Book Review - Between Two Bridges by Victor Colaio

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It was sometime in the mid 1980's. I was having dinner at Forlini's Restaurant at 93 Baxter Street in downtown Manhattan with my good friend Rudy Riska, who was the Athletic Director of the Downtown Athletic Club, and was known as the King of the Heisman Trophy. I had grown up across the street from Forlini's, in a tenement at 134 White Street, the corner of Baxter Street in the Sixth Ward, across the street from the city prison called the Tombs. Rudy had grown up on Madison Street, in the adjourning Fourth Ward, just a 10-minute walk away.

The Fourth and Sixth Ward people were friendly enemies, especially in sports. My first memory of the Fourth Ward was in 1958 when I went to play Little League baseball at Coleman Oval, under the Manhattan Bridge. By then the neighborhood had been completely transformed and tens of thousands of people had been thrown out of their homes by of the cruel law of Eminent Domain. This was done to make way for the construction of Al Smith low-income projects and the Chatham Green middle-income co-ops. The same thing had happened in the Sixth Ward, albeit on a smaller basis, to make way for the construction of Chatham Towers middle-income co-ops.

During dinner at Forlini's, Rudy told me about the Fourth Ward of the 1940's and early 1950's. He mentioned streets that no longer existed; like Roosevelt Street and Oak Street, and parts of Williams Street. And he mentioned a Catholic church I never heard of named St. Joachim's, which was on Roosevelt Street. Then Rudy started talking about the guys he grew up with.

"Do you remember Victor Star?" Rudy asked me.

No, I didn't, but after reading the wonderful book "Between Two Bridges" by Victor Colaio (Victor Star), even though I never met the man, I know Victor Star very well (we even went to the same high school - Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx).

Both Victor and Rudy are about 10-12 years older than me. The Lower East Side they grew up in was slightly different than the Lower East Side I grew up in. Sure, we played stickball, stoopball, softball, hardball, basketball and football, like they did, but we had actual balls that we bought at a sporting goods store on Nassau Street, the name of which escapes me (Spiegels?). In Victor's era, they bought pink Spaldeens, and the occasional Clincher softball, like we did, but their footballs were made of wrapped up newspaper and tape. Talk about roughing it. (I'm assuming they used real basketballs, because if the ball wasn't perfectly round, how could they bounce it properly?)

Also, in Rudy and Victor's era, television was a new invention; basically only bars had them to show sporting events like baseball and boxing. However, I don't remember not having a TV set in my apartment, nor do I remember any of my friends not having TV sets in their apartments. But this was the mid to late 1950's; not the mid to late 1940's, when Rudy and Victor grew up.

In "Between Two Bridges," Victor talks about spending many wondrous afternoons at the Venice Theatre, which was owned by a wonderful woman named Mazie, who let kids into the theater for free if they didn't have the money. Mazie also gave money to the bums on the Bowery, so that they could buy something to eat, or most likely something to drink. I don't remember the Venice Theater, but I do remember Mazie, but from the Chatham Theater on Chatham Square, under the Third Avenue El, which was knocked down when I was about 9 or 10 years old. However, the Chatham Theater remained there for many years.

In "Between Two Bridges," Victor regales the reader with stories of how kids played ball in "The Lots," a filthy strip of land under Manhattan Bridge. I don't remember "The Lots," but I do remember remember Coleman Oval, which was constructed on the former site of "The Lots." This is where the Two Bridges Little League Baseball Association played their games. In fact in 1960, my Transfiguration Little League team beat Victor's St. James Little League team for the Two Bridges Championship.

And then there were the nicknames, which almost everybody had.

Victor was Victor Star. My nickname in the Sixth Ward was Mooney; people still call me Mooney. Victor mentions childhood friends like Pete the Lash, who was built like a safe and wasn't afraid to throw his weight around. After I moved to the Fourth Ward's Knickerbocker Village in 1964, I met Pete the Lash, who was definitely an impressive physical specimen; only by the mid 70's his brick-like body did have a bit of a beer belly. Even though Pete was basically a friendly, jovial guy, woe to those who got on the wrong side of Pete the Lash.

Victor mentions other nicknames names like Richie Igor, Nonnie, Paulie Knock Knock, Junior, Bunny, and Butch, all men whom I knew in later years. But I don't recall Goo-Goo, Bobo the Hippo, Hammerhead, Paulie Batman, Georgie Egg, Bopo, or Bimbo. But I wish I did.

Growing up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 30's through 60's was a unique experience; an experience that no longer exist for the youngsters of New York City. In the Lower East Side, we grew up with people of all denominations and faiths. The Two Bridges Little Baseball League had teams from Transfiguration Church - almost exclusively Italians and Chinese. St James was mostly Irish with a few Italians. St. Joseph was mostly Italians with a few Irish. Mariners Temple's team was Puerto Rican. Educational Alliance and LMRC were Jewish. And Sea and Land, sponsored by neighborhood people, were African-Americans. And there were Polish, Spanish kids from Spain, and Czechoslovakian kids sprinkled throughout the teams.

We didn't have the time or energy to be racist or prejudiced. We all grew up together and we all respected each other. It was the only way to survive.

One thing that Victor points out in his book is very true. If you grew up on the Lower East Side, you grew balls; you had to. You had to fight almost every day, and if you didn't; you got beat up almost every day. Bullies invariably picked on the weaker kids, or the ones who didn't fight back. But if you did fight back, even if you caught a beating or two, the bullies moved on to easier pray.

It was just the law of the jungle.

The Lower East Side did produce mobsters of all nationalities. But it also produced doctors (Joe Fiorito), lawyers (Mathew J. Mari from the Fourth Ward is a prominent criminal attorney), politicians (Al Smith from James Street became Governor of New York and lost the Presidential Election in 1928), several judges ( Judge Piccariello), professional singers (Johnny Maestro, Luther Vandross), and professional athletes. Rudy Riska was one professional athlete from the Lower East Side (he played for the Triple A Yankees); his brother Steve was another (the Cincinnati Reds farm system). There was also a guy named Vinnie Head (I never knew his real name) from the Sixth Ward (NY Giants Farm system), and Charlie Vellotta, also from the Sixth Ward (Dodgers farm system). Charlie lived on the same floor with me at 134 White Street.

My next door neighbor at 134 White Street was Mikey Black; real name Michael Corriero (we shared a firescape, and Mikey used to frequently knock on my door because he forgot the key to his apartment and had to use my bedroom window to get onto the firescape to get into his apartment). Mikey, after being on the periphery of juvenile gangs when he was a teenager, became a lawyer, then a judge in New York State Juvenile Court System. He is now the Executive Director and Founder of the New York Center for Juvenile Justice.

So there.

Growing up on the Lower East Side in the mid Twentieth Century cannot be described any better than Victor Colaio does in "Between Two Bridges." I highly recommend this book to all New Yorkers - no matter what age group. And if you come from other parts of the country, you can't help but enjoy this brilliant book too. If people not from New York City can flock to watch a ridiculous program like "Mob Wives," they should read a book that is true to life, not a stereotype of the worst possible people in the New York City area.

One more thing - if you don't buy "Between Two Bridges," I might have to send Pete the Lash to visit you.

And that can never be a very good thing.

You can view my Author website with all my fiction and non fiction writings at: http://josephbrunowriter.com/.

In addition, my my Joe Bruno on the Mob can be seen at: http://joebrunoonthemob.wordpress.com/

Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin: A Review

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Mrs. Kennedy and Me recounts Clint Hill's Secret Service assignment to protect Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy from November 1960 until Lyndon Johnson was elected in 1964. Written with dignity and respect, the book describes the challenges and rewards attached to guarding Mrs. Kennedy.

The detail about Mrs. Kennedy's daily activities and overseas trips is extensive. Photos of her public and private life abound. Mr. Hill and co-author Lisa McCubbin write of her indomitable spirit, her coy humor and her grace. Hill clearly adored the whole Kennedy family and guarded them with diligence. He generously chronicles his time with Mrs. Kennedy. She was an expert equestrian, which forced him to find creative ways to protect her while riding. At one point, she mischievously bummed a cigarette off him while they were in a car out of the public eye. A lover of ballet, she teased him about his reaction to a performance she thought particularly moving.

He describes her beautiful outfits for various state functions. Clothing was an important part of her image. American's adored her sense of style. She wanted to purchase some outfits while in Italy. Advising her against it, Hill found himself dispatched to women's boutiques with the former First Lady's shopping list.

A Secret Service agent must problem-solve in situations we can't fathom:

? Determining on the spot whether or not it was safe for Mrs. Kennedy to touch a baby elephant during a trip to India.
? Safely transporting a horse gifted to Mrs. Kennedy by Pakistani President Ayub back to the United States.
? Keeping Presidential moments private while maintaining adequate protection for the family.

Mrs. Kennedy valued her privacy and wanted her children to have a normal life. Much of her time was spent away from the White House. Although this meant Mr. Hill would see his wife and children less, he never complained. It was simply part of the job.

If you are looking for rumors and bits of scandal supposedly tied to the Kennedy Administration, look elsewhere. Wanting to bring a balance to salacious gossip about that time and negative stories of the Secret Service's response to the President's assassination, Mr. Hill breaks his fifty-year silence. The memoir is a positive and honest assessment of the joys and tests he met as an agent. The memoir overflows with respect for the Kennedy family. Hill writes eloquently about the depression and guilt he suffered because he felt he didn't move quickly enough to take the bullets that struck President Kennedy on that fateful day in November of 1963.

The author of this memoir is a consummate gentleman who humbly went about his duties. He was at that time, perhaps, Mrs. Kennedy's closest friend. In Mr. Hill's own words, "What started out as uncertainty for both Mrs. Kennedy and me, had turned into a comfortable and enjoyable working relationship based on mutual trust and respect."

Readers, you will be moved by this personal tribute to an unforgettable First Lady. I highly recommend Mrs. Kennedy and Me.

Article originally published by Holly Weiss on http://www.blogcritics.org/.

Holly Weiss is the author of a historical fiction novel, Crestmont, writer and reviewer of newly-released books. http://www.hollyweiss.com/.

Free reprint of article if entire bio is intact.

Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math - Book Review

If you were to have known before you started this book, that it was written by a genius, who was also a top-flight writer and mathematical theoretician -- albeit with a playful bent -- you probably would have left it right where it was, but still you would have had a playful mathematical "theoretician" doing the research.

Bellos does go over the great Euclidian discoveries and the math theory behind them. It makes sense that if you are going to pun on the name of the master, that you look at his work. Yes, this homage to the Greek mathematician makes it seem as if this will be one of those books you skim and leave on the coffee table to show that you are an intellectual. If that is as far as you get, then you are doing yourself and mathematics a great injustice.

There's far more to Bellos' mathematical journey, not only across mathematical space, than the title would indicate. It is a journey around the globe, following Bellos' journey, that takes you to some surprising places. Bellos can pull this off because he is a snappy writer with a surprising command of the language. Because of these abilities, he pulls you into math, using some real gems that include:

His theory that ants actually count the number of steps in trips to and from their colonies, an interesting construct that anthropromorphizes insects, giving them human-like qualities to them. How else can you explain ant behavior?

His side trip to the Amazon where he meets the only native tribe that uses a base-5 number and counting system because they can only understand numbers up to 5, yet their numbering system works at a highly sophisticated level. They use it to get as any being done anywhere else, which is quite a start to a person schooled in two theories (rote learning with the table cards and "the new math" and "set theory.")

His jump to the zen master of the theoretical math involved in oregami is priceless, as is his proof -- in a way -- that chaos theory is just about chaos and nothing more as he shows that in a chaotic system it is nearly impossible to introduce true randomness into iPod music list building. He theorizes, one cannot get to the absolute randomness as there are too many other distractions in the search for randomness, including the fact that many people like the same musical groups and will inevitably include their music on other music lists.

Bellos' book is so surprising that is also based on our prejudices about math. Just one example reinforces our prejudices. Of course, the teachings of the Buddha are surprising, quickly turning around our prejudices. This lasts until we meet the two New York "mathheads," who would rather build a supercomputer to use to write and argue about their "pi" mania, at a huge number of teraflops per second, rather than put their considerable talents to work on other, more important work.

Yes, Bellos' work is truly dense and takes an understanding -- and rereading of parts -- to make it all understandable, but Bellos, if you stick with him, is a witty, accurate writer who gets his educational point across. That, in itself, makes this a master work.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for ecommUS-Book

"No Longer Silent" by Tammy Gagnon Is An Amazing Story of Self-Discovery and Triumph

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When I began reading No Longer Silent by Tammy Gagnon, I had no idea I'd be taken on such an intense journey through another's life. Albeit a bumpy and often uncomfortable ride, it was one I wanted to finish.

Ms. Gagnon writes as if she's right there talking to you, at a simple table, over coffee, without pretense or anything counterfeit. She's not trying to impress you or sell you anything; she sugarcoats nothing. With utter transparency and candidness, she walks you through a childhood and young adult life packed full of events so nightmarish, one might think it was all invented for a movie or a novel storyline. As I read, I almost felt like I was watching a film reel clattering by, complete with sound and sometimes even smell as her life whirled before me. And some of it, frankly, is not easy to read.

But it's not a horror story, nor is it a plea for pity. It's a narrative about people and the lives we live and the lives we touch. As with all of human behavior--what people do and how they treat each other--there is good and there is evil; there are noble intentions and there are wicked. There are Good Samaritans and there are those who victimize. We live in a world where people make choices based a lot of things, some at surface level, and some at levels so deep it can take years of digging and peeling layers to get to the root of it. Truly, the psychology of this story is gripping.

But the details of what happened to Tammy are merely ingredients in a much bigger picture. What her story is really about is self-discovery. It's also about hope and forgiveness and the freedom they bring. And this is what makes it worth trudging through some of the muck and mire events of her life. Yes, she was a victim, and yes that, in turn, had negative effects on certain people in her life. But absolute honesty with herself, a desire to love her family and to seek God, and a firm conviction to make right what wrongs she could, pulled her through.

If you're like me, you'll not be able to relate to a lot of her story, but you'll be glad she told it to you. In fact, I wish I'd read this in years prior. It would have given me a whole different perspective, not to mention empathy, for people I have seen over the years acting out in certain ways.

Read No Longer Silent, take this voyage. There are some dark and turbulent waters. But there is a port waiting on the other side refreshingly filled with faith, hope, and recovery.

Kelly Libatique is a professional speaker, trainer and author. He holds a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Psychology and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Anne and two sons.

Visit http://www.libatique.com/ or Contact Kelly at: Kelly.Libatique@gmail.com

The Imperial Cruise By James Bradley

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World War II holds a certain interest for me. I have to wonder if it is because I would be speaking a completely different language and my country would be a little red blip on the world map if events had turned out otherwise. Anyway whatever the reason I do read the occasional book on that era. This book is about the previous 100 years and the reasons why Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on that fateful morning of December 7th, 1941. Now after saying that you won't necessarily like the answers that this book holds.

Bradley is also the author of Flags of Our Fathers - the book about his father's role in raising the flag at Iwo Jima and how no one knew about his level of his involvement until after he had died. The humility of that generation coined the Greatest by Tom Brokaw is exemplified by his behaviour in the Pacific. Bradley probably was intrigued by the attack of the Japanese as that changed his family's history dramatically. He researches the presidencies of McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt and also the involvement of Taft and his work with Roosevelt out in Asia specifically with this subject in mind.

Just about everything I knew about Teddy Roosevelt was a fallacy. As a heads-up, this book was incredibly hard to read with respect to the way that many people were treated. Roosevelt wanted the world to view him in a certain way and never was photographed in some situations and always in others. He was the original media and public relations junkie. He often would have one conversation with a world leader but then relay a completely different notion to the American press.

In the summer of 1905 Roosevelt sent then Secretary of War William Howard Taft and his oldest daughter, Alice on a diplomatic mission across the Pacific. Alice was hugely popular as she lived a relatively wild life and the press and people of the US loved her. Alice was to keep the reporters and photographers busy while Taft met secretly with several leaders. Civilizing the Asian people was the idea of the trip for Roosevelt. These meetings would set up the groundwork for America's Pacific engagement but would come back to bite the people of the US less than 40 years later.

Bradley never gives his opinion throughout the book which is admirable. He just writes how history went down and who met with whom and why America was so interested in Asia and the Pacific. Personally I found the chapter on the opium wars very interesting with Queen Victoria being the most notorious 'dealer' along with some pretty heavy hitting names from American history. Worth your time especially if you are at all interested in world politics.

You can find more of my book and movie reviews at: http://ukchica.com/

Tuesdays With Morrie - My Thoughts

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I just finished reading the book Tuesdays with Morrie and it is as inspiring as what people have said about it. I have read Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith as well, two years ago. And they are very inspiring, why? Because, for one, it's non-fiction which means it's true-to-life, obviously and it brings out more emotions to the readers because you feel like you have met the same people and you have been with the author in his journey and you have experienced it first hand though you are just sitting in your room reading. But that's what I like about it.

Okay, for those who do not know the story, here is the gist. In college, Morrie Schwartz was Mitch's psychology professor. But to him, he was more of a mentor and as the story progressed, they became almost like relatives. Often, Mitch calls him "coach" as Morrie had come to like it and so, he is called "player". After he graduates from college, he started to seek out a job. Many times he failed until the death of his uncle drove him to go back to school. Eventually, he got a master's degree in journalism and became a sports writer. He went from New York to Florida and finally landed on Detroit where he worked for the Detroit Free Press.

From there, his life started to turn around for the better. He quit renting and bought a house and a car. He married afterwards. All his life, he was chasing after his accomplishments which seemed to give him satisfaction and worth in his life. He thought he could control things when he was successful and so he tried. Up until one night when he hears his professor's name on the TV. Who is Morrie Schwartz? And it hit him.

That was the start of his turning a new leaf. His professor from then on showed him new perspectives and gave him advice on how to live life. By that time, Morrie was already terminally ill and has no more than a few years or even less to live. After realizing that his death was imminent, he started to live. He called everyone he knew, he started to share to people his story--he was simply making his life worth something not only to him but to others. His condition became known to many people and he started receiving letters from people all over.

Mitch got the opportunity to know his professor up-close. He was able to learn many things from him regarding relationships, life, death, marriage, values. He became like a child to Morrie. And the book became his 'final thesis' with his professor. Time came when Morrie was bed-ridden. Lifting his hand was already a heavy load for him to do. Through it all, Mitch was beside him, to help him. Usually they met on Tuesdays and every Tuesday, they would have a great time just talking to each other.

Morrie died peacefully as he always wanted. Nobody was there when he gasped his last breath but it was what he wished for--to have nobody hold on to the memory of knowing that you were there beside him, knowing that you were not able to do anything. He did not want anybody to feel pity for him or to feel guilty, he did not want anybody else to suffer. He just lived life as normally as possible even with the illness. And Mitch still felt the same way toward his professor when he was in college, and when he was almost going to die. Nothing changed except that he became even more cheerful that he got the chance to spend time with all the people before he died.

It is a really great story. For me, to be so engrossed in a book that I would not put it down says something about the book and the author. I read it in one sitting and every page of the book has something that can inspire you. You can feel the literature coming to life and you feel every bit as the author feels. And I believe, Mitch feels deeply for his professor. And I came to like him as well, and I realized more about my life than I have sitting in front of the computer. I have learned so much from this book and I bet everyone who has read it has been consumed and motivated by it.

Finding Your Road To Success by Patrick Daniel Is a Different Kind of Success Book

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Finding Your Road to Success by Patrick Daniel was a pleasure to read, and will be a pleasure to re-read. There are a gazillion books out there about "how to be a success," but Patrick Daniel's book stands out from the crowd.

First off, this really isn't a book about "success," not the way we in Western culture would normally define it. It's really a work about two things that allude so many in this rat race of life: happiness and satisfaction. Unfortunately, what we call success and what we call happiness very often don't go hand in hand.

Right away you don't feel like you're reading a book. Rather, you're sitting down with Patrick and having a one-on-one with him about life. He doesn't come across as some "success expert" with a bunch of finger-wagging, cocksure formulas or old clich?s. Instead, he simply starts telling you what he's done, how he's achieved his own success, and how you can as well if you follow some basic concepts.

Patrick is very transparent and talks openly about himself and his family, his goals, his dreams, and even his failures. He tells you how he's responded to all these things and how he's come out ahead as a result. He also shares his faith and why that is so important to him. He makes it clear that what he considers success, and ultimately his goal of "Ultimate Success," is not necessarily what you and I would choose. His formulas are more like conceptual templates where you, the reader, fill in the blanks.

And all along he backs his views and models with stories; some heart-warming, some serious, some funny, but all applicable. I think my favorite story was how thrilled Patrick was to finally achieve his long-term goal of throwing $500 in one shot at a slot machine and how satisfied he was even though he lost (you'll have to read the book to find out what that was all about).

This book is also packed with rich quotes worthy of noting from all kinds of sources, both unknown and famous individuals, as well as the Bible. These quotes, as well as some of the methods he's used to manage his life (like a budget sheet) are all reprised in one handy section at the end of the book.

All in all, this is a personal and touching work by someone who has achieved success in many ways, including learning to help others, budgeting money, living by ethical standards, cultivating friendships, and by always being a lifelong learner. Be prepared to read Finding Your Road to Success several times, taking notes and piecing together your own version of how you can find your Ultimate Success as well. There's way too many nuggets in this work to gather in just one or two shots.

Kelly Libatique is a professional speaker, technical trainer, and author. He holds a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Psychology. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Anne and two sons.

Visit http://www.libatique.com/ or Contact Kelly at: Kelly.Libatique@gmail.com