46 years ago, while working for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, I was sent to work in Moonachie. Perry Dedovich and I were assigned to clean out a warehouse, working under the supervision of Paul Lo Presti and his partner in embezzlement, Dave Manzo. The warehouse was mostly empty to begin, but there was a lot of dust and debris left behind.

We would take some blue substance and throw it atop the dust so that the dust wouldn’t create clouds. The blue substance was probably toxic but it was 1980 and no one knew any better. We would meet at the book warehouse in Saddle Brook, and get in a dilapidated van for the drive to Moonachie.

Perry and I were major fans of the Beatles and word on the street was that John Lennon was back in the studio after staying out of the recording business for about 5 years. And on top of that the band backing John Lennon was Cheap Trick and that seemed exciting. I believe when we were driving back to Saddle Brook we heard (Just Like) Starting Over for the first time. It was pleasant, not much of an edge to it.

It didn’t sound like Cheap Trick but we didn’t know anything back then. When the single became available I duly went out and bought it. It was a fun, out of the ordinary experience working with Perry under the watchful count of the money eyes of Lo Presti and Manzo.

A little over a year later they would be fired after the embezzlement was found out. Apparently it had been going on for a number of years. John McKenna, John Vasicek, Larry Ioli, Tony Grega and Harold Wind were some of the familiar names I knew since my brothers worked there as well as my Mother.

Mom worked with Mary Lynch who was not a nice person after all and until then, she thought Mary Lynch was a friend. They all benefited from the embezzlement and they were all caught and dismissed, luckily without any charges being filed.

Life was simpler then. Ignorance is bliss and I was certainly blissful. AIDS hadn’t made itself known yet so that part of my life was relatively carefree.

In today’s world, Bill is getting ready to hit the road once again, for. Number of days that bleed in weeks. He should be back by Halloween but who knows? Mike is looking to move in while Bill is on the road, but that depends on his availability and the phantom parole officer.

The parole officer calls and says don’t make any plans and so plans are dismissed or shuffled around

Time is slow at my little fruit stand. It is not busy at all and so time just crawls past. And it is a Friday which slows things down immensely. I’m not complaining. I was busy enough all week so this quietude is welcomed, just not as appreciated as it should be.

Hurricane Isias is expected and put the kibosh on the Sunday bike ride.

Photo is of a turnstile jumper