Our Strong Bond
I received an email from classmates.com informing that a note had been posted for the class of ’69. I don’t think the person who posted it went to the school, although I’m not sure. Here’s most of it: “I’m a producer at ITV Television in London and we’re making a very sensitive documentary about Jeffrey Epstein. We hope the film will be a definitive profile of Epstein, and our aim is to forensically examine and provide fresh insight into his death as well as his life and crimes. To that end, I’m looking to make contact with a range of people who knew him at various stages of his life, and I’d like to talk to those who knew him during his time at Lafayette High School. If you knew Jeffrey I would love to have a confidential chat with you and tell you more about our project. I would also like to talk to those who might feel able to share their memories of Jeffrey on camera in a prerecorded interview…” I graduated in ’67. I have no recollection of Epstein. It was the height of the baby boom. There were more than 5000 kids enrolled. Juniors and seniors began school at 8 AM, freshmen and sophomores at ten or eleven. If I ever crossed paths with Epstein, it was in a crowded hallway. Do I believe he committed suicide? Although there are oddities, I’m not convinced he was murdered, just as I haven’t been persuaded that Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t act alone.
Here’s a list of notable LHS Alumni:
Bob Aspromonte (baseball player), brother of Ken
Ken Aspromonte (baseball player), brother of Bob
Kevin Baez (baseball player)
Tony Balsamo (baseball player)
Sal Campisi (baseball player)
Herb Cohen (author, negotiator)
Alex Coletti (producer)
Vic Damone (singer)
Benny Distefano (baseball player)
Jerry Della Femina (author, restaurateur, advertising agent)
Pete Falcone (baseball player)
Al Ferrara (baseball player)
Mike Fiore (baseball player)
John Franco (baseball player)
Sheila Friedman (original Dean Martin Golddigger)
Mike Garson (musician)
Gary David Goldberg (producer and sitcom creator)
Eugène Green (novelist, playwright, film maker)
Fred Hellerman (singer, songwriter, member of The Weavers)
Robert Kerman (actor)
Larry King (journalist and talk show host)
Sandy Koufax (Hall of Fame baseball pitcher)
Richard LaGravenese (screenwriter)
Michael Lerner (actor)
Dave Liebman (musician)
Luis Lopez (baseball player)
Norm Mager basketball player
Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, artist)
Larry Merchant (sportswriter)
Vickie Natale (singer, songwriter, and CBS Star Search champion)
Eric Ober (President of CBS News)
Rochelle Owens (poet and playwright)
Rhea Perlman (actress)
Archie Rand (artist)
Steve Schirripa (actor and author)
Maurice Sendak (artist)
Paul Sorvino (actor)
Elliott Stein (film critic and historian)
Michael Steinhardt (financier)
Frank P. Tomasulo (film professor and journal editor)
Fred Wilpon (New York Mets owner)
Larry Yellen (baseball player)
Walter Zanger (journalist and author)
NFL: This week’s recap is all about the quarterbacks. Tom Brady had a rare bad game and, right on cue, his haters are filled with the hope that this finally presages his demise. It’s probably wishful thinking… In the same vein, it looks like Phillip Rivers’ great career is at an end after back to back horror shows during a sub-par season… It’s nice to see the Jets win easily and Sam Darnold play well… At the moment the Ravens are the league’s most impressive team, led by the incredible Lamar Jackson, who many thought was not a good fit for pro ball… Sadly, it seems the Bears’ Mitch Trubisky’s passing has gotten worse instead of better… Every time I’ve written Jared Goff off as an effective NFL QB, he’s come back strong, so I won’t say anything negative about his recent play. The Rams offense is woeful, after seeming unstoppable last season… He may not be the MVP of the league, but QB Jacoby Brissett is of his team. The difference between the Colts’ offense with and without him is huge… Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has been spectacular for more than a month, silencing critics… Jameis Winston continues to torment Buccaneer fans. It looks like he will never solve his tendency toward turnovers.
It was brisk and beautiful, perfect for selling books. My thanks to the woman who bought two cookbooks, one in German; and to Lynn, who purchased The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans; and to Maria, who selected Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing by Christiane Northrup M.D.; and to Alan and his wife, who donated six paperbacks; and to the woman who donated four books in Russian.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts
Read Vic’s Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
