Jazz great Herbie Hancock has gone to bat for a convicted marijuana smuggler who spent more than a decade on the lam in Argentina before he was returned to New York City to face the music.
Hancock penned a letter to the federal judge who will sentence Bruce (Red) Veniero on Friday in Long Island Federal Court, calling him a trusted friend who gave the legendary pianist “unceasing support and encouragement throughout the years.”
He couldn’t have been referring to the period of time from 1998 to 2009, when Veniero was hiding in South America after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy charges.
Veniero led a storied life in the 1970s and 1980s as the impresario of a popular Beverly Hills supper club called Nucleus Nuance, which showcased and attracted popular artists like Hancock and singer Tony Bennett, according to court papers.
“Many of my friends even today have fine memories of dining at this great restaurant,” Hancock wrote Federal Judge Thomas Platt.
Veniero’s life went off the rails after his wife divorced him and his parents died, court papers state. He became involved with smuggling large amounts of marijuana from Mexico to distribution networks in New York City.
Veniero, now 71, faces 10 years in prison.
Authorities say he was living off his illicit riches in Buenos Aires when he was arrested by Interpol in early 2009.
