I rarely leave the apartment once I return from selling books. I’ve allowed myself to sink into a routine and resist most lures to shake me from it even for a night. Fortunately I resisted the known comforts of home last night and met with old friends at the venerable Gargiulo’s Restaurant in Coney Island. There were seven of us, all linked by our football experiences at Lafayette H. S.. I’ve communicated with all of them via the web. I got together with Ralph Betesh, Carmine Russo and Steve Lombardi and others about ten years ago. I hadn’t seen Joe Palo since 1968, although we communicated briefly at classmates.com. I hadn’t seen Steve Frank since he made a recruiting stop for Norwich University at LHS in 1977. The last time I saw Coach Marty Senall was the day his South Shore H.S. team won the city championship, circa 1980. 72, he still plays racquetball. I mention him several times in my second novel, Adjustments, a copy of which I gave him as we were saying goodbye. I will forever appreciate the positivism he and Coach Adler brought to our program the year after a hellish season where we lost every game and did not score a touchdown until the final minute of the last. He is a football lifer, having coached for decades. He now oversees a leg of a national seven on seven tournament, sponsored by the NFL, in Arizona, where he lives. Joe Palo, retired, the only one present who has not coached football, did very well in the pharmaceutical industry. He had the honor of delivering the commencement address at his alma mater, UConn, in 2012. Brought up on the streets of Coney Island, he now lives in Connecticut. His first grandchild is about to come into the world. Steve Frank is the winningest coach in the history of Hamilton College, where he spent 18 years. I’m not sure where Steve Lombardi worked, but he is comfortably retired, playing golf and softball. He may be the only American to have dated two women named Sydney, in H.S. and his bride. Carmine retired from teaching and moved upstate. He plays guitar, often in a band with his sons. Ralph Betesh, our captain, owns Double Discount in the Bronx and also has his hand in other ventures, He goes to synagogue every day. The latter two fine men have significant roles in Adjustments. If Carmine resents anything I said about him, it didn’t show. He gave me a big hug upon meeting and departing. As we hit the parking lot, stuffed from the fine food, the Parachute Jump and its neon lights stood out beautifully in the background. The screams of those riding the new rollercoaster were clear as a bell in the gorgeous summer night. The older I get, the more I appreciate those who have been in my life. I am privileged to know them. Here’s a pic, which a staffer was kind enough to take on three separate cameras:
Great news: Hostess is contemplating introducing a frozen, deep fried Twinkie.
My thanks to the kind folks who donated and bought wares today. For the second time this week a gentleman addressed me in Italian. Dmitri, who is in his third semester of studying what many believe is a dying language, called me: "Mi amico preferito." Grazie.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
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Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
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Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
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