Alva Review-Courier -

American oilman J. Paul Getty was, at the time of his death in 1976, reportedly worth $6 billion, making him perhaps the richest man in the world. Consequently, criminals out to make lots of money without working for it might think that kidnapping one of his relatives would be a good idea.

The miscreants who decided to try this were members of an Italian Mafia-style organized crime syndicate that had been breaking the law for two centuries. The person they chose to kidnap was Getty’s grandson, John Paul Getty III.

The younger Getty was born in November 1956 and was 16 years old when he was sei...