I used to play beachball with Gramps on the beach during the British summers. He was my mentor, the guardian of my values, my emotional rock. He loved me without reservation, which always made me feel like Queen for a Day. I was his little angel and thought I would be forever.... Learn More

Hang on a minute, the idea of the book wasn’t mine. It was my friend Matt’s. We met about 10 years ago at a heart-healthy support group. After everybody spoke, he said, “Why are you here, buddy.” I told him it was none of his business. He kept pulling my chain. Finally,... Learn More

Now that’s a pretty stupid question! I just love spilling hot coffee on me when I pick up the cup. The Parkinson’s experience is like watching myself deteriorate in “living color.” Like all the tests God has given me, I’ve learned to adjust, except for the side effects of the mediation.... Learn More

I never really thought much about the way I communicate verbally until my friend Matt said I spoke in “Arthur-speak." I asked him, “what the hell is Arthur-speak?” He tells me, “it’s a lot and not like a lot of things. It’s a rare form of dignified double talk.”... Learn More

That my father would kick my ass, my gambling addiction would return, and my pet snake would disappear into the woods. I also feared I’d marry an angry, needy woman—which I did. Most of that doesn’t matter much anymore—Dad died young, my money dried up from gambling, and I don’t drive much... Learn More

I’ve been close so many times, I don’t even think about it anymore. When the time comes, the time times. In the meantime, I told God "you created one tough old buzzard, and I’m not going down without a fight". Even though I’ve won more than I’ve lost, my friends think it’s... Learn More

The simple answer...yes. But, I’ve never much minded much because the operating procedures came with a lot of benefits. I wasn’t just some guy on a gurney, I was Arthur. All the nurses and doctors knew me by my first name. And, they always had my heated corner bed ready during the... Learn More

The many white-collar scams of Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese finally brought him to his knees. He hired the best lawyers money could buy, and built a simple defense. “Sorry about that judge. You got me.” Since nobody could prove that any of the people that disappeared on his rise to the top, and his... Learn More

Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese obsession with the accumulation of wealth knew few bounds. By the 1950’s he had scammed more than a half a billion dollars from government do-good programs. With that war chest, he would create the “Mona Lisa” of white-collar scams. Fonso traveled to developing third world countries like Egypt, Argentina,... Learn More

In 1939, at the age of 19, Lt. Lilia Litvyak did the unimaginable in the male-dominated. She became the world’s first female fighter pilot, was assigned to Russia’s elite, 73rd Air Squadron where she completed 268 missions, recorded 15 solo kills, and assisted on 22 others—records which stand to this day.   Lt. Lilia Litvyak,... Learn More