I was literally fabricated over in France and born about six months after the boat landed at Ellis Island. This was the heart of the Depression. For the first 12 years of my life we lived in a terrible ghetto on the East River.

We lived in Yorkville until 1940, at which point we moved into the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens.

I grew up in the heart of the Depression.

We played every night. Sometimes we'd stay overnight after a game, but we'd usually drive on to our next destination.

Do your best when no one is looking. If you do that, then you can be successful at anything you put your mind to

Sports create a bond between comtemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also gives your life structure, discipline and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide.

Race wasn't an issue. My family was French, but Yorkville was a melting pot of races and cultures.