The Life and Times of Albert Capo

By Alfred V. Cafiero

The Life and Times of Albert Capo reveals the social, economic, and cultural atmosphere that existed during the latter two-thirds of the twentieth century. The immigrant population that lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s faced many challenges, the least of which was learning a new language as they slowly integrated themselves into American society. Most boys Alberts age did not encounter the peculiar situations or problems that confronted Albert. The streets of New York were Alberts playground during his formative years, as it was for most boys living in ethnic conclaves throughout the city. Living through the Depression and prewar years gave Albert a unique perspective on the rapid change in American society. The American landscape looked quite different prior to the nineteenth century; there were no electric illumination of homes, no telephones, radios, TVs, automobiles, or central heating of homes.

The importance of the twentieth century cannot be overestimated. The folks who lived through the twentieth century witnessed more technological advancements, inventions, and discoveries than the entire past history of mankind. Along with scientific discoveries was the fight for civil rights for women as well as minorities, two world wars, the development of nuclear energy and the atomic bomb, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and the conquest of outer space by landing a man on the moon. It would take many volumes to describe that which has advanced the cause of civilization during the past one hundred years; and it would stagger the imagination to ponder the vicissitudes of technology for the next one hundred yearsif we dont destroy ourselves in the process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499031447

Alfred V. Cafiero

The author’s autobiography is written in the third person as Albert Capo, and he is the author of the novel Vengeance. Alfred V. Cafiero was born on June 5, 1926, in New York City and was educated through the New York City public school system. After high school, he was inducted into military service in 1944 and served with the Thirty-Third Infantry Division in the South Pacific Theater of Operation. He helped liberate the island of Luzon in the Philippines and was part of the occupational forces in Japan. He was honorably discharged from military service in October 1946. After discharge from the army, he enrolled at Hunter College in New York City, and graduated in 1951 with a degree in chemistry and mathematics. His last employer was the David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey, from 1960 to his retirement in 1988. Since his retirement, he has taught chemistry for two years at the Institute for Professional and Technical Advancement (a division of Middlesex Community College) and, from 1990 to 2000, as a substitute teacher for the Old Bridge Township School System. He has coauthored two scientific publications: “Single-Crystal Growth of Mixed Hexaborides for Thermionic Emission,” G. H. Olsen and A. V. Cafiero; Journal of Crystal Growth, 44 (1978) 287-290; and “Inorganic Synthesis,” A. G. Karipides and A. V. Cafiero; Cadmium Digallium (111) Tetrasulfide, Vol.X1, p.5. The author has been physically active all his life, cycling, swimming, and skiing. Part of his leisure activities for the past sixty years was painting pictures in oil. He also enjoys gardening and listening to classical music. He currently resides in Old Bridge Township with his wife of sixty years and has two sons and four grandchildren.

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF

ALBERT CAPO

ALFRED V. CAFIERO

Copyright © 2014 by Alfred V. Cafiero.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 09/03/2014

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CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1: In the Beginning

Chapter 2: The First Five Years

Chapter 3: Starting School—A Rough Start

Chapter 4: Games of the Era

Chapter 5: Junior High and High School

Chapter 6: You’re in the Army Now

Chapter 7: Overseas Duty

Chapter 8: Back in the States

Chapter 9: Home and Back to School

Chapter 10: Joining the Workforce and Marriage

Chapter 11: A New Home and a New Job

Chapter 12: The Decade of the Sixties

Chapter 13: The Seventies Part 1: Scuba Diving, London-Paris

Chapter 14: The Seventies Part 2: Anna’s Parents, Shreveport

Chapter 15: The Seventies Part 3: Separation, Travel, and Exploration

Chapter 16: A Western Excursion (April 29–June 5, 1978)

Chapter 17: Skiing With the Wind, January 1978 to January 1992

Chapter 18: The Years during and after Skiing

Chapter 19: A New Career

Chapter 20: Writing a Novel

PROLOGUE

A LBERT CAPO IS a fictitious character whose life story is somewhat different from that of many young boys growing up in the city of New York during the latter two-thirds of the twentieth century. The trials and tribulations that Albert encountered during his youth were common for most children of his generation, but Albert’s approach and reaction to these situations were quite different from his contemporaries, both as a youth and as an adult. His playground was the streets of New York during the latter half of the twentieth century, which was unique in many respects from the generation that precede d it.

The United States has always been a magnet for foreigners, attracting immigrants from all over the world, especially during the first half of the twentieth century. During that period, Europeans came to the United States in droves, viewing their new homeland through the prism of the Statue of Liberty and all it represents. The gateway to America was through Ellis Island, where newly arrived immigrants were given physical examinations and a background check before being allowed into the United States and released into the general population. As the immigrants explored their new homeland, some traveled west to join other immigrants or relatives of their ethnic background, while others settled in various ethnic conclaves within the five Boroughs of the city of New York. Each ethnic group comfortably settled into different locations within the city: the Germans established themselves at Eighty-Sixth Street in Manhattan, while the Irish settled the lower west side of the same borough, and the Italian quarters were in downtown Manhattan, south of Hudson Street to Prince Street and the surrounding areas, including both sides of Sixth Avenue, commonly known as Little Italy. And so it went, with a Jewish community in and around Canal Street, and Chinatown not far removed. The Negro population had an enclave in the lower Bronx and at 125th Street, Manhattan. These pockets of ethnic communities represented sui generis on a grand scale.

The immigrant population living through the Great Depression of the 1930s faced many challengers, the least of which was learning a new language as they slowly integrated themselves into the American society and way of life. Albert’s life reveals for the reader the social and cultural atmosphere that prevailed during his passage through the twentieth century. The many miscalculations, accomplishments, and unique situations that occurred during his life were not typical for youths of his generation.

The importance of the twentieth century cannot be overestimated. Before the nineteenth century gave birth to the twentieth century, the America landscape looked quite different from the one of today. In most cases American society was void of electric lighting in homes, no telephones, radios, or TVs, no air conditioning or automobiles.

Those folks who lived during the twentieth century witnessed more technological advances, inventions, and discoveries than the entire past history of mankind. Along with the fight for civil rights, two world wars, America’s egregious but necessary development of the atom bomb, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the conquest of outer space by landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth, and engaging in international conflicts. It would take many volumes to describe that which has advanced the cause of civilization during the past one hundred years, and it would stagger the imagination to ponder the vicissitudes of technology in the next one hundred years—that is, if we don’t destroy ourselves in the process.

Albert lived through this era of tumultuous, dangerous, and glorious times, and witnessed monumental historical events that characterized the twentieth century. As Albert’s life unfolds, revealing intriguing stories, traumatic personal events, and exciting travel experiences, the reader will be informed as well as entertained as he/she reads Albert’s life story, which is reflective of the author’s life and symbolic of that of many World War II veterans raising a family in the suburbs of New York and New Jersey.

CHAPTER 1

In the Beginning

I TALIAN IMMIGRANTS DEPARTING Ellis Island, together with other ethnic groups, not only settled in New York City, but also ventured westward in pursuit of a prescribed lifestyle. Their sights followed an opportunistic arrow landing them in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and sundry locations in California and elsewhere. This blend of diverse cultures added richness to the American society. Their struggle to secure a livelihood for their families and a measure of dignity was paramount in their thinking and was achieved through hard work and educational opportunities that were readily available in their new homeland, which in turn contributed to America’s strength and great ness.

Albert’s story reflects the trials and tribulations of a boy growing up in the city of New York during the latter half of the twentieth century. The social norms and way of life of Albert’s generation were quite different from the generation that followed and the one that preceded it. An insight into the customs of the previous generation lends credence to Albert’s story. A look back in time provides the reader with an understanding of the social structure, customs, and attitudes of Albert’s grandparents at the turn of the century and the norms of behavior between Albert’s paternal grandparents and his maternal grandparents, which were quite different. By today’s standard, the attitude, customs, and thinking of many emigrants to America would seem alien and difficult to understand to Albert’s generation.

The manner in which Albert’s paternal parents arrived at Ellis Island was not typical for most immigrants coming to America. Looking back, his great-grandfather resided in the beautiful seaside town slightly north of Sorento, situated on the bay of Naples. His love of the sea inspired him to enlist in the Italian Navy, and for several decades served during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He retired from military service with the rank of admiral, and during and after his service in the navy he had acquired a sizable fortune in property and other assets. Upon his death he bequeathed a large portion of his wealth to Albert’s grandfather. Whatever wealth Albert’s grandfather inherited was used to provide for his family’s needs and to educate his six children. The balance of his grandfather’s wealth was squandered frivolously on numerous ocean voyages to and from America. However, we should not be too judgmental concerning Albert’s grandfather since the details and circumstances of his life are not fully known. From what is known, Albert’s grandpa was a bit of a prankster. However, he made sure that his six children were educated in a manner commensurate with his social status. Eventually, Albert’s grandpa’s wealth was consumed, and by the time his family immigrated to America, there was little left.

Albert’s father, Anthony (1894–1945), was the youngest of six siblings; he had an older brother, Erasmus (1890–1918), and four sisters. It was the custom in Italy at the turn of the century, as it was in most European countries, that women were not afforded the same educational opportunities as men. Equality for women socially, legally, as well as educationally was not yet accepted in Europe or the United States. Another fifty years would pass in the pursuit of women’s equality before they achieved their goals. Albert’s four aunts were privileged to be educated in a finishing school, where they were taught poetry, literature, embroidery, and other fineries of life that prepared them for marriage and motherhood. Albert’s father and uncle received their education at the Academy of Music, where Anthony learned to play the cello and Erasmus learned conducting. With all of grandpa’s children’s educational needs provided for and in place, he immigrated to America with his entire family. Maybe Albert’s grandfather’s many ocean voyages to America were not as frivolous as they would seem. Like most Italian immigrants to the United States, Grandpa Frank settled his family in Manhattan’s Little Italy, where a rich blend of Italian and English was spoken among neighbors and friends.

Albert’s uncle Erasmus quickly established himself in his new homeland as a conductor of classical music and had a promising career in sight for his future until tragedy struck. Unfortunately, and to the dismay of many, he suddenly died in 1918 of influenza, better known as the Spanish flu. This flu was pandemic throughout the world and eventually claimed the lives of forty million people, twenty million in the United States alone. An examination of the death records indicated that the majority of individuals who died from the 1918 influenza pandemic were between the ages of twenty-five and forty, the very group with the strongest immune systems were hit the hardest.

On the female side of the ledger were Albert’s four aunts: Melietta, Fortuna, Maria, and Julietta. Fortuna was on the portly side and not much over 5' 4" in height; she had a jovial and sanguine disposition, and resided with her husband in an apartment on Thompson Street, before moving to Brooklyn. She never had any children and died sine prole in her eighties. Aunt Melietta Romano and her husband lived in Brooklyn and owned their own home not far from the Verrizano Bridge, and when Aunt Fortuna and her husband moved to Brooklyn they resided with the Romanos, maintaining separate quarters in a partitioned section of the house. Aunt Melietta had five children: four sons and a daughter. In later years Albert would visit his aunts in Brooklyn, who would shower him with love and affection. Albert’s aunt Melietta died in her late nineties with her full mental faculties functioning. Albert had no recollection of his aunt Maria who died when he was a child, nor did he know his other aunt Julietta. She was physically incapacitated because of a pregnancy that went wrong. The fetus had died within her womb and before the midwife became aware of the miscarriage, septicemia set in and affected her nervous system. Having a midwife in lieu of a doctor was common practice with the hoi polloi in those days.

Albert’s maternal grandparents had a different background and story to tell, coming from a small town in Italy called Buchini in the province of Salarno. The death of Albert’s grandmother at the age of thirty-three from tuberculosis changed the future of the Landolfi family. Sometime after the death of Albert’s grandmother, his grandfather immigrated to America with his three children—a son, Louis, and two daughters, Mary, and Albert’s mother Virginia—and settled in Little Italy. Not long after arriving in America, Grandpa Landolfi sent word to friends in Buchini to send him a woman to marry. It was not quite sight unseen, since he was familiar with the available women in his hometown. However it should be noted that most women in his hometown possessing a fine mind, good looks, and an admirable figure were already married, and those remaining were not the best candidates for a spouse. They sent him an uneducated woman of peasant stock, and together they reared four children, William, Vincent, Paul, and a daughter, Yolanda.

Albert’s mother was born on July 2, 1897, the youngest of three siblings and was seven years of age when her father immigrated to America. She was a beautiful child with blue eyes and light brown hair, and although her hair darkened at maturity, her beauty never attenuated. Her father was exceptionally strict and enforced Draconian rules to be observed in his household. He was by all accounts unsympathetic to the joys and needs of childhood. His illiberal attitude toward education prompted him to remove his daughter from school at an early age. She was taken out of school in the fifth or sixth grade, to the dismay and heartfelt disbelief of her teachers, who considered her an excellent student. Shortly thereafter, her father secured employment for her in the garment district of Manhattan. Although child labor was against the law, she managed to evade detection by hiding in the secluded recesses of the factory whenever federal inspectors appeared. At home there was little respite from work for she and her sister Mary were given the responsibility of maintaining the upkeep of their domicile while their stepmother did little to alleviate their burden—a modern-day Cinderella story. All indications suggest that her father favored the children from his second marriage. As Albert indicated previously her father was obsessively strict, and if provoked would not hesitate to respond in a physical manner, causing bodily injury. Whenever Albert confronted his mother in later life concerning her father’s brutality and other shortcomings, she would always come to his defense and would not brook any criticism of him. She would rationalize his actions and absolve him of fault. Albert felt certain that his mother could not understand or accept her father’s behavior. Albert had a great deal of anger and dislike at an early age for his grandfather, whom he never knew, and his spouse, whom he did know. However, in later life, Albert’s anger mellowed into sadness with the understanding of their ignorance; for ignorance is a terrible disease more devastating than disease itself.

Albert’s aunt Mary, his mother’s older sister, had a fate similar to his mother’s while growing up with a stepmother. As soon as she became of age, she married a Mella, and took up residence in the Bronx. They begot three children Anthony, James, and Josephine. Sometime during the course of their marriage, her husband abandoned his family and left her with the responsibility of raising three children. As a youth Albert had little contact with his Bronx cousins. However, in later life sometime after his marriage, Albert socialized with all three of his Bronx cousins on a regular basis. He would go ice skating with cousin Anthony at the Waldon Memorial ice ring in Central Park, play handball with cousin James, and he and his wife Anna would attend Broadway shows with cousin Josephine and her husband Leno. Albert was the youngest of all the cousins on both sides of the family, which accounted for his lack of socializing during his youth.

Albert’s uncle Louie was the oldest of the three children, and he and his lovely wife Virginia and their two daughters resided on Prince Street. Albert’s cousin Josephine was six months younger than his brother, and Florence was six months older than Albert. The Landolfi family resided two blocks away from the Capo family and therefore Josephine and Florence became their constant companions and friends. They were more like brothers and sisters than cousins.

Albert’s mother’s unfortunate lifestyle continued to maturity and into her late teens when she blossomed into a beautiful young lady. Albert’s mother met his father in her late teens and was immediately attracted to him by his elegance, refinement, and good looks, and shortly thereafter they married. Virginia’s firstborn was a son, born on December 10, 1921, and named Erasmus. Later in life Erasmus preferred to be called Ray. Their second son Vincent, born in 1923, tragically died at age two of meningitis. He was a beautiful child with blue eyes and light brown hair. His death inspired Virginia to have another child, and that child was Albert. And so begins the life and times of Albert Capo.

CHAPTER 2

The First Five Years

T HE CHARACTER, DISPOSITION, attitudes, and ideals of Albert’s progenitors, not surprisingly, surface in subsequent generations. And so begins Albert’s life story. Albert was born on a Saturday morning, June 5, 1926, at St. Vincent Hospital in Manhattan. Although both of Albert’s parents came from Italy, they spoke perfect English completely void of any foreign accent and would speak Italian only when conversing with local merchants or relatives. They always spoke English at home except when Albert or his brother did naughty things, then their mother would unleash a flow of Italian invectives that would make the spaghetti water boil over. Although Albert’s mother had a robust temper, it never translated into a spanking; Albert and his brother never received so much as a slap from their mother in their entire lives, although they certainly deserved a good spanking on many occasions. Albert’s father on the other hand was more reserved and soft spoken and rarely displayed a show of anger or used profane lang uage.

Albert’s parents moved from Thomson Street to King Street, prior to Albert’s first birthday, long before his faculty of memory was in place. King Street is located between Varic Street and Sixth Avenue, a few blocks removed from Thompson Street. Albert’s uncle Louie (his mother’s older brother) lived on Prince Street, on the second floor of a coldwater flat with his wife Virginia and his two daughters. Albert’s aunt Virginia was a very unique individual. In all of Albert’s lifetime, he had never witnessed her in a state of anger, although I’m sure that her husband must have given her cause to be angry on many occasions. With all the despicable characters there are in this world, she had never displayed uncontrolled displeasure of anyone.

Since so much of Albert’s youth was socially interwoven with the Landolfi household on Prince Street, I would be remiss not to mention his uncle Louie’s personality and distinct character. He was a tailor by trade and worked for a prestigious costume house, and in his spare time he made dress suits to order for many of the celebrities on Broadway. By all accounts he was an assiduous worker and provided his family with all their needs. His disposition was that of a bonhomie, fond of good times, spending many evenings with friends and relatives in pursuit of carpe diem. There was an irascible element in his nature when provoked by incidences initiated by Albert’s conduct; he was quite capable of displaying a formidable temper, but his bombastic outbursts never escalated beyond verbal denunciations. In some respects his faults and virtues are evident in Albert’s and his brother’s characters.

A year before the United States entered World War I, while Louis Landolfi was a single man, he decided to get into the war in Europe by enlisting in the Italian Army to fight the Germans. This of course did not sit well with relatives and friends, who did their utmost to dissuade him, but to no avail. Since persuasion failed, they settled on a plan that might succeed. Realizing his weakness and propensity for a good time, they decided to launch a bon voyage party for him the night before the boat was to depart for Europe, assuring him that they would wake him at 6:00 AM in time for embarkation. They made sure that he was sufficiently inebriated, then for added insurance they hid his shoes. Everything went according to plan; the boat was well on the high seas while Louis was deep in slumber. Although the farewell party was a huge success, it only delayed the inevitable. When the United States declared war on Germany, Louis rushed to the recruiting station and enlisted in the United States Army. He fought many battles while in the army, receiving a Purple Heart from being gassed at the battle of Chateau-Thierry in France. The mustard gas used during that battle affected his lungs and resulted in breathing difficulties for the rest of his life. The gassing at Chateau-Thierry did not diminish his proclivity for socializing. While on guard duty some friends of his who were themselves a little tipsy approached Louis and asked him if he would join them for a drink. Not leaving his post, he accepted. This infraction of military law landed Louis in the stockade. However, after the officers reviewed his impressive war record, they decided to show leniency and dropped all charges against him, with a strong reprimand concerning his future military behavior. He served two years in the army before being honorably discharged.

As previously stated, Albert’s parents moved to King Street prior to his first birthday and resided there till Albert was five and a half years of age, at which time they moved to Astoria, Long Island. I will now focus my attention on the events that transpired during the first few years of Albert’s life and describe the near catastrophic and amazing events that took place during that period of time. At the age of two, Albert’s life was almost over before it started. As was the custom in those days, small toddlers were restrained in high chairs while mothers attended to their daily chores. On this particular day, Albert’s brother, who was four and a half years older than Albert, was romping around the floor and accidentally tipped over the high chair, propelling Albert out of the chair and onto the floor fracturing Albert’s left elbow and shoulder. Another scenario that would seem more plausible due to Albert’s irrepressible and trenchant nature is that Albert wiggled out of the chair and initiated the fall himself. In any event, Albert was rushed to St. Vincent Hospital, where the attending physician fitted Albert up with an arm cast. While recuperating in the hospital, he contracted multiple childhood diseases: diphtheria; smallpox, whooping cough, etc. So serious were these multiple diseases that Albert’s broken arm was ignored and no longer given proper attention by the physicians. Albert’s physical condition had degenerated to such an extent that he was in extremis. That evening, while visiting Albert, Virginia had overheard one of the nuns comment that they would be relieved of the patient in room five by morning, meaning that they predicted Albert’s demise. Hearing those comments must have been devastating for Albert’s mother and she probably got very little sleep that night. Early the following morning, Albert’s parents immediately went to St. Vincent Hospital. Before going to Albert’s room, his mother entered the hospital chapel and supplicated herself beneath the statue of St. Anthony. She prayed like only a mother could pray for the life of her child, so engrossed in prayer that she was oblivious to relatives standing beside her. Upon completion of her prayers, she got up from her knees and walked to Albert’s room and quietly sat down beside his bed. Gently she touched Albert’s hand and whispered his name. Albert slowly turned his head toward his mother and opened his eyes. The crisis was over and Albert was back on the road to recovery. The nuns who predicted Albert’s demise were astounded by Albert’s return from the jaws of death. Whether Albert’s recovery was a miracle or not, I cannot say since it is beyond my scope of understanding. Albert may have recovered without prayer or his mother’s devotion to God, but in either case Albert was grateful for the outcome. The reader can decide which scenario he/she prefers. Albert recovered from his ordeal in the hospital, but when the time came to remove the cast from Albert’s left arm, the doctor discovered that his broken left arm had mended itself in an abnormal position, giving Albert a crooked left arm. The doctor said that they could operate and set his arm in its proper position, however another stay in the hospital was frowned upon, so Albert went through life with full use of a crooked left arm.

The earliest events of Albert’s youth must have taken place between the ages of three and five and a half years of age, since the subsequent events were far too numerous to have taken place during a span of less than two and a half years. I will make no mention of those events in Albert’s life that were of a mundane nature, but reveal only those events that are amazing, shocking, amusing, or required disciplinary measures.

In order to raise their standard of living, Albert’s mother sought employment as a seamstress in the garment district of Manhattan. Her income was a welcome supplement to her husband’s salary and provided their family with additional conveniences they could not otherwise enjoy. Every morning Albert’s mother would drop him off at nursery school before departing for work, and pick Albert up in late afternoon. Albert’s mother cautioned him to be careful when using public bathrooms, always cover the toilet seat with paper before sitting down to avoid contact with germs. This advice stuck in Albert’s mind and he always tried to wait till he got home before relieving himself. One day Albert felt the urge but was reluctant to use the nursery bathroom. He held out as long as possible then plop, he defecated in his pants. Albert was too young to differentiate between a public toilet and one that was used only by little boys. When Albert’s mother arrived to pick him up, she was shocked and mortified to find a malodorous child standing before her. Albert was destined to learn everything the hard way. There is one other poignant memory that Albert had of his nursery school days, which was the pungent odor of tomato soup. Albert didn’t like tomato soup and would never eat it at lunchtime. For the rest of Albert’s life, every time he smelled tomato soup it would bring back memories of nursery school. It wasn’t until later in life that Albert would eat and enjoy tomato soup.

The following events are not necessarily in chronological order, since they cannot be placed in a definite timeframe with any degree of accuracy. Albert and his brother spent a great deal of time in the company of their cousins Josephine and Florence. Between King Street and Prince Street was Sixth Avenue, a wide and heavily traveled avenue. One fine day, instead of remaining in front of their apartment building as he was instructed to do by his mother, Albert decided to visit his cousins on Prince Street. His saving grace was that his mother always taught him to look both ways when crossing a street even when accompanied by an adult. His Aunt Virginia’s house wasn’t very far, but to Albert it seemed like an adventure. When he arrived he climbed the two flights of stairs and knocked on the door. When his Aunt Virginia opened the door she was surprised to see him and even more surprised and shocked to discover he was alone. When Albert’s mother found out, she sat him down and explained why he should never attempt such a trip again, and he never did.

Another incident occurred around that time that was quite traumatic for those in charge of his care. Virginia’s first cousins Clara and Mary were spinsters and lived with their father on Charleston Street, a distance of three or four blocks from King Street, and on occasion Albert’s mother would leave him in their care in lieu of nursery school. On this particular day while he was quartered at Charleston Street, they were visited by Clara’s brother George and his fiancée Stella. George mentioned that they were on their way to an outdoor art show near Greenwich Village and asked if they could take Albert alone. Clara hesitated at first, but after a short discussion she agreed. So off Albert went with George and Stella. They drove within a block of the art show and parked their car. George instructed Albert to wait in the car for they would not be gone long, leaving the rear window of the car partially open to allow fresh air to circulate within the car, in the same manner you would leave your pet dog alone in a car. They then departed for the art exhibition while Albert stayed behind. George probably left Albert behind, realizing that he was a little on the rambunctious side and did not want to risk the possibility of losing Albert in the crowd. Albert waited and waited and waited as the minutes slowly dragged by. To Albert it seemed that they had been gone for hours. They probably weren’t gone for more than fifteen minutes, but to Albert it seemed like a very long time. As the minutes slowly dragged by Albert became fidgety and disquieted, till finally boredom and impatience got the better of him and he decided to walk back to Charleston Street, never realizing the terrible fear and stress that would grip George and Stella when they returned to discover an empty car with no Albert inside. When Albert finally arrived at Charleston Street, a distance of at least three blocks, Albert opened the door and walked in, to be greeted by Clara, who inquired as to the whereabouts of George and Stella. As Albert began to explain the details of this traumatic episode, Clara became distraught and flabbergasted. She was very much concerned with George’s state of mind when he returned from the art show only to find an empty car with no Albert. A short time after Albert returned to Charleston Street, he heard George rampage through the door half hysterical and shouting, Is he here, is Albert here? Then silence. Clara assured George that Albert was safe and sound. As soon as Albert heard George’s voice, he sought refuge beneath the dining room table and waited for the impending storm to subside. However, Albert was not to get off that easy; George put on a wonderful histrionic display of rage and anger, pretending not to know where Albert was. George rampaged through the house shouting invectives and threats to Albert’s physical wellbeing. George put on as good a demonstration of histrionics as could be devised to register his displeasure with Albert’s conduct and to let Albert know that he did something wrong. Albert could