Gay Men Fall Prey to Extortionist
DELFT. In last week's Dutch version of "crimewatch" Delft police appealed to
the public to help solve a number of extortions of gay men that took place in
june and july of this year. The 30-35 year old suspect, of whom police have
good quality security camera pictures, called himself "Rick" or "Dick" and met
his victims through contact ads from gay men in local papers.
After a few visits to his victim's house he threatened the men with a (toy-?)
gun and demanded their bank-cards with which he withdrew money from his victim's
bank account. In one case this amounted to several thousand guilders. Until now
police know of only two men, one in The Hague and one in Delft, whom the wanted
man has robbed, but believe these may not have been his only victims. When
police go public with a case it usually means the investigation is at a dead end.
Amsterdam Square named after Gay Folk Singer
AMSTERDAM/JORDAAN. A small piece of his beloved Jordaan-area last week was
officially named after Johnny Jordaan, the Amsterdam folk singer who became
famous in Holland after appearing on Dutch tv in 1956. Johnny Jordaan, whose
songs include "Amsterdam", "de parel van de Jordaan"(Pearl of the Jordaan),
"Geef mij maar Amsterdam" (Amsterdam for me) lived in the Jordaan until in the
early seventies he divorced his wife and moved in with his male lover
Mr. van Slierendrecht after which his popularity quickly waned. Although pleased
that at last Johnny, who died in 1989, has his own square named after him there
was critisism from supporters on alderman Guusje ter Horst, who had decided,
against the advice of the Amsterdam advisory board on street-names and against
the wishes of a group of fans lead by Mr. Pastor, to give Johnny a square
described as "three parking spaces and a public lavatory" on which no-one lives.
Mr. van Slierendrecht, Johnny's lover for 17 years, in an interview for Mokum-tv
critisised mr. Pastor whom he accused of stealing Johnny Jordaan memorabilia.
The "Johnny Jordaanplein" is at the crossing of the Prinsengracht and the
Elandsgracht.