Chapter 41 - The Payback
Chapter 41 - The Payback
I was angry and felt beaten and ridiculed by my family, but I didn't want to take it sitting down doing nothing. I wanted to fight back for my personal esteem and I knew that any fight however costly, would not really have any effect on my mother's financial condition. She isn't going to live long in Florida and my brother and sisters will wind up having all the leftover money and valuables. That's what they are after! Oh God! How unjust! OK! I got to get my thoughts together here and make a plan and direction. The anger and feeling of defeat is interfering with my thought process, but I must try to focus and put the anger and frustration behind me and choose a new direction. Oh God, I can't think! I got to start building a foundation. First thing is to put the house in working condition first.
I had called the electric company and told them that my mother wanted the electric turned back on. I told them that she needed the electric turned back on just until she sold the house. With luck and manipulation, the electric company turned the electric in the house back on. I then called the telephone company to order service. I also contacted a friend of mine who was a lock-smith and had him change all the locks in case my brother and sisters learned that I was there and wanted otherwise. Everything was now back in order. I brought the refrigerator back from the outside into the house and reinstalled the door. Apparently, my mother left a TV for me to have so I guess she did expect me to return to the house. As soon as I had a new phone number, I called the real estate agent, and told him that I was back in the house and that I had changed the locks for security reasons. I gave them my phone number. I told them that I was still driving a taxi, and if they needed to show the house to someone to call me to make an appointment before hand. Then I would be happy to show the house to anyone willing to look at it. I was trying to be fair about everything, because now at least I have a base to think and plan. I had changed the locks for two reasons. First, because I didn´t want them to change the locks on me when I was out working, and second, because I hid my money in a secret place, and you never know if they might by chance, come across it. I assured the agent that there would be no problem showing the house as long as they made an appointment for me to be there. The agent said that would be OK.
Now that everything was secure, I returned to driving a taxi. I wasn´t making much money now, because my mind wasn´t really there. I was using the taxi to look around for other moves and to plan a direction. I was lucky if I made $40.00. With the taxi, I had to go around to see everyone who was helping me with the new business and tell them the bad news. At the same time, I needed to thank them for all their help. I first stopped by to see Eddy and Chris, and told them what had happened. They were very sorry to hear it. I then told Juan Colon the same thing. Chris Ross was very concerned about my future.
I arrived back home the next day about 10AM and a few minutes later, I saw a strange man through the front window come up to the house and rang the doorbell. I decided not to answer and watch. The strange man look around a few moments, and put something in the mailbox. I waited for him to leave and retrieved the document. It was a Notice To Vacate from my brother and his wife´s lawyers. My brother and sisters had decided to throw me out of the house. I had no plans to stay, I just needed time to plan and think, but I thought that this was horrible that my own family wants to kick me out of the house. The document said that I had to vacate the house within 30 days. Right then, I lost my mind. The evil against me is coming on strong in all of this. It's not going to let me walk away in peace. My blood was on fire and I'm not going to let the devil run over me while I'm laying down. I'm going to stand up straight and stare the evil in the eye. Evil understands nothing but evil. So I'm going to fight back. No prisoners! I don't care now who gets hurt, but it's not going to be me.
Thirty days is not much time to do anything so I consulted a lawyer in my neighborhood. I asked the lawyer if there was some way I could postpone this abusive action until I find a new place to live. The lawyer told me to send my mother a bank check in the amount of $500.00, and write, for the rent, on the check. Then if your mother cashes it, which she will because everyone is greedy, then when the check returns, we could drag this case on for a couple of years if you have the money. The bank will mail the paid check back to you. It will be your proof that you paid rent. Then they can not kick you out without a long fight.
I tried to be nice and at the same time, I tried to buy some time to think. I would not interfere with the selling of the house, but now that my brother sent me a notice to vacate, I am not going to be nice anymore and try to survive here for awhile in order to make a plan. It is survival now. I can't be nice. It is my life and well-being that is in jeopardy now.
It was now the July Forth Holiday Weekend. I arrived home about 8:00AM after driving a taxi all night. There was a message on my machine from the real estate agent, which said that they were showing the house at 11:00AM. They demanded that I be there with a nasty tone of voice. As I listened to the message I thought that this was not an appointment, but a demand. I was exhausted from working the entire night shift and went to sleep. About 11:00AM after just two hours sleep, I heard the door bell ring. I awoke and heard someone trying to open the door with a key. Then I heard someone say he changed the lock. I didn´t get-up because I was completely exhausted. Someone came around the backyard of the house to the back door where my bed is located. I heard the screen door open and someone was trying a key. I then recognized the voice. It was my nephew Charles voice, my brother´s older son. He said, "He changed the lock here also." Then Charles tried to peek through the window directly above my bed. He started to separate the screen for the window, and I jumped-up and quickly went to the stairs to remain out of sight if he tried to look in the window. He stuck his hand into the window and pulled the blinds knocking one side of the blinds off the track. I immediately went upstairs to the main floor and called the police on the telephone. I told the police that I was a neighbor and that someone was trying to break-in to this house on West 7th Street. I gave them the address. Then, as I looked out the top floor front window of the house, I seen my nephew Charles talking with an someone who appeared to be a real estate agent. As I listened to their discussion, they were talking about trying to break-in to the house through the kitchen window. I went to the top floor of the house and peeked out the window and in a short time, I watched as a police vehicle came speeding down the block. With my nephew and real estate agent, I didn't see any people that would have wanted to see the house. It was just my nephew and the real estate agent or an appraiser. The cops quickly intervened. There was a short discussion and the cops immediately sent them away. I became very furious again. I couldn´t believe that my nephew Charles, who loved me, his uncle, so much, and who disliked his father for abandoning them, would get involved in this mess. Now I was even more angry and in the future I will make it even harder for them to get into the house.
On Sunday, I called my sister-in-law Ruby, my brother´s ex-wife. I told her that my brother, her ex-husband, who she hated very much, got her son Charles to come to my house to break into it. She was unaware that Charles did that. I told that someone had called the police and they almost got arrested. Then Ruby put Charles on the phone. I told him that I was very disappointed in him. Your father is going to rip my mother off, and he stopped my mother from giving me the money that she had promised. You are taking your father´s advise and instructions after he left you all stranded. Charles told me that his father had called him and asked him to let the agent in the house. He tried to say that he knew nothing. I told him that he certainly knew what was going on. You were aware of the bullshit that had been going on. Ruby, your mother, knew everything that was going on. I just want you to know that I am very angry and disappointed at you for being a traitor to your uncle. I always went out of my way to come visit you often and always supported you and your family and tried to be a great uncle. I got angry at him and said, "I don´t ever want to speak with you again". Ruby was listening in. She told me not to hold him responsible for his father's actions. Even though I totally disapprove that he spoke with his father in the first place. I told Ruby that her ex-husband ruined my life by preventing me from receiving the money that my mother promised to open my own business and they left me stranded. Yes, with some money, but they left me stranded with no where to go. I want to kill the mutherfucker. Seriously, and I just might even do it. That's how angry I am now. Your son helped him do this to me, and to my mother. He took control of all her assets, and when she dies, and you know that old people don´t live long in Florida, He is going to steel it all. It´s obvious, and your son Charles is trying to help him succeed, and I´m the only one who´s trying to stop it. Sorry, Ruby, your son fucked up and I now do not feel the same way about him. Your son Thomas would not have never helped his father go against me. Ruby understood. Ruby loved me and she would therefore scold Charles about his actions.
After the July forth weekend, I then went to my neighborhood bank and mailed the check like the lawyer advised me to do, and I waited. I wanted to fight my brother and sister back so badly. My mind was uncontrollably obsessed and all these actions against me are increasing my mental anger and frustration. Sending the check and hoping she will cash it would turn things around for a change to not make them fuck with me anymore. At least for a while! They did these things to me and treated me this way all of my life, and they´re doing it again. Now it is my chance to fight back. After all, the money is useless anyway. With luck, five days later, I had received the cashed check receipt in the mail. My mother´s signature was clearly displayed on the check receipt. The lawyer was right. Now I have a chance to fight back and stop them for a while. Let´s see how they like it. I´m going to enjoy this even if I spend all the money doing it. I went back to the same lawyer, but his secretary said that he was too busy to take the case. I met a beautiful female lawyer at AMA one time, and she liked me very much. I gave her a call and told her that I was embarrassed about telling her this family story. I told her what was happening on the phone and she made an appointment to come to her house to discuss it. I arrived at her place and told her the entire story. She then contacted my mother and discussed my situation. My lawyer and my mother was willing to settle the whole matter by giving me the total amount of money that she had originally promised when she sold the house. Great! I get to open my new business after all! My new lawyer then typed the agreement and sent it to my mother in Florida for a signature. My mother received it and was about to sign it, but my brother´s wife came to see her at the same time. She was about to sign it and my brother's wife quickly took the agreement away from her. When I learned about it, I then became very furious. I had lost my mind and all common sense and reasoning. I wanted very seriously to kill them all.
I became very depressed and disillusioned. I now felt that I was a prisoner in my mother´s house. I had to keep an eye on the place so that they wouldn´t try to break-in. I needed to get a lawyer to respond to the 30 day notice. I searched through the yellow pages, and found a lawyer in Manhattan. I made an appointment with his law office, and eventually seen the lawyer and explained the matter. He told me that I had sufficient evidence to fight this matter and told me that including going to court for one time, it would cost $500.00 plus 20% of any settlement. I agreed and paid him the $500.00 and the lawyer battle begins.
I was still depressed and stuck in the house. I wasn´t driving a taxi very much because of my mental state. I needed a way to break-out of it. I needed some happiness to change my state of mind. I was searching for something to break me out of my negative thoughts. I then went to Sam Ash music store. Music always picks me up. I saw a great little piece of equipment that had just been released. It was a Yamaha QY10 MIDI recording console. It was the size of two cigarette packs and had everything neatly contained including drums and full instrumentation. I bought it and a new Roland drum machine. I went home with the new equipment and started to re arrange my songs. This gave me something happy to do while the lawyer battle went on. My buddy Louie continued to visit me every night to help with friendship and support.
Now I was secure in the house and didn't have to worry about anything for the time being now that I have a lawyer handling this case. The lawyer papers went back and forth as I rearranged my music through the machines I bought and the case eventually went to the court in December in which I had to appear personally. I originally wanted a Jewish lawyer because they don´t give a fuck about family problems when it comes to lawyer battles. However, the head Jewish attorney assigned me an Italian attorney from his office crew. I didn´t like it. I felt that this lawyer being Italian would have a place in his heart for my mother, but I went with it anyway. In reality, there is nothing that will negatively effect my mother. When she sells here house coupled with the cash she has in her possession already and in the Florida bank, she will always be taken care of. She really doesn't have to worry about anything. If probably would not live more than two years in Florida. She has enough money and pension to remain in Florida secured for a long time. When my mother dies, my sisters and brother will own everything and there will be a lot to rob and fight over amongst themselves. My actions here will not effect anything except they will have to spend money to fight me and that will reduce their amount to rob from my mother in the end.
I can remember that day very well. It was a miserable morning. It was freezing heavy rain. I had to take the train early in the morning to the downtown Brooklyn courthouse. My attorney met me in front of the courthouse. We both entered the elevator and arrived to the third floor where the courtroom was. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I was in shock to see my mother sitting on the bench seat. I walked over to her and asked her where my brother is. She said that he didn´t come. Then my mother looked at me in a pitiful face and said,_You see what you made me do. My lawyer then pulled me away and took me to the courtroom. I came to court dressed nicely with a tie. My lawyer then went to check to see who was the presiding Judge, and went to talk with my mother´s lawyers. While I was sitting alone in the courtroom, it was early, and nothing had started yet. I couldn´t believe that my chicken-ass brother sent my mother in this terrible weather from Florida all alone to take his place. It was unbelievable. I˜m going to kill that mutherfucker.
My attorney returns and said, Listen Charles, The Judge that is in this courtroom and handling this case is a mutherfucker. I just checked. I was hoping that this Judge was not going to be in this courtroom. He always takes the side of the landlords. I want you to know that I have never won a case with this Judge. With other Judge´s, I got a great deal of sympathy and luck in my favor, but with this Judge, I´m afraid you and I are dead. It is going to be a miracle to pull this one off with this Judge. Now, I had spoken with your mother´s attorney. They are willing to give you $7000.00 when they sell the house to settle this matter peacefully right now. I think you should take it. Remember, $7000.00 is better than nothing. Besides, we don´t stand a chance against this Judge. What do you say?
I thought about it for a moment and I replied, Look, $7000.00 is not enough for me to go into business. With all the hassles of running around, food, rent, phone and misc. items I needed to sustain myself through this ordeal, including the attorney fees, I´m down now to 14,000.00 left. Tell them, it´s there fault that I am now where I am financially. Therefore, I want $16,000.00 to bring it back to the original $30,000.00 that I was supposed to get, and I´ll settle it now. No problem! My lawyer told me that they wouldn´t go for that. I told him to ask them. My lawyer replied, Maybe I´m not making myself clear. This Judge is going to fuck you over. I know it and I know this Judge. He won´t care what they offered you or what you want. His main concern is that your mother is trying to sell the house and you're presence in the house is interfering with the sale. That's the way this Judge will think. That´s what the lawyers are going to bring to his attention. This Judge could care less about your situation. Trust me. I know. If it was another Judge, then maybe you might have a chance. With this Judge you don´t have a chance. Again, I tell you that I have never won a case with this Judge. Take the money. It´s $7000.00 or nothing. Your going to loose anyway so why not take the money.
This is such typical lying lawyer bullshit! I replied very pissed off at his comments,
Hey man, don´t tell me that I´m going to loose. I don´t want to hear any negativity from you. You are my lawyer. I´m paying you to be positive even if we loose. I don´t care what this Judge does. I don´t care if I loose and he throws me out of the house. I´m not afraid of him or anyone else. You´re missing the fucking point! This is not about money. I don´t care about money. My mother promised me the money as a gift for helping her all these years. I never asked her for a dime. I spent a year and a half planning what I was going to do with this promised money. Music is my life. If I´m not doing music then I am a dead man. Lost in a world not doing what I love or doing what I'm supposed to do in my life. It would cost me at minimum, roughly $25,000.00 to begin this music business I had planned where I could develop a future and an income. My brother with the help of my sisters and his wife stopped my mother from giving me that money, and now my mother has joined their efforts. Therefore, I am now homeless and lost without a future and plan. With all this shit happening, $7000.00 is not going to cut it. I would have to give you guys 20% of that seven grand. I´ll still be homeless and unhappy with my life. Fuck this Judge and fuck my brother´s lawyers. Go in that courtroom and fight for me. That's why I'm paying you for. There is only two things will make me happy right now. Getting the remainder of the money to open the business, or going in this courtroom and giving a good fight. That´s all I am asking. Go in that courtroom and fight! It doesn't matter if we lose. Just show me a good fight! Defend me!
My lawyer couldn´t believe what I had just said. He was sort of happy, but he had a puss on his face. He was still afraid of this judge.
Come on, I told him with spark and energy, Don´t be afraid of this Judge. Let´s go in there and kick ass. Even if we are going to lose. Come on, I´m putting my faith in you. If we go down then make it a moment to remember
With that, we then both entered the courtroom and waited to be called. My attorney went to my mother's attorney and told him the outcome of my reply. They decided to approach the Judge and fight me. I listen to the Judge as he called case after case. My lawyer was right. He didn´t give any tenant a break. I was praying to God during this time while I listened to case after case. Then they called, Granatelli vs. Granatelli. I rose up and my mother was having trouble coming to the stand so I went to assist and help her. My brothers lawyers, and there were two of them, came over to me rapidly and told me to keep my hands off of their client. I almost punched the lawyer in the face in the courtroom. My attorney quickly grabbed me to hold me off. I yelled at my mother's lawyers in front of the Judge as the entire courtroom watch on, This is my mother, Don´t you ever dare tell me what I can or can not do with my mother. I´ll knock you on your ass right now, right here. I had death in my eyes while I was looking him straight in the eyes. My lawyer quickly intervened and their lawyers partner quickly intervened separating us both. We then all walked up to the Judge's stand.
The Judge looks at the document reading Granatelli vs. Granatelli. The first words out of the Judge´s mouth were, Who´s responsible for bringing this matter to court? His brother my lawyer replied, Thomas Granatelli, your honor. The judge asks my brother´s lawyers, Why did you bring Mrs. Granatelli all the way here in this nasty cold weather from Florida? If I need Mrs. Granatelli, I´ll send for her! My brother´s lawyers didn't know how to respond to this unexpected question and they began mumbling and fumbling. The Judge said, This is ridicules bringing her here flying her in from Florida. Then the Judge picked up the retraction I made my mother sign canceling the power-of-attorney and says to my brother's lawyers, Your Power-of-Attorney is no good. This document cancels it. Their lawyer quickly said, But it´s not notarized. The Judge said, Your power-of-attorney is no good. Everyone, including the people in the courtroom went silent. My lawyer barely said anything. Then the Judge said that in the meantime, I could pay a reasonable rent until this matter gets on the right track. My lawyer said, $400.00 a month. Their lawyer said, It´s a house, your Honor, $500.00 a month. The Judge asked me directly if I could pay $500.00 a month, and I said yes. The Judge then said that it was settled, I need to see this as a motion. My lawyer said quickly to the Judge that a motion was correct. The Judge then dismissed the case to a later date. My lawyer, with so much excitement, quickly dragged me out of the courtroom as my brother´s lawyers were protesting to the Judge in disgust and disappointment.
My lawyer quickly dragged me out of the building and told me, I don´t believe this. You have a lot of luck. I can´t believe that we won this thing. I had never won a case with him, and you flipped me out. I´m going to go back to my head boss Alan and tell him the great news. I replied, It wasn't luck. It was faith. It was right! The Judge knew what was going on. He might be tough, but he showed a great deal of concern and compassion. It was what I prayed for in the courtroom. I usually don't, but I have a great deal of respect for that Judge. However, I told my lawyer that it seemed that you had frozen in the courtroom. There were a lot of things you could have jumped at and said, but you didn´t. I was wishing you did. The Lawyer told me that when you see things going your way, it´s best to say as little as possible. I then asked What´s next. The lawyer told me that he had to write and submit a motion, and you had won. My lawyer told me that the boss, Alan, would call me. For now he said, you're still need to pay $500.00 a month rent. You have to follow the Judge´s finding. You will also have to pay another $300.00 for me to draw up the motion, but you have much to be greatful for now. With happiness, we parted, and I caught the train back home.
I arrived home with great satisfaction. I was able to relax for the first time since this began. Within a few hours, the husband of the Italian family across the street rang my bell and asked me to come to his house. He said that my mother wanted to talk with me. I then proceeded to their house and walked in. My mother was having lunch with the family. I asked my mother what she wanted. She told me, I want to look at the interior of the house. I told her, No, is that what you wanted to tell me? She asked me to sit down with everyone there. I told her that I didn´t have time. I was very busy. I didn´t want to say anything in front of witnesses. Do you want to settle this thing or not? I asked my mother. My mother began scolding and yelling at me in front of the others, and I said goodbye and left immediately. I then went to the hardware store on the Avenue and bought a thick lock and chain. I quickly put the lock and chain around the front gate so that my mother wouldn´t be able to enter the gate to the front door. Hours later, she came to the house and tried to enter, but saw the chain and lock on the gate and became more frustrated. I didn´t want to act this way, but this is what they wanted and caused to happen. They created an evil in me. My mother went back to Florida the next day. I mailed another check for rent of $500.00 as the Judge requested. However, I wasn´t going to pay rent anymore and lose or waste anymore money.
My lawyer told me that I had to bring $300.00 for the motion. I had already given them $1,000.00 in advance. I needed to arrange a meeting with the lawyers. I met with Alan Goldberg the owner of the law office. I told him that he advised me that it would cost $500.00 for handling the case with one court appearance. I gave you $1,000.00 in advance now your asking me for $300.00 for the motion. Alan then gave me a mock-up erroneous bill which defended that money which covered the $1,000.00. As far as I was concerned, they´re now taking advantage of me and purposely ripping me off. I need at least to have the motion filed so I gave him another $300.00 more to cover the filing of the motion.
I had realized that after winning the case that there was not going to be any rational financial settlement to this situation. However, with all the bad vibes and evilness implanted in my brain, I had decided to actually kill my family. If my life was going to die then I will take them with me. I was not going to be out homeless on the streets of New York. I rather be dead. My music career is now officially over. I really don´t care to live anymore. If I´m going to die, then I´m going to take them with me. As far as I was concerned, my life had ended. They must die with me. I´m not going to let them win in this situation without sharing the suffering I endured.
With this thought process in mind, I decided to go back into the studio and finish the two songs with Lee singing, Color and You Color My Life, The duet with Judy! I wanted to leave some music behind when I die.
For now, I don't want to die without leaving some sort of music record that I existed. I also need to try and wrestle this evilness implanted in my brain. I needed do do something to make me happy so I decided to record with the money I had left to make a record as a tribute for my life.
I then booked studio time at Unique Recording. I invited my friend and buddy, Louie to join me. I used my new QY10 to rearrange the tracks. Matt the engineer could believe the arrangement that I did on the QY10. Many of the workers at Unique had to come in the studio room to see this little big machine. They were all very impressed. It took me two weeks of happiness in the studio to finish the rearrangement of the tracks. During these two weeks of recording, I went out with Lawrence to a jazz club down the street and I met this gay guy named, Jason who was the promoter of the clubs musicians. I heard this trombone player and liked his style. I asked him if he would want to record on some of my songs. He most definitely agreed. I liked the club so much that I went there every Monday night during Jazz night. I became a good friend with the gay guy Jason. He was such a wonderful and talented human being.
I called Tommy Napoli who had moved to Orlando, Florida. I talked with him for awhile told him about the ordeal I went through and he invited me to Florida. I told him that maybe I would take him up on it someday. He and Patty told me anytime. I had told them what I was going through with my family and they again said that if I needed a break from it all, I was welcome. After I hung-up the phone I realized that it could be my ticket to kill my family. You´re allowed to own a gun in Florida. I think that my family moved to the wrong state.
My brother´s lawyers didn´t waste any time. They presented me with another Notice To Vacate. This time it was from my mother. I presented it to my lawyers and they told me that from now on I had to pay an hourly rate of $275.00 an hour. I couldn´t afford that. Actually I could, but I didn´t want to waste it on lawyers. I want to have a good time before I kill everyone and take my own life.
I contacted Jim Gregory and hired him to record on my song along with the trombone player from the Jazz club. I asked the bone player if he knew a sax man then bring him to the studio. They all showed up and the songs came to life, especially with Jim Gregory on bass. Then I booked two days for mixing. We did the mix and I now had four professionally sounding songs. A nice musical package to leave in my memory. Everyone was there to remember, Louie Valdes, Jim Gregory, Matt the engineer, the bone and sax players, my gay friend Jason, Juan Colon, and most of all Chris Ross. I invited everyone to the studio to watch and help me work. I wanted to end my career with all the wonderful music people in my life. The remake of the two songs cost me $6,000.00.
I now had $7,000.00 left. I was going to spend as much time as I could in New York with my friends. I was going to hold on to the house as long as I could. I new that the longer I had it the more money they were spending also. My brother called from Florida and pleated with me to get out of the house. I realized that my brother was uncontrollable. After all, he´s surrounded by all the demanding women. I know that his wife and my incognito sister Jeanette are directly responsible for all this. Together, with the help of my sister Rosetta, they are using my brother to come after me. This with the cooperation of my brother´s wife´s lawyers was all possible. However, I´m sure they didn´t expect me to carry out a fierce campaign of defense. No one wins in this situation. However, my mother won´t loose out on anything. She will survive and have enough money to live regardless. She´ not going to live long in Florida. I know it and they know it. They just want her there to control the money. My brother who is executive of my mother's Will stands to rob the most. Executive of the Will. What a joke. Make a thief in charge of the money. Make the cat watch the mice. I tried to tell my mother that, but she wouldn´t listen. In any case, I going to present a great deal of damage to the house so they loose even more money. The $30,000.00 is going to be spent in one way or another. Either they give it to me or I take it out on the house. Again, my mother won´t be hurt, they will be hurt. Less money to rob. It´s what I have to do in my frame of mind right now. Retribution!
It was time to make damage to the house. I went to the hardware store and bought some ugly stain. I stained the rugs to make it look like years of wear and tear. Then I scratched the beautiful kitchen wood cabinets to also make it look like years of wear and tear. Then I stained the cabinets so that they didn´t match the kitchen. I then took the wall mirrors off and gave them away to my friends. This exposed the bad walls. I then went to the basement and exposed all the pipes which were bad that they were trying to cover up for the sale. I removed a great deal of wallpaper exposing the old wallpaper. I tried to not make it all look like intentional damage. During my last three months in the house, I left many lights on constantly to drive-up the electric bill that was still in my mother´s name. I also left the television on all the time. I was out of my mind.
Their lawyers were getting closer and closer. It was time to leave. I called Tommy Napoli in Florida and told him that I was going to take him up on his invitation. He told me fine. He and Patty didn´t know exactly what was going on. I booked a flight to Florida. I called a cab to take me to the airport. I then contacted Tommy and told him what time I was arriving. Before exiting the house for the last time, I switched around the wires to the furnace so they would figure out why it wouldn't go on. I put this wire here and that wire there. It would take sometime to figure it out. Then I put the stopper on the bathtub and left the shower dripping slightly. I left the lights and TV on, and I then left the house to the cab waiting to take me to the airport. I took a last look at the block where I spent most of my life. I then headed out to the airport. I entered the plane and shortly thereafter, we left the ground. As I was looking out the window, seeing all the lights of New York City below, I said, Thank you New York for all the wonderful years of music. You´re not like any city on this planet. I arrived in Orlando, Florida three hours later. I was completely out of my mind.
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