Back when President Reagan was running against Wallace I was living in Daytona Beach. I was president of the Jaycee Auxiliary and we were hosting the luncheon at the Hilton during their campaign. I had the honor of riding with the press on a bus to pick up President Reagan and Nancy Reagan at the airport. As they stepped off the airplane we were there to greet them and I introduced myself. President Reagan kissed me on the cheek. It has been quite a memorable experience and one I will never forget.

Met Senator Eugene McCarthy at a Saint John's University (Minnesota) football game in the '60s. Met former Vice President Walter Mondale at the funeral of a mutual friend a couple of years ago. Had lunch with John Amos at a USO fund-raiser in New York. For those of you who remember Larry "Bud" Mellman from the early days of the David Letterman Show, I sat with him at a golf tournament banquet in Brooklyn in the '90s.

I met Jesus about 40 years ago. He has been my best friend since.

In 1986 when I owned a bakery back in Illinois, I had the privileged of making Nancy Reagan's 65th birthday cake. Her and President Reagan were at his boyhood home in Tampico for a renovation grand reveal and we delivered our cake to her there. Ronald Reagan was wonderful...friendly and approachable.

Also, Jack Dempsey is my Godfather. My Dad was a sports writer and covered pro boxing and boy's baseball (odd combo!). He befriended Jack and when 2 tipsy Irishmen get together, strange things happen !

I had the pleasure of meeting Gary Sinese. He came to Ft. Rucker with his band to entertain at the base. During his stay he came to our facility to fly one of the helicopter simulators. I talked to him briefly and he shook my hand. Very nice guy! He did a great job flying.

My cousin is good friends and still in contact with Cathy Moriarty who came to a Christmas dinner at my aunt house. I remember her siting on the couch as my nephew trying to pick her up. She was sixteen and he was 10. It was cute.

My understanding is that she was modeling and was spotted and got the role of Vicki LaMotta in Raging Bull with Bobby Deniro. My cousin is supposedly in that film in the pool scene. She was in the next chair next to Cathy. I have seen the film but didn't recognize her as she was wearing a brown wig and I am used to seeing her as a blond. :smiley:

My son has met several celebrities as he worked in many top hotels they frequent. Like Shaquille O'Neal and Dan Marino. He's talked to Madonna, Stephen King, and others he probably hasn't mentioned.

You have the BEST friend out of all the other entries!! :-) PTL

Jane Fonda - Met her, when she was in her early 20's, backstage at a Broadway play

Liz Taylor & Richard Burton - their yacht, named Kalizma, was moored next to my Father's yacht for several days in Rye, NY in the ealy 1960's.

Warren Beatty - in the cocktail lounge at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel

Jill St. John - Beautiful hair & figure - at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel

Gary Grant - at a movie premier in NYC - absolutely the most gorgeous man

Burl Ives - his yacht was disabled and the crew of my Father's yacht rescued him in the Bahamas in the early 60's.

Andy Williams - he use to sit a lunch counter in NYC, where I use to go when I was a student in the 60's, and he would sit there and hum songs...before he got really famous. Gorgeous blue eyes.

Clint Estwood - at the Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel, CA (looks just like in the movies)

Brandon De Wilde - he was the young boy in the movie, Shane. He use to hang out with us in the summer when we were teenagers at the beach in Bay Head, NJ.

Bob Cummings - Had his own show called the "Bob Cummings Show" and "Love that Bob" in the 1950's. He was a partner with my Father in a vitamin company called Nutra Bio.

About 1975 when I was working as a controller at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport, I couldn't help but mistake the voice of a pilot for that of Arthur Godfrey. It was about 8pm and was kind of slow so me and another controller went down to the ramp just as he taxied in. He was flying a Beech Baron, which is a pretty hot twin engine plane by himself at night time. So I was kind of amazed at that considering he was probably about 70 years old. He was very nice and we asked if he needed a hand, so we helped carry in his luggage.

I saw many sights during the three years I worked there. I also met on the ramp golfer Arnold Palmer and attorney F. Lee Bailey.


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The Bevely Hills Socialite!
 

My wife owned The Travel Connection of Beverly Hills, CA and has done business and Fund Raising in Beverly Hills for many causes, it did not hurt that Don Pack, a very famous Hollywood and Socialite Photographer was one of her minions. The list is long and I am certainly going to make it easy. At the time her name was Suzie Harris. Now we are just plain old Villagers. If you think we are being anything but entertaining, you are wrong. Cheers!

George Burns-fundraising
Alexander Haig-fundraising
Sammy Davis Jr.-client
Elizabeth Taylor-client, fundraiser
Iron Eyes Cody-friend,fundraiser
Zah-Zah Gabor-client, fundraiser
Jim Belushi-client
Sybil Brand-client, fundraiser
Jack Klugman-fundraiser
Dennis Weaver-fundraiser
The Jackson Five-clients
Marcie Weiner- Socialite, fundraiser, publisher
George Barris- friend, fundraiser,Builder of original Batmobile, just sold $4M.
Alice Cooper-Golf Partner@ Dinah Shore Pro-Am Palm Springs area
Don King-friend, client
Larry Carroll-sportscaster, friend
Ceaser Romero-fundraiser, hot for my mother
Danny Kaye-fundraiser
Lillie Tomlin-client
Lou Rawls-client
RoseMarie-fundraising
O.J. Simpson-Used to Hang around The Daisy in Beverly Hills which was one of my haunts, Nicole Brown was employed there.
Prince Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia- wonderful client!
Wolfgang Puck-business associate, at that time he was broke
Frank and Nancy Sinatra, fellow patrons of Polo at Indio, CA
Pat Boone-fund raising, next door
Fred Hamann- fundraiser, clothier
and many more, since I am old I can not remember, it was long ago. Have lots of pictures that can be e-maile on request.

Santa Claus-philanthropist, Best story for last. We were just sitting down at a long beautifully decorated table one Christmas Eve with our closest friends and family when the bell rang. I jumped up to the door and it is Santa Claus, in the most natural original outfit we had seen. His car had broken down on his way somewhere , so I invited him to join us for dinner. He was delightful!. We drank French Champagne and I do not remember what happened after that.

Franco Harris-He wanted to know all about me Holiday Inn Pittsburgh,Joe Garagiola,Robert Vaughn,Dog Show NYC,Leslie Nielson-elevator at casino in WVA,Rip Taylor,Ruth Buzzie,Robert Morse.Jonathan Winters,Gary Owens,Joe Flynn-Hollywood CA

OK, so I tried to make a list off the top of my head of people I actually remember interviewing. I have no idea where my records are:


Buckminster Fuller
Gene Rodenberry
Blackstone
Rich Little, in his underwear
Buddy Rich, in his underwear
Henry Mancini
Captain and Tennille, in her underwear, him, no
Earl Butz (no great prize there)
Isaac Stern
Zubin Mehta’s wife (he didn’t want to talk because there had been a bomb threat)
Ruth Laredo
Gary Graffman
Eugenia Zuckerman
Nancy Kassebaum
Bob Dole
Cathy Rigby
Milburn Stone
Edward Teller
Teller of Penn and
Bill Daly
Orville Reddenbacher

And

Kirstie Alley, actually went to high school with her, but never met her
Cynthia Sykes, went to college and played on a softball team with her. She was much better than me.

I was in a small bar in Nederland Colorado in 1973 and in walked Joe Walsh and Neil Young.I talked with them for awhile, then they asked the band if they could sit in, what a interesting
night. They owned homes in the area and frequented the bar.

Met? As in shaking their hand and talking for a minute or so?

Clint Eastwood on a Navy golf course in New Orleans.
Red Skelton in the Reno Airport
Rosey Grier in a magazine store at LAX
Rick Flair at some airport. He was much shorter and smaller than I thought he would be.
Joe Paterno about 5 years ago in Indiana at the Purdue game.
Jimmy Carter when he was running for governor in Georgia. I worked for his campaign as a school project in Warner Robiins, ga
James Browns last wife who sat beside me in seat 1c on a red eye flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta where she was doing the Legends Show as Janis Joplin. Talked the whole flight while she got drunk on wine.
Peter Fonda in Bozeman Montaba where we were both buying boots.
There have been a few more over the years mostly from traveling every week for my job all over the country. Not counting politicians who I met via my job. They are not famous to me.

Cascious Clay.....at airport baggage pick up...he signed autographs and did a couple of his magic tricks.

Richard Boone....on first class flight to England.

Glenn Ford....in airport gift shop....he was looking for cigars.

David Soul....American Airlines Club.

Jesse Jackson....waiting in line to board a plane in Washington DC.


The above points out that airports are a great place to see/meet celebrities.....if one is a frequent flier.

btk