Really a HUGE part of my childhood.
I hope he gets to see some real 'holy' cows.

-JP

Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

NNNNOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

On a total side note ... I'm pretty sure this is the first thread I've ever started here at IMWAN. Sad that it's about the Scooter passing, but it's also bringing back about a million childhood memories. All those canolies, all those birthdays, the navy-calvary stories ... they're even playing Meatloaf's 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' right now on the radio. Man, Scooter will be missed.

He starred in local commercials here for "The Money Store" when I was a child.

I, before I saw this thread, played Paradise on the 'puter here at work. Now I am weirded out and saddened. Rest in Peace.

It is like losing your favorite Uncle for Yankee fans. Scooter was a big part of my childhood.

I had the good fortune to encounter Phil Ruzzuto three times.
He lived in Hillside NJ (which he thought of as "The Hillside New
Jersey section of New York City") just two blocks in from
North Avenue in Elizabeth, NJ.
I lived on North Avenue. He was that close.

The first time I met him was at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.
He used to host an annual spagetti dinner fundraiser.
I was 16, in High School, and worked at the hospital
part time and weekends. I was the garbage man, the best
job in any institution to meet people.
During the dinner I emptied the cans and he made it a point
to say tell the boss to make sure the people working
got a chance to have some spagetti too.
Then he told me, "Keep up the good work, kid".

The second time was at Modern Acceptance Corp. AKA "The Money Store"
where I worked during college, learning the second mortgage business.
The Advertizing dept., Dynamark Inc., was a two person division that
subcontracted the actual commercials in NYC, but had Phil come in to
our Roselle NJ offices for stills, meetings, etc. I was a low level schmuck
there. One day Mr. Rizzuto comes in to see the boss, sees me, and says
"I know you, you used to work at St. Elizabeth's, right?"
Could have knocked me over with a feather.

The third time was a few years later. I was helping a friend who owns a flower
shop with his Christmas deliveries. We had a few "respect" presents to
deliver to the Rizzuto home in Hillside. I pulled up out front and started
unloading a few flower arrangements and two giant plants (or small trees!)
out of the truck to carry to the enclosed porch in the back. By the time
I got to the back on my second trip Phil is on the porch, looks me in the
face and says like a long lost friend I've not seen in ages, "St. Elizabeth's!, Money Store!, How ya doin'?"
We spoke polite baseball and Christmas generalities like guys, not like
celebrity and fawning fanboy, and I was on my way.

Cool dude.

Great stories, Tommy. Thank you for sharing.