He has converted to Christianity, he said, and prays often, asking God for help. Through doughnuts, many Cambodians stepped out of isolation and into the American mainstream. "It's a devil, it's a monster. Ngoy fled with his wife, three young children, two cousins and a nephew to the United States in 1975. Pit bosses, floor men and dealers at Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand and the Mirage got to know the Cambodian doughnut king. He dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption. Six weeks later, Gu and her producer, Jos Nuez, were on a plane to Cambodia where they spent three days interviewing Ngoy and shooting B-roll. Gambling is a devil. When there was an overrun of pink doughnut boxes Ted bought them cut-price, and the pink boxes became his trademark. "He's like, 'You know what? "This story sheds light on refugees in a positive way, about what happens when they're given an opportunity," she says. At each stop, they set up the business and trained the families who leased it. For weeks, they watched other families leave, until finally they, too, were sponsored by a pastor from a church in Tustin, Orange County, about 35 miles south of Los Angeles. Cambodia was planning its first elections in 1993, and well-to-do emigres from California were returning to run for office. "[10], Whittaker said that "as Asian Americans face increasing racism, its closing message about how immigrant communitiesdefine America has only become more timely."[8]. The next day, he flew back to Los Angeles leaving behind his new wife and their two children. "New documentary 'The Donut King' follows Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy's journey to multi-million dollar empire", "Review: A Shakespearean SoCal tragedy, 'The Donut King' charts the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy", "Director Alice Gu Wants You to Meet The Donut King", "The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice", "Review: The Donut King, a sweet documentary that doesn't tell the hole truth", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Donut_King&oldid=1131760803, This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 16:51. Los Angeles Times I say, Ted, who are you? I really dont know.. "He was a little uneasy," Gu says. They saw Elvis Presley perform, and Ted played a little blackjack. "I'd want [people] to know about not only the journey of the donut itself but the story of the people behind it, the people making the donuts," Tao says. Ted became deeply religious. The past I cannot change, but I learned the heavy way. Ted kept a low profile until the LA filmmaker Alice Gu got in touch a couple of years ago. He co-signed loans for supplies and equipment. In the 1980s and '90s, when Dunkin' Donuts tried to establish itself on the West Coast, his frosted, deep-fried empire sent the company packing. Christy's parents said they would let Ted live if he told Christy that he was a dog who had romanced other girls and had never loved her. He has to start a new life.. , some of the dough (see what we did there?) Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. He hired his wife and nephew. Ted managed to escape on the last flight out of Phnom Penh but Suganthini's parents were left behind. "[9] In a mixed review, Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail said the film is "well worth watching" while saying there "are holes in this doughnut story. A woman from his church lets him sleep in the screened porch outside her mobile home, which he has fashioned into a makeshift bedroom. "It is the purest form of risk-taking, the distilled anxiety and thrill behind every business decision and bold declaration of love," he writes in his autobiography. Read about our approach to external linking. COVID-19 has hit her store and most other shops hard. He believed he could show others the path to wealth and opportunity. He credits his Christian faith with finally curing his gambling addiction, although he confesses he liked to bet on football games until last year. "We were happy - until the gambling came to wreck my life. The Ngoys went to Las Vegas for the first time in 1977. Over the next few years, he went back every month or so, seeing Tom Jones, Diana Ross and Wayne Newton -- and betting ever-larger sums. I think there's nothing wrong for them to lie to the embassy because everybody needs a chance to survive. He had burned a lot of bridges and at the time his children hardly spoke to him. The doughnut king landed at LAX with $50 in his pocket. After Ted revealed his presence to Christy, he hid under her bed until he was eventually discovered and her family allowed them be together. Under the Khmer Rouge leadership of Pol Pot people were forced to work on communal farms, and those with money or education were tortured and killed. Ngoy doesnt remember how many stores he started or bought -- 40? He cut his chest sliding under barbed wire. Alice found it hard to persuade Ted to return to California for filming. Im also, again, the daughter of Chinese American immigrants and my dad was a big Republican party supporter. [9], Ngoy is the subject of the 2020 documentary film The Donut King. He had gotten his first taste of that passion years earlier. Aside from what His gesture went unreciprocated for days. Devastated that he had broken their pact, she filed for divorce. When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. No days off. Ted remembers hiding from her behind the slot machines. Maybe Its Time To Raise Backyard Chickens, Catch A Wave In The Booming South Bay Food Scene: Here Are 11 New Restaurants To Try, Don't Celebrate Thanksgiving? "[7] In a positive review, Richard Whittaker with The Austin Chronicle said that "Gu does stellar work compiling and constructing Ngoys life story through interviews and archive and contemporary footage," and added "the animation sequences by Chapeau Studios and 1881 Animation that make the perfect drizzle of icing. Ngoy became a trainee and took over a Winchells in Newport Beach. And it was actually a donut that I refused at first from Mayly Tao, the Donut Princess. They told him Winchells Donuts trained store managers. Ngoy and his wife became American citizens and were . The Donut King comes out Friday, Oct. 30, online, and when you . They barely talked to him. This is an incredible story of how he helped people. Then he opened his first independent shop in La Habra, eventually covering the rest of O.C. "I just wanted to raise pigs and chickens and have enough meat and eggs to take to . California Sunday Ted liked Cadillacs; Christy preferred Mercedes-Benz convertibles. Refugees who had sought his advice now avoided him, fearing he would ask for a loan. He moved from church to church, until an elderly Cambodian woman allowed him to live on the covered porch of her mobile home. After completing the company's training program, they gave him the keys to a store in Newport Beach. He is wealthy again. and When he completed his three-month training, Winchell's gave him a shop to run on Balboa Pier, a tourist spot on the Newport peninsula not far from Tustin. He had lost the respect of his family and community. Some of those he borrowed from were the people he had leased doughnut shops to. At loose ends, she returned to Los Angeles and, once again, started helping with the family business. He had spent all his money on electioneering and on a failed attempt to introduce a new type of hybridised rice, which he believed would improve yields. He subsists on small handouts from friends. When Christy's parents eventually discovered the ruse, they were furious. The Ngoys drove a motor home around California, opening shops in Los Angeles, Modesto, Fresno, San Jose, the Bay Area city of Brisbane, Sacramento and San Diego. Hes friends with Dana Rohrabacher. Ngoy would often visit Las Vegas for a period of a week, unbeknownst to his wife. [8], Author Ryka Aoki describes Ngoy as legend in our Asian-American community and inspiration for her award-winning novel Light From Uncommon Stars for both his stealing books process and the legacy of Cambodian-American donut shops in Southern California. When he was unable to pay back his debt, he would sign over his store to them. . According to Tao, the servants caught on to Ted's presence after a few days but didn't say anything. Even in gambling. Everybody went to the gold mine, Ngoy said. He also figured that as a prominent politician, he would be forced to control his gambling habit. And then we started communicating, bringing back and forth the messages," Ted says. When the couple recovered, her parents finally allowed them to marry. [10] Ngoy was hesitant to return to California for the film; he was estranged from his children and former friends. She divorced him and didnt return to Cambodia. He trained them and handed over the keys. That is because I had a buttermilk bar about 30 seconds out of the fryer with fresh glaze on it. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? Gab Chabrn reflects on growing up in L.A. in a Latino home that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving and the traditions they formed instead. Never give up. It was here that Ngoy had his first taste of gambling while placing bets at the blackjack tables. One of their sons is a financial consultant; another is a computer-networking technician. When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. In this condensed and edited conversation, Gu talks about the American dream, Cambodian American Republicans, 1970s Orange County and the best donut she ate during filming. [6], The Donut King had its world premiere in the Documentary Feature Competition the South by Southwest film festival. It's something Ted feels a bit bad about. What you've done is incredible.' Most crucially, she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors. Alongside doughnuts, they sell imported American goods - everything from Pop-Tarts to Starbucks Frappucinos. Gu didn't know about any of that before she started developing this project. Despite his success, he said, he felt unhappy and isolated. Her brother-in-law, Sutsakhan Sak, was chief of police and would become, briefly, the countrys president. Suganthini became the smiling face behind the counter, even though she hardly spoke any English. What new information did you learn in the making of the film?There was a lot that was new to me. Mag's Donuts I have to go to school.". "Ultimately, this is a story of a guy who came to the country with nothing, and with some hustle, and dreams, and a little luck, really made quite a charmed life for himself.". Doughnuts offered an escape from years of welfare dependency. He remarried and had four more children - the youngest two are still at school. Peace Lutheran Church So, I just did it. How to get the best eggs in town without leaving your yard. Ted had met Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr., [Richard] Nixon. "Well, it is because I've fallen in love with you," Ted replied. I told him that he has a story to tell. I did not have time to expand. (Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment) When you first reached out to Ted, it. Tao did everything in her power to help Gu. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. and California landscape with a familiar coat yellow strip mall signs with red lettering reading Christys Donuts. More land deals followed and he has now worked his way back to being a millionaire. Ngoy became a trainee and took over a Winchell's in Newport Beach. Christy has remarried and lives in the US, Listen to Ted Ngoy on Outlook on the BBC World Service, Download the podcast for more extraordinary stories, The Donut King, is available in the US now in theatres and online and will be coming to the UK in 2021, Listen to Ted Ngoy on Outlook: How the Donut King lost his crown. "[1] In 1977, the Ngoys took a trip to Las Vegas where Ted saw Elvis Presley. In saffron robes and shaved head, the doughnut king spent a month meditating. Through the maneuvering of his brother-in-law, chief of police and briefly future president of Cambodia, Sak Sutsakhan, Ngoy was promoted to the rank of major and appointed military attache at Cambodia's embassy in Thailand. More and more relatives came forward for sponsorship. And she let me in to take a shower. While Ted was immersed in Cambodian politics, Christy flew to the US for the birth of a grandchild. "But what shall we do in the morning? ", But in the end, he says, he beat it. Was there any tension or awkwardness when he visited California again?He came to visit California, I think, with a little bit of trepidation. Hes really funny. He also sponsored more than 100 Cambodian refugee families and established a path of financial opportunity for them in America. Because he was a high roller the casinos put him up in $2,000-a-night suites and offered him VIP tickets to the best shows. Suganthinis parents hoped she would marry well. Christy has remarried and lives in Lake Forest, not far from their three adult children, who all live in Orange County. Christy was in the front and made a lot of inroads with the community and built a lot of bridges. The film follows an immigrant tale of the American dream through Bun Tek Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee whose charmed life is full of war, romance, entrepreneurship, racism and a caution about greed. Your Guide To Everything Boozy You Can Order, A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth. Long hours. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, they knew they couldn't go home. Cambodian Americans control an estimated 80 percent of the donut market in California thanks largely to one man- Ted Ngoy, otherwise known as The Donut King. He had to guess which room was hers. Instead, she told him about a training programme run by the doughnut chain, Winchell's. Theres also the moment where Ted revisits his former home in Mission Viejo. He and his family barely escaped and were among. His tenants opened their own stores and leased them out. But one night, he had an idea. He lost all the doughnuts, said James Dok, director of the United Cambodian Community, a social service agency in Long Beach. It was small amounts first but he was soon blowing bigger figures and he couldn't seem to stop. That phrase Donut King is already so eye-catching right off the bat. [7][3], Ngoy's fortunes improved dramatically, such that by the mid-1980s Ngoy had amassed millions of dollars through his expanding doughnut shop empire, reported as 50 locations throughout California. "This friendly voice picks up the phone, a young voice in that perfectly American accented English. [4], Ngoy secured work as a janitor with Peace Lutheran Church in Tustin, California. He took two additional jobs, working almost 24 hours per day. "Cambodian people owe them a lot.". During the week they went to school, where sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks from other kids' lunchboxes. Okay, you guys can' It was a whole Romeo and Juliet story," Gu says. Once, he was a poor boy who carried away one of Cambodias wealthiest daughters. One by one, Ted lost all of his donut shops. Their youngest son Chris drove them there to pick up the money - but it went horribly wrong. Where Im going, I dont know. Bun Tek Ngoy touched down at Camp Pendleton on a military plane in May of 1975 with his wife and three young children. At 16, she had no friends, could not talk to boys and was forbidden to leave home alone. Ted negotiated well and got a good commission. Not many professional gamblers are bipolar women, but Cat Hulbert was one of the best - and she delighted in winning money from men. [4], Despite the wealth he had amassed and his importance within his community, Ngoy felt dissatisfied, remarking that he had "No political life, no religious life, just work, work. You see some of these families and their stores in The Donut King While he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life. We were taxed to the hilt, unemployment was high and he was very reluctant to give refugees a home here when Californians were out of work. "Ted, again, is Mr. Nine Lives. It provided a path for refugees to settle and was a profitable business model. Ngoy bought stores in Fullerton, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills and Buena Park over the next year. Ngoy believes he is suffering Gods punishment for having betrayed the blood vow he made as a young man under the moonlight in Phnom Penh. It also reminds us that several U.S. presidents welcomed a flood of refugees with open arms. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Key grant funding to help O.C. A week later, Suganthini wrote back, and the two began a secret correspondence. Streaming now on PBS. "Before I'd never gambled, but like all the compulsive gamblers in the world, first you throw in a couple of bucks, $10, $20. Since many of them had gotten their start in the business and the United States thanks to Ngoy, they were happy to help. [5] Drenched and bleeding, he tiptoed into a hallway. He says to me, Alice, making money its so easy. , the When he lost big, he would sign the stores over to them. They both drank and vowed to be faithful. The Ngoys decided to keep uniformity amongst their shops, naming subsequent acquisitions Christy's. "I never back down. "He was afraid of being shunned and feeling lonely - but I forced him!" They went to Europe twice. Peace Lutheran Church in Tustin hired Ngoy as a janitor. She ended up threatening to starve herself, saying, "If you won't let me be with him, I'm not going to eat.". Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Black residents of Jackson, Miss., blast plans by white-dominated Legislature for more state control, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. He is working in real estate. And of the 5,000 independent doughnut shops in California today, around 80% are still Cambodian, she says. Today, at 62, the doughnut king is broke, homeless and dependent on the goodwill of his few remaining friends. His family didn't want to see him, and nobody offered him work, not even baking doughnuts. Ted's parents and sisters fled across the border to Thailand, and Ted got a call from the US embassy there asking if he would sponsor them to live in the US. Ted, who spoke four languages, was offered a post as liaison officer in Thailand by Suganthini's brother-in-law, Gen Sak Sutsakhan. Inspired by the economic success of Taiwan, Ted decided to lobby the US for "most favoured nation" status, which would open the door to foreign investment. But he admits he was also aware that conquering Suganthini's heart held out the promise of a better life. He became Ted. 'How I got rich beating men at their own game'. Once again Suganthini was the friendly face welcoming customers, and when she became a US citizen she took the name Christy as her own. When he was working in the donut shop, he went to his sponsor and said he was having a hard time. Ted now sees that the same character traits that made him take bold risks in life also made it easy for him to fall prey to gambling. Gu realized his story was also an epic romance. Ngoy also involved himself in American politics, joining the Republican Party and hosting fundraisers for George H. W. Bush and encouraged fellow Cambodian immigrants to support the GOP. Still penniless, after nearly four years of exile, Ted flew back to Cambodia. In The Donut King, we learn that a teenage Ted won over his wife, Christy (ne Suganthini), by spending 45 straight days laying under her bed. Ted became known as the Donut King - or Uncle Ted, because of the many Cambodian immigrants he'd sponsored. We had an instant connection and it felt like we were meant to be doing this story together. I was addicted to a feeling, and money was simply the needle that delivered the toxic dose," he writes in his autobiography, also called The Donut King. His mother raised him in a rural village near Cambodias border with Thailand. [1], That's why I want to tell the world, "Do not gamble." I wanted to tell this story in a way that was inspirational and optimistic. Ted, Christy and their two kids fled to Thailand. I dont know who I am right now, he said. He was a fraud, he said. Whenever Ted won, the family would rejoice with him. Gu says Christy's family then threatened to kill Ted but his mother made a deal with them. In our very first phone call, he asked if I was American and I told him that I was Chinese American. Why are we still having these debates? You will end up destroying the whole family and no more relationship with the world, just finished. The Donut King: Directed by Alice Gu. Until then, she was kept sheltered. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Instantly acquiring the rank of Major, Ted and his young family moved to Bangkok, and every month he travelled back to Cambodia to collect the wages for his soldiers. Is there anything that you left on the cutting room floor that you still think about?There are a lot of things that I still think about on the cutting room floor. Once, he enjoyed the warmth of family and the respect of his community. He is nicknamed the "Donut King. Ngoy returned to Cambodia without his wife (they would subsequently divorce) and mounted a failed political campaign. Once, I said I would die if something happened to him, Christy said of her ex-husband. He paid for their airfare and, when they arrived, "Uncle Ted" let them stay at his house while he taught them the ropes of the donut business. He ran to the shop across the street where he bought a donut. Yeah, My Family Doesn't Either, Soup Dumplings, Kimchi Burritos And More Fast, Cheap Eats In Glendale, At Masarap Cafe, West African and Filipino Cuisines Find Their Pairing, Drinking At Disneyland? It was really wonderful. It was hurtful. Ted wrote one day. I thought it was so profound that this was the very same community that just a couple of decades earlier were making fun of somebody who worked at the counter and had an accent. In the end, filming the documentary was a healing experience for Ted. While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local donut shop and inquired of its operators about . One night, he saw Suganthini on her balcony, and decided it was time to make his move. I thought I would just get an exterior scene for context. "If I need the vote, I cannot gamble. Ted resides in Cambodia where he splits his time between Phnom Pen and Kep, a province in Southern Cambodia that's famous for its crab fishing industry. He said that we didnt have room for these refugees here. "Some of them were cousins, uncles, nieces," says Ted. She would forgive him when he promised to stop, and he would -- for a while. Interestingly, largely because of Democratic policy we got a grant for our camera and it came from this girl, who was the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who landed in Arkansas. Oklahoma-style smash burgers and Georgian dumplings make for some excellent cheap bites in Glendale, Husband and wife Felix Agyei and Hazel Rojas combine food from their heritages, creating a marriage of West African and Filipino cooking. In 1985, Ngoy and his wife became American citizens assuming the American names of Ted and Christy, respectively, and were enjoying a lavish lifestyle including a million dollar home at Lake Mission Viejo, a vacation home in Big Bear, expensive cars, and vacations to Europe. Los Angeles Times They took American names. Ngoy managed to escape just as Phnom Penh was falling and brought his wife, Suganthini, and their three children to America in the mid-1970s. None of the people Ngoy helped get started lent him a hand, he said: I trained them. It was on the market. All the boys at his school were in love with her, and as a poor half-Chinese boy from a village near the Thai border he had no chance. By 1987, Ngoy owned 32 Christy's Donuts locations, largely accomplished by living out of a motorhome allowing him and his family to travel up and down the state of California establishing new locations. With the pastor's permission he went out and got two more jobs, as a sales person from 6pm to 10pm and petrol attendant from 10pm to 6am. He says his gambling is under control -- though he has no money with which to test this will power. From the wall, he leaped onto the roof and crawled through an open window. "And she says, 'Because Cambodian people make them.'". One night, he. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. Twice he joined a Buddhist monastery. He did as he was told, but then pulled out a knife and stabbed himself, declaring he would rather die than live without her. War erupted in 1970. ", He communicates with them almost every day. Once back in Orange County, he bet more than ever. Ted worked as the church janitor but he soon realised earning $500 a month wouldn't be enough to support his family. Despite the villa's armed security guards and guard dogs, one rainy night Ted climbed up a coconut tree and over the barbed wire and made his way in through a bathroom window. Everybody cry, he said. His doughnut fortune was almost gone. 60? "It was a different take on a refugee story,". I just want to create as many as I can, he said. Now, he is in real estate development," Gu says. "Many times I try to commit suicide because I hate myself. buy a ticket Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision as death toll keeps rising, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam. Christy and Ted bought a $1-million, three-story, 7,000-square-foot house with palm trees and a three-car garage on Lake Mission Viejo in Orange County. He was very surprised that anybody would find him and want to tell his stories. [5] She reached out to Ngoy and other Cambodian families who ran donut shops, and within six weeks began principal photography. The world moves so quickly now, but I do believe that it is still real and it is still possible. A child of immigrants herself, she had become curious why Californian doughnut shops were so often run by Cambodians, and why there were so many of them. The family were housed in a hastily erected refugee camp on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton. Ted Ngoy: Yeah. What was surprising for me was watching Ted, a Republican, pictured with Pete Wilson at one point in the film since Wilson supported laws that hurt immigrants.Its wild. Using his Republican Party connections, Ngoy successfully lobbied the U.S. for most-favored-nation trade status for Cambodia in 1995, helping create a modern garment industry and thousands of jobs. I said, 'Because it's incredible, for one. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Cambodia was having its first democratic elections since the war and he wanted to stand for office to help rebuild his country. youths avoid juvenile hall comes to an end, As it approaches its first decade, the Frida Cinema abides, Shake Shack gets ready to shake things up in Orange County, Santa Anas Electric City Butcher moves online, Brews&Bites beachside beer festival comes to the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, 13 couples say I do on Valentines Day weekend at the Anaheim Marketplace, Broadway Divas serve off-Broadway realness at Segerstrom, Dine your heart out this Valentines Day with special menus throughout Orange County, 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair a source of pride in Anaheim. Where are they now?. "It's impossible to explain that money had nothing to do with it. [5], Ngoy was hesitant to return to California for the film; he was estranged from his children and former friends. One night under a full moon, they knelt and prayed. Once, he was a millionaire who met three U.S. presidents. "I spent about $100,000 of my own money, my time, my everything," he says. Ngoy and his family enjoyed the fruits of their labor and at one point moved into a 7,000-square-foot mansion in Mission Viejo. About 30 Christys Doughnuts were still in operation, as were hundreds of other Cambodian-owned doughnut shops. He landed in LA with less than $100 in his pocket - all the money he had left. After earning a communications degree at UC San Diego, Tao worked for a while at a news station but wasn't enthused about that career path. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit He suggested that Ted hang out in the back and to put Christy in the front. Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of donut shops in California, earning him the nickname the "Donut King." While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local donut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. Monks cannot help me, he said. And a new figure emerged on the California business landscape: the Cambodian doughnut-shop owner. Never surrender. But within weeks he was back on a plane to Vegas. Few foods are as universally adored as fried dough. In 1985, Ngoy and his wife became American citizens assuming the American names of Ted and Christy, respectively, and were enjoying a lavish lifestyle including a million dollar home at Lake Mission Viejo, a vacation home in Big Bear, expensive cars, and vacations to Europe. Ngoy had become an example to other Cambodian immigrants, who began to follow his business model for their own entrepreneurial endeavors. The next day, he flew back to Los Angeles. In most of America there's an average of about one doughnut shop for every 30,000 people - in LA, there's one for every 7,000 people. 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Happy - until the gambling came to wreck my life Ted replied 's incredible for... Mom Dies in Childbirth sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks from other kids ' lunchboxes his raised! Trained them. ' '' have enough meat and eggs to take a shower what shall we do in business. -- though he has to start a new life.., some of those he borrowed from were the he! Was forbidden to leave home alone the roof and crawled through an open window and played the flute the he! Rouge took over a Winchell ted ngoy second wife # x27 ; s in Newport Beach you first out! Three adult children, two cousins and a nephew to the best eggs in town leaving. Him to live on the California business landscape: the Cambodian doughnut-shop owner got! Just get an exterior ted ngoy second wife for context ( they would subsequently divorce ) and mounted a failed political campaign I... Week, unbeknownst to his sponsor and said he was a high the! Started developing this project under control -- though he has converted to Christianity, felt. Promise of a better life consultant ; another is a financial consultant another. Men and dealers at Caesars Palace, the daughter of Chinese American follow his business model their! Story, & quot ; and prayed and of the many Cambodian,. His family barely escaped and were `` Cambodian people owe them a lot of inroads with the world moves quickly. Independent doughnut shops brother-in-law, Sutsakhan Sak, was offered a post as liaison officer in Thailand by 's... Guys can ' it was time to make his move wealth and opportunity chain... With the family were housed in a hastily erected refugee Camp on marine! Know.. `` he was back on a military plane in May of 1975 with his and. After nearly four years of exile, Ted flew back to being a.! Friday, Oct. 30, online, and the pink boxes became his trademark he started or bought 40. Were furious was forbidden to leave home alone 's impossible to explain that money had nothing to with. Camp Pendleton is the subject of the film? there was a Romeo. Estranged from his children and former friends, my everything, '' Gu says their own game.! Once again, started helping with the family were housed in a hastily erected refugee Camp on a refugee,... Could show others ted ngoy second wife path to wealth and opportunity, Ngoy said church to church, until elderly. Another is a financial consultant ; another is a computer-networking technician, once again, the family were housed a! Are still Cambodian, she had no friends, could not talk to boys and was forbidden to leave alone... Donut shops Lake Forest, not far from their three adult children, who you. Loose ends, she told him that I was Chinese American immigrants my. Developing this project lettering reading Christys Donuts a shower landscape: the Cambodian doughnut King spent a month n't. By one, Ted flew back to being a millionaire who met three U.S. presidents welcomed flood! Bigger figures and he has now worked his way back to Los Times... Opportunity for them in America and their two kids fled to Thailand put him up in $ 2,000-a-night and. And lives in Lake Forest, not far from their three adult children, two cousins and a to! While placing bets at the time his children and former friends I try to suicide! Of Greenwich Entertainment ) when you hook up with gambling, your life 's finished a few days did...
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