Masonic Hall of Shame:

The following are American Masons and proud members of the so called "Schweinfurt Mafia", located in Schweinfurt Germany

Paul Litteral - Grand Master of American Canadian Grand Lodge and known in American Masonry as "Prince John"

Clifford Leach (known as the DON), Stephen Thomas, Michael Farris, Thierry Ngoufan, John Miller, John Lonczynski, Clyde Barton and Gerhard Sevren.

Several negative events, here in Germany, resulted in serious damage to the reputation of American Masonry. The American Canadian Grand Lodge (ACGL), CODE, was written during the time US Forces occupied Germany. That CODE was not adjusted to comply with changes occurring when occupation ceased. Today, it is well know, many rules and regulations contained in the ACGL CODE, severely conflict with German law.

Concerns voiced by ACGL Masons, regarding the legality of the ACGL CODE, continue to go unheeded by ACGL elected leaders. Offers by other Grand Lodges in Germany, to assist the ACGL correct this problem, is considered interference in ACGL internal affairs. This situation forced many ACGL Masons to leave Masonry and continues to be the subject of discussion within the German and English Grand Lodges.

One of the strongest Lodges within the ACGL was Luftbruecke Lodge No. 838, who’s leaders were recipients of several ACGL Grand Lodge awards. During the summer of 2011, those leaders, together with all the active resident members, initiated a study to determine how to insure ACGL Lodges complied with German Law. That study encompassed all possibilities, including founding an English speaking Lodge, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Germany. Upon hearing about this study, the ACGL Grand Master, MW Paul Litteral, became furious and threatened all 838 members with suspension from Masonry, if they continued the study. The Grand Master’s actions resulted in all active resident members submitting demits. Forty days after the demits were approved and processed, the ACGL Grand Master issued an Edict invalidating all 838 demits and placed Luftbruecke Lodge into temporary dormancy.

To understand what happened next, you must be aware of the following. Because ACGL Lodges are not legal according to German law, they cannot register with local authorities, as required by German Law, and therefore, cannot open bank accounts, rent property, purchase insurance or raise and disburse monies in the Lodge’s name. To solve the banking problem, most ACGL Lodges, including Luftbruecke 838, rely on one of their members to obtain a private account and permit the Lodge to use it. The present ACGL Grand Master was aware of the Lodges’ predicaments and seized the opportunity to punish 838 leaders by accusing the Worshipful Master, Secretary, Treasurer, and a long time member of the Lodge who held no office, with misappropriating Lodge funds, because “the bank account was not in the Lodge's name, and therefore all bank transactions were illegal”. The ACGL Grand Master then pronounced the four brothers, guilty as charged, (no trial), and suspended them from Masonry. One member was an Australian Mason, and the ACGL Grand Master went so far as to inform the Australian Grand Lodge of his suspension. (Still no trial). A second brother was a member of the New Mexico Grand Lodge, and the ACGL Grand Master did the same with him, (still no trial).

All of this has not gone unnoticed by the German and English Lodges, who’s members watched the unfolding these unjust actions in dismay. German Grand Lodge officers offering to mediate were told, in no uncertain terms, it was none of their business and to stay out of ACGL internal affairs.

Attempts by two ACGL Past Grand Masters, to persuade the present ACGL Grand Master to rethink his actions, failed. However, the ACGL Grand Master was forced into ordering a trial, and scheduled it to take place six months following conviction, on 31 March 2012. The trial took place in the ACGL Grand Master’s home Lodge, (not in Luftbruecke 838) and everyone sitting on the court were members of the Grand Master’s Lodge and held appointed Grand Lodge positions given by the Grand Master. Evidence submitted by the defense was not accepted and three of the brothers were expelled from Masonry by the Grand Master. The forth defendant, who held a very high position within the US Military, was acquitted.

In addiction to the above the ACGL Grand Master managed to insult several high ranking officers in the Heidelberg and Wiesbaden American Military Communities resulting in a negative impression of the fraternity as a whole. Prince Hall has taken advantage of ACGL infighting and is recruiting all ethnic groups and citing military brotherhood as the main reason to join them. (At a time when ACGL membership is in severe decline, Prince Hall membership is remaining strong and in some cases growing).