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richfed
Into the 60's
USA
Status: offline |
 Posted - February 26 2003 : 06:11:05 AM
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1951-1977
Jeez ... it was a long time ago, my references are a bit hazy [I was going through a marital break up, myself, at the time], and things may be slightly out of order here, but it happened something like this:
He died during the summer, sometime before Elvis' death.
John was superman to me - and probably to some of you, too. Growing up, he was always the fastest, the strongest, could hit the ball the farthest. He could do everything better than anyone else. And he could - and did - beat up the biggest, baddest bullies we could throw at him. He was our great protector, intimidating all who got in our way. When John was around, everything was well - and safe - in the world!
Thus, it was quite a paradox to see him bawling like baby at my house in Uniondale. That was the last time I saw him, a few days later he was gone. He was upset because his lovely wife, Claire, and he had split, but worse, she had "hidden" his young daughter, Jennifer, from him. I saw Jennifer, years later, at the age of 17. [That was at one of dear old Grandma's birthdays - Grandma passed on this past March, at the spritely young age of 102, giving her the rare distiction of having her life span 3 centuries! She lived to see every single day of the 20th century! Saw Doc there at her wake!] A very beautiful young lady - and the spittin' image of John. Jennifer was the apple of his eye. He was totally distraught this evening, and I was at a loss for words. I basically just sat there and let him talk ... and cry.
That night haunts me to this day.
They found John ... maybe in West Hempstead ??? or Long Beach ??? - I forget, exactly ... in a little apartment, dead, with a jacket over his head and a can of - I forget the name of this stuff, but - the stuff ball players use to spray on their skin after being hit by a fastball.
For years prior to this, John had been in numerous car accidents, undergone some related-surgeries, etc., to the point that his license had been revoked. I often felt that it appeared he was, maybe sub-consciously, trying to kill himself. That belief became stronger, when even after he was reduced to using a bicycle as transportation, he still managed to get hit by cars. It was pretty sad.
Anyway, Superman was gone ... The family publicly anyway, considers his death an accident. I think it was suicide ... though I cannot be certain.
A few nights, or less, after his funeral - a closed casket, btw, as his body had begun decomposing; it was a couple of days before he was found - I was sitting in my bed, with my ex-wife, Doriel. A sudden breeze came through the open bedroom window, and a eerie, cold chill overcame me. Dori experienced the same thing. It was my first experience with the supernatural - or, my imagination was playing tricks on me - but, I believe John paid me a last visit that night.
I do miss him still.
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Bean
Still Hangin' At The Mailbox
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - February 26 2003 : 06:37:22 AM
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Richie,
Nice tribute and memory to your cousin John. Very Sad but still nice. I rememeber him saving our ass a few times when as usual someone wanted to kill us...One particular time was by the gates to Alden Terrace school right on Alden Ave, I don't remeber the circumstance but he helped us not get killed and I can remeber him fighting with 2 or 3 people at once and pretty much kicking everyone's butt. Years later when the show happy days came out Fonzie's character sort of made me think of your cousin.
Bean
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doc
Into the 60's
Status: offline |
Posted - February 27 2003 : 6:44:40 PM
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John was superman to me - and probably to some of you, too.
John was superman. No one could even come close to competing with him in athletics. Last time I saw hin was at a softball game in Lynbrook about a year before he died. Had to be genetic. I hugged your uncle at the funeral and at 70+? he is still like a rock, and so is Marty, Even from his wheelchair I felt like he could break me in half. Lots of good memories with those two on Sundays with the smell of your moms tomato sauce cooking. |
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Bean
Still Hangin' At The Mailbox
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - February 28 2003 : 02:35:31 AM
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Man Oh Man how I wished your cousin Johnnie was with us that night we went to the Knights of Columbus Dance on Elmont Rd. near Dutch Broadway ! Remember that night, we walked in and I went Uh Oh, I think we're Dead, here we were a bunch of hippie commie freaks walking in to a knights of columbus teenage dance filled of red neck flag waiving greasers..I think I turned to Richie and I said let's ease or way out of here through the door and see if anybody follows us...well as we moved toward the door so did everybody else we were totally out numbered by a lot, I think we ended up calling my house and my brother drove down and picked us up...but if Johnnie was there maybe we could kicked some ass. This was just one of many times I thought we were gonna die...
Remember 8th street in the Village in the record store?
Who was there with us?
Bean
and it's 1 ,2, 3 what are we fighting for
don't ask me and I don't give a damn
next stop is viet Nam
Woopie we're all gonna die...
I wish Country Joe would tour with Arlo who I see a few times a year, The Newport folk Festival last summer was great with both Arlo and His Royal Bobness both there ! |
Edited by - Bean on February 28 2003 02:35:53 AM |
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richfed
Into the 60's
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - February 28 2003 : 7:08:46 PM
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| The Record Store: I was there ... I think Skin & Foch, too. Can't remember who else. All I know is that I was scared ****less ... so scared that the gum I was chewing actually disintegrated in my mouth ... really! John would have come in handy there! |
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Bean
Still Hangin' At The Mailbox
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 01 2003 : 12:13:21 AM
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Richie...I think Gary Beck was there too, remember him from school and the Green? And we lost him during the fight and thought they took him hostage but he ran away and got on the LIRR and was home long before us while all the time we were worried that he was being tortured or worse yet somwhere by our attackers. Do you rememmber how the whole thing started ? I'll give yo a hint, it was My Fault....Gee what else is new ? And it's a good thing those 2 guys with the long hair came to our aid and helped us out, I think it was the hippie comrad thing, like they are one of us so lets help them out...
You did remember the Knights of Columbus dance I mentioned above didn't you? Bean on a quest to get as many people to join on this site as possible...latest success Jeff Zohler ! |
Edited by - Bean on March 01 2003 12:14:42 AM |
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richfed
Into the 60's
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 01 2003 : 05:33:53 AM
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Yeah ... as you recount it, I begin to remember more, but till you did, I remembered only that these things happened [and my gum story]. So, what did you do to start it? In a record store, of all places ...
Tell someone to "kiss my big, hairy Italian a-- ... [oops, a family show] ..." ??? |
Rich
What a long, strange trip it's been! |
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Bean
Still Hangin' At The Mailbox
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 02 2003 : 12:38:10 AM
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From what I remember we were walking down 2nd ave right in front of the Filmore East and a group of thugs were walking toward us and one of them body checked me and instead of ignoring him I shoved him back and we all kept walking but they started following us and that's when we ducked in to the record store...I also remember that during the fight and chase that took place out side 2 of them had me pinned up against a locked door at a McDonalds, , I had thought or assumed I could escape through the door but got trapped when it was locked but I kept swinging at them enough to break away...never got a scratch on me that day...
How we ever survived amazes me ! and I don't mean just this incident I mean in general with everything we did and went through? |
Edited by - Bean on March 02 2003 12:39:26 AM |
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moonhaze9
Still A Babe
Status: offline |
Posted - March 02 2003 : 12:48:57 PM
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| Wow! I remember that night too! As wonderful as it was to be at the Fillmore, there was always a chance of disaster on the streets. That was one of the worst. Yeah, my pal Gary Beck was there, and did get lost for awhile. Also Boogie Laks (Bruce) was there. I didn't quite remember who else. I remember asking a cop for help. Yeah, right. Real helpful. We somehow jumped onto a subway to Penn Station before being killed by the gang of thugs. I can still feel the joy when we met up with Gary Beck on the LIRR platform. |
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stanko
Still A Babe
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 02 2003 : 2:12:59 PM
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| We were just up in Stockbridge, Mass. , and stopped by Arlo's old church. And Alice's. What beautiful country. Not to mention Norman's world. "You can get anything you want"........"If you want it" |
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Bean
Still Hangin' At The Mailbox
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 02 2003 : 4:22:13 PM
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Holy **** Kat than we do know each other if you were there that day in the city and you knew Gary Beck and the whole story of us losing him and thinking he was dead, and BRUCE THE BOOGIEMAN LAKS !!!! He was Finger's Keyboard player ( while we had one ) for a short while, and we wrote this sick song together called " Crying Dying " that sounded like an Inna Gadda Da Vidda version of The House in New Orleans, Bruce was also supposed to help me write my " Rock Opera called " The Door Is Open " which whose title was inspired by the Love crush I had on Doris ( Sorry Doc ! ) as for Gary Beck he ended his writing in my Central Year Book withthe words " Remember 8th Street " and as for Bruce did you know his Big Brother Lenny who had a Band Called The Hamilton Face Band and had two albums released on Bell Records ? They use to play in the Village all the time at the Bitter End which is still there today but now doing moslty folky type stuff, Bruce was managing a record store on Old Country Rd Titus Oaks for a long time too if I am not mistaken, I visted him there several times...
and since we are on remeincing...did you know Joanne Scoma, another favorite lost friend, groupie and love of mine...I'd love to get her on this page too. I know she is or was livingout in LA, Michael, Karen are you still in contact with Joannne, let's get her on this page...now she could tell some reaally wicked stories...Poor me, Michael and Jerry! 
and let us not forget Sweet Sweet Colette with the curly curly Blonde Blonde Hair...she use to make me or Jamaic(me) crazy...hey I'm off to Jamaica on Tuesday for 10 days so you won't be seeing or hearing from me on this page until I return. |
Edited by - Bean on March 02 2003 4:26:16 PM |
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Bean
Still Hangin' At The Mailbox
USA
Status: offline |
Posted - March 02 2003 : 4:32:22 PM
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Michael Karen,
I saw Ray ( Davies ) of course up un Stockbridge Mass about 6 or 7 years ago for one of his 20th Century Man Storyteller solo shows and we all stayed ( Ray too ) at the Famous Red Lion Hotel and we went to Alice's Resturant, it was during the beautiful Fall season too and it was magnificent up there...after the show at about 2 AM Ray and a bunch of us sat around the fire place in the hotel lobby all taking turns telling dirty Jokes and I swear this was his idea ! -
Frank
"This is the age of machinary
mechanical nightmare
the wonderful world of technology
napalm hydrogen bombs biological warfare...
I'm a 20th Century Man and I don't wanna live here
I'm a 20th Centruy Man but I don't wanna die here "
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Edited by - Bean on March 02 2003 4:33:16 PM |
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John Gagliano
