Author: Gordon Basichis
Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Biography.
Vicki Morgan was a runaway kid from small town America who became the longtime mistress of Alfred Bloomingdale--department store heir, Diner's Club founder, and "kitchen cabinet" confidant of President Reagan. She has been depicted as a high-priced mistress who willingly participated in Bloomingdale's alleged sadomasochistic sex games, relishing a life of high spending luxury, high society, finance and power politics, and as a woman who lived beyond her years and died before her time. It was like a soap opera, but more shocking. When the police found Vicki Morgan murdered, it opened a can of worms. What kind of person did that make Vicki?
Gordon Basichis knew her better than anyone, perhaps. He talked with her almost daily during the last nine months of her life. He found an intelligent tomboy who had twice married other men to escape her mistress role and a caring soul who disguised herself to visit a dying Bloomingdale in the hospital. How did her dreams go sour?
My Thoughts
Vicki was a socialite, mistress and some may say in modern terms, a sugar baby. Her thoughts were if she was going to have sex, she might as well have sex with wealthy men. She seemed to drift towards powerful men, it wasn’t so much about looks, it was what could they offer her in terms of keeping up her lifestyle, with several affairs under her belt with various types of men including the unmarried actor Cary Grant, a Saudi Princess - the daughter of assassinated King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and a year with the very married King Hassan II of Morocco...Before 30 her life was full.The young Vicki entered a relationship with Alfred when she was 18 and him, 53. He introduced her into the life of S&M with Vicki participating in bisexual behaviour to please him until she renegotiated the terms of their arrangement. As years went by he seemed to love her, the words exchanged, he would help her, even when told to turn his back, he was back there with her but when he becomes gravely ill, she would sneak into his room dressed as a nurse to bathe and tend to him. Vicki during this time has her $10k monthly payments cut off, a demand from Alfred’s wife, Betsy. After the death of Alfred, now homeless & her money dwindling she decides to go to court with a palimony suit for the sum of $5million from the Bloomingdale's, it was doubled to $10million when Betsy fought back. Needing money she takes in roommate/ friend Marvin Pancoast, who she met in the Cedars-Sinai mental health center, out of everything she'd escaped and gone through, this marked the end...
Being married when she met Alfred and twice briefly during her 12-year affair, it seemed she used her marriages as a way to leave the trappings and to punish Alfred, she soon bored of her second husband for having less money, a simple and obscure life wasn’t for her. She pined for the excitement she grew accustomed too and craved it like a drug & to me this was always her downfall, putting herself in these situations but no matter who she married, had a sexual relationship with...Alfred was the only one for her.
Upon first reading about Vicki Morgan over 9 years ago, it took me a while to get hold of this book and while I spent time getting through it, I found there was a lot of excuses for why she was the way she was and it might have been the author finding these excuses because of the unprofessional affair he had with her during the 9 months he spent gathering information for this book before her untimely death…That’s where I feel a lot of his words are inputted rather than it being Vicki’s, it was unprofessional, he got to know her and found a woman who was vulnerable, possibly he took advantage.
Her son, I felt was another victim, somewhat abandoned by his mother and raised & living with his grandmother and mostly seeing his mother when she’s lavishing him with an orgy of gifts and treats, to me trying to make up for not being around because she seemed too invested in herself but that’s not to say she didn’t love him but I felt she did show where her priorities lie, when a former lover she became reacquainted with said he would never remarry and especially would never marry her because of her high-minded attitude and ostentatious habits, she also felt it was because like his ex-wife she’s also brought a child into the relationship, as if she’s now burdened him, sensing his discomfort and leaving her anxious about losing her man she neglected her son, these things made me feel Vicki needed to feel wanted more than she could give that to her own son, another male.
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This sounds like a really interesting read. I had never heard of Vicki Morgan till seeing this post!
ReplyDeletewww.sparklesatmidnight.com
Yes, it's one to read if you are interested in some crime and true stories.
DeleteThis sounds super interesting! I am constantly on the lookout for new books so I will have a read and let you know what I think!
ReplyDeleteYou'll definitely have too, I'd love to know your views on the book.
DeleteSounds like an interesting read, if not my particular cup of tea! She was certainly a unique woman.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely was, she seemed to effortlessly lure men and women to her.
DeleteI've only just got back into the habit of reading again and this book certainly sounds intriguing x
ReplyDeleteYeah I've been encouraged and was in desperate need to get back to reading, think writing reviews encourages me x
DeleteMy god, what age was she murdered at? I think the author definitely took advantage of her and at heart I think she was vulnerable and a victim.
ReplyDeleteShe was 30 years old. Yes I definitely think he did, considering he already had a wife and young baby, he maybe fell for her allure and what she possessed but still took advantage.
DeleteThis sounds like a really interesting book, I need to read more non fiction books and this sounds great x
ReplyDeleteThanks, yes I love non fiction, to be honest I've not read as many fiction books as I'd like apart from a few classics x
DeleteI didn't know about Vicki but it sounds like she had a pretty wild life. It would be interesting to learn more about her, even from the impartial perspective of the author.
ReplyDeleteYes truly she lived it fast and wild. Died young unfortunately but it's always nice for me to learn about these people not necessarily in the public eye and known about as much.
DeleteThis sounds like a great juicy read.
ReplyDeleteCertainly was, Vicki made sure her short life was exactly that.
DeleteJust finished In Cold Blood, this might be next! x
ReplyDeleteOMG, I LOVED that book! I have to re-read that x
DeleteSounds so interesting, I definitely need to give this a read.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of her but what a fascinating story x
ReplyDeleteNever heard of her, this sounds like an interesting read x
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually one for true crime but this has got interested! I'm really intrigued!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fab read. I will look this book up.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds really interesting, I've never heard of her before.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of her before but now I've read this post she sounds really interesting and I'm inspired to read this book!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book, I shall keep an eye out! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://lilinhaangel.com/
This isn't the type of book I would usually read. ( well not one I would pick out straight away) but it does sound interesting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read! Your review is awesome, so in-depth and well written.
ReplyDeleteDaniella | Freshly Pressed Beauty
What an interesting book. I love how its about family struggles and how they overcome battles. I must read this one soon!
ReplyDeletexoxo, Candice
http://www.candicenikeia.com
I haven't heard of this before, but it sounds like an interesting read!
ReplyDeleteSounds really interesting and a good read
ReplyDelete