Member-only story
Secrets & Wives
A single working mom begins a whirlwind romance with a man named Martin Lewis, then discovers that Martin Lewis doesn’t exist. This true story picks up right where Scorsese’s ‘GoodFellas’ left off.
By Matthew Pearl & Greg Nichols
Sherry Anders was in a bind. She’d just told her roommate about an injury to one of her horses. They were seated at a table in El Toreador, a family Mexican restaurant near their shared split-level in Redmond, Washington. Sherry, a petite 5’2” with dark hair and knock-em-dead looks, grew up around horses and could handle them better than most stable boys — and with style to spare. “She’s the only person I ever knew who could go horseback riding in heels and white clothes and come out looking absolutely gorgeous,” recalls a longtime friend. But Sherry hated needles and was dreading giving a shot to Flame, her red quarter horse.
That’s when an affable, 38-year-old guy with dark hair and eyes appeared at their table and flashed a thousand-watt smile. He introduced himself as Martin Lewis and told Sherry he owned and raced Thoroughbreds. He produced a wallet-size photo of a beautiful filly draped in a celebratory garland of flowers. At the center of the photo, Martin and some associates grinned ear to ear, glowing…
