Before the shift, speaking of idols: Did we ever find out whether Diana Rigg ever got an answer from the gentleman who relinquished that cab?
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Everyone (of a certain age) has a Jack Dempsey story; there are probably 8 million of 'em. Mine, too, was literally on the eve of my 18th birthday, at 11:15pm, in 1962. We had just finished seeing "How To Succeed in Business" and stopped by Jack's to celebrate. The wary bartender spied my I.D. and waved over Jack, who was at his front window table playing gin rummy with another ancient pug.
The bartender introduced me to "the proprietor" but at that exact moment the cast of "Naked City"--Paul Burke, Horace McMahon, and Harry Bellaver--presumably done filming for the night (the real police precinct was around the corner on 54th and 8th)--came into the bar. Regulars they were. Jack introduced me to the cast and posed the problem to the ersatz police. Horace McMahon suggested we play a quick hand of rummy and if I won I'd get the drink.
The game was over at 11:45pm and of course I won.
The bartender brought over a glass of sparkling ginger ale.
At midnight I had a scotch.
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I read the Diary through the link in NY Today. I don't know about anyone else, but whenever I see the title in the link, before clicking over I attempt to make a guess what the entry will be about. I haven't been right yet.
Thanks for the story, Victor.
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Victor:
Was that you? I was outside, waiting for a ride to go have dinner at Louis' Restaurant in the Bronx; best veal in the city!! I might've been able to help.
Cent'anni
Michael Corleone
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RIP daily Metropolitan Diary. You will be sorely missed.
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What day of the week will the full column be published?
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Keep this as daily content. How will Freddie be able to write lyrics?
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Victor--
Would that you could have been 16 during the Vietnam war. Bartenders simply asked to see your draft card, of which phony cards were plentiful. They might suspect that the card was not kosher, but they were off of the hook once they proofed you. Hard to imagine a benefit to that war, but the draft cards may have been the only positive for early drinkers.
Thanks for sharing your tale.
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“I wouldn’t have been able to handle it if the Manassa Mauler saw me being kicked out of his joint”
As two idols from another field (Sondheim by way of Stritch) might have sung it:
I’ll drink to that!
And one for Mauler!
P.S. Honoring again Mr. Washkevich’s equally wonderful Yankee Stadium story from last year, which remains so touching.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/15/nyregion/metropolitan-diary-soldier-a...
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Hi Freddie, Thanks for the reminder of Mr. Washkevich’s Diary entry from last year about attending that wartime game at Yankee Stadium in 1944. Wonderful and very touching it was indeed! Allen
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@Freddie
Thanks for sharing that! It was a lovely story, so heartwarming.
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@Allen, look on google, he's been a regular Diary contributor over the years. Excellent stories. (I wonder if his work goes back to when the Diarists were sent champagne?)
To "Person," if you see this - when you got in back in 2011, did you get champagne?
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Dear Mr. Washkevich,
Thank you for a great and suspenseful story, which I was hoping was going to conclude with you getting Jack Dempsey’s autograph (as well as that beer).
When I read you were at 10th near 49th my mind and memory went, not to the old Garden, but to the many trips I took as a teenager to West 49th to a shop on the north side of the street just east of 8th. That was where my friends and I used to hunt for LPs among the dozens of bins at Sam Goody’s wonderful record store. Thanks for reviving that happy memory for me.
Stay well and enjoy life for many more years.
Allen
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