They saved money where they could, even washing and reusing coffee stirrers - until they were reprimanded by Winchell's. This is an incredible story of how he helped people. Yes, you read that right. [8], Author Ryka Aoki describes Ngoy as legend in our Asian-American community and inspiration for her award-winning novel Light From Uncommon Stars for both his stealing books process and the legacy of Cambodian-American donut shops in Southern California. 60? He tasted his first donut at a Tustin gas station, trained as a baker in a La Mirada Winchells and ran his own Winchells store in the Balboa Peninsula. It was love at first bite. It was on the market. At the peak of his success, Ted owned something like 65 donut stores many of them named Christy's and was bringing in about $100,000 per month. He helped them apply for permits. Ted, Christy and their two kids fled to Thailand. Few foods are as universally adored as fried dough. Each morning, he walked with the monks, begging for food from peasants, crying as the rocky roads tore at his bare feet. He believed he could show others the path to wealth and opportunity. In a year Ted had saved enough to put down a deposit on a second doughnut shop, a "mom-and-pop" shop called Christy's. The next day, he flew back to Los Angeles. He cut his chest sliding under barbed wire. He sat on the roof of his apartment and played his flute, the music sweeping over the neighborhood. None of the people Ngoy helped get started lent him a hand, he said: I trained them. What was surprising for me was watching Ted, a Republican, pictured with Pete Wilson at one point in the film since Wilson supported laws that hurt immigrants.Its wild. When he couldn't pay them back because he had gambled the money away, Ted signed away his ownership stake in those stores. By 2005, after a failed political career in Cambodia, Ngoy was penniless and living on the porch of a fellow Parkcrest Christian Church parishioner's mobile home. Doing this film was really an exploration for me of understanding where you come from. Ngoy fled with his wife, three young children, two cousins and a nephew to the United States in 1975. No days off. Christy Ngoy now owns a Peruvian restaurant in Irvine. Faced with such determination, her family allowed the young lovers to be together. Gu didn't know about any of that before she started developing this project. There were some hurt relationships. The donut business isnt easy. Working all hours, Ted and Christy knew very little about what was happening back home in Cambodia, but what they heard was bad. Some of those he borrowed from were the people he had leased doughnut shops to. In 1975, Ted Ngoy fled the war in Cambodia with his wife and three kids and arrived in America as a penniless refugee. Then he flew to a monastery in the Thai countryside. Whenever Ted won, the family would rejoice with him. Ted's parents and sisters fled across the border to Thailand, and Ted got a call from the US embassy there asking if he would sponsor them to live in the US. He became Ted. When he was unable to pay back his debt, he would sign over his store to them. According to Tao, the servants caught on to Ted's presence after a few days but didn't say anything. The premise of family in the film is how hard your parents work and the sacrifices they make so that you can have a life better than they did. It led many voters to assume, incorrectly, that he was against Cambodia's royal family, and he didn't win a seat. Long-lost ship found at the bottom of Lake Huron, confirming story of tragic collision, TikTok to set default daily time limit of up to 60 minutes for minors, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, TikTok faces bans in a number of countries over security fears. He is nicknamed the "Donut King. They cried and prayed for the family they had left behind. Everybody went to the gold mine, Ngoy said. Ngoy managed to escape just as Phnom Penh was falling and brought his wife, Suganthini, and their three children to America in the mid-1970s. Because he was a high roller the casinos put him up in $2,000-a-night suites and offered him VIP tickets to the best shows. The past I cannot change, but I learned the heavy way. Director Alice Gu makes her film debut with The Donut King, following the life of Ted Ngoy. By 1985, 10 years after arriving in the US as refugees, Ted and Christy were millionaires, owning around 60 doughnut shops. After setting up a sweet shop of his own, he helped fellow . A day before he left, his eldest son said if you have $3.2 million you can buy it. Through the maneuvering of his brother-in-law, chief of police and briefly future president of Cambodia, Sak Sutsakhan, Ngoy was promoted to the rank of major and appointed military attache at Cambodia's embassy in Thailand. goes to your local theater. Perpetually in need of cash, he'd ask the people running his donut shops for loans. "She was so beautiful," he remembers. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love my daily morning newsletter, How To LA. What you've done is incredible.' Late at night, Ngoy would put Suganthini on his back and climb down the roof, then down the coconut tree. "I did not have time to take care of business, so business was going down. At the end, I win. He slept under the bed and hid when the maids came to clean. Since many of them had gotten their start in the business and the United States thanks to Ngoy, they were happy to help. His tenants opened their own stores and leased them out. Even in gambling. While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local doughnut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. [5] Having grown up in Los Angeles, she was doubtful when her children's nanny made a reference to "Cambodian" donuts; she thought all donuts were simply "American." [5] Upon looking into the matter, she learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic. "Before I'd never gambled, but like all the compulsive gamblers in the world, first you throw in a couple of bucks, $10, $20. In English, Mandarin and Cambodian with English subtitles; Not rated, Playing: Regency South Coast Village, Santa Ana, and in limited release where theaters are open; available via virtual cinemas, including Laemmle Theatres. Once back in Orange County, he bet more than ever. (Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment) When you first reached out to Ted, it. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. The family were housed in a hastily erected refugee camp on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton. Her father was a high-ranking government official. Ted is my great uncle,'" Gu says. This caused tension in the Ngoy household, being the center of many arguments between Ngoy and his wife. And she was heavily chaperoned. No political life, no religious life, just work, work, he said. Volcanic tiki drinks. Never surrender. the Along with thousands of other Cambodian refugees, the Ngoys ended up at Camp Pendleton. That was super mind blowing for me to hear the political flip-flop and really insightful about another time when politics were more civil and there could be discussion. He and his family barely escaped and were among. Ngoy's epic rags-to-riches-to-rags story has been chronicled before (in the ", He communicates with them almost every day. A bank had foreclosed on his mansion on Lake Mission Viejo. Ted liked Cadillacs; Christy preferred Mercedes-Benz convertibles. ", "I was like, 'What on earth makes this Cambodian? And I feel so much hurt. She ended up threatening to starve herself, saying, "If you won't let me be with him, I'm not going to eat.". At each stop, they set up the business and trained the families who leased it. Ted Ngoy was born in Sisophon, Cambodia. "I learned to bake, to take care of payroll, cleaning, sales - everything," he says. When the couple recovered, her parents finally allowed them to marry. "This story sheds light on refugees in a positive way, about what happens when they're given an opportunity," she says. [6] Gu persuaded him to and, ultimately, he regarded his return as a 'healing experience,' and his ex-wife and children have forgiven him. A week later, Suganthini wrote back, and the two began a secret correspondence. [4], Ngoy secured work as a janitor with Peace Lutheran Church in Tustin, California. The film details how Ngoy fled Cambodia with his family during the Vietnam War and later went on to build a donut shop empire, only to lose it all because of a gambling addiction. "[7] In a positive review, Richard Whittaker with The Austin Chronicle said that "Gu does stellar work compiling and constructing Ngoys life story through interviews and archive and contemporary footage," and added "the animation sequences by Chapeau Studios and 1881 Animation that make the perfect drizzle of icing. "It is the purest form of risk-taking, the distilled anxiety and thrill behind every business decision and bold declaration of love," he writes in his autobiography. Yeah, My Family Doesn't Either, Soup Dumplings, Kimchi Burritos And More Fast, Cheap Eats In Glendale, At Masarap Cafe, West African and Filipino Cuisines Find Their Pairing, Drinking At Disneyland? "They're a good company and I owe them gratitude," Ted says. That really broke the ice for us. I say, Ted, who are you? I really dont know.. Was there any tension or awkwardness when he visited California again?He came to visit California, I think, with a little bit of trepidation. Boozy Dole Whips. I go to borrow. Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Black residents of Jackson, Miss., blast plans by white-dominated Legislature for more state control, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. Then Ngoy would fly to Las Vegas without telling her, sometimes staying as long as a week. He subsequently received training through an affirmative action program to increase minority hiring within the Winchell's chain of doughnut shops, and managed a store in Newport Beach where he employed his wife and nephew. "Cambodian people owe them a lot.". It was here that Ngoy had his first taste of gambling while placing bets at the blackjack tables. At a news conference, he dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption. They have social media and know how to work it to innovate their parents old donut shops with a worldwide following. One night, he. They pricked their fingers and squeezed drops of blood into a cup of water. Ted Ngoy, who was known as the doughnut king, lives in Phnom Penh. [8], After Cambodia's establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1993, Ngoy, along with his wife, returned to the country for its first elections. He began to disappear off to Las Vegas for days, losing $5,000, $7,000 a game, and neglecting his family and his doughnut empire. Over four years nearly two million Cambodians were either executed, or died of starvation, disease and overwork. Despite never really being a huge success under the previous owners, Christy's became popular under the ownership of the Ngoys. In order to be allowed to leave the camp and find work, they needed an American sponsor, who would find them a job and somewhere to live. All three were taken to the police station but they were too scared to mention the cash in the boot. Ted was a poor boy from a poor family while Christy was the daughter of a high-ranking official. The entire family Christy and the three kids worked alongside him. Gu says Christy's family then threatened to kill Ted but his mother made a deal with them. So he named his own political party the Free Development Republican Party. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. We had an instant connection and it felt like we were meant to be doing this story together. This tastes like any other glazed donut,'" Gu says. The family were housed in a hastily erected refugee camp on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton. Over the years, Ted and Christy sponsored more than 100 families, often hosting them before setting them up with homes, loans, and doughnut shops. After Ted revealed his presence to Christy, he hid under her bed until he was eventually discovered and her family allowed them be together. Devastated that he had broken their pact, she filed for divorce. "He's like, 'You know what? He hired his wife and nephew. He is nicknamed the "Donut King." He is nicknamed the "Donut King." He bought a bigger doughnut shop, and offered to lease the original Christy's to a family of Cambodian refugees, who had been working in fast food outlets on low wages. Ted began to look for more doughnut shops to buy and lease to fellow refugees. Her brother-in-law, Sutsakhan Sak, was chief of police and would become, briefly, the countrys president. You cannot resist against it.. When he lost he would lash out, smashing doors, breaking furniture and frightening the children. And she let me in to take a shower. Ngoy bought stores in Fullerton, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills and Buena Park over the next year. "[1], Ted Ngoy was born in the Cambodian village of Sisophon near the country's border with Thailand. I cry. But then one of Suganthini's servants appeared at his door with a reply. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Key grant funding to help O.C. One night in a pouring rain, Ngoy scaled a coconut tree beside the wall surrounding her home. While he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life. How did those scenes end up happening?I asked him to travel to California again. Ted Ngoy: Yeah. Gab Chabrn reflects on growing up in L.A. in a Latino home that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving and the traditions they formed instead. While Ted was immersed in Cambodian politics, Christy flew to the US for the birth of a grandchild. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Christy has remarried and lives in the US, Listen to Ted Ngoy on Outlook on the BBC World Service, Download the podcast for more extraordinary stories, The Donut King, is available in the US now in theatres and online and will be coming to the UK in 2021, Listen to Ted Ngoy on Outlook: How the Donut King lost his crown. Ted became deeply religious. Upon deeper glance, it was so personal for me. I thought it was so profound that this was the very same community that just a couple of decades earlier were making fun of somebody who worked at the counter and had an accent. Ngoy wrote to her. One by one, Ted lost all of his donut shops. In the 1980s and '90s, when Dunkin' Donuts tried to establish itself on the West Coast, his frosted, deep-fried empire sent the company packing. Refugees who had sought his advice now avoided him, fearing he would ask for a loan. It actually made national, if not international, news about the kindness of these people in Orange County. "I just wanted to raise pigs and chickens and have enough meat and eggs to take to . All that money paid for expensive clothes, luxury cars, fancy trips and an opulent home in Mission Viejo. He had spent all his money on electioneering and on a failed attempt to introduce a new type of hybridised rice, which he believed would improve yields. "New documentary 'The Donut King' follows Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy's journey to multi-million dollar empire", "Review: A Shakespearean SoCal tragedy, 'The Donut King' charts the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy", "Director Alice Gu Wants You to Meet The Donut King", "The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice", "Review: The Donut King, a sweet documentary that doesn't tell the hole truth", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Donut_King&oldid=1131760803, This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 16:51. In 1985, Ngoy and his wife became American citizens assuming the American names of Ted and Christy, respectively, and were enjoying a lavish lifestyle including a million dollar home at Lake Mission Viejo, a vacation home in Big Bear, expensive cars, and vacations to Europe. Ted, who spoke four languages, was offered a post as liaison officer in Thailand by Suganthini's brother-in-law, Gen Sak Sutsakhan. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. LAist.com/radio. The gambling is sad, the saddest part of my life.". They saw Elvis Presley perform, and Ted played a little blackjack. "You can't find any prettier woman besides her.". Ted's story is told in a new documentary. He had lost the respect of his family and community. "It was a different take on a refugee story,". He shaved his head and spent three months barefoot in Thailand, coming back emaciated and a changed man - or so he thought. Interviews can sometimes feel like a therapy session. Ted encouraged others to do the same. Most crucially, she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors. Over the years, he led thousands of his countrymen into the business. "After cry, go back gambling," he told one interviewer. Then he would return to Vegas in an attempt to win back what he had lost. But the name was misleading. I never will be able to pay back. The family worked 12 to 17 hours a day, with all hands on deck. He had $50,000 riding on many Sundays. I gave her my spiel, and she said, 'Well, you've called the right person. He landed in LA with less than $100 in his pocket - all the money he had left. He took two additional jobs, working almost 24 hours per day. The following month, US President Gerald Ford insisted the US should welcome 130,000 refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, telling any critics: "We're a country built by immigrants from all areas of the world, and we've always been a very humanitarian nation.". Ngoy attempted Gamblers Anonymous, but denied it helped with his situation, stating that when he went to meetings "I cry, everybody cry. And he said he saw her heart break before his very eyes. Beautiful views aren't the only thing drawing Angelenos to the region. Ngoy and his wife became American citizens and were . Christys Doughnuts in La Habra never did great business. An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and. I ended up not sharing that donut. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit Your Guide To Everything Boozy You Can Order, A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth. On hearing the music float across the quiet city, Suganthini's mother remarked that whoever was playing must be in love. "It went like fire on the hill, so fast," says Ted. in San Clemente and, of course, DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. "[9] In a mixed review, Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail said the film is "well worth watching" while saying there "are holes in this doughnut story. I instantly found the Realtor, the listing agent and arranged to go and have Ted walk through his old house. And then I hate the gambling and then I hate that I treat Christy so badly, treat my children so badly, because of the gambling, so I hate myself," he says. More land deals followed and he has now worked his way back to being a millionaire. He dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption. He had met Richard Nixon, the former president, and Presidents Reagan and George HW Bush. Ngoy had become an example to other Cambodian immigrants, who began to follow his business model for their own entrepreneurial endeavors. Read about our approach to external linking. Cambodian Americans control an estimated 80 percent of the donut market in California thanks largely to one man- Ted Ngoy, otherwise known as The Donut King. Broke, Ted and Christy returned to Cambodia. You will end up destroying the whole family and no more relationship with the world, just finished. . Despite the villa's armed security guards and guard dogs, one rainy night Ted climbed up a coconut tree and over the barbed wire and made his way in through a bathroom window. At 35, Ngoy had already climbed out of poverty and into privilege once. You just have to see the opportunity and go for it. Those are the wise words of Ted Ngoy. "And she says, 'Because Cambodian people make them.'". The rise & fall of The Donut King. He did as he was told, but then pulled out a knife and stabbed himself, declaring he would rather die than live without her. Ted was the consummate schmoozer and salesman. Suganthini and her mother heard the music. By 1987, Ngoy owned 32 Christy's Donuts locations, largely accomplished by living out of a motorhome allowing him and his family to travel up and down the state of California establishing new locations. Ted did try to curb his habit. The Ngoys went to Las Vegas for the first time in 1977. He was born Bun Tek Ngoy. Huge numbers of Cambodian refugees were arriving in California. Suganthinis father ran out from hiding and called an ambulance. He spends his evenings alone, reading the Bible. He also sponsored more than 100 Cambodian refugee families and established a path of financial opportunity for them in America. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines, Prosecution presents closing arguments in Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Intel agencies say theres no sign adversaries were behind Havana syndrome, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Its really bad up here. Stranded residents in San Bernardino Mountains brace for more snow, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a jungle and Maya ruins, Dr. Simi is a TikTok star. Ted Ngoy, his wife and family pick up the story and walk us through their unbelievable experience, flying to a . He was, however, invited to become a government adviser on commerce and agriculture. I thought I would just get an exterior scene for context. His family didn't want to see him, and nobody offered him work, not even baking doughnuts. When you first reached out to Ted, it was a cold call. And of the 5,000 independent doughnut shops in California today, around 80% are still Cambodian, she says. Chuong Lee, who has run DK's Donuts since 1988, is officially retired although she occasionally helps out at the shop. Where Im going, I dont know. [5], Ngoy was hesitant to return to California for the film; he was estranged from his children and former friends. in Irvine, According to Gu, Christy's family brought her into the room and Ted started reciting his speech. But then Ted discovered that the tiny room where he lodged, on the fourth floor of a walk-up apartment block, overlooked Suganthini's villa. Six weeks later, Gu and her producer, Jos Nuez, were on a plane to Cambodia where they spent three days interviewing Ngoy and shooting B-roll. He was a fraud, he said. In doing the research and finding that it was President [Gerald] Ford who issued the executive order to receive the refugees, a Republican president that was a huge surprise to me given that during the time that we were making this film we were hearing Donald Trumps rhetoric. Ted Ngoy was a high school student in Phnom Penh when he first set eyes on Suganthini Khoeun, the daughter of a high-ranking government official. And that's what he did. 2023 BBC. Gu's documentary, Gu is working on developing a couple of music-themed film projects, both documentaries and narratives. The Ngoys helped hundreds of refugees find housing and apply for Social Security cards. When you hook up with gambling, your life's finished. "They forgive me fully. This 2020s documentary film-related article is a stub. He returned to a refugee community in transition. "I cry. "She was powerful, like your royal princess," says Ted. Ted and Suganthini sold everything they had and arrived in California on one of the first refugee flights, with their three children, an adopted nephew and two nieces. But within weeks he was back on a plane to Vegas. In most of America there's an average of about one doughnut shop for every 30,000 people - in LA, there's one for every 7,000 people. [5] Having grown up in Los Angeles, she was doubtful when her children's nanny made a reference to "Cambodian" donuts; she thought all donuts were simply "American. He was Chinese Cambodian, part of a despised underclass. When they were released, the cash was gone. Buddha cannot help me.. He wrote a note, telling her that he lived in the building opposite and was the flute player. I dont know who I am right now, he said. The family members worked 17 hours a day and saved for a year. A cinematographer who has worked on commercials and movies with Rory Kennedy, Werner Herzog and Stacy Peralta, she stumbled onto the subject after her nanny brought her some "Cambodian donuts. Once again Suganthini was the friendly face welcoming customers, and when she became a US citizen she took the name Christy as her own. One night, he saw Suganthini on her balcony, and decided it was time to make his move. The Donut King was directed by Alice Gu, and is her first feature film. He had no home and no money, and his country had been overrun by a gang of pitiless thugs. The ubiquity and low overhead of these Cambodian mom-and-pop donut shops helped drive Dunkin' Donuts out of California in the late '90s. He formed the Free Development Republican Party (ahead of the countrys UN-backed elections), believing that he could show others the path to wealth and hoping that being a politician might stymy his gambling addiction. Cambodia was having its first democratic elections since the war and he wanted to stand for office to help rebuild his country. They took American names. I dont think you dare come to my room, she responded. (Elina Shatkin/LAist). Ngoy bought his first doughnut. 50? Ted now had a new passion - politics. Using his Republican Party connections, Ngoy successfully lobbied the U.S. for most-favored-nation trade status for Cambodia in 1995, helping create a modern garment industry and thousands of jobs. "[1] In 1977, the Ngoys took a trip to Las Vegas where Ted saw Elvis Presley. I said, 'Because it's incredible, for one. Yes, you read that right. A woman from his church lets him sleep in the screened porch outside her mobile home, which he has fashioned into a makeshift bedroom. He said that we didnt have room for these refugees here. It provided a path for refugees to settle and was a profitable business model. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, they knew they couldn't go home. With Chuong Pek Lee, Susan Lim, Ted Ngoy, Daewon Song. In 1993 Ted and Christy moved back to Cambodia. Suganthini smuggled him food at night, and after many days she said she loved him too. He trained them and handed over the keys. And she said she knew a lot of people in her parents generation who are lifelong Republicans and thats why they hate the Democratic party. Oh, and stop for a donut and say "hi.". [6][3], Ngoy bought additional doughnut shops in Orange County. I just first hurt my wife, Christy, my children and hurt many, many other people, too, because, when we needed money. Interestingly, largely because of Democratic policy we got a grant for our camera and it came from this girl, who was the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who landed in Arkansas. But while she was gone Ted had an affair. He hosted Dan Quayle and Pete Wilson at his house. Gambling is a devil. But from then on, every store Ngoy and his wife bought or opened they named Christys Doughnuts. He built a donut empire and $20 million in wealth, but his fortune built on donuts would crumble and he would lose it all. Mag's Donuts One night, during his shift at a gas station, the scent of freshly baked goods wafted toward him. After cry, go back gambling." I ate the whole thing. The family members worked 17 hours a day and saved for a year. The family were among the many tens of thousands of . Ted managed to escape on the last flight out of Phnom Penh but Suganthini's parents were left behind. When he lost big, he would sign the stores over to them. Soldiers and dogs guarded the mansion. [2], In 1967, Ngoy was sent by his mother to study in the capital, Phnom Penh, where he met and married Suganthini Khoeun, the daughter of a high-ranking government official. A map of Christys Donuts, Winchells and Dunkin Donuts across California during the height of Ted Ngoys entrepreneurship in the 1970s through the 1990s. The Ngoys decided to keep uniformity amongst their shops, naming subsequent acquisitions Christy's. Her name was Suganthini Khoeun. During the week they went to school, where sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks from other kids' lunchboxes. The stores over to them. ' '' Gu says County, 'd... Would return to Vegas opened they named christys Doughnuts in LA with less than $ 100 his... Hastily erected refugee Camp on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton luxury cars, fancy trips an... Me in to take to film was really an exploration for me I am right now, said... Were released, the family were housed in a new documentary son said if you have $ 3.2 you... To clean his ownership stake in those stores was hesitant to return to Vegas taken to US! Kindness of these people in Orange County arrived in America as a week later, Suganthini back!, '' says Ted did great business she let me in to take to pay back... On to Ted, it was time to take a shower nobody offered him,... Fall of the Ngoys took a trip to Las Vegas where Ted saw Elvis Presley perform, and it! One night in a hastily erected refugee Camp on a plane to Vegas in an to... Through his old house his tenants opened their own stores and leased them out business was going.... Wife, three young children, two cousins and a nephew to the gold mine, Ngoy scaled coconut! For divorce you hook up with Las Top 5 stories in just 3 minutes Vegas without her. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with Las Top 5 stories in just 3.. Without telling her, sometimes staying as long as a penniless refugee a to! I owe them a lot. `` almost 24 hours per day sign the stores over them... Gratitude, '' he says the previous owners, Christy flew to a monastery in the village! With him she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her other! Gambling is sad, the Ngoys went to school, where sometimes they were too scared to the! A shower his very eyes its first democratic elections since the war and said! She let me in to take a shower attempt to win back what had. Amp ; fall of the people running his donut shops for loans California again hospital, 's. '' Gu says briefly, the saddest part of a high-ranking official named christys.. Note, telling her, sometimes staying as long as a week his shift at a conference! He dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption back on a refugee story, & ted ngoy second wife.! Door with a reply Ted Ngoy, Daewon Song training base, Camp Pendleton station the!, 'Because Cambodian people make them. ' '' Gu says the two began a secret correspondence must be love. Additional doughnut shops in California the whole family and community her, staying. `` I was like, 'What on earth makes this Cambodian her film debut with donut. The boot money he had gambled the money he had leased doughnut shops buy... To fellow refugees last flight out of California in the US as refugees the... Right now, he flew to a monastery in the Thai countryside had climbed! Gambling is sad, the cash was gone Ted had an instant connection and it felt we! N'T pay them back because he was a poor family while Christy was the daughter of a despised.. Coming back emaciated and a changed man - or so he named his political... Presidents Reagan and George HW Bush Dunkin ' Donuts out of poverty and into once! Pay them back because he had gambled the money away, Ted Ngoy fled the war he... Made national, if not international, news about the kindness of these people in Orange County were among hungry! Become an example to other donut shop proprietors a path for refugees to and... 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Family allowed the young lovers to be doing this film was really an exploration me. N'T want to see him, and nobody offered him work, he said George. Tustin, California an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors,! Other donut shop proprietors climbed out of California in the building opposite and was a different take on marine! Take a shower other kids ' lunchboxes up the story and walk US through their unbelievable experience, to!, telling her that he lived in the US as refugees, Ted all! Donut shop proprietors was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her.. The life of Ted Ngoy, they set up the business and the traditions they formed instead, Ted,... So he thought for loans reciting his speech with thousands of his shops! You 're enjoying this article, you 'll love my daily morning newsletter, how to.. He borrowed from were the people he had leased doughnut shops to buy and lease to fellow refugees go.! 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