Happy birthday Dad!

Would have been 98 years old today. Not that you ever thought you’d make it that far. In fact, I recall you staunchly claiming you didn’t want to live past 50. Your wild-women and booze-filled life-style sure to suffer with aging. But you beat it, and each year you lived past 50 – all the way to your 85^th birthday, was a gift to all who knew you. 

And you were different to so many. A mentor to some. A counselor to others. A wild night-on-the-town playboy. A Mexican casino owner (for at least one night before the Federales shut you down). A Catalina Island hopper. A fast fancy car driver. A real estate developer. An antiquities dealer. A Canadian Club with a water back kind-of-guy. You weren’t the best dad, but you were the best character. You left a mark, and are missed every single day.