John Gacy Survivor interview-Tony 

Situational awareness is one of the most valuable things a human can possess. This is a wise man right here

Tony was my next door neighbor when I was a kid and he was such a great guy. I have SO many fond memories of him and his family. I never knew most of this and my mind is blown! Tony, if you happen to see this, I’m Tori! I hope you’re doing well!

The fact that the bath tub was filled with ice sent chills down my spine. That’s 100% where he was gonna put his body

Could have listened to this guy talk for another hour, such a great story teller. He seems like a genuinely nice man too.

I like how Mark lets the people tell their full story without interruption. I wish more interviewers would do this.

One thing I love that I’m not seeing in the comments is that he was so open with his parents that he IMMEDIATELY told them what happened that day. That goes to show how transparent they had to have been.

The fact that he squared up to JWG face to face has to be considered an all time savage move. This story was amazing

Being articulate isn't always using fancy words. It's being a good story teller like this man.

So thankful this man was able to escape and lived to tell this story. My heart goes out to all of the poor young boys and their families that didn't survive.

I love when Tony got to address Gacy a few years later. “yes you do, I’m not 14 anymore” phenomenal

My brother was 17yrs old and approched by gacy. We lived about 6 miles from Gacy. He pulled up to my brother and asked him if he wanted a job. My brother is learning disabled and had enough sense to run home.

My hubby also met him around 1970s. A teenger at the time also. while on the north side of Chicago one night at a party his car was towed, from one of the north side stores private parking lots, long story short gacy seen him walking and tried to give him a ride he didn’t get in the car with him he said at that point he started running to get his car from the nearest tow yard he had no choice but to pull off a little pissed. he said a week later he seen his face on the news. (Gut instincts)

This episode had everything - whiskey bootleggers, clandestine sawdust gambling shack, weed distribution, federal prison, serial killers, a life story, and a gentleman with a faultless easy-listening southern accent with a talent for a compelling narrative. He is a personified chapter in modern nefarious (yet endearing) Americana. This channel is officially in my top 5 must watch - for whatever that’s worth (the content is certainly worth a lot to me) - so thank you, yet again.

When he said he looked over to the bathtub and it was completely filled with ice I got chills. Gacey planned it all out, filled the bathtub with ice so he could cool his body and keep it from decomposing and giving off an overwhelming odor. What a sick, sick dude.

I'm so glad Tony survived these horrific incidents.

I myself was picked up by John Wayne Gacy back in May of 1977. I didn't know who he was. Until I seen his picture on television after he was caught. I had gotten out the service and I hitchhiked from ohio to minneapolis to visit a Army buddy. He picked me up outside. Of Gary Indiana Headed towards Chicago. As soon as I got in the front seat the car was blistering With heat from his heater. It was not cold outside. I said man it's hot in here and started to roll down the window. He said his car was overheating and he had the heater On. I said why don't you roll down thlowindos? He said it was too noisy out there. But I could take off whatever I wanted to if I was hot. I then proceeded to pull out my Numb chucks half way out of my backpack I told him you better let me off right here. Which he did. True story

Fellow Tennessean here, this is how older folks talk. Never be impatient. The real stories are always in the details. Good interview.

The fact that this guy escaped john wayne gacy and then saw him again and was brass enough to stand chest to chest to confront him?! Man! This guy has got balls of steel!😳😎💯

It unsettles me that Gacy was at Kenlake and stalking boys in my home state during the early 70’s. I worked for the KY state park system and frequented LBL as a student of parks and recreation at WKU and also a camp counselor. Thank God Tony had the insight to get away from that monster! Appreciate Tony’s gift of storytelling!

He needs a one man show telling all the stories of his life. He’s amazing to listen to, pulls you right in!

I was watching a video & it mentioned 1 or 2 of his countless victims escaped wasn’t expecting to see this on the feed this channel is high quality internet

My heart was pounding when he was in that room as a 14 year old boy. As a mother with only one child…I can’t even.

Note to Media: Please provide a comfortable chair with arms for your subjects, this poor guy's suffering on that stool.

It's insanely courageous seeing this man talk about his experience with an infamous serial killer. Just unreal. Especially knowing that not many of his victims survived his attacks or advances. Sadly, there are bodies of young men still being discovered almost 50 years later (many are unidentified), but the last person positively IDed was in 2021.

“You have to give your kids opportunities to mess up, so they can protect themselves. They have to be students of human behavior… and you have to be a good listener.” Solid advice sir. There is such an urgency to protect the children at all costs that they are so fragile.. more so with every generation.

This was literally the quickest 40 minute interview ive ever heard. I could literally imagine everything he's saying while he's telling his story

Gacy's last victim was a kid down the street from us in Des Plaines Il....they met at a drugstore in town where the kid was dropping off film and Gacy was doing handywork for--Gacy offers him a job, kid took the job, was killed that very day at Gacy's house. He picked the wrong kid this time--he wasnt a run away, a drug user, or bad in anyway, had a loving family that cared for him and were friends to the local Police. They caught him quickly after that. RIP Robert P...

Wow! This was a fascinating interview with so many twists and turns. Had me riveted from start to finish. Tony's guardian angel worked overtime his whole life.

My heart was racing while listening to his story. The way he describes the encounters is incredibly visual. He survived because his senses were in-tact, and he wasn't drunk, otherwise this story would no longer exist.

My dad owned a beer and shot bar. When I was a kid in high school, I went to work there. I heard stories from the ol' Kentucky guys who sounded like this. His rhythm of speech, the pauses, the seamless continuation of the story, telling the ending without any fluctuations in his voice. What a fabulous storyteller. Very scary stories but fabulously told.

“I’m not 14 anymore” ❤ you’re a hero and Godly man sir. I can tell that right away

I could listen to this guy talk for hours. What an amazing life he’s had and to be able to tell it all without an ounce of anger is so impressive.

What an interesting guy. You don't often get a chance to hear this kind of storytelling and intelligence, plus modesty of all things!

I was in a situation around two older guys when I was younger when I suddenly felt the vibe shift, like I was being viewed as prey. It was very disturbing. I was lucky enough to recognize it and escape the situation in time, but it seriously shook me up.

What a great story teller. I was actively listening to every word he said. I grew up in Hollywood, Ca. In the 70’s. I was very street smart. I was walking to the bank one summer day during summer break from high school. I was 16 and didn’t have a car yet. The bank was about five blocks. I wanted to cash my paycheck from my part time job. I told my dad where I was going, it’s was about noontime. He didn’t drive and my mom was at work. I walked one block and this car was driving really slow looking at me. Then he turned the corner. I’m halfway down the next block and here he comes again. Looking at me. I got a really bad feeling and I slowed down to see where he was going to drive next because the corner was coming up. He turned again and once he couldn’t see me I turned around and ran for my life back home. It was 2-3 short blocks. Got inside and locked the door. My dad asked me what happened and why I was back and I told him I changed my mind because it was too hot to walk. I never told him the truth or my mom when she came home. Maybe he would have kidnapped me. I don’t know. My neighborhood wasn’t extremely busy because all the schools were closed for summer and actually my neighborhood had more adults with no kids than families so the sidewalks were pretty empty as far as kids playing outside. To this day it could have been Richard Ramirez or any other serial killer in Hollywood/los Angeles in 1982.

Tony has the most gentle, relaxing voice! I could listen to him all day 😊

My husband was a victim of JWG. From his own experience, he can give you a lot more details about things that he saw and things that he knows. He is actually willing to talk to you.

This sends shivers up my spine. I had a man try to entice me the same way with beer. I got the hell out of there. Probably saved my life.

What a great storyteller! As a writer I so appreciate his lesson in the craft. He’s extremely smart and obviously a good person. He had some tough times but being who he is, he’s wise. Wisdom is the greatest gift we get in life, and Tony knows this.

My great aunt Marj used to have lunch w Gacy at a cafeteria in downtown Chicago. She said he was a nice man. That’s all she said about him. She was autistic and he was the only one who would eat lunch with her. She passed away about 8 years ago.

My grandfather taught me to always go with your gut. His ability to listen and, more importantly, believe that small voice that tells you to get out probably saved his life more than once. Great storyteller.

He’s a great story teller. Easy to watch and to listen to. He’s wise also. “Our children need to be students of human behavior.” Thank you!

This guy could teach a LOT of our youth today about many things. Mostly about things to look, for & things to avoid, etc.

This is one of my top favorite interviews on any channel. He really lets the other person tell his/her story. 🎉

My mom is good friends with Tony, he's such an awesome and caring man, and has done so much for us. Really awesome to know he made it through this experience, and a blessing to know him today.

I’ve known Tony since I was little. Our moms worked together at Kenlake. Being younger I looked up to T and B. Played tennis on courts at same time. This story made chills run down my spine. Im sure his mom told mine much of this and was reason she always wanted to know who and where I was with

I was friends with Gacy's neighbor back in the 80's. Her father worked second shift and would see Gacy working in the yard in the middle of the night. They were friendly with Gacy and his wife and had no idea the horrors that were happening next door or what he might have accidently walked up on those nights he saw him "gardening" in the middle of the night.

I can listen to this man's life story for hours. He needs his own channel! 😊

_"John Gacy Survivor..."_ That's all I needed. Never clicked on anything quicker. 🍿

To all the folks disbelieving him or becoming impatient with the details in his story, it's really important to understand that in the American South, storytelling is considered an art. The more details, the better the story, because it paints a picture in your head, lets you understand the setting, gives you context for all the "characters" in the story, and lets you relax into the flow of it. Sometimes storytelling isn't about a precise record and being correct about every little detail, but telling the truth of the narrative.

Holy crap, im from western KY....ive been to eveyone of these places hes talking about from his youth several time. My grandparents lived right down the road from Kenlake state park, I never ever knew Gacy was ever in this area Mind blown

I remember when I was 14 years old I was sitting on our front porch in Southern Illinois. I saw a Illinois department of corrections caravan coming through our small town going about 30 mph ,in the back of the caravan was a green dodge van with one passenger. The passenger was John Gacy and he stared right in my eyes. Later that night my father who worked at Menard penitentiary in Chester, il. Told me that Gacy arrived at Menard .I'll never forget that

PLEASE do another interview with this man. He has a LOT more stories to tell that people can learn from, as well as be entertained.

I’m late to this, but, my mom grew up in Washington state. When she was 13 or 14 a man in his early 20’s approached her at a park holding a dog leash. He told her his puppy got lost and asked if she could help him find the lost puppy. She agreed and he started leading her to a more secluded area of the park where he said he lost the puppy. She said he was intensely staring at her the whole time, and when she asked what the puppy’s name was he got all flustered. She got a super bad feeling, and just turned and ran back to where people were at the park. Years later she saw the same man’s mugshot on TV for heinous crimes. It was Ted Bundy

I love his response to what the most important lesson was in everything he'd experienced. Great interview!

This guy is such a gifted storyteller that he didn't even need an interviewer. Fascinating, I could have listened to him talk for hours

This man is a freaking legend. I loved listening to him tell his story. Truly admire him for sharing his experience with Gacy. Can’t imagine experiencing something so terrifying.

I survived “The Hog Trail Killer” in the early 1990s near Nashville TN. Scariest time of my life! I live near Rivergate mall in middle Tennessee. Also, married a stripper from Printers Alley and had 5 kids. Me and this guy have a lot in common. My childhood and past hardened my soul and spirit. My mom was 14 when she was raped by a 22 yr old man that was home on leave from the Vietnam War. She got pregnant. My grandmother wanted me to be aborted. This was 1972 and Roe vs Wade wasn’t around until 1973. The plan was to have an illegal abortion in the back of an old doctors office in Cross Plains, TN. This office is now a historic landmark 3 miles from my current home. I pass it everyday and is a reminder of why I’m here. I’m here bc my mom ran away from home at 14 to save my life. I was 3 months premature weight was 1.8 pounds. I can’t tell my entire story here, but I share a small bit of it.

Boy what stories. Glad your are ok. I live in MD and my friends had a boy that visited ..when I was thete one day he also told us a story about Gasey. I remember asking questions but I could tell he didn't want to talk. About 1978.

I am so honored to listen to this. Tony, you are an amazing courageous human being. There’s a reason God has you here. Wonderful descriptive storyteller!

It's amazing how events like these stay so vivid in one's memory. All of the details Tony is mentioning paint such an intense picture. The dew hitting him in the face as he was riding home from escaping Gacy, the Wiedemann beer can, the towel Gacy threw around his own neck, the squinting of Gacy's eyes, describing how his Mom backed up against the kitchen counter with a cigarette when Tony relayed what had just happened to him. Tony's survival instincts were so amazing that night, especially for someone so young! Thank God he lived to tell the tale.

How Mark continues to procure these people from high profile cases is beyond comprehension. What an absolutely terrifying scenario. Reminds me of the court testimony of that Dahmer survivor. Amidst all the garbage popping up daily by self-proclaimed 'content creators,' every once in awhile you'll discover a hidden gem. Absolutely one of the best channels on RU-vid.

He illustrates nicely how his relationship with his father defined what’s normal for him. Perfect example of dad’s roles on children.

What a lovely Man... I could listen to him talk all day... You can tell they are all memories; & what a journey he's had.. So far.. Thanks Tony... & Mark.❤❤❤

A horrific encounter, told so well by Tony that it is impossible to stop watching. Even at 15, he was wise beyond his years.

He speaks so eloquently. I'm so glad he survived his encounter with that disgusting animal. Before anyone comes to say "JWG was human, too" no he was not. Humanity was apart from him as he acted purely on perverse, sadistic urges to cause terror and harm to innocent young people. Stories like these are important.

Incredible story teller. Great to hear he’s as good of a person as he seems. Wow I can’t believe what he’s been through and how he recounts it. 👏🏽

I've watched a few of your interviews now and it's always mind blowing how someone who knows the person in the interview personally has left a comment. Sometimes multiple. You know you're picking amazing subjects when this happens. Excellent work. This man is fascinating.

Every single one of Gacy's victims who didn't make it out alive had stories to tell just like Tony. They all had lives to live and it was all stolen from them. Very scary to think how many more victims there are that haven't been linked to Gacy.

I would have listened to Tony for several more hours and we know he has many more details and stories. Easy on the eyes, a voice for radio, acute situational and human awareness, sensational life experiences and an exceptional storyteller. I'd buy insurance from Tony any day. I'd buy an air conditioner for my home in Antarctica and anything else he's selling - which hopefully includes a book someday.

My daddy is from Alabama and my mother is from Kentucky. He makes me feel like I'm listening to one of my uncles.😄 He did a super good job! There's nothin like a SMART southern man with an even better SOUL.💛

This monologue is excellent. I could have listened to these recollections all night. Thank you for sharing.

Great interview! And he is right that overprotection, over controlling, and helicopter parenting is harmful to kids. It doesn’t allow them to grow up. It makes them too compliant and over obedience can get a child into a lot of trouble. Being able to question adults and say no while also learning the balance of respect and responsible behavior is important.

This guy is one hell of a storyteller. Could listen to him spin stories forever

I needed this story after listening to some previous ones...what a life, glad you made it Tony!

I've watched about 7 or so of these videos and this one I think is my favorite. I could listen to this man talk and tell his experiences for days.

Absolutely incredible. I could listen to Tony talk for hours. It's like you're there with him and it just flows. He brings you into that hotel room with Gacy and you can visualize it all. I love how Mark let's everyone talk without interruption. That's such a rarity and superb skill. Thank you Mark. Love your channel.

Tonys story is absolutely terrifying! Thank God he was able to escape but that must have been something that weighed on him for a long time. I wanted to share my story as well. I was a teenager and leaving my high school dance late at night. My mom was too busy on the phone to remember to get me and I couldn't get hold of her because we didn't have call waiting (this was in the 90s). Everyone left including teachers and students. I was alone and it was dark out. A man drove up in a car and asked if I was ok. I said yes and I was waiting for someone. He told me I could sit in his car while I waited. I declined. He said he was a teacher at the school so it was ok. This man was NOT a teacher. I knew all the teachers. He asked again and I said no and at that point he started to get out of his car and walk towards me. My heart was racing and I started backing away. I was terrified. At that point my mom pulled into the school parking lot and the man quickly got into his car and took off. That man was The Abbotsford Killer, Terry Driver. My story was verified many years later while working in federal corrections and I remember the chills I felt. I still do when I think about how different the outcome could have been.

Excellent interview Marc! I love how your interviews have such a wide range of topics, subjects & histories. I love the way you let people just tell their stories.

I don’t know how I saw the first White Underbelly but I’m sure as hell watching every single one I can. Definitely one of my favorite channels by far. Thanks Mark for seeing value in everyone and every story.

What a storyteller. Masterful delivery--never rambled, never lost track of what he was saying, never buried the lede, just total control and clarity throughout.

I love that he felt safe to tell his parents what happened in that room. So many people have a traumatizing experience and hide it because they feel ashamed. They blame themselves for getting into a situation where they're in danger, or where they are harmed. He was able to tell both his parents, which reflects well on them for that part of his upbringing. But you do have to wonder why they didn't call the police? Was it because they didn't want police poking around Dad's illegal enterprises? Probably. Or maybe they didn't want nosy neighbors hearing about how their undersge son agreed to have a beer with a full grown man. As for having complete freedom, I grew up that way too and am not so sure it was a good thing. I could have used more guidance. I did a lot of stupid, risky stuff. I wasn't always the best judge of other people. What I did learn, though, is to listen to my gut. If something feels weird, then get out. And I think that like Tony, I learned how to talk to unstable or even evil people in a way that would keep them calm until I could figure out how to get away. I have to say, I was shocked when he started talking about federal prison. That came out of left field. And running marijuana with his boat! You know, he and I are the same age and up until I had a massive heart attack followed by a quadruple bypass that unfortunately left me with nerve damage, I worked for an agency caring for elderly people. (Prior to that, I was a reporter for about 30 years), and I discovered that every one of these folks had a story or two to tell. Even the clients with dementia still could remember and talk about their wild and crazy days. Of course, as a reporter, I got good at drawing people out. But Tony shows us you really cannot tell a book by its cover. Which is why it's also foolish to judge people, even people you've known a long time, because there's always so much more to their story than you may know.

Fellow Tennesseen here too. Born and raised. Tony reminds me of my grandpa. The way he talks and how he tells his story. No detail gets left out. You could sit and listen to him talk for hours and it would be interesting. Im glad he's here today to tell us what happened to him. You're a brave soul Tony. ❤ Also fun fact: Tony was let out of prison when I was born. 1989.

I'm so glad you got away! Thank you so much for sharing this. 🙏🏼❤🌹

If he has more stories you should have him back on.. he has a calming speaking voice and a great memory

His message at the end is something I will strive to remember every day: it's important to let your kids make their own mistakes, but teach them to be keen observers of human behavior. This is how my dad raised me, and although I never understood why as a kid, I appreciate it so much as an adult.

It's unfortunate that Gacy wasn't reported after Tony's first encounter. I know we don't always act on our instincts. Had the police taken his mother's report seriously in 1978, many lives could have been saved. Archaic policing at its worst.

The bathtub with ice made my skin crawl. What an absolute monster.

Tony is one of those men who has really lived quite a life and learned from it..... plus he came out kind and wise. Much respect!

This man’s story was incredible. The best part for me is that I never felt he embellished any part, just simply told what happened. So glad you could add his life’s story to your library of stories. Enjoyed it very much.

Watched from start to finish, was glued to this interview...well spoken...great job . amazing stories

This man is a natural storyteller. It would have been interesting to see a picture of Tony at age 14 and John Wayne Gacy in 1970 (at the time of their encounter).

I also narrowly escaped from a psycho when I was 15 and hitch hiking. Also, I lived in the Chicago suburbs and remember the Gacy killings very well. A friend of mine was 16 and working with his dad doing industrial floor cleaning at a new drugstore. Gacy was also doing some contracting there and asked my friend to come to his house for a barbecue. Luckily, his dad got the willies from Gacy and wouldn't let him go. Im so glad Tony got away, he seems like a really cool guy.

His parents did him a great service by raising him the way the did - with awareness and letting him develop his gut and intuition. When he said Gacy wasn't acting like how any of the men he knew acted it gave him a reference point that the situation wasn't right. Amazing interview.

What an absolutely fascinating life this gentleman has lived so far. Thank you so much for doing these interviews Mark, what a gift!

Listening to the beginning of this interview, my anxiety went so high. Gave me a couple of flashbacks. Very happy for him.

My boyfriend and I had an encounter with Gacy in October of 1978 which was 2 months before they started digging up the bodies from under his house. It was around 10:30 pm after we had just come from the movies at the Norridge Theater. I didn't want to go home yet so we parked on this long stretch of road over by the forest preserves. When we pulled into this long stretch of road, I noticed there was one car parked way ahead of us and another car parked a nice distance behind us. No sooner did we get there when I noticed this guy get out of his car from behind us and start walking towards our car. Because I am paranoid to begin with, I told my boyfriend to lock all the doors in the car. Gacy looked like he was wearing long pajama pants with a white T-shirt and I remember his pudgy belly button showing and thinking he looked like a slob. All of a sudden, there is a tap on the driver's window and this guy is shining what looked like a police flashlight into our car. He says, "Roll the window down." My boyfriend lowered the window about 2 inches down because he thought it was an undercover cop. Gacy said, "What are you doing" and my boyfriend said nothing because we just got here." My boyfriend then said to him, "Well, who are you?" Gacy replies, "I am a Norridge cop." My boyfriend and I both nervously laughed and were relieved that he was just an undercover police officer. He then says, "You think that's funny, roll the window down more!" It was then that I got that strong gut feeling to get away from there. I whispered in my boyfriend's ear, "Start the car and let's get out of here now!" We sped away and when I got home I told my parents what had happened. My mom called the Norridge police and told them what happened and they said that was not their jurisdiction because it was the forest preserve and that if it were one of their officers he would have been wearing a police uniform. There is more I could say here but I think I will end this comment before it gets any longer.

Wow. What a story. This is stuff you’d never expect from such an unassuming guy. He seems like a really nice guy who has been put in some really bad situations.

Tony- pleaae write a book about your life! I can see your words images in my mind... so fscinating

One of my favourite interviews. I could listen to Tony all day he has an amazing voice and the ability to tell a story so well. Xxx❤