For some reason, as soon as I read the article in the San Antonio Express-News, I thought of the cologne commercial for Obsession. Today’s post is about obsession and what it can do when you have too much money. Mel Spillman, a San Antonio courthouse clerk, was caught stealing from the dead and using their money to fund his weakness:

When someone died in the county and the body went unclaimed, Spillman’s job was to track down the rightful heirs. If there were none, he was to bury the body, liquidate the estate, and turn over whatever assets were left to the county. But he didn’t do that. Instead, he took what the dead left behind, and claimed it as his own.

Pretty damn smart if you ask me. And equally despicable. He stole millions in this way and put all that money toward his obsession: Ferrari and all things related. The dude had so much crap it filled a convention center. The city is liquidating his assets in an auction and the public was allowed a preliminary 'look around' before the big day. I went, and armed with my digicam, documented some of what I saw.

Ferrari’s emblem is a prancing horse, and Spillman had dozens of horses in all shapes and sizes. There was even a two-sided Sphinx. There were Ferrari paintings, drawings, tool sets, tool lockers, chairs, banners, flags, posters, jackets, shirts, models, magazines, spare parts, and every other officially licensed Ferrari product.

Yet more odd was his collection of Renaissance furniture. There were rows and rows of antique tables, stands, dressers, chests, chairs, and sofas. It seems his fascination with the fine Italian automaker extended to fine European furnishings.

There were two SUVs and a Harley, but those weren’t as interesting as his other purchases. I stumbled upon Spillman’s cd collection. This was perhaps my favorite part. Spillman was a fan of: Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, Robert Plant (but not Zep?), Steppenwolf, and other 70’s rock acts. Also present were the Hootie & The Blowfish debut and the ubiquitous Nevermind. His music selection alone makes me question his mental health.