1. Character List/Roles
Jan Schlichtmann- main character in the book, is self-centered and egocentric, doesn’t
smoke or drink coffee, only drinks bottled water, nothing stronger than an aspirin, has a
diet, graduated from University of Massachusetts, sold insurance for six months, and then
became a personal injury lawyer.
James Gordon- works with Jan as a financial advisor
Anne Anderson- the mom who starts the whole case because her son dies
Judge Walter J. Skinner- the judge who oversees the whole case, graduated from Harvard
in 1948, spent 9 years as a judge before this case started
Reverend Mr. Bruce Young- Trinity Church minister who is involved in the case because
he spent 6 years there and saw all the sick people and felt bad
Robert Eaton- founded chemical company
Jimmy Anderson- son of Anne and Charles, dies
Charles Anderson- ex-husband to Anne, treasurer of the church
Dr. Donald McLean- the Woburn family pediatrician
Dr. John Truman- chief of pediatric hematology at the Massachusetts General Hospital
Carol Gray
Kay Bolster- works at beauty parlor
Joan Zona- another mom involved in the case
Michael Zona- the son of Joan who has leukemia, he is the youngest of 4 children
Kevin Kane Jr- another kid who has leukemia
Kevin Kane Sr- dad of Kevin Kane Jr, involved in the case
Patricia Kane- mom of Kevin Kane Jr, involved in the case
2. L.E. Pittendreigh- engineer in charge of Wells G and H
Gerald Mahoney- Eastern Woburn councilman
Donna Carner- worked as the General Aluminum Corp bookkeeper, is another mom
involved in the case
Carl Robbins- served in the military, is a welder, is a dad involved in the case
Carl “Robbie” Robbins III- son of Carl who had leukemia, dies
Kevin Conway- worked at Reed and Mulligan for 2 years, 1st job was in NY and he left it
after 6 years, is an attorney for the case
Joseph “Joe” Mulligan- divorce lawyer for Donna, also took part in Robbie’s hip
malpractice case
Richard Aufiero- works as a Mayflower truck driver, is one of the dads involved in the
case
Jarrod Aufiero- son of Richard and Lauren, dies of leukemia
Lauren Aufiero- mom involved in the case
Gerald McCall- acting director of New England Massachusetts EPA
Thomas Mernin- city engineer, is one of the Defense’s witness
Richard Toomey- works as a sheet metal worker, is a dad involved in the case
Mary Toomey- mom involved in the case
Michael Toomey- Mary and Richard’s 1st son, got killed by a car
Patrick Toomey- the 2nd son of Mary and Richard, is an altar boy, one of the kids with
leukemia
Charles C. Ryan- Daily Times reporter
Dr. Clark Heath- one of the world’s experts on leukemia clusters
3. Senator Edward Kennedy
John Lilley- a foreman, one of the dads involved in the case
Michael Lilley- John’s son who dies of leukemia
Teresa Padro- a clothing buyer, ends up dating Jan but they break up after 5 years
Alma
Kathy Boyer- secretary for Jan
G. Robert Blakey- chief counsel for House Select Committee on Assassinations
Lowell Eaton
Clement McCarthy –defense lawyer in the Eaton case
Judge Peter Brady
Paul Newman
Barry Reed
Peggy Veechine- another secretary for Jan
Anthony Roisman- executive director of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
John Riley – owner of John J. Riley’s Tannery, son of the deceased owner
Jerome Facher- Chairman of the litigation department at Boston firm of Hale and Door,
20 year law teacher at Harvard, Harvard graduate, lawyer for Beatrice
Neil Jacobs- junior partner at Hale and Dorr firm, graduated from Harvard, one of Jerry’s
boys, works on the case with Facher
William Cheeseman- Senior Partner in a Boston firm of Foley, is the lawyer for W.R.
Grace and Company
Roland Gamache- one of the adult victims with leukemia that Jan speaks for, dies during
the trial
4. Kathryn Gamache- wife of Roland, involved in the case
Amy Gamache- daughter of Roland and Kathryn
Denny Maher- Woburn city well driller
Sylvia Skinner- clerk at court house
Rikki Klieman- an Atlanta lawyer who helps out Jan on occasion
Marvin Zelen- professor at School of Relation, is a statistician
Dr. James Jandl- a leukemia doctor
Dr. Alan Levin- an expert in toxic substances, is an immunologist, is one of the experts
that Jan calls to testify on behalf of the plantiffs
Dr. Robert Colvin
Ted Warshafsky- Milwaukee lawyer, Head of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice board,
sues drug companies
Sal Liccardo- California lawyer, sues car manufacturers, TLFPS member
Paul Shalline- Head of Safety and Maintenance at Woburn Collation Control office
Thomas Barbas- Grace’s old painter, moved to buyer, is one of the witnesses that Jan
uses on the plaintiffs’ behalf
Al Love- a receiving clerk at Grace
Joe Meola- the plant’s maintenance man
Donald Frederico- one of Facher’s younger associates
Vincent “Vin” Forte- Woburn plant manager
Evelyn Love
Cy Witmer- worked in sheet metal shop
Frank Kelly- one of the supervisors of the plant
5. Robert “Bob” Pasqueriella- electrician
Eddie Orazine- assembly foreman
Richard Stewart- one of Grace’s executives
Paul Kelly- the 21 year old son of Frank
Ulf Nordin- the new Woburn plant manager
Jack Knowlty- worked in the tan room, died of stomach cancer at 40
Maurice O’Connor- worked in the color room, died of cancer
Nick Murray- had heart attack
Jim Feeney- had heart attack
Frank Valente- worked in wringing room, died of lung cancer
Joe Palino- color mixer with lung cancer
A.C. Bolde- sanitary engineer
Ruth Turner
Paul Turner
Bernard Turner- Chicago medical doctor
Sharon Turner- Bernard’s ex-wife
Patti D’Addieco- the 22 year old who answers telephones for Jan, then gets assigned to
dig up all the medical history of the Woburn families
Dr. Shirley Conibear- occupational and environmental medicine specialist
Chuck Anderson
Diane Aufiero
Saul Cohen- Cardiologist, Boston University School of Medicine professor
6. Dr. Robert G. Feldman- chairman of the Department of Neurology at Boston University
School of Medicine
Beverly Paigen- biochemist, works in a Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California
Robert Harris- Princeton
Mark Phillips- one of James Gordon’s partners, is an ex-lawyer
George “Uncle Pete” Kennedy Briggs II- Vice President of a Private Banking Group at
Boston Bank, gives Jan all of his loans
Marc Temin- one of Cheeseman’s partners, is a lawyer
Charles “Million Dollar Charlie” Nesson- a Harvard law professor who graduated at the
top of his class in Harvard, is considered a genius, ends up working with Jan
Tom Kiley- a personal injury lawyer who ends up working with Jan
Charles Wyzanski- a federal judge
Arthur Miller
Felix Frankfurter
Supreme Court Justice John Harlan
John Doar- works in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department
Laurence Tribe
Alan Dershowitz
Tom Neville- a defense lawyer
Dr. Vern Byers- immunologist from California
Millie Johnson
Dr. Gilbert Horton Mudge Jr.- a Harvard professor, is a cardiologist
7. Dr. John Cuffin- a molecular biologist, professor at Tuff’s University School of
Medicine, ends up being one of Cheeseman’s expert witnesses
Wendell Phillips
David Gelber- 60 minutes show producer
Ed Bradley- 60 minutes correspondent
Mary Allen- Beatrice’s assistant general counsel
Michael Keating- one of Cheeseman’s partners, graduated from Harvard, Jan negotiates a
settlement with him towards the end of the case
John Drobinski- a geologist, Jan uses him as the first expert witness
Frank McCann- a worker for Grace, used as one of Jan’s witnesses
William Vogel- the jury foreman, he is a utility company manager, had to go get heart
surgery during the decision making process of the trial
Sandra Lynch- another one of Cheeseman’s partners
Linda Kaplan- member of the jury, clerk for an insurance company
Andy Lord- Jan’s expert on courtroom graphics, an MIT graduate
Mary Zoza- the firm’s bookkeeper
Bill Crowley- a lawyer
Helen O’Connell- one of the clients of a case that goes on during the Woburn case
Dr. George F. Pinder- expert in hydrology and groundwater movement, used as an expert
witness by Jan to show how the solvents contaminated the water supply
Phyllis Pinder
John Wigmore- legal scholar
Julianna Phillips
8. Olin Braids- a soil chemist, the defense’s expert witness
Vincent Murphy- head of Weston Geophysical
John Guswa- ground water expert, testifies for Keating and is an expert witness, basically
says that the solvents couldn’t have been there for more than 6 months
Jean Coulsey- forklift lady, member of the jury
Robert Fox- is an environmentalist, is also a member of the jury
Walter Day- an irrelevant witness
Vincent O’Rourke- postal employee, member of the jury
Harriet Clarke- church organist, member of the jury
Henry Jason- retired police officer, an alternate juror
Dina Gilbern- retired social worker has 2 kids, member of the Auduborn society and
Sierra club, an alternate juror
David Hartman
Albert “Al” Eustis- Grace’s executive Vice President and General Counsel, tries to help
with the negotiation with Jan
J. Peter Grace- chairman of Grace
Charles Erhart- works in the chief administrative office of Grace, Vice Chairman of
Counsel
Norma Nathan- Boston Herald gossip columnist, wants to list Jan as one of the most
available bachelors
Pasquale Zona
Ron Zona
Justice William O’ Douglas
9. Mary Ryan- Riley’s personal lawyer
Welch- an IRS agent
Judge Juan Torruella- judge for the Court of Appeals
Neiman Marcus
Lawrence “Butch” Knox- well driller
William Marcus- former tannery maintenance employee
James Granger- former plant manager in charge of tannery maintenance
David Delaney- EPA investigator, Project manager of the Woburn site
William Sorenson-driver of tannery’s Michigan loader
James Quarles- a 43 year old lawyer who works with Facher
Judge Stephen Breyer- chief justice of Appellate Court
Claudia Barragan
John Wyman
Gershom Flagg
Stuart- boy in the Eaton case, dead