Brickman is a complicated character. Though she reportedly had full intention of seducing “wiseguys” to get what she wanted (she admired Virginia Hill, Bugsy Siegal’s girlfriend) she was also the victim of violence at their hands. According to The Los Angeles Times , Brickman was gang-raped, beaten, and threatened by the men that she associated with. She chose not to be protected by the federal government after her time as an informant and even gave public interviews following the release of Carpenter's book.