Monday, July 10, 2017

It's A Thin Line, Between Love & Hate












I liked "Eddie Baby" Galante. He taught bookkeeping to me and 38 other jerks in junior year. We busted his balls. He'd bust ours right back. If you were in the rear of the class yapping it up, he'd yell your name out, "Pryor!" point to you and give you the finger.


LaSalle '72 Yearbook cover.

At a wedding in 1984 someone at my table asked what were your best school memories. I started off with Galante, somebody snapped the shot above where I imitate him teaching class at LaSalle Academy on 2nd Street.


Seaman's Institute 6.12.72

When you really pissed him off, Galante would stop teaching and predict your future out loud to the class, "Hey Woodhead, yeah you, Costa, guess what I see in the crystal ball?"

(dramatic pause while the kid adjusts himself and knows what's coming, Galante speaks)

"After failing out of community college in your second semester, you'll be promoted directly to that 32B doorman job on 72nd Street you've been bragging about, your best friend will continue to be Ripple Red until Gallo discontinues the product and you switch over to Colt 45 tall boys. You'll sell pot on the side, live with your parents until they kick you out at 32, and you move into that great room with the hot plate and chipped paint at the Franklin SRO on 87th Street."

Graduation week Galante signed my 1972 LaSalle yearbook. Above is his note and photo.

Tomorrow, I'm telling a new one at "The New York Story Exchange" show @ Cornelia Street Cafe @ 6pm.  COME ON DOWN!!!

If you like my work check out my memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." Available at Logos Book Store or online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.


The book has 126 Amazon five star reviews out of 126 total reviews posted. We're pitching a perfect game. My old world echoes TV's "The Wonder Years" ~ just add taverns, subways and Checker cabs.


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