Great news today from Machpelah Cemetery in Queens. Our great friends Dorothy Dietrich and David Haversat traveled out to the cemetery with buckets of soap and water and gave Houdini's grave plot a thorough cleaning. It now looks much better!
The good news is the heavy black we saw spreading over the grave wasn't mold. It was just a heavy accumulation of dirt and grime. So all that was needed was some elbow grease to clean it off, but it was still a big job for two people, especially since the cemetery does not have running water, and Dorothy and David had to cart in all their water. But now Houdini's grave looks great in this all-important year, with so many visiting and filming at the site.
Dorothy also reports that Houdini's headstone, which had been sinking, has been leveled. So it appears the cemetery management is also looking after the site.
To be clear, the SAM does not do this kind of upkeep (something I did not understand until now). The SAM's gravesite fund is used to offset the cost of future repairs, such as the crack in the exedra. Dorothy Dietrich's own Houdini Gravesite Fund is responsible for today's work, so you can see that donations to this fund are put to immediate use. Dorothy is also making arrangements for regular cleaning.
Thank you, Dorothy and David! This is the kind of thing Houdini often did for other magicians' graves. It's wonderful to see the same love and care being given to his gravesite.
Matthew Crabtree, National President of The Society of American Magicians, has clarified who is responsible for the upkeep of Houdini's gravesite at Machpelah Cemetery, which, as I shared last week, is badly in need of cleaning. (Spoiler alert: it's not them.) Says Matthew:
In 2024, Dorothy Dietrich and Hank Feinberg started an nonprofit charitable LLC https://houdinigravesite.org/ and took over the care, upkeep, and restoration of the site. The LLC is working with the family to make sure it is done both legally and in accordance with Jewish traditions. It was at this time, they discovered that Houdini had left money for care and upkeep in perpetuity in his will to the cemetery.
The money for the Houdini Gravesite collected by The Society of American Magicians is earmarked to help offset the cost of repairs as voted on by the National Council in 2023.
With the information provided here, we would appreciate a clarification on your posting about the need for cleaning the site and who should be performing the upkeep.
Matthew Crabtree
National President
The Society of American Magicians
This is a very helpful clarification, and it's great that Dorothy Dietrich is involved, as she has repeatedly demonstrated her devotion to maintaining the gravesite. The website for donations to the active Houdini Gravesite Fund can be accessed by clicking below.
Thank you, Matthew!
UPDATE: Good news! Dorothy Dietrich is on the case, and the grave will be cleaned very soon. Also, it's not in as bad a shape as the photos make it look. But it still needs a good cleaning, and it's going to get done. Dorothy also wants to arrange regular cleaning. Remember, if you want to contribute directly to the fund that does stuff like this, do so HERE.
The 100th year is going gangbusters, with new books, documentaries, and plans for a seance at 278. But there's one blight on an otherwise celebratory year. Houdini's grave in Machpelah Cemetery has never looked worse. Mold is spreading across the excedra. It's heartbreaking that this year, when so many people are visiting the grave, photographing it, and filming there (such as the Dynamo special), it looks like this.
The good news is that mold is not hard to clean, and thanks to the generous donations to the Houdini grave fund, the SAM has the money to do so. So, along with honoring Houdini at their annual convention in Appleton this year, maybe the SAM can send a cleaning crew out to the grave ASAP. Let's make Houdini look his best for the 100th!
UPDATE 2: Good news! Dorothy Dietrich is on the case, and the grave will be cleaned very soon. Also, it's not in as bad a shape as this photo makes it look. The rain makes it look worse. But it still needs a good cleaning, and it's going to get done. Dorothy also wants to arrange regular cleaning. Remember, if you want to contribute directly to the fund that does stuff like this, do so by clicking below.
Today marks Bess Houdini's 150th birthday. She was born Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner on January 23, 1876, in Brooklyn. Our great friend Janet Davis traveled out to Gate of Heaven Cemetery today and just sent me this lovely email and images.
I’m at Gate of Heaven right now, marking the sesquicentennial of Bess’ birth. I played “Rosabelle” and the stage patter recording (and made sure not to wear or bring anything yellow). I left this photo and her dates on the gravestone. You can see that someone else had left flowers recently; there were fresh footprints in the snow.
A peaceful, cold winter’s day for this special anniversary. Happy 150th, Bessie. You are remembered.
Janet
A beautiful tribute to Bess on this special day. Thank you, Janet!
Want more? I've marked Bess's 150th on my Patreon with a rare clip of her at a performance of the Southern California Japanese Amateur Magicians Society in Los Angeles in 1938. Just click the image below and watch Bessie get all the gifts.
The next New York Magic Conference takes place on Saturday, June 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The focus will be close-up magic, and 100% of all registrations will be donated to the Houdini grave restoration fund. As we all know, the exedra is badly in need of repair. So this is a great way to help and learn magic from some of New York's most influential magicians. Below are details:
Initial list of performers for the conference:
Doug Edwards Thomas Solomon Doc Sasco, Dr.S Dorothy Dietrich Dick Brooks Eric Q Lou Johnson (others to be announced shortly)
Location:
Abracadabra NYC
19 West 21st Street
New York, NY 10010
Price is $45.00 in advance and $65.00 at the door (if available, seating is extremely limited at this venue). Again, 100% of all registrations will be donated to the Houdini grave restoration fund.
John B. Midgley, current President of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.), has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a custom set of Houdini playing cards designed by Shawn Farquhar, past President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Proceeds from the Kickstarter will go to the Houdini grave restoration fund. It's a great-looking deck and a very worthy cause.
The great Dorothy Dietrich was honored at a special event at the Don't Blink Magic Shop in New York City on Saturday. Dorothy spoke about her career as a pioneering female magician and escape artist, and her lifelong devotion to Houdini. Robert Dadras organized the event.
Dorothy and Dick Brookz run the famed Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA. Dorothy is also the head of the S.A.M. committee that looks after Houdini's gravesite and is currently working to get the large crack in the exedra repaired in time for the 100th anniversary of Houdini's death next year.
Here's an odd one. The insurance company Choice Mutual asked more than 3,100 people if they could be buried next to any celebrity, who would they choose. Houdini came in at #43 between Robert F. Kennedy and Bette Davis. He was the only magician to make the list.
For the record, Houdini's mother is buried beside him in Machpelah Cemetery in Queens.
Here's a well-done video from HEC and historian Andrew Wanko about Houdini in St. Louis and Columbia theater manager Frank R. Tate, who famously told the Handcuff King, "You are not worth a five dollar bill to me."
I can add some more context to this unique time in Houdini's career. Houdini returned to America in 1905 and had been drawing large audiences and creating a sensation on the big-time Keith's vaudeville circuit. In 1907, he told his friend Dr. Waitt in Boston that he didn't want to do another tour of Keith's theaters "as I would like to give it a rest so as not to weary the public." Instead, he started making plans to return to Germany, where he hadn't appeared in three years.
However, Keith's made him an offer he couldn't refuse, $70,000 for 40 weeks, and he went back on tour. By early 1908, as feared, there were signs that audiences were tiring of him. Several managers, including Tate, took notice. The Milk Can helped, but it did not entirely solve the problem of escape fatigue in some cities. Houdini completed his tour and left for Europe. He would not play the U.S. for another three years.
Frank Tate died in 1934. As the video shows, his grave is located in the Bellefontaine Cemetery in North St. Louis. I'm looking forward to visiting St. Louis someday and visiting some of the Houdini sites. When I do, I plan to lay a five-dollar bill on the steps of Manager Tate's mausoleum.
Want more? You can view research related to Houdini's 1908 appearance in St. Louis as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below. Included here is an original Columbia Theater program from the Fred Pittella Collection featuring the first advertisement for Houdini's Milk Can.
The SAM Parent Assembly #1 held its annual wand-breaking ceremony at Houdini's gravesite on November 24. Dorothy Dietrich of the Houdini Museum in Scranton broke the wand. This long-standing tradition dates back to Houdini's funeral in 1926.
The SAM used to do the wand-breaking ceremony on Halloween. But it was feared the ceremony was drawing too much attention to the gravesite and resulting in vandalism. It was decided to hold the ceremony on the date of Houdini's death on the Jewish calendar, which is why the ceremony was so late this year.
I, for one, would love to see the ceremony move back to Halloween or the day after. As long as it's not promoted in advance, it will not draw a crowd, and the area has improved. Maybe for the 100th?
There is an alarming situation unfolding at the Houdini gravesite. A crack in the exedra, which appeared a few years ago, is expanding. A large chunk has recently fallen off the back. The danger of cracks like this is water can get inside and freeze during winter, causing the cracks to enlarge. There is a very real danger that if left untreated, a large section of the exedra will break off. The photos below were taken by our friend Perry Reed a few weeks ago and should chill us all.
The good news is Dorothy Dietrich, owner of the Houdini Museum in Scranton, is now Chairman of the S.A.M. Houdini Gravesite Committee and is well aware of the situation. Dorothy, along with Dick Brookz, famously restored the Houdini bust and the headstones of Gladys and Leopold, so she has been a loving and proactive caretaker of Houdini's grave. Dorothy is working with the co-chairman Joe Devlin on a solution.
Cracks like these can be repaired, and the S.A.M. does have a Houdini Gravesite Fund they can draw from to help. But, as Dorothy points out, the repairs need to be done during the dry summer months—so that means now. Another winter will increase the danger of the exedra breaking, and fixing that might not be so easy.
You can help by making a contribution to the Houdini Gravesite Fund. Or you can contact Dorothy Dietrich directly at the Houdini Museum. Houdini always looked after the graves of fellow magicians, so it's time to do the same for him.
Here's one I knew I couldn't escape for long. A young woman sang Dua Lipa's hit single "Houdini" at Houdini's grave and posted it to TikTok. The video has gone viral with 2.7 million views. Wild 94.1 reports:
Some celebrities and even brands shared their thoughts in the comments of the video. “Congrats, you won Best Cover Of Houdini At His Grave In 2024,” said MTV. “Do we know if he’s actually in there or did he escape that too,” said the PureWow brand. The Girls Next Door costar Holly Madison even chimed in saying, “Best thing I’ve ever seen.”
The Society of American Magicians held their annual broken wand ceremony at Houdini's grave yesterday. Joe Delvin, president of the parent assembly of the S.A.M., conducted the ceremony. Benjilini handled the religious service. Dorothy Dietrich broke the wand. The photo below comes courtesy of our friend and attendee Fred Pittella.
The wand-breaking tradition began with Houdini's death in 1926. The S.A.M. has continued the ceremony every year since 1969.
Hello, ghouls. Happy Halloween and National Magic Day.
Here we are on the 97th anniversary of Houdini's death. As we march ever closer to the 100th, you might be wondering what remains of our hero deep down in that grave in Machpelah Cemetery? I know I think about it! When I visit his grave, I think about how I am just six feet away from Houdini himself. That blows my mind. But in 2023, what exactly am I six feet from?
Well, the news is not great, as the video below explains. This is all a bit gruesome, but it is Halloween.
Recall Houdini was (allegedly) buried in an air-tight copper casket. This would mean the decomposition process would be a bit slower. But from what I've gleaned from other online sources, it would not make a difference after 100 years.
I've never had any objection to exhumation. For me, it would be archaeology. I'm not squeamish or religious, and I'd like to see what's down there. When Houdini exhumed his father and brother to move them into the new Machpelah plot, he opened the coffins and had a look. He even commented on the excellent condition of Herman's teeth.
Had Houdini been exhumed on the 50th anniversary of his death in 1976, we would have very likely seen mummified remains. This would have been the time to do it. Houdini was still with us and maybe even recognizable. That's wild.
Had Bill Kalush and his crew gotten their way in 2006, we would have likely found a brittle skeleton. If anyone was ever serious about testing for poisoning--which I think is worth doing--this would have been our last good chance. The fact that time was running out was never part of the argument back then, but maybe it should have been.
Today, as the video states, all that might remain of Houdini are his teeth. So as we near the 100th, it's sad to think the most significant Houdini artifact of them all, his mortal remains, may be gone forever.
Following the Milbourne Christopher Awards last month––where I was honored to receive the Ambassador of Magic Award––I embarked on a whirlwind tour of Houdini locations in the region. Four states in three days! Here's what I saw on my self-proclaimed "Ambassadors Tour."
My explorations began the day of the Awards, Sept. 16, with a visit to the site of the former Winchell Smith Dam and Grist Mill in Farmington, Connecticut. This is where Houdini filmed the rapids action for The Man from Beyond. I also got to slip on the steel straitjacket from the Tony Curtis Houdini movie. Icovered both these with photos in my award roundup post. The day after the awards is when my tour began in earnest.
Sunday, Sept. 17 I left New London early and drove down the 95, a beautiful drive on a sunny Sunday. As I passed through Stamford, Connecticut, I resisted the urge to turn off and seek out the location of the short-lived Weiss farm. I hadn't anticipated passing through Stamford, so I wasn't ready with the address and research. And I had a lady to meet! So I reluctantly let that location pass as I headed toward New York with the perfect soundtrack playing.
I soon arrived at my first New York destination: Gates of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne. This is where Bess Houdini is buried. I've never seen Bessie's grave, so I was excited to finally make this pilgrimage. However, the cemetery is huge, and Bess isn't easy to find. In fact, I was getting worried about ever finding her! So I began to walk and call out, "Show yourself to me, Bessie," and I'll be darned if I didn't walk right to her.
This was a very different experience than visiting Houdini's grave. It was much more emotional. It's sad to see her here alone, but her headstone is beautiful. I realized I should have brought flowers (something I've never felt the need to bring to Houdini's grave) so I left and returned with a lovely bouquet acquired from a florist just outside the cemetery gates. I ensured it had no yellow flowers as Bess was superstitious about the color yellow. I sang Rosabel (badly) and spent a fair amount of time talking to her. Again, this is something I never do at Houdini's grave. It was a cathartic experience that really took me by surprise. Thank you, Bessie. We love you.
I was now ready for my next stop. So I returned to my rental car and dialed a familiar address into the GPS: 278 West 113th Street. Yes, I was headed "home"!
Little did I know that this Sunday was the 54th Annual African American Day Parade in Harlem, so the streets around 113th were closed and packed! I was nervous enough about driving into NYC and trying to find parking. Now trying to do so in a parade...holy smokes. But maybe Bess was watching over me as I quickly found a parking garage just a few blocks away.
I'm always thrilled to visit 278! As far as Houdini locations go, this is easily #1. As I approached the house, I took a photo. The fact that there were no cars parked on the street was a rare opportunity to get a clean pic. It wasn't until later that I looked at the pic and noticed a strange oval of light directly over the house. Not something you often see in digital photos. I think this is pretty weird!
Homeowners Niro and Vincent were out for the afternoon, but Vincent's friendly father, John, visiting from Kansas City, let me inside and invited me to make myself at home. I cleaned up and was able to relax like it was my very own house. I was also able to enjoy the paraders on 113th Street. I imagined it was a parade for the new Ambassador of Magic!
When Niro and Vincent returned, they caught me up on all the latest renovations and discoveries. We had a wonderful dinner, and it was so much fun to enjoy the house as the Houdinis enjoyed it, filled with family and warmth. Vincent also made a terrific cocktail that I think he should name the "278." I had two!
But it gets even better. Niro and Vincent had invited me to spend the night. (Well, I invited myself and they said yes.) Vincent's parents were in the guest bedroom, so I took a fold-down couch in Houdini's top-floor workroom. Ironically, this is the room I always envisioned myself sleeping in. I even set my Christopher Award on the fireplace mantel to forever imbue it with Houdini 278 energy.
As night fell, it began to rain and continued to pour all night long. In my pajamas, I could look down on a rain-swept 113th Street from Houdini's office window and hear the rain tapping on the skylights. The atmosphere was indescribably perfect, and the entire experience was a dream come true. I'm the luckiest Houdini nut in the world.
Unfortunately, I had no dreams about Houdini or ghostly visitations in the night. However, early in the morning, I heard what sounded like a parrot somewhere on the top floor. Could this have been the spirit of the mischievous Laura who, by all accounts, was the true boss of the house?
Believe
Monday, Sept. 18
After a lovely morning coffee with Vincent and his father, I said my goodbyes and set out in light rain toward my next state: Pennsylvania. Eventually, the skies cleared and it was a beautiful drive into the Poconos. Around noon, I rolled into Scranton. I was there to see another famed Houdini location: the Houdini Museum!
I was so happy to see Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz! For the next several hours we never stopped talking, gossiping, laughing, and having a generally wonderful time. Their museum is incredible! It's packed with memorabilia both old and new. Some reproduction material is there to help tell Houdini's story to visitors, especially children. But the longer you stay and the deeper you look, the more treasure you find. Dorothy then guides you through each with a twinkle in her eye. She also shared some rarities not available to the general public. It was one of the most extraordinary and unique Houdini museum experiences I've ever had.
But there was more to my day in Scranton. After a terrific dinner at a Chinese buffet, Dorothy, Dick, and I traveled downtown to see what used to be Poli's Theatre where Houdini appeared the week of February 22, 1915. The theater has undergone extensive renovation and is today called The Ritz. But it's a surviving Houdini theater, and we love those!
Dorothy also insisted we go see Scranton's famed Lackawanna Building. I'm so glad she did. The building is remarkable inside and out and said to be very haunted. Now a hotel, it was once Scranton's train station. Houdini and his equipment passed through the massive lobby, so this was a bonus Houdini location!
It was hard to say goodbye to Dorothy and Dick, but it was time to move on. Dorothy invited me to sleep in the museum, and I wish I would have! But I had already booked a motel in nearby Wilkes-Barre where another Houdini location was waiting.
Tuesday, Sept. 19
I woke up in Wilkes-Barre and set out early to find a location that was even more obscure than the Farmington rapids. With some luck, I had nailed down the exact spot where the Welsh Bros. Circus set up their tents for two days of performances in July 1898. The streets have changed and the exact site is now occupied by a construction company (who don't care for nosey visitors). These buildings appear to be new as Google Maps still shows the lots empty as recently as November 2020.
However, the railroad tracks directly adjacent to the property are unchanged and afford a great view of the site. I noticed that the tracks branch off here, which makes sense as the circus train would have parked along the side track during these two days. It's a fantastic early Houdini location and the first Welsh Bros. location I've ever visited. (I'll have some other details about Houdini's time in Wilkes-Barre in the diary book.) I also picked up a few railroad spikes off the ground. So this location comes with free souvenirs!
This Welsh Bros. location was good enough that I could have called this the grand finale of the tour. But I had one last stop and one last state to go.
Around eleven, I rolled into picturesque Wayne, New Jersey, and the home of our friend Roger Dreyer. Here is where Roger houses his amazing Houdini Revealed Museum. Roger was super generous and welcoming as always. He had bagels waiting for me and some awesome gifts, including a new retail 278 item that I will be posting about later. I gave him a Welsh Bros. railroad spike. Then we got down to "work!"
I had seen the museum when it was located in Fantasma Magic in New York City, but Roger's setup here is far larger and jaw-dropping. Roger has an excellent sense of how to frame and display his treasures. He even let me try on Houdini's top hat and a pair of authentic jump cuffs.
Roger then let me go through his Houdini files. I only wish I had more time. I had to leave some files unseen if I was going to make it to Newark and my flight home. But what I saw was incredible, and this was a perfect way to end my Ambassador's Tour.
Thank you to Niro & Vincent, Dorothy & Dick, and Roger Dreyer. You are the true Ambassadors of Magic!
Addresses:
Miss Porter's School Administration (formerly Winchell Smith Dam and Grist Mill)
Once again the enigmatic Arthur Dark at Hollywood Graveyard finds a famous grave with a Houdini connection. This time it's actress Mae Busch who appeared with Houdini in The Grim Game. Mae can be found at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory near downtown Los Angeles.
There is an interesting story behind Mae's grave. Her cremated remains went unclaimed, and for over thirty years she was stored along with other unclaimed remains in the vaults below the Chapel of the Pines. But Mae is probably best known for her many appearances in Laurel & Hardy shorts, so the Sons of the Desert (who frequently meet at the Magic Castle) arranged to have her remains moved up into the Chapel of the Pines Columbarium, where she can be visited today.
The history of the Chapel of the Pines vaults and the famous people who still reside there is covered by Arthur in the video below. This is one of his best yet. Enjoy.
One of my favorite YouTube channels is Hollywood Graveyard with the enigmatic Arthur Dark. In fact, I now watch these instead of the news when I'm having dinner. Graveyards are far less depressing! The other night I was watching a video from Arthur's visit to New York when who should appear but Bess! Below is the video. Bessie shows up around 15:10.
As mentioned in the video, Houdini has also appeared on Hollywood Graveyard. He shows up around 07:10 in the below video from 2018.
While the channel is called "Hollywood Graveyard," Arthur travels the country and even the world. I have my fingers crossed that one day he might do an all-magicians episode at the cemetery in Colon, Michigan.
Our friend Benjilini, magician and author of Benjilini on Houdini, provides us with a full and heartfelt report on this year's annual Broken Wand Ceremony at Houdini's grave.
On a brisk windy day with 40 degree temps., Rich Cohn picked me up with his heated car at 11:30. We went to pick up our Dean of the Society of American Magicians (SAM) and my friend of over 30 years, 93 year old George Schindler. Although, George does not drive anymore, his directions to the cemetery was better than any GPS dashboard.
We arrived at the Machpelah Cemetery off the Jackie Robinson Expressway on Exit 3-Cypress Hill St. Once again, the gate was locked as we as well as others waited patiently for someone to unlock the heavy lock. Dorothy Dietrich came to our car and said, "I could probably pick that lock but I don't want to be arrested." George said, "Houdini could escape but now they keep him locked up." I was laughing with his keen sense of Jewish humor.
A few people cleaned up the gravesite of Houdini before the Ceremony. We purposely perform the SAM-PA#1 HOUDINI ANNUAL BROKEN WAND CEREMONY on his Hebrew date of death (Yahrtzeit) due to those individuals who continue to come on his English date of death on Halloween and leave weird things on his headstone which is disrespectful. Also, in the past, many strange individuals would attend the service on Halloween dressed as witches, etc. Now, for some years, it is held on its proper Hebrew date which is the 23rd day of the Hebrew month called Marcheshvan in a dignified manner.
Some of our members visited Larry Weeks gravesite before the Broken Wand Ceremony. We noted the the 2 new markers for C. Gladys Weiss and for Dr. Leopold Weiss, sister and brother of Houdini renewed thru Dorothy and Dick and, I believe, the SAM Endowment Fund. Devlin displayed a beautiful model of the Houdini family plot with proper gravesites in order which included the exedra, the weeping woman, and the red colored SAM symbol on the 1916 exedra. I noted how Theordore Dash Hardeen's gravesite had the wrong date of birth on his marker to proclaim he was born on a leap year (Feb. 29th). Also, Dorothy provided a story concerning the life of a fallen soldier, Mr. Wolf, by his marker signifying his death in WWII near the Houdini family plot. She wants to repair that area as it was damaged during the erection of the Houdini plots.
We gathered on the exedra and a gentleman from The Polar Bear Club took many photos of us along with Mark Mitton. We had a huge crowd of 15 or more for the ceremony. George had me break the wand created with the wooden lath from Houdini's renovated home on 278 created by Barry Spector for me to use that day. He sent it to me and demanded of me to take its broken pieces home on this 96th Yahrtzeit for our compeer Houdini. As usual, I discussed the amazing things concerning Houdini's family gravesite e.g. the mausoleum on the back bears the name of Appleton. Appleton, WI was the early home of Ehrich Weisz when he immigrated to America back in 1878 at the age of 4. Houdini was able to have a bust of himself erected on his huge exedra which is not allowed in a Jewish cemetery as no graven images is permitted. Also, the headstone in front of the family plot bears the name Meyer Michael. Michael Mayers is the homicidal knife bearing killer in the old film called Halloween.
I led the Hebrew part of the service with its English translation. Training as a child from my mom, Nechama Mindle Mildred R.I.P., taking me to family members gravesites, Rabbi Noah Valley R.I.P, who conducted the Broken Wand Ceremony for many decades, and our living Dean of the SAM George Schindler allows me to perform the service with much respect and tears. Having 10 Jewish males, I was able to conclude the ceremony with the Mourners's Prayer called Kaddish. Many of our fellow compeers after the ceremony shook my hand and told me, "I was very touched for the way you led the service. I want to thank you."
11-12 of us gathered at a historical German restaurant called Zum Stammtisch. Being kosher, I enjoyed a nice beer while my fellow
compeers enjoyed many delightful dishes which included some tasty cabbage too. The stories, the laughs, the camaraderie is what makes us a close fraternity. Past President Bob Braun told me "he would nominate me to be a future 2nd Vice President" as I would be honored to be a future President of our SAM-P.A.#1 Assembly. Time will tell?
I spoke to the owner of the restaurant for about 10 minutes. He truly appreciated my kind words of the beautiful architecture, the shining wooden interior of this historical German restaurant and, of its kind and highly professional staff. He appreciates us coming there for many years. He shook my hand with much kindness.
We concluded this special gathering with an anonymous fellow member presenting me some additional gifts as prizes for my kids at cpnyc.org. Rich Cohn drove George and me home. I still had tears in my eyes after the event at home thinking about my friend, George. May the Almighty One protect us with many additional years of good health, peace and wealth to be used to bring our "magic" to others and, hopefully, to ourselves as well.
Thank you Benjilini!
Photos courtesy Benjilini, Todd Harris, and SAM PA#1.
