INTRODUCTION
The introduction will introduce
Alexander who discovers, a few weeks before his 63rd birthday, extraordinary
facts and secrets about himself and his sister Phyllis that were kept secret from both of them
their whole lives.
CHILDHOOD YEARS
The childhood years will reveal what it was like
living with an Irish-Catholic foster family until he was twelve and begging his
father to take them out of this home and to live with him and his new wife..
What it was like being lied to about how he and his sister ended up living with
this foster family. Alex was always in trouble in school, the teachers all
knew he had the ability to do more than the other students, he got high grades
in grammar school in Somerville but he always seemed bored. When he and his
sister were moved to Springfield, MA one year he was a year behind that city's
school system. When he returned to Somerville he was now a year ahead.
TEEN YEARS
These are the tumultuous years where he had very
little parental supervision and he started to search for his identity and became
exceptionally streetwise.
Finishing his 7th and 8th years
of learning in a catholic school, being taught by Franciscan Brothers was a big
change from the Public School System. High School started in the ninth
grade in a Catholic School and he was taught by Dominican Nuns until he was
expelled in the tenth grade and switched back to the public school system where
he was again ahead of the other students by a year. School bored him and
he quit school and went into the Army as soon as he turned seventeen.
MILITARY SERVICE
In and out of trouble his whole military service
he was given a General Discharge under Honorable Conditions. He spent
almost three years in Germany where he had easy duty at Western Area Command
Headquarters, United States Army Europe. He really didn't want to leave Europe and was
offered some pretty good opportunities by the owners of different German night clubs.
However, the
Army made him rotate back to the States and receive his discharge. He
could go back on his own as a civilian if he choose to.
PHILADELPHIA
After a few months living at home joined a magazine sales crew
traveling around the states. After covering the New England area the
crew arrived in Philadelphia where he jumped ship. Caught up with an
army buddy from Germany and decided to stay in the Philadelphia/ South
Jersey area and started out as a bartender in the 13th and Locust nightclub
area. Bought into his first nightclub at age 21 in South Jersey
NEW JERSEY SHORE
Gravitated to the South Jersey Shore resorts in the summers
where he established himself in the City of Wildwood. Patented his first
two inventions at this time.
FLORIDA GOLD COAST
Wintered in the Florida Gold Coast from Palm Beach to the
Keys. Worked at several of the most exclusive resorts and private
clubs in the area.
CALIFORNIA
Went to Santa Monica for about six months to
take over as bar manager in a hotel/private club on the beach.
Connected up with old friends from the east coast and Las Vegas and
eventually returned to South Florida resorts.
THE 1970 NEW YORK TOY FAIR
Invented a line of board games and formed a corporation to
manufacture and distribute them and introduced them at the New York Toy
Fair in February 1970. This is another story that will be related in
depth.
Met his future wife who was originally from South
Jersey/Wilmington, Delaware area a month later and because she disliked
Florida married her in May 1970 and moved back to South Jersey.
THE LODGE AT ANGLESEA
Re-established himself in the Wildwood, NJ area accepted a position
as the Maitre'd at a 52 acre Hotel/Resort.
His first and only child was born
about a year later. His marriage was a disaster from the beginning, but
he tried to hold it together.
Finally gave in to his wife's wishes
and giving up everything again, moved to Delaware to start all over.
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
Developed a unique Decorating Business after going
through six separations from his wife and eventually losing his eyesight
from stress for almost a month, was treated by the VA Hospital and after
gaining his sight was advised he had to get rid of the things that were
causing all his stress and forcing him to depend on alcohol.
He divorced his wife and eventually left Delaware
abruptly a few years later, giving up his new business and everything he had
just accomplished, purchased a one-way-ticket on the first bus to arrive.
His next destination was Atlanta, Georgia.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
After working around the clock out of a labor pool for six
months, to get himself back on his feet financially.
Set himself up with a
nice apartment and clothes and started to establish himself again in the food
and beverage industry.
He immediately ran into a lot of his old "wise
guy" friends from Philadelphia, South Jersey and New York. He went into
the restaurant and nightclub business with help and a few words from
them.
Became a silent partner and manager of several
"gentlemen clubs" in Atlanta.
Developed a new Night Club concept in the
early 1980s when he created the "Celebrity Club" whose motto was, "Where Stars
Are Made Every Day For Just A Song" on Ponce De Leon Ave. in Atlanta.
This
was the first nightclub in the states to use the "Karaoke type of equipment".
It had Several Private Recording Booths where patrons could record themselves.
The main lounge had a large stage where
the performers were taped for both audio and
video. By screening
potential performers before they were allowed to get on stage, gave the
club an atmosphere
of an open mike night for the entertainers.
It was geared towards professionals and
amateur performers with lots of potential, to show off their talents, similar to
the "Catch A Rising Star" and the Comedy Club Formats that were opening in
New York and LA, which were just catching on Nationally.
WEST GEORGIA
Needing a break from this lifestyle and heavy alcohol
use, he eventually gave in to a request for him to move to a
small town in West Georgia, where he agreed to take over as Maitre'd at a local
country club, for what he said was only to be for a six month period.
He ended up staying at the country club for five
years, where he established close friendships with some of the members
who were the most influential in the area.
Stayed in the
area after leaving the country club and set up another business. His
business Millennium
Multimedia was developed to do computer consulting and custom software. Developed
several unique software applications that were several years ahead of their time.
In 1999 his whole world changed
FAMILY FOUND
After spending a couple of years researching the
Internet for his LeDoux and Bessette family roots of his grandparents and ancestors.
Found
some cousins living in Massachusetts that he hadn't seen or heard from since the
1950s. After contacting one of them he
confirmed that his father and most of his aunts and uncles had passed
away. He also found out that his stepmother had been in contact with his
ex-wife and son when his father was dying. That his step-mother and son had stayed in touch
after that and that not only had his stepmother recently passed away, but that
his ex-wife was also deceased and that his son was searching for him.
He
re-united with his son and grandchildren and attended the birth of his youngest
grandchild and namesake Alexus in 1999.
In November of that year he moved back with his son in
Delaware.
This is when the mystery of the secrets in his life
start to be revealed.