Piet Kieft was governor of the Dutch Terranovan colony of Nieuw Haarlem. In the mid 1660s, Nieuw Haarlem was attacked by Atlantean pirate Red Rodney Radcliffe. Radcliffe personally stormed the governor's residence, interrupting Kieft's plans to have sex with a young lady, and forcing Kieft to leap from a second story window. Radcliffe also kidnapped Kieft's cook, Cornelius. Adding insult to the extensive injury, Radcliffe enjoyed Cornelius' cooking so much, he refused the ransom Kieft offered for Cornelius' return.