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Jacques Foti
I was borne in Europe, Budapest, Hungary in June 23.1924. I had two older sisters. My Father died when I was 6 years old. When I was 10, started to learn classical piano, until I heard on radio fro...view moreI was borne in Europe, Budapest, Hungary in June 23.1924. I had two older sisters. My Father died when I was 6 years old. When I was 10, started to learn classical piano, until I heard on radio from America the Brigands.
Without my Mother knowing I started to learn jazz piano. My oldest sister paid for my weekly lessons. At 16 in High school I formed a small orchestra. When I was 18, on Lake Balaton in Hungary I met a lively girl Erika building castles in the sand. We both fell in love. After three years or dating and telephoning when Hungary was overtaken by the Germans arid being Jewish I was taken to a forced labor camp. After six months later I found a way to escape from the 300Jews being taken to German concentration camps.
When I tore off the yellow arm band identifying I am a Jew, and got home
to our apartment I was tole that or whole family with me included was
allowed to to move into a building protected by the Swedish flag. Raul
Wallenberg from the Swedish Consulate arranged all this for a few hundred people.
When the war was over, I promised Erika after I found her hiding on the
hills of Buda, in a non Jewish building I told her that I will try to escape from the now occupied Russian Hungary, and go to America and will send for her. After finding a clever way to to cross the border to Germany, the American Consulate sent me to Munich and fortunately found a piano-bar at the American Red Cross where they hired me to play Piano. An American officer decided to help me and arranged I will not have to wait 3 years for my quote to emigrate to USA.
When arrived by ship to New York City in Jan.1946 I was outly given a
studio apartment on Broadway but I needed to find a job fast so I could earn money to eat.
Got a job at Bickfords Restaurant near 42 second street washing dishes
from midnight to eight am but I was in seventh heaven cause I could go to
the movies on Broadway, and see all the Big bands playing before the movies were shown. I usually stayed 2 or 3 times and learned English that way. Later I got a job as a fur salesman, and after 3 years in New York when I was 30 years old got a job in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a piano vocalist and from than on I entertained all over the US major cities
piano-bars. Had my own 1V show in KGUL Houston, Texas, later 3 years in Las Vegas at the Dunes hotel.
In 1971 married a lady who died with a heart attack in 1975.
When I was 52 years old I wanted to write to my little Erika and when I
found out, I wrote her a letter to Melbourne Australia, gave her my phone
number and address in Hollywood, she did call me a week later.
The rest of my happy life really started from then on.view less