dear Marcia, In late summer '63 (?) I was 17, on the way back from HUAC hearings on Cuba with Peter Lenz, we stopped at Geno's parents' apartment (some of us continued to Boston). I can't remember now if Geno was in the incredibly crowded VW bug with us, but I remember him at RIverside Drive, playing Monk's Misterioso on phonograph. Maybe it was the first time I heard Monk, and definitely the first time I had ever gazed on that night-time view of the city; still have a strong memory of the room, the music and listening to Geno tell stories about freezing, snowy rooftops downtown... the power of his story-telling, and his energy. coincidentally, i was close friend of Liza Stelle who worked with Mystic Fire Video and through her, knew Sheldon Rochlin and Maxine Harris. wonder if Peter Lenz (who used to run the Golden Vanity?) has any old tapes of Geno, or memories... how did you meet?
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