that I will always want more: more details more atmosphere more, well not cocaine anymore for me, but just more more.
posted by From Bklyn at 6:19 AM on July 15, 2009

I'll make a mental note to MeMail you the Philly Mag piece when it runs, the guy who's writing it, Steve Volk, is a really good magazine journalist and I'm sure it will cover a ton of details.
posted by The Straightener at 6:29 AM on July 15, 2009

Can I put in a request for that link as well, Jeff? Nice piece. Forwarding it to friends as I speak.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 5:40 PM on July 15, 2009

Of course, Peter, I figured you might have a story or two of your own to kick in here ;)
posted by The Straightener at 8:34 PM on July 15, 2009

Heeeey, guys. The Daily Beast loved the first story so much that Tina Brown actually asked me to dig a little more and do a follow up. Bear in mind that I don't title these things.

Inside the Dead Girl's Nightclub
posted by The Straightener at 8:50 PM on July 25, 2009

The Straightener, your link goes to this Projects post. Can you post your follow-up?
posted by exogenous at 5:40 PM on August 5, 2009

Weird, thanks for pointing that out.

Inside the Dead Girl's Nightclub
posted by The Straightener at 6:26 AM on August 6, 2009

Thanks for posting the follow-up. I'm happy when this community works.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 3:45 PM on August 6, 2009

Late to the party, but I really enjoyed the article and the followup.
posted by futureisunwritten at 5:23 PM on August 23, 2009