You have to understand that Ray was an intense guy. He just wanted to be left alone. I liked him and we got along just fine. I even stayed at his place in Torrance in 91. I introduced Ray to his wife. Anyway, Ray felt his Dad favoured Mike. So, when Mike was doing crazy things in the street and got in trouble with the law Ray was told to give Mike a job. So Ray let Mike help him at the Muscle Mill. According to Ray, Mike antagonized some of the police who were members there so they quit the gym and Ray lost money. He didn't really want Mike there when he wasn't well but I guess he had to do something. I don't know the particulars of what drugs Mike was using but they were recreational ones that caused him to do bizarre things. Mike also smoked like a chimney and that impacted on his health. Whether Mike still used drugs up to his passing I have no idea. Mike was working his client at Golds Gym in Venice when I was there in 91. Ray got me an appointment to meet Mike and we spoke for an hour or so. Neither of us changed what we believed. I don't think he was impressed with the article I wrote on the 1980 Mr Olympia. I gave it to him and didn't keep a copy because no magazine would publish it. I wonder if he destroyed it?
I can tell you that Ray's girlfriend Kathy said she didn't want to be around Ray when he was training for a competition. He and his training partners would meet and take something to get hyped up for a workout. Plus steroids for growth. Then they would take something afterwards to settle down. The whole scene was an emotional roller coaster according to her and she wanted no part of that scene. Ray told me in 1991 that he got ill when his weight approached 300 pounds the last time he bulked in 88-90. He said many of the other guys got ill, too. I didn't ask what illness but I imagine it had something to do with the kidneys. Ray was on dialysis for the last years of his life. Some say it was a disease he inherited and others blame all the drugs over the years. Painkillers, too. I don't have any details so some of this is pure speculation. He did give me two pills for a migraine headache in 91. I didn't want to go out it was so bad. I asked him what the pill was. He refused to tell me but said it would cure the headache. I reluctantly took the pills. Yep, headache soon evaporated. He had pain in his neck from heavy lifting so needed painkillers. Maybe some guys get addicted to them or rely on them? I don't often get headaches so wouldn't have been looking for that quick fix.
