back when men were men
silent pain and strong hands
I remember other agents gathering around him at parties
women telling him what a handsome figure he cut
he smiled in his broad shouldered frame of 6’2
eyes piercing as was that deep voice
terrifying as a child
now remarkable
listening to his life stories
mesmerizing in detail, poetic in delivery, exciting in fact
an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
as a kid staring up at him
I believed any criminal in my father’s path
immediately surrendered themselves
rather than deal with this larger than life, slice of human
friends called him Bill, the rest–Vito
judicious and fair before earning the law degree
an amazing and prolific career
mafia cases and colorful gangsters
the temper, he still has it
no patience for silliness, but all the time in the world for family
not a day goes by
when I don’t think of him
of the exceptional driving force
his charismatic personality has infused
and continues to…
Happy 84th Birthday, Dad
shy party dog
top photo – Brooklyn Tech, 2nd – Coast Guard, 3rd – firearms practice, 4th – my mother-in-law on left, dad center, mom on right
Shy Party Dog created last year for his 83rd B’day 🙂
anntogether 
Yay for good guys we can look up to…HAPPY, HAPPY on your father and many more.
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Thank you – today’s is his b’day party though I don’t know about fitting 84 candles 😉
am:)
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sounds like he is/was really something..congrats to all
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he still drives like he’s chasing after someone and at 84 remains tough as nails – it’s a good thing I’m on his side 😉
am:)
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What a beautiful and loving tribute to an amazing man who has lived a full and remarkable life…and continues to do so! Happy Birthday and wishing you health and joy! A very moving post…from daughter to father…..thanks for sharing 🎂🎁🎉 hope he had a lovely day ! 😀
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Thank you very much. His family party is today. He is quite a remarkable fellow and I’m honored to have him in my life and amazed he’s still enjoying good health
am:)
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Hope the day was wonderful and many special, treasured memories were made, to put by for the future. Take care and hope you are well and happy! 🙂
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It was a lovely day, thank you. Hope your garden tending is going well 🙂
Very well and exceptionally happy – thank you 🙂
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Wonderful to see your family and the tribute to your dad. Good to see you back in the virtual world.
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Thank you, Olga.
That bit of break was perfect before things cracked too much 🙂
am:)
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Wonderful! So good to see you around.
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Thank you. I appreciate your kindness. Needed a breather to collect more colorful air 😉
am:)
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4 words:
Your.
Dad.
Is.
Hot!
😉
(Glad you’re back. Tell Bill/Vito we said “Happy Birthday!”)
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lol
you’re too funny, Deb
my mom still has to watch the gals – it’s amazing how they flirt with her hubbie – I guess the art of flirting never loses creativity 😉
am:)
party today, em tomorrow or later if time
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Such a sweet tribute to your father. Nice poem! I especially liked where you assumed the bad guys just gave up. I think that would tickle him a bit.
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Thank you. He is one of those folks with that ‘intimidating’ charisma – our little friends would always leave whenever he came home too – I think it was his deep voice 😉
am:)
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Your dad sounds like one cool guy AnnMarie!!! Hope you are having a great summer. I think I am finally getting over the virus but my vcr broke down so I have to buy a new one for all those vhs tapes i got for twenty five cents when that store was selling them. So that was a drag but I am writing again. I wrote a great story recently where I switch the role of Cinderella to the guy. I wrote the story for my friend’s friend who doesn’t know me too well. That was brave to put myself out there and do something nice for a stranger not knowing how they will react. I think she will appreciate the story and getting to play The Princess. But no matter what it was a lot of fun and will go down as one of my greatest stories ever with a ‘AnnMarie cameo appearance’
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Glad you’re on the mend. Take care of yourself and keep creating your art. You’re a thoughtful young man with many stories to tell/write
annmarie:)
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Thanks right now I am a man on a mission I am going to start banging out stories right and left in hopes of reaching 700 stories real soon. Yea I got many stories to tell indeed. I hope Christina likes the stories I write for her if not there are billions of other nice girls in the world to write about too and of course there is AnnMarie. I fixed my VCR with a vcr tape cleaner woo hoo. All is well now. You keep creating your beautiful art too! You are a kind and sweet woman, I am glad we are friends.
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VCR’s can be great friends too 🙂
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Yea that is true now that mine is working too and I got like 115 vhs tapes to watch now I am spending all my time writing again. Wrote three stories today. It was a pretty good day getting back on a streak. Those vhs tapes will prob last me over a year to watch.
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What a wonderful tribute to your dad! And such a surprise to see you over my morning coffee :). Have missed you my friend. Hope all is well and your summer a good combination of rejuvenatement, productivity and fun….till we meet again 🙂
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Good Morning to you, Lillian.
I tell you, taking a wee break was quite rejuvenating. I hope all is well in your world and building plumbing repairs are on their way to being distant memories.
I’m glad my dad has a beautiful day for his party.
Here I go again 🙂
am:)
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What a handsome one your dad still is, AnnMarie — happy birthday to him, and welcome back. I have missed you! Still dealing with very spotty internet access, so no blogging for me. Hugs – Fawn
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Hi Fawn –
Thank you very much. I’m still playing a bit of catch up. Sorry about your Internet woes – hopefully they won’t last too long. Hope you and your lovely family are doing well 🙂 My dad’s party was lovely – always great to gather with the family.
am:)
still rain dancing for you 🙂
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Hey AnnMarie, welcome back my friend!
Such a lovely tribute to your dad.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BILL!!!!
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Hi there, Leslie. I hope the zombie bug and every other world have kept you busy. I feel quite refreshed and ready to backstroke…err..I mean swiftly dog paddle through the blog sea once again 😉
Thank you for your kind words and I’ll be stopping by 🙂
am:)
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All’s well here, thanks! Missed the good reads that you delivered daily!
When you signed out last month I put AnnTogethr on my list of things to do. I knew that there was many a post to enjoy at your place. Fast forward to yesterday when I saw your post and realized that I never got to it.
Anyway, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
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You’re too sweet for a zombie-bug lady 😉
Thank you, Leslie too – for your many inspirations.
Absence does many great things 🙂
am:)
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Everyone looks so healthy and handsome. Beautiful story. Love it. Hugs, Laura
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Thank you, Laura
am:)
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What a special tribute to your. It is really wonderful.
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Thank you, Paulette.
am:)
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