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Peter Vecsey eulogizes Joey Goldstein and Sal Gerage

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Smasher_Sloan, Feb 22, 2009.

  1. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Uses today's Post column to remember the legendary PR guy and a former boss:

    http://www.nypost.com/seven/02222009/sports/moresports/editor_helped_groom_more_than_just_this__156423.htm?page=0
     
  2. gingerbread

    gingerbread Well-Known Member

    Funny enough, so does his brother George at the paper around the block.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/sports/baseball/23vecsey.html?ref=sports
     
  3. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    sal gerage was truly a gem, a true old-time newspaper man, through and through. in my early days as a copyboy at the n.y. daily news, circa late '78, i was among many newbies he delighted in breaking in, in his own way:

    "COPY!" sal bellowed.

    i hurriedly ran over to him in the news room, which was alive with the sounds of typewriters banging, phones ringing and filled with cigarette smoke.

    sal looked up at me and said, "kid, run down to the deli next door and buy me a pint of milk -- and get something for yourself."

    he slipped me a 10 dollar bill as i said, "yes, sir."

    of course, i didn't get anything for myself. brought back sal's pint of milk and gave him his change, about 9.50, as i recall. he removed the milk from the brown paper bag and shouted loud enough to bring all the typewriters to a halt.

    "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" sal shouted in disgust.

    "um, the pint of milk you sent me for," i whispered, thoroughly mortified that i'd effed up.

    "MILK?! I DON'T DRINK EFFIN' MILK! THIS IS A NEWSPAPER, DAMMIT! I SENT YOU FOR A PINT OF MILLER!! YOU KNOW, THE BEER?!"

    i'd fallen for the old "milk sounds like miller" trick. more importantly, i -- like peter -- was another newbie sal gerage and several others took under their wing for a spell at the old daily news.

    now, i try to pay it forward by always guiding the newbies at my shop the best way i can. not by sending them out for milk/beer, of course. just by trying to how them the way as the sals and joey goldsteins did for me. by never forgetting the thrill of your first bylines, first scoops, first everythings.

    yeah, the biz as we've known it is vanishing, to a large extent. but why shouldn't newbies get the best support we dinosaurs can offer up? seems to me it's the least we can do.
     
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