Environmental attorney Stanley Alpert shared his life and death story of being kidnapped by a gang of NYC robbers. His harrowing ordeal began in January 1998 when he was forced into a car at gunpoint while walking on a street in Greenwich Village. The robbers demanded his ATM number and when they extracted some cash, they learned he had a large savings account, so they decided to kidnap him. They threatened to torture and kill his father if he didn't withdraw his money from the bank the next day.
Alpert, who was taken blindfolded to an apartment, explained that he took the tack of being polite and trying to befriend the kidnappers. As terrifying as the experience was, there were also moments of humor, he detailed. In another unusual twist, prostitutes were visiting the apartment, and one of them was offered to him as a favor, though he declined.
His bonding effort paid off as they ended up dropping him off unharmed the next day. He'd been able to see some details of the building where he was taken, and law enforcement apprehended the criminals within 48 hours, and they were subsequently given long prison terms. Alpert also touched on his career as a federal environmental prosecutor, litigating against such companies as ExxonMobil.