Adopted man goes nuts on birth mother

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BY JOHN MARZULLI
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A California man's long search for his biological mother in New York became a mad obsession that landed him behind bars and turned her life into a nightmare, authorities charge.
Today, Roger Siegel, 39, will go on trial in Brooklyn - accused by the feds of being an "interstate stalker."

Siegel allegedly waged a bizarre two-year campaign of threats and harassment against his birth mom, a Queens lawyer who rebuffed his efforts to establish a relationship.

Now, the mattress salesman from San Diego is taking his chances before a federal jury despite a mountain of evidence compiled by the FBI.

That includes 18 hours of sicko messages sent to his mother via phone and fax, some pornographic in nature, others calling her a terrorist and expressing a desire to "shake the hand" of anyone who raped her, according to authorities.

It's not clear what defense Siegel, who once called himself "a living abortion," will offer.

But a letter he sent to the Daily News suggests he may use the trial as a last, desperate attempt to win recognition from the woman who put him up for adoption in 1966.

"My name is Roger Siegel and I have the story of the century," he wrote from his cell at the federal lockup in Brooklyn, where he is being held without bail.

Three years ago, Siegel tracked down his birth mother, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society whose name is being withheld by The News.

The discovery, he said, was the "greatest joy of my life" after the birth of his own son.

Then the tale grows dark. "Unfortunately, my mother had other concerns that came before reuniting with her grandson and myself," Siegel wrote.

Stunned by his sudden appearance in 2003, Siegel's mother said she had no interest in reuniting with her son.

According to the FBI, she was soon receiving up to 20 harassing calls a day at her home and office from him. He also mailed her packages of baby clothes, toys, light bulbs and rocks.

The feds say Siegel even placed an ad in The New York Times that read: "Roger, sadly taken away as a baby from his mother in 1966, announces with joy the reuniting with his mother," followed by her name.

He also contacted relatives of his mother, including her elderly mom in a nursing home.

"I left voice mails and sent letters expressing my feelings," Siegel wrote. "Some were nice and some expressed my hurt. Some had bad language and were perhaps unfriendly." But he insisted none were threatening.

The most disturbing incident occurred in February 2004 when Siegel allegedly left his 9-year-old son at his biological mom's office. Siegel, who is divorced and has custody of the boy, retrieved his son after he was tracked down by the NYPD.

The FBI arrested Siegel in August, and his son is in the care of Siegel's adoptive father. The father is at a loss to explain his adopted son's alleged behavior.

"Unfortunately, he's a child who felt rejected from the very beginning," said Norman Siegel, 68. "I think it's a double rejection for him."

Norman Siegel and his ex-wife adopted Roger when he was just a week old through a Jewish social services agency in Washington. He said Roger was treated for emotional and learning problems as a youngster.

"It didn't please me [that he was looking for his biological mother] because I'm not in favor of turning up old stones and private matters," he said.

He added that Roger told him he had made contact with his biological father, as well.

Efforts by The News to reach the biological mother were unsuccessful.

Roger Siegel says he is not interested in a plea bargain, and his court-appointed lawyer, John Burke, said he expects the mother will be called to testify at the trial.

nydailynews.com