MASSASOIT DREAMING

BY PETER VUONO

DEDICATED TO MY FRIEND PETE MURBY

     Although I'm very pleased with the way my family life turned out, my years at Massasoit Community College are among my fondest memories. I was a student there from 1972-1974 and continued to work for the athletic department until 1995. I started out on a work study program making sure that no one would steal the adding machines and an early prototype computer out of a boring computer room. It was about as entertaining as watching one wrestler. I wanted more than this easy job so I boldly went to the office of athletic director Bruce Langlan.

     I plead my case with him and even though he didn't know me from Adam, the rough, tough, Marine showed me that he was as trusting and willing to give a guy a job as he was tough. It was after working for Bruce that I made lasting friendships which helped me to grow up. It truly helped me lay down a solid foundation for my future.

     Mr. Langlan made me the shot clock operator and time keeper for all the basketball games. I became good friends with many of the players on the men's and women's side and the cheer leaders .I was truly blessed to be part of a group that  liked and accepted me even though I was just a team helper. Many of the coaches that I met at Massasoit deserve honorable mention because most of them were gentlemen and ladies who never vilified but rather encouraged the athletes. This is attributed to Mr. Langlan who knew the kinds pf coaches he wanted in his department.

     Among them were, Joe Cleary, John Boutin, Mark Showan, George Dunn, Rico Cabral, Mark Ottovanielli, and Julie Mulvey for basketball. There was also Skip Culpepper and Nick Palantzis for soccer. Massasoit had many other fine coaches like Rolly Blanchette, Tom Frizzel and Big Bill Mitchell, although I never saw them coach.

     A couple of memories I wanted to mention was how very classy Nick and Julie were. Nick had an international team of super stars from all over the world. They were literally unstoppable. One day, his team trounced Greefield CC by a score of 11-3. Nick stopped the dejected team as they left and said,"You guys have a lot of class. Thanks for coming down here. I want you to come back next year and I want you to beat us". I never forgot his sportsmanship. Julie was another. In the 90's she had a real hard core group of girls that were so tough, that after the game they'd go to the Greek restaurant and order broken leg of lamb!

     I knew many of them as some went  to Brockton High where I taught. One would become a prison guard! As tough as they were, however, there was never any profanity and a great respect for Julie.She had the "It factor" as a coach and molded those girls into a real power that almost defeated Mitchell, the best CC team on the East coast.

     One of the most important components and personnel in the athletic department was Mrs. Marie Forrest, our secretary. Marie, who was recently inducted into the athletic hall of fame, was far more than a secretary. I referred to her as the Massasoit Matriarch of Muscle and with good reason. Like the little Dutch boy who filled the cracks in the dike, Marie was a troubleshooter for nearly every calamity. If the athletes needed  a secretary, coach ,counselor, coordinator or mother, it didn't matter as Marie was always there for more than 30 years.

     In 1980, Mr. Langlan allowed me to rent the gym free of charge for a national championship wheelchair bench press competition. The numbers were small but the athletes came from as far away as California including Viet Nam veteran Harvey Martin who was paralyzed from an accident in the war. Another footnote to this contest was that our national Olympic WL trainer Karl Faeth, drove from Pennsylvania to watch his friend Chuck Rottlebron bench press 375 at a bodyweight of 129!!!!

     When I went to Massasoit, I was into the sport of powerlifting. Mr. Jim Yess. who was director of student activities and a super guy interviewed me and put an article in the school newspaper on my behalf talking about my exploits in powerlifting. Jim was another one who made Massasoit so special. Jim was kind, gracious, and never angry even though my occasional impetuousness warranted it!!

    Another fond memory was the student body. There was real synergy here where people from many walks of life got along great. One could feel the love. Some fellows spent 4-5 years at Massasoit(a two year school) and we wondered why. I now know it was because it was one of the happiest places a person could be in. Too many people than one could mention were unforgettable but I'd like to mention 6 great personalities.

   Pete Murby was a buddy of mine who had CP. He once asked me if I would help him perform a workout in our little gym in the game room. He loved it and as he was having a great time, something in me was inspired by his enthusiasm. It was at THAT moment that I decided to major in Special Education at BSU because there was no feeling on earth like helping someone in need. I taught Sped for 35 years and after retirement I put another 1.4 years in on Adapted Phys Ed. Pete helped me to go full circle. I made a LOT of mistakes but any successes that I had were because of Pete's inspiration. Thank you Pete!

     Another pal was my late, great friend Danny Derito who was brilliant not to mention one of the funniest persons I've ever met. Danny often threw out various off the cuff jokes; many of which I've stolen and used to this very day. ALL his jokes were original and spontaneous. Danny was a great hockey player and we played together on an intramural team. He also edited an independent school newspaper called "The Evening Breeze". He was in constant demand for awards ceremonies due to his incredible wit which makes me laugh 50 years later!

     The cafeteria was never a better place than when Mark Delahanty pulled out his harmonica and spontaneously played some of the best blues I've ever heard. Having seen Muddy Waters, I've seen the best and Mrk was among them! I felt like I was on stage at Woodstock listening to "Ten Years After" singing "I'm Coming Home". He was that good!

     Lenny Alsen was a bodybuilding friend of mine who was a great herpetologist long before Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin! In Mr. Chase's speech class, he brought in a South American Tree Boa.

Half way through the lecture , the boa sprang out scaring the pants off everyone in class! Lenny was the first person I have ever known to own a pit bull and snakes from all over the world.

   Tom Wall and Dave Giampa were super athlete hockey players who befriended me, took me places, trained with me and even helped me build my ramshackle garage gym. They made me feel special; even now so many decades later. If there were ever two authentic "stand up" guys, it was Tom and Dave.

   One of Massasoit's strengths was that their staff was second to none! These people really cared and went on beyond just being "professor". I'll always remember Rick Butterworth, Marilyn Maxwell, Doug McKay, Senor Caputo, Alan Kohrman and John Chase. Each in his or her own way, proved that they wanted to do more than teach. One professor, however deserves a few more accolades. 

   In 1974, Professor Laura Yellen entered Massasoit. I've never met a person who was more loving, caring and helpful than this woman. She wound up working in the LATCH program and in Helping Hands. Laura selflessly, constantly and tirelessly did favors for students, faculty alumni or anyone who needed help.  If there ever was a Mother Teresa of Massasoit, it would be she.

  There are far too many to thank for putting me on this journey that was one of the happiest times of my life  but it would not  happened if Bruce Langlan did not believe in me.

  Years ago there was a song by the Young Rascals that had a refrain in it that went, "Things  ain't like they used to be and love's the only thing I see".  Yes, in this world of ours that is rife with anger, violence, profanity and egocentrism Massasoit Dreaming shines  in my mind like a diamond in the rough. A memory which will always stay close to my heart.

   

 TO PLAY BEFORE THE KING AND QUEEN

By Peter Vuono

     It is the 4th of July and happy birthday to America. It's also the birthday of a favorite entertainer to this author , Solly Violinsky who was born in Kiev in 1885. This author is sure that the reader has never heard of Solly or ever will. So one would wonder as to why he should be written about. A good question indeed.

    Violinsky, who was born Sol Ginsberg was a member of a fraternal order of entertainers called The Friars. It still consists of the most notable names in show business. According to comedian/historian Joey Adams, Violinsky was a composer, comedian, violinist, pianist, wit and without a doubt the most unforgetable person that he(Adams) could remember in Friar  history. This says a great deal when Adams knew  Milton Berle, George Burns, Jack Benny and the Marx Brothers.

     In 1910, Violinsky was on tour in London. When he heard that King George V and Queen Mary would be in a procession in front of Solly's hotel he waited. At the exact moment of passage, Solly flung open the shutters and began to play the violin. The next day, he took up ads in the London paper exclaiming, "Solly Violinsky has played before the King and Queen".

   Back in New York, the great Rocky Marciano was getting honored by the Friars. Naturally, the Great Violinsky approached the Champ. "I'm a bit of a champion myself", said Solly. Attempting to act interested, Rocky said, "Oh, really?" "Yes," said Sol, "I'm a champ at getting laid off. I've been laid off under 4 presidents for everything except cinema, but give me time, I'll add that too!".

   Solly was so talented that he was able to play the violin AND piano at the same time. However he once stated that his violin spent so much time in the pawn shop that"The pawn broker plays it better than I do!".

   Irving Berlin, who wrote "God Bless America", started an organization known as the ASCAP- the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. A gold pin was given to all successful composers (Violinsky being one of them) and told to pin it to their overcoats. Violinsky wrote to the ASCAP saying, "Thank you for the pin ;I'm thrilled. However I don't own an overcoat- please advise".

   Solly died on May 5, 1963. He lived with his niece and has an extremely modest grave in Johnson City NY. He suffered a lengthy illness and his obituary listed NO calling hours at the funeral home. It appeared that he died without a dollar or an audience. However for those who listen, his life left a message that still rings true. He was not a well known name but he was the best at what he did WITHOUT the vulgarity and crassitude that we see so often in the entertainment world and everywhere else.

   It seems that there is very little today that was as substantive as it was in Sol Ginsberg's day.  It seems that both America and the rest of the world is seeing more evil, more violence, more vulgarity and a slow dissipating of I.Q's and everything that is good including manners, etiquette, kindness, service to others and the way we teach and raise children. This author hasn't gone to a comedy show in decades because comedians use more expletives than was heard in the movie "Scarface". However the wit and wholesome entertainment of those like Solly Violinsky shows us that we can do better if we take a few steps backward. We can improve with all the aforementioned virtues and take a superior past and make it the present

  If it was practiced by more of us ,  one would think that the feeling of the giver and recipient would be not unlike,  "Playing Before the King and Queen" 

 "I'LL GIVE YOU A DAISY A DAY DEAR"

Title by Justin Strunk

Story by Peter Vuono- Dedicated to my

dear friend Daisy Vuono age 15.

   Many months ago, I wrote a short story called " He's Not Gonna Ask Ya, 'How Much Ya Bench?'" The gist of it was that personal achievements in life are not really going to pave the way to salvation. Rather it's servitude toward others that really counts. However, like so many others, I keep falling from grace. I often don't practice what I preach.

  In a moment of silence, I was contemplating some of the trophies I had upon the wall. I marveled that in 2008 I, at age 55, deadlifted 500lbs. As time went by, these moments of glory waned. At age 64, it descended to 425 and at 65, all the way to 401 and at 70, 300!!. Are you kidding? I've got friends that can curl this much!!! I asked my doctor as to why this was happening when my total testosterone levels check higher now at 70 than they did back then. She told me that every fiber of my body, whether I knew it or not was undergoing fibrosis or arthritis if you will. I pondered this and sulked.

And then I looked over at my pal Daisy sitting next to me. Daisy is 15, She's had 9 cancer operations. She's undergoing chemo therapy for another tumor and also has heart problems. Yet, she does nothing but spread love, companionship and loyalty. It is she and not I living her life the way God intended. Is it any wonder why Walt Whitman wrote so endearingly about animals in "Leaves of Grass"? "I think I could turn and live with animals they are so placid and self contained. I stand and look

at them long and long."

   Daisy reminds me of what I wrote months ago. She keeps me grounded and  humble in that God has chosen this little creature to help show me and others The Way. Charles Yu once said that" If I could be half the person my dog is, I'd be twice the person I am". How right he was, for me, for you and for all  eternity.

"I'll give you a daisy a day dear. I'll give you a daisy a day. I'll love you until the rivers run still and the 4 winds we know blow away"-- Judd Strunk

 

URBAN  LEGEND

By Peter Vuono

     Those that know me know of my passion for wrestling. However this is not about wrestling. It's about an old friend of mine that was taken from his friends and family far too early who had a heart as big as the surname he carried; Pete Marciano.

     When I met Pete in the early 80's, he had the charismatic personality of drawing people to him and befriending him. This is what happened with the two of us. He would train at my broken down ramshackle garage gym, babysit for my daughter and come over to watch the hot new wrestling shows on MTV.

     So, on March 31st, 1985, Peter, Uber guidance counselor Bob Stone and I went to the 1st Wrestlemania. There was no internet or sophisticated pay per view back then so we sojourned into the Boston Garden and had the treat of our lives. Pete new that I loved this form of sports entertainment and through it he wanted to give something special to his friend. Fast forward 3 months to the summer of 85.

    Like all Brocktonians, Pete went with his football mates to the famed Brockton Fair. It was once a haven for superstar entertainers such as Diana Ross, exiting Joey Chitwood auto thrill shows and, of course, Killer Kowalski pro wrestling. Pete made way to the basketball game and saw a beautiful wooden framed 20x30 poster of Hulk Hogan. He wanted it badly because he knew I'd be thrilled.

   Pete was a super athlete but the deck was stacked in favor of the carnival barker. The hoop was 15' high and the circumference of the basket was much smaller than regulation. He needed to sink three shots  but the odds were too great. He shot all night until closing and it was at that moment that a kind act would beget another.

   It was closing time and the barker felt so sorry for Pete spending so much money that he GAVE Peter the framed picture and now, 38 years later, surrounded by cobwebs and wrestling posters of yore, the photo still hangs as a testament to true friendship.

   ON December 21, 2015 at age 48, Peter was taken from his loved ones by the disease of addiction. However, we who are left behind are comforted in knowing that kind acts transcend time. They are like ripples in a pond that keep on moving and spreading. It is kindness that makes our legacy and paves our way to salvation. In Peter's case, that road is well paved.

"There are 3 ways to conduct one's life; the 1st is to be kind, the 2nd is to be kind and the 3rd is to be kind"- Mother Teresa

     

 IT WASN'T THE AIRPLANES THAT GOT HIM; IT WAS HOLLYWOOD

By Peter Vuono,

     This year I paid a little more attention than I usually do to the Oscars because for decades I've been an Asian action fan. If movie goers only knew how many times Michelle Yeoh risked her life and safety in Hong Kong cinema, they would agree that she would deserve an Oscar for that alone! I've been a fan of Ke Huy Kwan's for sometime even though I've never seen the "Goonies" or ANY Indiana Jones movie! When Kwan called himself Jonathan Ke Kwan he was looking for work after Indiana and took on a humble American made martial arts film in 1991. Although "Breathing Fire" needed a little work in the script it was a martial arts fan's delight and Ke Huy Kwan displayed skills in both acting and martial arts abilities.

      Although I was very happy for these two heroes, I became somewhat despondent over the fact that my skills, meager as they are, never took me further than the plateaus that I took them to. However, I thought about it and soon realized that there is much more to the dreams of glitz and glamour surrounding Hollywood than meets the eye. Oftentimes dreams are shattered by disappointment and pain. One of the many good examples of this was the life of super animator Willis O'Brien.

    O'brien, who was born in 1886, was a renaissance man in every sense of the word. He was a bartender, farm hand, cowboy, rodeo rider, newspaper sports illustrator and pro boxer with a 9 and 1 record!  Somewhere along the way he became proficient in animation and with the models of Marcel Delgado he was hired to do the animation for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World" in 1925.

    This opened the door for O'Brien to do what would become one of Hollywood's most iconic films "King Kong" in 1932. RKO had been struggling financially and was about to go under but the amazing success of "Kong" pulled it out of it's financial mire. Shortly after, calamity struck O'Brien. His estranged wife, Hazel, shot to death both of her and O'Brien's sons; one of whom was blind. She turned the gun on herself but was unsuccessful in her attempt. She would spend a year in a prison hospital until she succumbed.

     O'Brien would later remarry and he and his wife Darlyne would stay together until his death. After making "Son of Kong", O'Brien, with the help of friend Ray Harryhausen, animated "Mighty Joe Young" and won the coveted Oscar in 1950. From here, tragedy would touch his professional life until his death.

    O'Brien and Darlyne wrote a beautiful story entitled "Emilio and Geluso". It was a story of a Mexican boy who would raise a bull from it's infancy and together they would save their village from a rampaging Allosaurus. The story was sold to producer/animators William and Edward Nassour. Before production could start the story idea was stolen from someone in RKO. Black listed writer Dalton Trumbo rewrote the script and the purloined idea won an Oscar in 1956 under the new name of "The Brave Ones".

    The Nassour brothers sued for plagiarism for $750,00 and won a settlement out of court. Neither O'Brien nor his wife received a single credit or penny from their Oscar winning idea. Still on good terms with the Nassours, O'Brien sold another idea to them of a cowboy vs. dinosaur movie called "The Beast of Hollow Mountain", contingent on them hiring O'Brien to do the animation.

   When production time arrived, the Nassours reneged on their agreement and did the animation  themselves not allowing O'Brien into the studio. Cheated again, O'Brien struggled to keep his head above water with low budget productions such as the "Black Scorpion" and "The Giant Behemoth", which was made in the garage of his assistant Pete Peterson.

   O'Brien was desperate to come up with another hit and came up with an idea pitting the two greatest movie monsters against one another - "King Kong vs. Frankenstein". He approached the studio that he alone rescued from bankruptcy, RKO and specifically to producer John Beck to pitch the idea. Beck assured O'Brien that he would let O'Brien know of any developments in his idea.

   It was 1962 and shortly before his death, O'Brien would read in trade magazines that Beck stole his idea, approached Toho Productions in Japan and developed "King Kong Vs. Godzilla" in 1963. A final act of chicanery towards one of history's greatest artists by a company that he alone rescued in 1932.

   O'Brien would die peacefully seated in his arm chair on Nov. 8, 1962. His idea, later in 2021 would be remade and grossed 470.1 million at the box office. without he or his estate receiving a dollar or a credit.

   Willis O'Brien's tragic life kept this author grounded that behind the glitz, glamour, tinsel , fame and fortune of Hollywood, there sometimes lies pain, suffering and despair. Perhaps it's better for us that we take whatever talent we have and apply it to our families, friends and community.

   In the final scene of the 1932 "King Kong", a police officer stands over the body of Kong and says to producer Carl Denham, "I guess the airplanes got him". To which Denham answers, "No, it wasn't the airplanes that got him. It was beauty, killed the beast". In like manner, it wasn't the airplanes that killed the dreams and life of Willis O'Brien; it was Hollywood.

REFERENCE: Tyrant Magazine Jan/Feb 1995, Wilmington Vt. Stephen R. Bissette

   

     

HAMMERLOCKS, HEADBUTTS AND HUMOR

BY PETER VUONO

   Wrestling fans know very well that gimmicks and special personas have always been part of the sport.

In the 40's Gorgeous George(George Wagner), wore beautifully sequined robes. exquisitely  coiffed hair and, of course, his "Georgie Pins". Years later, wrestler Benny Ramirez wore a bandaged costume from head to foot and called himself  "The Mummy". Later, the giant George Gonzalez wore a body suit resembling Bigfoot. One would wonder, then, why no wrestler took on one of the Stooges as his squared circle persona. Well; one actually did!

    Donald Zalesky was born in Chicoutimi Quebec on 4/3/62. At a young age, he and his folks migrated south to New Jersey. He graduated Essex Catholic High School and while attending there, became a state HS wrestling champ. Not quite enough, Donald wanted to turn pro and it was well known that one of the best teachers was former WWWF "heel" Johnny Rodz who had a school at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. At least one source states that Zalesky's training was assisted by legendary wrestlers Taz and Tommy Dreamer

    At first, Zalesky tried the name Diesel Don. However, being a big fan of the Three Stooges, he got a better idea. The 394 lb. Zalesky shaved his head and studied the mannerisms of Curly Howard. He imitated the voice beautifully and was very adept with the Curly Shuffle. A very agile man, he was capable at this extreme weight of performing flying drop kicks.

   In 1990, wrestling was enjoying an amazing resurgence and many an independent organization sprung up. Among them was International Championship Wrestling owned by famed New Jersey WWWF "heel" Angelo Savoldi. Being a family man, Savoldi relished the thought of a living manifestation of Curly Howard gracing the ring. He thought that it would endear both families and kids. In the wrestling vernacular, being popular is called being "over" and this new wrestler, "Curly Moe" was indeed that.

   Curly Moe would have a signature finishing  maneuver similar to the big splash called the "Soitenly Splash". He would be the perfect foil for many a "heel" which continued to delight audiences. As time went by two unfortunate occurrences started to unfold. Not being able to get a major TV network to pick up the ICW, the company folded. Shortly after, Zalesky's weight increased to over the 700 range and he'd have to undergo a gastric bypass. His career over, he dropped 340lbs and became an English as a second language teacher in his native Belville translating Portuguese to English.

   Sadly, after the turn of the millennium, Zalesky would contract liver cancer and pass on 7/1/15.

Like the famed comedian Curly Howard, Don lived a short but full life creating laughter in front of all who would see him perform. His brother wrote in his obituary, "He made us laugh until it hurt". What one among us could ever ask for a better epitaph?

 DEATHLOCK: The Tragic Case of physician/ wrestler Dr. Sam Sheppard

By Peter Vuono

   Through the years, pro wrestling has enjoyed a small group of talented physicians who decided to try their hand at pro wrestling. The first was probably Dr. Ben Roller in 1906. He was followed by Dr. John"Dropkick" Murphy of Malden Ma. Dr. Big Bill Miller was a licensed veterinarian. Of course, wrestling fans are now thrilled with the great talent of Dr. Brit Baker a bona fide dentist. However, there was one physician from Ohio who wrestled  pro and who also had the dubious honor of being one of wrestling's most tragic stories; Dr. Sam Sheppard.

   Dr. Sam was born in Ohio in 1923. He finished his training as an osteopath from the University of CA at Irvine. He was a good athlete being proficient in football, basketball and track. Dr. Sam lived with his wife Marilyn and son Sam. On the night of 7/3/54, after a dinner party, Dr. Sam fell asleep on the couch. He was awakened by screams by his wife. He went upstairs to the bedroom and was quickly  battered unconscious.. He came to quickly and ran downstairs. He spied the suspect and chased him to the beach of his lakeside home. Sheppard was overpowered by the suspect and hit over the head into unconsciousness again. It was later revealed that he sustained a cervical concussion. Eighteen character witnesses were called and two described the "bushy haired man" that Dr. Sam described.

   Several days later, Sheppard was deemed the major suspect and was arrested. Just prior to the trial, the Cleveland press was overly biased against Dr. Sam. To make matters worse, the jury was not sequestered. Dr. Sam, during the trial maintained his innocence and defiantly took the stand. He was convicted of murder  and sentenced to prison for life. During the next ten years while incarcerated, more calamity struck the Sheppard family.

   His mother-in-law Ethel would kill herself with  a self inflicted gunshot in 1955. His father-in-law, Thomas Reese would also kill himself in 63. While Sheppard's lawyer would make 6 appeals, Sheppard, dedicated his life to helping others while in prison by allowing himself to be a cancer test subject. As part of an experiment by the Sloane Kettering Insitute for Cancer research, Dr. Sam allowed live cancer cells to be repeatedly injected into his body to research results.

   While in prison, Dr. Sam's lawyer passed on. The case would be taken by famed Massachusetts lawyer F. Lee Baily. Baily took the case all the way to the supreme court. The supreme court exonerated Sheppard but once released from prison, he would be tried again by the state of Ohio in Oct of 66. Major testimony came when  Chemist Paul Kirk deemed the murderer left handed and Dr. Sam was right handed. After 12 hours of deliberation, Sam Sheppard was released.

    He would later marry the daughter of pro wrestler George Strickland of Ohio. Dr. Sam would be trained by Strickland and wrestled 40 matches in Ohio. He was a huge draw and was regarded as a "baby face", or good guy in the wrestling vernacular.  He would later develop a hold based on his knowledge of medicine known as the "mandible claw". This hold would decades later be popularized by Mick Foley.

    The trauma of Dr. Sam's life had left with him many scars. Among them was alcoholism. Dr. Sam would drink up to 1.5 liters of liquor per day. It would catch up to him and he passed at age 46 on 4/6/70. The legacy of Dr. Sam Sheppard did not end there, however. In 1997, his son Samuel Reese filed a lawsuit based on the unfairness of the 1st trial. Marilyn Sheppard's body was exhumed in 1997 and with the help of DNA evidence it was found that the most likely suspect was Richard Eberling, a family handyman and window washer. Eberling was a convicted murderer who died in prison.

    Dr. Sam's ashes were  interred with his wife Marilyn in Mayfield heights Ohio. They would finally be together forever. His life mirrors the passage from the sermon on the mount. "Blessed are they who thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied"