'Amish Mafia' star Levi Stoltzfus says some Amish are hypocrites

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'Amish Mafia' star slams detractors

'Amish Confidential' author Levi Stoltzfus says some Amish are hypocrites

NEW YORK – When you think of an Amish community, you think of a life without technology, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of scandals and secrets behind those beards and bonnets. Discovery Channel’s “Amish Mafia” star “Lebanon” Levi Stoltzfus, the author of the new book, "Amish Confidential" filled us in on all the sordid details.

FOX411: What exactly is the Amish mafia?

Levi Stoltzfus: There is no Amish mafia. There’s the Amish Aid. The producers just came up with that name and thought it would be cool for TV. So, it’s all about Amish Aid– how Amish Aid runs.

FOX411: OK how does the Amish Aid run?

Stoltzfus:  The Amish Aid has money like they’re an insurance. They take care of each other. If somebody’s hurt we put money in their pocket or we put money in the bank and we pay the bills off like for health issues or accidents or fires.

FOX411: Have there ever been threats against you for speaking out about the Amish community?

Stoltzfus:  No, there’s no threats. I mean there are some people who think they’re going to come and kick my ass but that’s just how it is. There’s a professor Donald Kraybill who writes a book about the Amish and calls himself and follows the Amish around and thinks he knows everything about the Amish. He called me a fraud because he said I was never Amish and I’m making money off the Amish. That’s a lie. He’s a fraud because he was never Amish and he’s writing books and making money off the Amish.

FOX411: What do people in the Amish community think of you?

Stoltzfus: Some hate it. Some are upset. Some don’t care. Some just live their life every day. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing in Amish life. They’re either going to love or hate you or disown you.

FOX411:  Well, you could say that’s people in general and not specific to the Amish.

Stoltzfus:  The Amish say they’re forgiving and loving and humble and they can forgive a murderer, so why can’t they forgive me for what I’m doing?

FOX411:  You mention that the Amish community is laced with hypocrisy. You mentioned a couple but in what other ways?

Stoltzfus:  They make it sound they’ll forgive you for whatever you do but it seems as soon as you get shunned from the church they kind of disown you and they can’t forgive you as easy, so like I said, they can forgive a murderer basically before they can forgive each other in the community. It bothers me that it goes on that way.

FOX411: What about the idea that the Amish are above the law?

Stoltzfus: They’re not above the law. They have their own law of course through the church rules. It’s the things you don’t find out. That’s why I wrote the book. People see the show and ask how can it be real but if you read the book it will give you more insight on the show.