Died Twice Trilogy: Eighty Five....Yet Still Very Much Alive and Kicking

By Bernard D. Shapiro

After self publishing “Died Twice” in 2012 and l’epilogue in 2018, I decided in 2021, as I turned eighty five, to conclude the autobiographical trilogy with my final compilation of quasi articulate unauthorized ramblings. In this, the final edition of my soap opera life story, there is a good mix of over forty old and new tales. I spend a good deal of time explaining the PACE story that transpired over twenty five years ago, and my latest experiences via the PEARL restaurant vignette that basically started in late 2018. For historical purposes I have also included a word by word copy of the lengthy memorialized official factual record of the HOAX at the Aqua that gave rise to the novel Russian Revenge…The Hoax at the Aqua,” which in 2017, I co-authored with my since deceased writing partner, John Nolan. I have also briefly described the Paul Shapiro story as we have been friends now for sixty eight years. As the Corona virus pandemic engulfed us all, I also relate my personal uplifting experience with the extended quarantine and intermittent lock down and appropriate social distancing.

Thankfully these latest stories are all lighter and happier than the original “Died Twice,” as they are basically devoid of any additional personal tragedies or ultra sad experiences. Once again, I hope my children, grand children and some friends will enjoy a number of the stories that they may have personally experienced with me over the years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664162532

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Bernard D. Shapiro. 827051

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.

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

ISBN: 978-1-6641-6254-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6641-6255-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6641-6253-2 (e)

Rev. date: 06/08/2021

Contents

DEDICATION.

FORWARD………..WHY DO I CONTINUE TO WRITE?

THE EULOGY THAT I WROTE AND READ AT LAURA’S FUNERAL- APRIL, 2010.

HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE MORE TO SAY 2019-2021.

THE BARNEYS INCIDENT CIRCA 1944.

SATURDAYS AT THE TRYLON MOVIE THEATRE IN REGO PARK 1946-1948.

BULLYING IS NOT JUST A TODAY THING.

BENEATH STILL WATERS….CIRCA 1946.

A BOOKIE?? 1951-1953.

MY MOTHER GETS HER LICENSE & I DO NOT.

MY COLLEGE ROOMATES.

COACHING JUNIOR BASKETBALL….1960 & 2018 WITH SIMILAR RESULTS.

DOCTOR ATKINS, MY DAD AND ME - CIRCA 1965 & THEREAFTER.

LAURA’S CONNECTION TO ALAN POSTER, HER EX HUSBAND- THE DIVORCE, THE REUNION, AND THE CORVETTE 1970-2000.

LUNCH & CAMPING WITH RALPH LAUREN… CIRCA 1982.

HAPPENINGS @ LES BERNARD...SOME FUNNY....SOME NOT. 1963-1991.

DEATH TAKES ITS TOLL.

ASHES TO ASHES……….POOF.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

MARRY RICH……I HAVE A STEP SISTER????

WHAT DID YOU SAY?…..THE HEARING AID SAGA.

THE PAUL SHAPIRO STORY……1953- 2021.

PACE YOURSELF!!!…… SO TO SPEAK.

RENTING MIRABELLE…OUR ST. MARTIN HOME…. 2000 -2010.

CAN YOU MATCH THIS?

AMBIENCE ESTATE SALE……NOVEMBER, 2013.

YOU CAN’T TRUST ME?????

DIAMOND POINT….A TRADEMARK & A LIFE SAVER.

THE HOAX? AT THE AQUA- 2015.

APRIL IN PARIS ……….. 2015.

BERNIE AND TRAVEL AGENTS.

I DISCOVERED A PEARL WITHOUT EVEN OPENING AN OYSTER.

MY TEMPORARY SWAN SONG @ PEARL…FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020.

BERNIE IS UNBALANCED? ….THE RUSTY GOLDEN YEARS.

SELF PUBLISHED BOOKS TO DATE….OR IN THE PIPELINE.

TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS--I DID IT MY WAY!!!

MY PERSONAL TEXAS HOLD ‘EM POKER VERSION OF THE SONG.

SHORT AND SWEET.

THE LOST CHILDREN OF MY FIRST MARRIAGE.

FOR SURE I MADE SOME MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY.

MY FINAL?? RAMBLINGS … IT’S A WRAP.

MY MALAPROPISMS AND ADDITIONAL RAMBLINGS.

FINAL THOUGHTS THAT CROSS MY MIND 1N 2021.

BERNIE RESIGNS AS PRESIDENT OF THE AQUA.

GREETINGS FROM THE SHAPIRO / KRASKA FAMILY

YES!! YOU KNOW ME NOW, BUT DID YOU KNOW ME THEN!!!!

IN MEMORIUM.

DEDICATION.

As in my two prior autobiographical ramblings, I dedicate this final compilation to my only son, Marc Jeffrey Shapiro, who will be fifty nine on November 30th, 2021.

Tragically, Marc was never able to recover from his devastating accident back in 1967 which resulted in his everlasting mental and physical incapacity.

Painfully, over the last fifty four years, I have lived with the results of that catastrophic mishap.

Regretfully, I have had no recourse, but to acknowledge and accept the fact that neither I, nor any medical professionals, were capable of rendering any meaningful changes to the situation. He lives on today, as he did some fifty four years ago, unable to communicate or tend to his daily needs. I can only pray he is not mentally aware of his perpetual plight.

Gratefully, the powers that be, have granted me the strength, courage, wisdom, and everlasting determination, to accept the reality of the situation and to soldier on.

May God be gentle with his soul.

AMEN!!!

1.jpg

Marc Jeffrey Shapiro-September 1967

FORWARD………..WHY DO I CONTINUE TO WRITE?

To all my dear friends that have already perused the first "DIED TWICE" in 2013, and the epilogue in 2018, I now welcome you to the final attempt to recreate my saga of a life so that you may briefly shed a tear through my tragedies, but more meaningfully, laugh with me through numerous comical incidences as well.

It has been quite a ride, spiraling, twisting, up and down, joyful, and sad, but always based on soldering on, maintaining my integrity, and "Doing The Right Thing…..Every Time," (first published in 2013).

Now, in 2021, in this, my final attempt at an unauthorized autographical rambling, much to my amazement, well over three dozen additional previously untold incidents have been extracted from my ancient cranial diary, bringing the total trilogy to well over one hundred and twenty five stand alone vignettes . I truly hope you can enjoy the read, which primarily I continuously desire to non chronologically document for my children and grandchildren, and those many dear friends that supported me through my trying times. I lost Laura over ten years ago, and I virtually lost all three children from my first marriage, many years prior, one to a horrendous accident, and two to a great deal of insidious misinformation that was nastily disseminated by my first wife, after our contentious divorce back in 1969.

Unfortunately, the damage done to my validity as a loving and caring father was so pervasive for so long, that it became insurmountable, even to this day. I only ask that Brie, Blair, and my friends that are still alive and kicking, judge me by my personae over these last fifty plus years, and my absolutely perpetual attempts to do the right thing every time.

Ever since I began transmitting personal e mails to friends after Laura passed in April of 2010, I was told on numerous occasions that I had a way with words. Upon due refection, I have concluded that my communication skills have since been unleashed like a recently uncorked bottle of vintage wine, as the words just seem to flow once I start typing. I do not refer to notes, nor have I on any occasion had to go back and re write what had already been transcribed to the written page.

Yes, I do review and sometimes change a word or two to delineate the exact thought that I am trying to express, and yes a sentence or two is sometimes re written for better syntax, but by and large what smoothly flows from my mind to my fingers, ends up unscathed on the written page. That alone has astounded me.

On a recent visit with Blair to Laura’s internment site, at the Gate Of Heaven cemetery in Hawthorne NY on January 9th, 2020, (Laura’s 77th birthday), I once again read my eulogy to Laura and I experienced an epiphany, as it dawned on me that it was back in April of 2010, that my writing style became uncorked due to the creation of the eulogy. It was succinct, spot on and emotionally charged, as the carefully chosen words evoked a very teary outburst from all of the other mourners. Please, if you will, read the entire eulogy a few pages forward in this book, as it appeared in the original Died Twice on pages 215-216.

So is that what my friends mean when they say, I write like I speak? I guess so. Is that one of the secrets of good writing, having the written words reflect what could easily be the spoken words? I do not ponder a lot when I get started, but rather just type what my brain dictates, and for the most part, it seems to end up in an articulate, and accurate manner.

Is that a skill, a talent, or just a style? I find it odd that it took me seventy five years to gain that reputation for straight forward, emotional, and sometimes interesting writing. I feel like I am telling a story to a group of friends and trying to transport them to see and experience what I am talking about. If I can accomplish that, then I guess it exemplifies my writing style, and I should just embrace it for better or worse.

I’ve never considered myself a creative writer as my stories are primarily based on my saga of life experiences, and thus I do not have to think too much, as I am just reporting what happened, albeit sometimes many years ago, and with details that have obviously been embedded in my psyche. I do recognize that I seem to have a pretty succinct recall ability once I get started, and I very seldom have had to change the story line except maybe to verify a date or sequence of events. For the most part, it seems I possess a pretty accurate cuckoo clock mind that allows me to just sit and blurt it out in pretty much the way it actually transpired.

……………….

The title and cover of my very first book circa 1980

"All That I Know About the Design, Manufacturing

And Marketing of Fashion Jewelry." By Bernard Shapiro

It was meant as a joke for my showroom customers, many who had been telling me, over the years, that I exhibited a penchant and genius for promoting semi precious materials, and a very fine eye for color and design, and that the Les Bernard staff, from sales to production, had the reputation of always doing things the proper way. They said I should write a book about it. I did. And I ordered the book with the afore mentioned title.

I then had the book printed – with 200 blank pages.

I got a real kick out of the look on my customer’s faces when they opened the book in my showroom and roared with laughter. It was my way of saying, no genius here, just a hard working, committed young man, and his competent and dedicated staff, with a passion to design, manufacture, sell, and promote, upscale fashion jewelry, in the hope that fashion savvy women would buy, wear, and appreciate it. To this very day, three decades later, seeing a woman adorned with a Les Bernard creation, is in itself a rare and priceless emotional experience.

I never did discover who purloined the book but it disappeared from my showroom back in the mid 80s and has never surfaced, but it was in fact my very first literary venture. At least it had an eye catching, intriguing title. Narrative, not so much!!!!! LOL.

The second writing venture was my accumulation of sayings, quotes, and caveats, titled "Doing The Right Thing…..Every Time." Again, it was not a literary work, but rather just a logistical effort to organize some of my favorite sayings garnered over the years. When compiling it, I realized that most of the sayings were all about doing right and proper things, and hence the title of the book. It has since been updated in 2019 with a few additional insights.

In my first actual writing attempt, back in 2013, entitled " Died Twice… But Very Much Alive and Kicking," I managed to open up the flood gates of my memory from childhood to my mid seventies, and I was astonished at what I recalled, most of which made it to print. A few items did not make it to the written page for various personal reasons, but a few years later, as my story telling became more emboldened, I did proceed with a sequel titled l’epilogue to Died Twice, in which I was able to print some of those untold vignettes in a manner that were at times self deprecating, but not totally devastating, nor onerously invasive of other’s privacy. Stories that had formerly gone untold were then brazenly exposed.

My best friend Paul, after reading my first draft of "Died Twice" told me to keep on writing, but the truth is I thought I had told my story. I did not consider myself a creative writer, but rather just a story teller based on my personal experiences.

I doubted if I could create a narrative that would become an interesting novel, but that eventually turned out not to be true.

Ever since collaborating on "Rampage 1982" with Detective Nolan, who passed on in September of 2020, I discovered that I do have a knack for some creative writing. In the course of our collaboration in creating a fictionalized version of the rape diner story, John was amazed at some of my wild ideas and he told me he had a padded room reserved for me at the Pilgrim State Mental Hospital, but I kept on fantasizing and outlining the story as I think it should have unfolded. Amazingly, I think we both started to realize that the story had taken on a life of its own, and we believed what we were writing. That in itself was kind of scary. In 2017 John and I collaborated on another novel, "Russian Revenge. The Hoax at the Aqua." Once again, it was based on a factual situation here at the Aqua Condominium in the summer months of 2015. After the incident concluded, the Board requested that I memorialize the event in a sixteen page memo for the Aqua historical files which is printed later on in this book.

It was a bizarre story and a crazy two months that summer when the Board was faced with a Russian buyer who wanted to purchase three units. It never happened, but John and I wrote a fictionalized story of what we thought could have been the motivation for the proposed Russian purchase. However, in reality, the Aqua Board of Managers was just shamefully hoaxed by a young, believable, but delusional son of a Russian Oligarch. We will never know the full truth.

As I said previously, in 2018, I took all of my newly discovered old stories that were buried deep in my brain, breathed life into them and wrote l’epilogue to Died Twice, and published it.

In March of 2019, twenty eight years after selling my company, I became enthused about creating a retrospective of Les Bernard from inception to demise. I worked with a local graphic designer to create a mostly pictorial story of the twenty eight year history of the company. It is a work that I am very proud of, and recently submitted to The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York to see if they were interested in adding it to their accessory fashion library. The book now graces my living room cocktail table, and that of about a dozen or so of family and friends.

I finally completed the sequel to the original Rampage, entitled Rampage 1982…..the Aftermath 2013-2015, which is totally fictional, and completely penned by me, even though I chose to respectfully credit John as he did assist with some of the editing prior to his demise. I proved to myself that I can write creatively, but once again it was based on a true story. Publication and distribution of that book was held up due to the closing of the publisher during the Corona virus episode, but was finally delivered in February of 2021.

I also had started this the second sequel to "Died Twice", with some stories not yet then told that have emerged from the depths of my mind, and some that have occurred more recently. You are reading that undertaking now.

Just like the Energizer bunny keeps on moving, I just seem to keep on writing.

THE EULOGY THAT I WROTE AND READ

AT LAURA’S FUNERAL- APRIL, 2010.

As originally printed in the original Died Twice. Pages 215-216

My dearest Laura,

For over forty years we talked, cried, laughed, and sometimes argued, and then hugged tightly. I feel blessed that we walked this life together, and participated in so many exciting experiences and projects, as we shared each other’s joys and sorrows.

You were the ultimate Navy nurse care giver, always putting everyone else’s needs before your own, and your caring nature was always glaringly obvious to all.

You were the consummate whirling dervish, balancing more projects and deeds at the same time than most people could ever fathom.

You were the quintessential creative idea person, possessing more strategic maneuvers than naval intelligence, which made our life together both provocative and challenging, but certainly never mundane.

You served your patients and country with dignity and honor, and we are all gathered here today to salute you for your devotion and dedication to your causes, whatever they may have been. Your impact on the people you touched was always profound. You were truly a unique and very special person, imbuing your spirit to all, and your absence will be obvious to everyone who knew you.

In our marriage, you were the wind billowing our sails, and I was the anchor, and now with great sorrow, it is time for me to disengage the line and say anchors away my love, anchors away.

May that same wind be forever at your back and may the sun shine warm upon your face, and may rain droplets always fall gently upon you.

You were a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and nurse, and I can only promise you that to the exclusion of all others, I will dedicate myself to caring for and protecting our children and grand children for the rest of my life. I know you would have done the same.

Thank you for being my wife, and best friend, and may you finally enjoy the serenity you so justly deserve. Rest in peace my love, as you remain in our hearts and minds forever. I will miss you dearly and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his palm.

"I loved you with all my heart and I know God will too."

May he bless you forever

Arreviderci & Amen

After the eulogy, taps was played, and the small military naval honor guard, adorned in dress whites, presented me with the traditional folded American flag with expressed gratitude from the President and the American people. It was truly an emotionally charged presentation that left everyone a little teary eyed.

The engraved glass, encasing the triangularly folded, & emotionally charged American flag, is prominently and proudly displayed on my den table, where it shall remain forever.

HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE MORE TO SAY 2019-2021.

Having said all of that, and having self published Died Twice in 2013 and the epilogue in 2018, I am somewhat stunned that I find myself, once again at the computer, compiling additional stories to my never ending saga, some old and some brand new. These latest unrelated ramblings will serve as the final yarns of my Died Twice trilogy. Over one hundred and twenty five stand alone individual vignettes, and counting. Enough is enough.

Who knew when I started to pen my unauthorized autobiography at the ripe old age of seventy six back in 2012 that nine years later, I would still be spewing forth with new war stories in 2021? I am inspired to continue writing as new events take place or old ones reappear in my questionably articulate mind. As of today, 3/2/2021, over forty four new segments of my life’s experiences have erupted from my mind, which I have now added to my in print babbling.

To quote The Shadow.... for those of you old enough to know who I am referring to.

Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men? The Shadow knows.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said. Writing is swimming underwater. Seems I do both. ... Translated I assume it means, I write from the very depths of my mind.

As Jorge Luis Borges said. I write for me, my friends, my family, and to soften the passage of time.

As Gertrude Stein said. To write consists simply to say what you know.

As Bernie says. "I continue writing as it absorbs my soul, and seems so easy to relate the story as I