On Geno's Birthday I'll share another story and this one always makes me smile.

We had a party at some clubhouse in Orange County back in the day. Everyone was in the pool having a great time when Geno hosts a game of Simon Says. He would have everyone doing what he says...and you know how the game goes, eliminating people who proformed the task without first hearing "Simon Says". He was so much enjoying his role as the M.C. on this evening and everyone was enjoying being in his "class". It was just another example of the positive energy and fun that Geno always brought to one of our events.

I've got a bunch of photos of the early days that I need to scan and post. I went over to see Geno not long ago and brought a huge box of my photo books from the 80's. We had a great time drinking some beer and reminising about the good 'ol days. I'm so glad I did that.

Sure miss you Geno. I hope their having a good party for you up there today.

Geno, Geno, Geno,

We have been friends for over 40 years.  You will be missed.  I even knew you before your name was Geno.  You were Gene. We spent so many years as the collection superstars for four different banks. We were the two fake lawyers from Atchison and Allison and Allison and Atchison (fake law firms) " Mr. Customer, don't make me turn your file over to Mr. Atchison. " He is not a very nice man." We fooled them all and I was wrong.  You are and were a very nice man and a great friend.  Chris Allison asked that I mention Genos great capacity for adventure.  He always had something new going on.  He had a great smile and a hearty laugh.  He was always looking for something but wasn't really sure what it was.  Maybe you will find it, up there among the clouds.   RIP, Buddy, the world is a sad place without you in it.  Steve Allison  

Tina Cleveland had a party at her condo in Newport and several of us stayed over rather than drive home, one being Geno.  I was sleeping on the sofa in the TV room and here comes Geno naked as a new born baby looking for the bathroom!  At least that's what he said. Too funny.

I think it was early '63 .  My year older cousin was going to college near our home and was staying with us.  Geno was always in and out of our house and he was smitten with her (he was 17)  He wanted to take her out-I said go for it.  She agreed and he was on cloud 92.  Now he still lived in Inglewood and we had moved to Newport..  But he drove down and went out with Cousin.  It must have been 2 am and I am asleep and hear a rap rap on my window..  I pop up and there is Geno staring me in the face.  He whispers Cuz had too much to drink I need you to help get her into the house.  Don't wake your parents. I do not know how we managed to get her into the house, It was like sneaking the crack of dawn past a rooster.  I shooed him off and plunked her to pay homage to the porcelen God... I have known Geno since 7th grade.   He will b my BFF...

So we did this roast previously mentioned, and I made up this little song about Geno.

"He makes a mean turkey on Thanksgiving Day,

A couple 'a glasses of wine and you cannot get away ...

FROM GENO...

He put that strange hold on you... he won't let you drive drunk...

'Cause he knows you don't need a 502!"

And that's the way it was. He was always looking out for you, few people knew, he was a bonifided Orange County Sheriff's Deputy, and he did keep us in line. Just the kind of guy a rowdy crowd like us neeed. 

New Years Eve at Torry Pines golf club house 1992: Big ASA New Years party, Geno is all dressed up in a snazzy tux, looks like a million bucks, but the heel of his shoe along with part of the sole somehow tears away from the top part. His heel is flopping up and down almost falling off of the upper part of the shoe. He tells me he's going to have to dirve all the way back home in Costa Mesa to get another pair of shoes. I say "Wait a minute, come out to my truck". I had a roll of clear packing tape, I wrap it around the instep, up over the inside of the shoe, and back around again, you can hardly see it, and it holds! Nobody ever knew, and he danced all night. We laughed about that for years afterward! Geno was one in a million!

We had more than one roast for Geno. One for his 50th birthday, another when he left Southern California only to come back less than a year later. For his 50th we had a party in Huntington Beach where several of us roasted him with funny stories. One of the guys, Dale Gustafson, had this flip sign made up with the name "Geno" on it. Dale told a story about Geno in a way that lead up to his flipping the chart over and all of saying the name Geno all together. "Who is the one who is always the first to greet the new members?...GENO!!!!!  It was just such a fun night. When Geno got a chance to speak he was tearing up but he called it "leaking". It was just really touching and we never did anything like that for anyone else.

I have never met a bigger kid, and if you're reading this I'm sure you will agree. One of my favorite memories of Geno is of my first Tahiti trip that he came on. There he was sitting on a chair that he had submerged in the water. He was playing with the little fish that would come into his hand just below the surface. He was squeezing his hand and the fish would run off. There were a few women around him as he laughed and played with these little fish like a child. It was very cute. Geno always wanted to come back to Tahiti with me on one of the trips. I would have liked that. I know this was one of his favorite trips and memories, and I share it with him.

I'm going to have to go through my photo box to find some really good shots of Geno as these were way back before digital cameras. But one image is etched on my mind forever and this was soon after Geno joined ASA.

We made an event out of the San Clemente Ocean Festival sand castle building contest. My friend Roger helped make a beautiful mermaid that was holding a tennis racquet. As the tide was coming up Geno seized the moment and used his body to help block the waves from taking out our creation. This was my first event with Geno and it sure made me laugh. What a character. The sight of this big man getting so into it that he was willing to let the waves crash on him to save our sculpture was just hilarious.