THIS
IS
RICHARD
MESEROLE
PART II
"...THEY PUT ME IN A LIMO AND DROVE INTO THE DESERT. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS WHERE I WAS GOING TO BE BURIED....."
HERE I AM, IN
DEAD CENTER OF TIMES SQUARE IN N.Y.C. AFTER TAKING THE
BUS FROM SPRING VALLEY. WHAT TO DO? WHEN GRADUATING
FROM HIGH SCHOOL I HAD RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP TO
NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE TO STUDY TO BECOME A
MINISTER. WHEN ARRIVING THERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE
ARMY HAD TAKEN OVER THE COLLEGE FOR A HOSPITAL, SO
MUCH FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP. BACK TO N.Y.C. MY
GRANDMOTHER HAD KEPT IN TOUCH WITH ME, SO AFTER
GETTING INFO. FROM THE POLICE I FINALLY MADE IT TO HER
HOME. MY GRANDFATHER WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THE
INSANE DUE TO THE FACT HE HAD FALLEN FROM A LADDER
WITH A SILVER PLATE IN HIS HEAD. MY GRANDMOTHER TOOK
ME TO SEE MY MOTHER AND I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE
TALKING TO HER AT ALL. WITH THE WAR ON I WANTED TO JOIN
IN, SO MY GRANDMOTHER GAVE ME MONEY FOR
EXPENSES. BOTH THE NAVY AND ARMY TURNED ME DOWN AS I
HAD TO BE 17.1 WENT TO MONTREAL TO JOIN THE CANADIAN
ARMY. THEY WOULD ACCEPT ME BUT I HAD TO GIVE UP MY
U.S. CITIZENSHIP. I DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS. I TOOK UP A
FRIENDSHIP WITH A FELLOW NAMED ANDY AND HE TOLD ME
ABOUT THE MERCHANT MARINE IN CALIFORNIA THAT WERE IN
THE NEED OF MEN TO SAIL ON THE LIBERTY SHIPS GOING THROUGH
THE WAR ZONES, PAYING VERY GOOD MONEY. THESE VESSELS
WERE ALSO CALLED KAISER COFFINS AS THE BALEST OF THE
SHIPS WERE FILLED WITH OIL OR GASOLINE INSTEAD OF WATER
MEANING IF THE VESSEL WERE TO BE HIT BY A TORPEDO, YOU
HAD A 2% CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. IT WAS A FIVE DAY TRIP
TO SAN FRANCISCO, CAL AND THEN TO OXNARD, CAL. THE SEA-
BEE BASE. I HAD ALTERED MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND NOW WAS
17.1 MADE 6 TRIPS THROUGH THE WAR ZONES AND THEN ON THE
7TH TRIP WE WERE HIT BY A TORPEDO IN THE PACIFIC. ONLY 4
OF 28 MEN SURVIVED. WE WERE PICKED UP 16 HOURS LATER BY
THE U.S. NAVY AND WERE TAKEN TO THE SAN DIEGO NAVAL
HOSPITAL FOR RECUPERATION. BY THIS TIME I WAS A LEGAL
17 AND A HALF. MY CHECK CAME TO ME IN THE HOSPITAL FOR
$32,000.1 WAS IN DISBELIEF AND ALSO VERY HAPPY, AS I HAD
RARELY HAD WITH DRAWN ANY MONEY FROM MY ACCOUNT
NOW I REALLY WAS ON MY WAY. I HITCHED A RIDE TO LOS
ANGELES AND OPENED A ACCOUNT IN THE BANK OF AMERICA. I
HAD DECIDED WITH ALL THIS MONEY I DID NOT HAVE TO WORK
FOR ANYONE SO LOOKING THROUGH THE CLASSIFIEDS I CAME UPON
A BUSINESS AD IN THE L.A. TIMES. A CAB COMPANY WAS FOR
SALE FOR $30,000. IN 3 DAYS I WAS THE OWNER. THE COMPANY
HAD 5 CABS AND ONLY WORKING 12 HOURS PER DAY AND NO
SUNDAYS. I CHANGED THAT RIGHT AWAY TO 24 HOURS. I WENT
AROUND TO ALL THE CLUBS ON THE SUNSET STRIP AND EVERY
CLUB IN HOLLYWOOD AND TALKED THEM INTO LETTING ME
PUT STICKERS ON THERE PAYPHONES, ALSO TO THE MOVIE
STUDIOS AND THEY WELCOME ME WITH OPEN ARMS AS THEY
DID NOT HAVE A SERVICE THAT WAS SO NEEDED BY THE
STUDIOS. BY THE TIME I WAS 201 HAD 16 CABS AND 3 LIMO'S. I
HAD 39 DRIVERS. MONEY WAS ROLLING IN LIKE WAVES FROM
THE OCEAN. FOR MYSELF I HAD A CADWLAC AND A LINCOLN
CONVERTIBLE'S AND A APT. ON HOLLYWOOD BLVD, I HAD IT ALL
AND WAS GOING TO TRY SOME NEW INVESTMENTS SOON. I
NOW DECIDED TO GET MARRIED AS I WAS DATING SO MANY
WOMEN THAT I WANTED TO LIVE WITH SOMEONE AND HAVE A
FAMILY. BUT MY HUNT FOR THE PERFECT WOMAN WAS IN
VAIN. I COULD NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH ANYONE I DATED. I
WANTED SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE WITH ME THE REST OF MY
LIFE. I DID NOT WANT MY CHILDREN TO EVER BE WITHOUT
EITHER PARENT, AS NOW I WAS REALIZING WHAT I MISSED NOT
LIVING WITH THE LOVE OF PARENTS. HERE I AM AT 25 YEARS
OLD, MAKING ALL THIS MONEY $l000-$1500 PER WEEK, WITH
NOTHING BUT TIME ON MY HANDS, NOT A PROBLEM IN THE
WORLD, I HAVE THE CARS, THE DRIVERS, 2 PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE
TAKING CARE OF THE BOOKS AND ALL OTHER DUTIES. I WENT
TO BED AT 6 AM AND STARTED MY DAY AT 4 PM. AND THEN ALL
HELL BROKE LOOSE, THE MOB OWNED THE YELLOW CAB
COMPANY IN LOS ANGELES AND THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED
MY FRANCHISE FOR THE SUNSET STRIP, HOLLYWOOD AND
BEVERLY HILLS. THEY CALLED ME UP AND WE MET AT CIRIO'S
A CLUB ON THE STRIP FOR DINNER. THEY OFFERED ME $200,000
FOR THE CAB COMPANY. I WAS SHOCKED AND TURNED THEM
DOWN, WALKED OUT OF THE DINNER. THE TEAM OF (MICKEY
COHEN, BUGSY SIEGAL AND VIRGINIA HILL) I FOUND OUT WERE
NO ONE TO SAY NO TO. MY CABS ALL OF A SUDDEN WERE IN
ACCIDENTS,FOUND ON FIRE,DRIVERS ARRESTED WITH DRUGS
FOUND IN THE CABS,PULLED OVER WITH HOOKERS IN THE CAB
WITH A VICE-DETECTIVE AS A DATE.ON AND ON IT WENT TILL
FINALLY I WAS DOWN TO 7 CABS AND THEN ONE MGHT I WAS
SITTING IN MY CADILLAC AND A KNOCK ON THE WINDOW
FOUND ME WITH A 45 STUCK INTO MY MOUTH AND TOLD(DON'T
SAY A WORD OR YOU WILL HAVE TWO MOUTH'S."THEY PUT ME
IN A LIMO AND DROVE INTO THE DESERT.I THOUGHT THIS IS
WERE I WAS GOING TO BE BURIED.BUT THEY TOOK ME TO
THE NEVADA STATE LINE INSTEAD.PUSHED ME OUT WITH THE
WARNING,DON'T EVER COME BACK. I NEVER HAVE GONE BACK
TO HOLLYWOOD.HERE I AM IN RENO,NEVADA.AFTER MAKING
ALL THAT MONEY IN THE LAST 7 YEARS I HAVE $562 IN MY
POCKET. THE LAWYERS FEES TO GET THE DRIVERS OUT OF JAIL
TERMS WAS EXPENSIVE.ALSO THE REPAIRS ON SOME OF THE
CARS AND THE HIGH PRICE IF INSURANCE,WHAT EVER LITTLE
MONEY WAS IN THE BANK STAYED THERE. A DREAM DOWN THE
DRAIN.HAD NO CHANGE OF CLOTHES SO I BOUGHT SOME CHEAP
ONES AND A BUS TICKET TO N.Y.C. I HAD NO MONEY TO INVEST
SO I WENT TO WORK IN THE GARMENT LINE.I HAD SAID I
WOULD NEVER WORK FOR SOMEONE AGAIN,BUT NOW WAS A
MUST.