Back in the summer of 2018 as I was running through the trails of the Staten Island Greenbelt, it dawned on me that this would be a great place to film a horror film. I began to imagine a homicidal maniac doing some very bad things to teenagers, then one of the teens escapes and runs for her life with the maniac in close pursuit. After I finished my run, I went back to a specific area that would be a great location to film. It was a babbling stream along a secluded riverbank. I took out my cell phone and began filming how the scene would play out. While filming, I walked through the entire route of the scene from beginning to end. I imagined the actors starting at the river bank, then running through the woods and up a series of hills to really give the film a sense of dread.
After being inspired by that experience, I planned to film a horror short and enter it into the Single Take Film Challenge. With this particular challenge, entrants must film a scene from beginning to end in a single take without any video editing involved. As I continued to brainstorm the scene, I decided that I wanted the “survivor” to eventually outrun the killer, or at least make my audience believe that. I wanted to end the scene with the survivor coming face-to-face with the killer in a shocking way to catch the audience off guard.
In order to achieve this, I had my friend Anthony Marazano volunteer his car. At a specific point, the actor playing the killer would secretly veer off of trail and head straight for the road. He would then jump into the car and Anthony would drive him to the spot where the final action would take place with the killer suddenly becoming face-to-face with the teen survivor. This would shock the audience when they see that the survivor really did not outrun the killer after all.
As a background actor who has been in well over 150 film and TV productions, I have made friends with many actors. Seeing his profile photos on Facebook, I chose my friend Michael Lewis Smith to portray the killer. Michael is a handsome devil when he smiles for a photo, but when he doesn’t, he has that cold killer look. My daughter Emma, a teenager at the time, was going to portray the survivor and her friend Julia was going to portray the victim who gets axed to death by the killer.
The night before the shoot, I find out that Julia could make it to the shoot. I quickly scrambled to find a replacement. Fortunately, my daughter’s other friend, Andriana, was available. I told Andriana that she was going to get killed in the scene. It would involve fake blood dripping down her face while she lay on the ground in the woods. She was okay with that.
One important special effect that was required for this scene to really have an impact on the audience was to have fake blood shoot up onto the killer as he axed his victim. I had no idea how to do this, so I went to a New York City Filmmaker’s group on Facebook and asked how one would shoot blood up toward the sky. Filling a toy water plunger with fake blood was the answer. I had my friend Anthony Martinez be in charge of that. He would hide behind me as I filmed the scene, then just as the killer whacked his axe into the victim’s body, Anthony would shoot a load of fake blood up towards Michael’s (the killer’s) face. Anthony would immediately shoot another load of fake blood onto the face of the victim to show in the most graphic way that she was dead. Once my camera focused on the killer, it would pan down to the victim’s bloodied face for full impact.
I had an old broken backpack to be used as a prop. The backpack was placed on the bank of the stream as a portent to show that something bad was about to happen. I filmed the scene using my cell phone camera attached to a clip with a single handle that made it easy for me to hold as I followed the action through the woods and up the hills. Since I had no steadicam, I used my own body as the steadicam, something that was not easy to do on irregular terrain. I began filming the scene by literally walking through the stream. The scene continues onto the bank, then you see the broken backpack. A few beats after that, you see my daughter tied up to a large tree. She is trying to break free and escape, but is unable to. The camera turns 180 degrees to reveal the killer dragging his unconscious victim to bank of the stream. He drops her body to the ground, picks up the axe, then whacks her body. Blood goes everywhere. The camera turns back towards my daughter. She witnesses this violent murder and this time tries even harder to escape. She gets out of the ropes and begins to run for her life. The killer turns around from his kill and begins to chase after my daughter. After running through the woods for a good two minutes, she comes to a quiet road and thinks that she finally outran him. Slowly turning around, she finds herself face-to-face with the killer. He slowly approaches her, then the camera pans to a tree with a “Missing” sign on it.
For those who love to see the process of making a film, below is the unedited footage of the entire 6-minute scene. Following that is the finished film.
The Lovely Woods (unedited)
We filmed the above sequence in three takes. I did not want to go beyond three takes because each take was six minutes long and required my daughter to do a lot of running. I got the footage that I wanted, but now it was time for post-production work.
Once I had the footage we needed for the day, I went home and uploaded the raw footage into my desktop computer. I used iMovie as my editing software. This film short now desperately needed both a soundtrack and sound effects to really make it pop. I decided to title it The Lovely Woods and start the footage slowly moving up the stream with peaceful music to really throw the audience off guard once the violence began. I found a website that offered free sound effects and music. I had to listen to many different effects to find those that would be most appropriate for the scene.
Since I filmed the footage on a clear and sunny day, I decided to darken the film to make it feel more menacing to the viewer. Finally, I added ending credits to give all of those involved the credit they deserved for helping me make it. I found an upbeat, but macabre song to play during the ending credits and was able to get permission from the artist for me to use it in my film. Without his permission, I would not have been able to include it due to the rules of the competition.
After I had submitted it, my film eventually became a semi-finalist in the competition. This was a great surprise to me and is a great motivation for me to want to make more films in the future.
Here it is in its finished form:
The Lovely Woods (final version)
Even though the film is far from perfect, it was a great experience for me and the crew of volunteers who helped make it a reality. I want to thank Anthony Maranzano, Giovanni Maranzano, Yolande Rose, Emma Pesin, Andriana Strontsitska, Michael Lewis Smith, Anthony Martinez, and Jacky Lee. I’d also like to thank musician Harley Poe for giving me permission to use his song in the film.
Post-production shot of (from left) Anthony and Giovanni Maranzano, Yolande Rose, Emma Pesin, Andriana Strontsitska, Myself, Michael Lewis Smith, and Anthony Martinez (Jacky Lee not pictured). With the amazing Staten Island Greenbelt behind us.
Part of 2022 was remembered by the loss of some memorable friends. I went to high school with Paul Markowitz back in the early ’80s. In 2019, Paul surprised me by coming to my book signing at the Fab Cup Cafe in Staten Island. Paul was a great guy and retired cop who was loved by all. Sadly, Paul was in a coma since last year and he finally passed away in October of this year.
Mark Carles was a runner who I knew from my Staten Island running club. For the past few years, Mark suffered from a rare form of cancer that slowly wasted away his body, but not his spirit. Besides being a runner, Mark was a budding filmmaker who had an infectious personality and kept his sense of humor alive until the final days of his life. Mark loved superheroes, especially Spiderman. He was so impressed with the fact that I was a background actor in one of the Spiderman films. Mark finally passed away in February of this year. I had the privilege to interview Mark and his brother David last Fall on the YouTube show Gotta Run With Will. That episode can be viewed here.
In February, I had purchased the world’s first fully recycled running shoe, the Tarkine Goshawk. By the end of 2022, I had racked up 687 miles. According to the company that is based in Australia, these shoes can last for 700 miles. They’re still going strong and I think I can run a lot further on them at this point. You can read my current write-up about them here.
Last year, I portrayed a press photographer on an episode of the hit HBO series The Gilded Age. Now that the show is on the air, I can finally share how I looked like the day I worked on it. It was fun being dressed and having my appearance styled for the year 1885.
In March, I ran with a local running group called the Ridge Runners. Some members of the group are Ukrainian. At this time, Ukraine was being occupied by the Russian army under Vladimir Putin’s direction. To show our support for the Ukrainian people, we dedicated this run to them and wore the colors of the Ukrainian flag. A local Bay Ridge newspaper found this photo and published it.
In April, I went hiking with my friend Jacky Lee along the New Jersey-Pennsylvania section of the Appalachian Trail. It was a great physical challenge to hike this section since we began our hike at sea level on the New Jersey side and had to climb one of the tall mountains once we were on the Pennsylvania side. We hiked a total of 14 miles over a two-day period. It was a tiring, but memorable experience.
I also visited the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It was an amazing experience learning about the stories and inspirations behind many of Rockwell’s greatest works.
As a parent, it’s great to see how my children achieve different levels of success in their lives. Emma graduated from SUNY Purchase with a double-major in graphic design and painting. Hunter graduated from Stuyvesant High School with high honors.
Feeling depressed due to not being able to be creative like I used to as a result of the pandemic, I was presented with the opportunity from my friend Rodney Umble to participate in weekly improv workshops under the direction of master improv teacher Rob Reese. Every week for several weeks, I, along with Rodney, Laura Petit, Dorit Elena, and several other performers, engaged in Avant Prov workshops. These workshops taught us the fundamentals of improv that were done in artful and sometimes outrageous ways. By the end of the program, our troupe of performers put on four live shows throughout June and July. For each performance, we had well over a dozen audience members enjoying a unique form of experimental improvisation that had them entertained throughout each performance. Being one who often questions my abilities, these experiences raised my confidence levels tenfold and pushed me beyond my comfort zone into a new and freeing world of creativity that was quite exciting for me. One highlight for me was being able to destroy a “priceless” work of art that my daughter had previously created for the show.
In July, I lead a beer run for my Staten Island running club. We finished our run at a local brewery where the runners shared locally-made beer and great food.
I played pitch-and-putt golf with my son for the first time. This was something that my dad used to do with me when I was young. Even though we each didn’t play well, we enjoyed eachother’s time together.
Emma wanted to get her artwork and the artwork of about a dozen of her fellow Purchase School of Art & Design friends into a gallery to make a name for themselves. She did a lot of research and legwork and finally found a place in Downtown Brooklyn to display their art. She rented out the space at Established Gallery for the month of August. Through this amazing act, my daughter has learned that success can happen through helping others.
The Established Gallery is in a very diverse and busy part of Downtown Brooklyn. What a great place to display your work.One of Emma’s goals was to get her artwork displayed in a gallery. She achieved that here.
I’ve been friends with my friend Juan Perez for well over 25 years. He is a very talented artist who once worked for the NYPD as a police sketch artist. We met eachother at the laundromat that we both used to wash our clothes at and quickly became friends. For years, we have been talking about going camping together. In August, we finally got to do that. We camped at Worthington State Park in New Jersey right off the Delaware Water Gap. It was great to finally do something together that we had talked about doing for so long.
I met Tommy Wiseau at the screening of his cult film The Room. This film is regarded as one of the worst movies ever made. However, what makes it worth watching is that the acting and directing is so bad that it is quite comical and entertaining to watch. Tommy and his best friend Greg Sestero were once unknown actors with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. After going through many failed auditions, they decided to write, direct, and star in their own film. Tommy now travels the world showing his film to cult audiences and has become a multi-millionaire from this one film.
Leland Yu is a real-life superhero who, during the heat of the pandemic in 2020, ran 61 miles and raised $25,000 in a day. He used the money to help Chinese restaurant workers who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. He created Run for Chinatown, who, according to it’s website, “…is to inspire people and challenge limits through the sport of running. We host weekly runs and special events in an effort to spread awareness and provide economic support to the Asian & Pacific Islander communities in New York City”. In September, with the help of producer Will Sanchez, I had the priviledge to interview Leland on Gotta Run With Will. That interview can be viewed here.
I drove to the Bronx to find Little Amal walking through the streets with an entourage of followers. Little Amal is a gigantic puppet who has traveled the world. According to it’s website, “Little Amal is the 12 foot puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk. Over the last year she has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees.”
In October, I finally used two foldable kayaks that I had purchased at the beginning of the pandemic. I went out with my friend Steven Patzer and kayaked along Coney Island Creek. It was a nice adventure that was close to home.
During a swap meet I was a part of at the Coney Island Brewery, I hung out with fellow background actor Pierre Candra. Both Pierre and I portrayed dead bodies at least twice throughout our acting careers. Besides being a nice, friendly guy, my friend Mark Vogt and I regard him as the French Cary Grant.
I did a few interesting things in November. I was interviewed by cohosts Mike Gargiulo and Mike Celona for the podcast Best Job Never. I discussed the craziest acting jobs that I did in my life. I talked about my experiences portraying three separate dead bodies, an explosion survivor, a ninja in a coma, and many other crazy roles. You can listen to the Spotify podcast here.
Emma and I were both a part of a performance piece called Death By Plastic. Dressed in all black, we were part of a funeral procession where a transparent coffin was carried throughout Midtown Manhattan. Inside the coffin was an actress whose body was surrounded by plastic trash. A musician played a funeral dirge on his tuba and “mourners” handed out informational cards that explained how dangerous plastic is to all living things. Our group attracted a lot of attention from both tourists and locals alike. This was a very impactful event to show how prevalent and dangerous plastic is to all life on earth.
I was hired with about 100 other people to cheer on all of the runners during the NYC Marathon. This was paid for by the milk industry and was designed to promote milk as a natural energy drink to runners. We were all on our feet for eight hours dressed entirely in white clothing. It was a tiring, but fun event.
Emma is a big fan of modern-day children’s books, especially those that are artistically done with stories and parables that adults could relate to. One of the best authors of that genre of children’s books is Oliver Jeffers. Emma got the chance to meet him at a book signing event at a Brooklyn book store. She had him sign all of her books.
My friends Ryan Knutsen, Michael Schnall, and Jacky Lee inspired me to donate more of my blood. When I showed up for my appoinment in December at the New York Blood Center, I was asked if I wanted to volunteer and use a new technology that they were testing out that day. I agreed to wear a pair of “mixed reality” goggles while the technician drew my blood. These goggles made my eyes focus on a virtual world of butterflies and trees. I could use the pupils of my eyes to “catch” the butterflies that flew throughout the virtual presentation. I was so distracted while I participated in this virtual world that I didn’t even realize that my blood was being drawn. I often faint when my blood is drawn and this time I didn’t.
One of the last background acting jobs that I did for 2022 was working on the show And Just Like That. It was a super-boring experience, but it was fun to bump into Jim Bonanski, an old acting friend of mine who worked with me years ago on Boardwalk Empire.
A sad truth about the state of mainstream America is how ignorant people are of politics. It seems like many base their opinions solely on what they hear from the evening news and local papers. Since a vast majority of news stories appear to portray politicians as crooked, it’s no wonder why so many citizens fall prey to believing that all politicians engage in criminal behavior. The news industry is a for-profit business that thrives by focusing on stories on the negative aspects of society to feed America’s lust for stories of wrongdoing. Due to the unique power and influence that politicians hold while in office, they provide constant fodder for news stories about how they abuse that power. This portrayal of all politicians as people who engage in illicit behavior has permeated into the American psyche. I have personally seen these sentiments repeated countless times while reading people’s comments about their local leaders in social media groups with the repeated phrase, “All politicians are crooks”.
As a community activist who has worked with a number of political leaders, I can honestly say that the above is untrue. I personally know on a first-name basis two state senators, three city council leaders, and four assembly members. I have spoken and interacted with them and have spent time working with them on community projects and events. Of the nine leaders I know, only one has done something that would be considered illegal behavior. The rest are decent individuals who have a good track record of working in the South Brooklyn and Staten Island communities. I can attest to the fact that many of them care about making their communities better places to live through their leadership.
While my personal experiences working with these nine leaders may be a microcosm of greater American society, these experiences alone refute the common generalization that all politicians are crooked.
If you are still unsure of my statement, I challenge anyone reading this to get out there and start volunteering with their local leaders to find out more about them while improving their community. You will soon see with your own eyes and ears what kind of people they really are. I have and I was pleasantly surprised.
Leaders I Know:
State Senators – Marty Golden, Andrew Gounardes
City Council Leaders – Mark Treyger, Justin Brannan, Ari Kagan
Assemblymembers – Mathylde Frontus, Michael Cusick, William Colton, Pam Harris
Candidates I know:
Michael DeVito, Steven Patzer, Amber Adler, Whitney Hu, Erik Frankel, John Luisi, Angela Kravtchenko
My name is Josh and I’m a runaholic. I’ve been addicted to running since I was 14-years-old. Now at age 55, it appears like there’s no sign of letting up with my addiction.
It all started back in 1980 when I witnessed my uncle Marty run the New York City Marathon. I was a Sophmore at Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn, New York. Seeing him achieve this feat was inspirational and it left an indelible image in my head. Soon after that, I put on brand-new running shoes and went for a run for the very first time. That moment for me was like Neil Armstrong taking his first step onto the lunar surface. This began a lifetime that has brought me way beyond running into worlds that have truly made my life amazing.
I was shy and introverted during my high school days. Soon after I experienced the joy of running, I bumped into Mark Silverman during one of my runs at Marine Park. Silverman was my high school volleyball teacher. He was also the coach of the Boy’s Track Team. He saw me running alone and invited me to try out for the track team. After joining, I eventually became the co-captain of the team leading my team during stretching routines before we started our runs. At this time, I became good friends with Jimmy Gonzalez and Trevor Chichester, my fellow teammates and co-captains. My specialty was running the 1-mile and 2-mile distances. By my senior year in 1984, I was running a cross-country 5k in 18:02 and the mile for outdoor track in 5:25. Out of pure curiosity, I ran my first half-marathon, the Brooklyn Half that year. While I finished it somewhere around 1:50, I had to be admitted to the hospital immediately after crossing the finish line. That was when I discovered blood coming out of the tip of my penis. Fortunately my dad was there to help me during this traumatic experience. I later found out that this bleeding incident was caused by me not wearing running shorts with a protective lining.
The race times I mentioned were only a by-product of the real reasons why I ran. Running throughout my high school years has helped me both socially and psychologically. Through running, I started to have more friends. This lead to me becoming less shy and breaking out of my shell. Women began to notice me more which lead to opportunities to go on dates. In my personal life, my parents were going through a rough divorce. I also suffered from physical and mental abuse from an alcoholic family member and that traumatized me. I turned to running as form of escapism. It helped me. A lot.
At Prospect Park with my teammates from the Sheepshead Bay HS Boy’s Cross-Country Track Team, Fall 1983. To my left is fellow co-captain Jimmy Gonzalez and to my right over my shoulder is fellow co-captain Trevor Chichester. After Trevor is David Miller. Runner at left edge of photo is Mitch Husband.
Me edging out two runners from South Shore HS Track. They were often our competition. I think I may have kept this position all the way to the finish line of this 5k cross-country event at Prospect Park.Some teammates I remember from this photo: Christopher Garriga (3rd from right), David Miller (to the left of me), Jimmy Gonzalez (19th or 20th from right). Coach Mark Silverman is to the left about to start the race.
In 1987, I was a junior at Hunter College. Fully engrossed in my studies as an Education and English Language Arts major, I needed an escape and felt the urge to run track again. I missed that feeling of training, competing, and of being a part of a team that I had experienced during my high school track years. Under Coach Ed Zarowin and Assistant Coach Derek Alves, I joined the Men’s Cross-Country Track Team. College track was a whole different ballgame than high school track. Training and racing was harder and more gruelling. My teammates and I would train on a 6-mile loop around Central Park every day. The training pace itself killed me every single day and I was always in the back of the pack. On one particular day, I had had enough. I decided to insert myself in front of the pack and was resolute not get left behind this time. Like a bulldozer, the team pushed me ahead both physically and mentally. During the whole 6-mile ordeal, I kept ahead of them. This was the key moment in my life that I learned about goal-setting and mental toughness. It taught me that if I set my mind to something and I don’t give up, I will succeed.
Crossing the finish line at a cross-country race at Van Cortlandt Park, Fall 1986
After graduating from college in 1989, I started to work as a teacher. During this time, I was fully focused on my teaching career. I ran recreationally with a few 5k’s, 5-milers, and 10k’s thrown in each year. I fit running in whenever it was convenient for me. And when I ran, it was always alone.
In 1994, I got married. The following year, I planned to do another crazy thing; run the NYC Marathon. Remembering my uncle Marty running it in 1980, it was always in the back of my mind that one day I would run it myself. During my “training”, I was very ignorant and I did not seek running advice from anyone for the simple fact that I had no running friends who could give it to me. My ignorance and lack of proper training made me pay a big price during the actual Marathon. I physically suffered and slogged through the event finishing it in 4:57. The look of total exhaustion in my finish line photo reflected the terrible physical condition that I was in at the time.
Crossing the finish line of the 1995 NYC Marathon, my first marathon. My actual finish time was 4:57:36. I felt as terrible as I looked in this photo.
In 2000, my daughter was born. I became a father and this was a great moment for me. I spent a lot of time taking care of her. I neglected running for awhile and gained weight. As she grew, I started to go running again by pushing her in a baby jogger. I loved spending time with her while I ran and showed her off to the public. Two years later, I moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island to fulfill my dream of owning my own home.
In 2004, my son was born. I traded in my single jogger for a double-jogger. I continued to push both of my children while I ran through the neighborhood.
By 2007, I was struggling with my weight. I set a simple goal of running a mile a day, or 356 days for the year. By December 31 of that year, I had achieved my goal. However, I had run all of my miles by myself and there was something empty about this achievement.
Something seemingly insignificant happened towards the end of 2007 that would become a defining moment in my life and propelled me into a whole new world of running. A total stranger named Mario Ricca, Jr. had sent me an email about joining his running club, the Staten Island Athletic Club. He found me through a message I had posted on a message board on the running website sirunning.com. In the message, I had asked if there was anyone who could run with me on a regular basis.
In January 2008, I attended my first SIAC meeting and immediately joined the club as a new member. I was nervous at first seeing these runners who all knew eachother, but as time went on, I adjusted and started to make friendships with some of them. At that meeting, I was excited to learn how the club had a series of weekly group runs that I could be a part of. At 205 pounds, I was determined to develop a running regimen that would help whip me into shape and make me healthy again.
Seeing that I was open to becoming a dedicated runner, Mario took me under his wings and showed me the ropes. Whatever he told me to do, I did. I ran all the races that he suggested and attended all of the training runs. During these runs, I developed friendships with a number of runners. Since I was very overweight and out of shape, I was always the last and slowest runner to complete the long runs. Within a matter of months of consistent running, my weight gradually melted away. It first dropped to 195 pounds, then 190, then 185. My weight eventually settled to a svelte 180lbs. As I continued running with the club, I gained even more running friends. These friends came from all walks of life. They were plumbers, cops, teachers, nurses, accountants, firefighters, veterinarians, and even politicians. I started to develop a network of friends who were experts in their respective fields. These connections would later benefit me as I got older.
One of my running friends was Gus Stanzione. Gus was a very dedicated runner who was very knowledgeable about the sport. One day while running with him, I told him about the first marathon that I ran in 1995. I told him how out of shape I was and how much I suffered to finish the race in under five hours. He told me that with proper training and conditioning, I could finish it in under four hours. Being in great shape at the moment, I got excited at this thought and new that I had a chance to reduce my marathon pr by an hour.
It was now 2009 and I was registered for the NYC Marathon. I was fortunate to have my mom and other friends and family watch my kids after work so that I could train. I trained so well that I was able to achieve my goal of breaking four hours by crossing the finish line with a 3:57:58! My training helped me achieve a 13-second negative split for the race. Most runners are not able to achieve this and end up running a lot slower in the second half of their marathon.
Giving my friends Jerry Megna and Alan Chan very energetic high-fives near Mile 22 of the 2009 NYC Marathon.
In 2010, I moved back to Brooklyn. I used my running skills to get a featured role on the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire. For the premiere episode, I portrayed the leader of a group of FBI agents from 1920 who lead his group of agents during a training run. We were determined to fight bootlegging, so our scene showed the seriousness of our efforts, even while we were training.
In this scene, I was leading a group of FBI agents during a training run. We were all wearing cotton sweaters and filming took place in the middle of the Summer. Several takes of our running scene were filmed. Many of the other actors were not real runners, so filming this scene really knocked them out that day.
In 2014, my friend Michael Ring contracted a rare muscle-wasting disease called CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy). He had been a runner since joining the Boy’s Track Team at Sheepshead Bay High School (my alma mater) back in the 1980s. Before contracting CIDP, he had run the NYC Marathon 29 times and was looking forward to his 30th. A year later, I decided to film a short documentary about Michael’s traumatic experience with CIDP and his dreams and hopes for the future. F*ck CIPD was then shared with others afflicted with this disease and used Michael’s story to give them hope. Through exhaustive physical therapy, Michael was determined to get out of his wheelchair so he can walk on his own to complete the Brooklyn Half Marathon. In 2016, he did just that. I followed him throughout the race to film the sequel, F*ck CIDP… One Year Later. Finally in November 2017, with support from the Achilles Track Club, Michael completed his 30th NYC Marathon. Click here for an article about his accomplishment.
Behind the scenes in making F*ck CIPD. I was the runner in the film. Adrian Edwards filmed it and my brother Aaron and his daughter Emma assisted with the production.
The New York Road Runners Club approached running clubs throughout New York City seeking runners who could be pacers for their half marathons and the NYC Marathon. Being someone who likes to seize opportunities, I applied for and was selected to be a pacer for the 2013, 2014, and 2015 NYC Marathon in addition to several other half marathons throughout New York City. These were amazing experiences. In doing these pacing gigs, the feeling of helping others achieve their marathon dreams and goals gave me intense satisfaction. The big commitment for these gigs was that I had to train several months in preparation for each marathon.
At the base of the Verrazzano Bridge about the pace runners for the 2015 NYC Marathon.
I started to enjoy pacing so much that receiving a finisher’s medal at the end no longer mattered to me. Immediately after completing the 2014 and 2015 NYC Marathons, I sold both of my finisher medals for $100 each and donated the money to various causes.
This money was raised to support my friend Kristin Golat. She was greatly affected by Martin Richard’s horrible death and she committed herself to raise thousands of dollars for the charity that bears his name.I donated the proceeds of my 2014 finisher’s medal to support cancer research in memory of a family member who died of this disease.
As I had mentioned earlier in this blog, through joining the Staten Island Athletic Club, I have met many people from different professions, interests, and hobbies. One of them was Darin Magras, a fellow runner, a plumber by trade, and with an interest in stand-up comedy. Doing stand-up comedy had been on my bucket list for the past 15 years. After seeing him do a bunch of stand-up routines, he became my role model which inspired me to try it out myself. I did it twice in 2015 and the audience actually laughed at my jokes. Or maybe they laughed at me? One thing for sure, if the audience hated my jokes and ran after me, I’d be able to outrun them.
With fellow runner and comedian Darin Magras at the Looney Bin Comedy Club, Staten Island.
In 2016, Will Sanchez, a runner who hosts his own public-access show in Manhattan called Gotta Run with Will invited me to be a special guest on his show. At first I wondered why Will would want me to be a guest on his show being that I’m not the greatest runner and I wondered what could I possibly say that would interest his viewers. Will saw through my Facebook posts that I do have a life full of interesting things that could translate well on his show. After all, I am a teacher, background actor, filmmaker, comedian, and the publicity director of the Staten Island Athletic Club. But out of all these things, Will was most interested in the fact that I played a naked dead guy on an episode of Law & Order: SVU.
In 2018, I got offered the opportunity to be a professional pacer for the Mile High Running Club. It was a great feeling to get paid for something I truly loved while pacing runners who were training for various half marathons and marathons.
In 2019, I had achieved a goal that was on my bucket list for the past 30 years, which was to write my own book. It took about a year to write and running played an important part in getting it completed. To write it, I treated the book as if it were a marathon that needed to be finished. Every Sunday morning, I ran a long-run, which helped increase blood flow to my brain. After the run, I washed up, then spent several hours writing a few pages at my favorite cafe. Like running, the consistency of writing every single Sunday paid off in the form of a completed book by the end of the year. My suspense thriller inspired by true events, Eight Hours in Freeport, can be purchased here.
Without having running in my life, I would never have been able to develop the skills needed to write my own book.
2019 was also the year that I would run my first ultra. In May, I had completed the Dirty German 50-mile Trail Race in a little under 12 hours. A month later, I would attempt the Great New York 100-Mile Exposition. Due to massive pain throughout both of my legs, I quit at Mile 37. That was a very humbling experience for me.
Moments after completing the Dirty German 50-Mile Trail Race.On Broadway at 5:00am with fellow ultra-runner Wayne Pacconi about to start the Great New York 100-Mile Exposition.
In March 2020, a pandemic began to grip the world. Being healthy and apparently unaffected by COVID-19, I realized that I had to do something to help others. I volunteered to be a driver for the South Brooklyn Mutual Aid and delivered care packages to over 200 families. I worked with many other runners from the SBMA who were committed to these causes.
Runners who volunteered their time helped the South Brooklyn Mutual Aid prepare care packages for drivers like me. I delivered the packages to underrepresented families throughout South Brooklyn who were most affected by the pandemic.
In May, I joined gotsneakers.com, an organization that pays money for old running shoes. The shoes are cleaned and sent out to young entrepreneurs in developing nations where they are then sold for a profit. With my connections to a number of running clubs and organizations through the Tri-State area, I collected 756 pairs of shoes by the end of 2020 and donated $400 to the SBMA from those collections. This money will help feed over 13 families.
This is what 50 pairs of used running shoes looks like. Money received from this donation will feed at least one family for a week.
As racial unrest unfolded throughout our Nation as a result of the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and others, many organizations throughout the country began to make statements that showed where they stand on diversity and inclusivity. My running club, the Staten Island Athletic Club, was no exception. I worked with the Board to come up with an “Statement of Diversity & Inclusivity” that can now be found on our website here. I was inspired by members of my other running club, the Prospect Park Track Club, who early on, proactively addressed racial issues against runners. They were one of the first running clubs that opened a conversation about the senseless death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who simply went out for a run in his community and then was gunned down for no apparent reason other than due the color of his skin.
In August, I suggested to the SIAC Club President David Panza that our club can go beyond simply making a statement and can put action towards an idea I had that would directly benefit the African-American community. Michael Schnall, another club member, had suggested that we provide a list of local Black-owned businesses for our runners to support. I took his idea and combined it with a running event that our club can put on that would directly benefit these businesses. Soon after, the SIAC Virtual Run Challenge was born. For this challenge, runners needed to run at least 100 miles throughout the month of September. Those completing the mileage would then be entered into a drawing where 20 names would be randomly selected and each would win a $50 gift certificate to be used at a local Black-owned restaurant. By the end of the Challenge, 11 runners qualified and received the gift certificate. As a result, an additional $550 was pumped into these businesses. Backlash from some of the more conservative Club members occurred, but I knew and the SIAC Board knew that we were on the right side of history.
Throughout the pandemic, all road races got cancelled or became virtual events to limit the spread of COVID19. Many runners who were already registered for the 2020 NYC Marathon had to run it on their own. Being a six-time finisher of the NYC Marathon myself, I knew how exciting it was to experience the actual event in all it’s glory. I asked David Panza, the SIAC Club President if we can volunteer our club along with the Richmond Rockets to put on a supported marathon event for local runners. Not only was he on board with the idea, but Lisa Lubarsky, the President of the Rockets was on board as well. Additionally, we got support from Michael Schnall of the Staten Island Running Association as well. The Staten Island Virtual Marathon became a real event and 26 runners crossed the finish line on Sunday, November 1, 2020. Some runners cried upon crossing the finish line. I did too.
Maria Whitty and I holding the “Finisher Tape” for three runners completing the Staten Island Virtual Marathon. We made sure that every finisher experienced breaking through the tape that day.
Through the years, I have used running as a way to bring people together. One of my goals is always try to connect members of different running clubs together to engage in various running and non-running events. It is through these connections that new friendships are formed.
Coney Island Polar Plunge featuring 40 members of the Staten Island Athletic Club and the Prospect Park Track Club, Jan. 1, 2016Trail run through the Staten Island Greenbelt with members of the Ridge Runners and the Staten Island Athletic Club, Nov 2018.
Inspiration, Social Change, and Saving Lives
Many of my fellow runners have inspired me throughout my life. Some used running for social change, some have achieved seemingly impossible physical feats, while one has literally saved lives through their running. Agnes Varona Oquendo was a life-long runner and registered nurse living in Staten Island. She survived breast cancer through early detection. During the 1990s, early detection was not promoted at all, so many women died from it. She was so grateful to be a breast cancer survivor that she wanted to spread the word. In the Summer of 2001, she ran almost 1,000 miles from New York to Florida to spread the word to everyone who would listen that early detection saves lives. She met many people along the way who shared stories of family members with breast cancer, some who survived, and many who died of it.
In 2018, I was a pacer for the NYC Half Marathon. Many of the runners who I was pacing were members of the Black Men Run group. This group of runners were very enthusiastic and determined to do well during this race and I felt their positive energy as I ran with them all the way to the finish line. According to their website, their mission is “To encourage health and wellness among African American men by promoting a culture of running/jogging to stay fit resulting in “A Healthy Brotherhood”
I met Phil McCarthy in 2019 and Michael Ortiz in 2020. In the world of ultrarunning, these two guys are legends. In 2018, Phil ran across America, a 3,000-mile journey from San Francisco to New York that required him to run around 70 miles per day. It took him 49 days, 7 hours, 55 minutes to complete this feat. He is the creator and race director of the Great New York 100-Mile Exposition, an amazing 100-mile “race” with an epic course that brings runners throughout many of New York City’s parks. Even though I failed at finishing this race in 2019, I have run all four segments of this course on separate training runs. This race truly is a great adventure through the boroughs of New York.
I had met Michael Ortiz at the end of 2020. He had just completed the “Game of Hundos” as he calls it. Simply put, he ran one hundred 100-mile races in 100 weeks. It is still hard to fathom what he has done. His achievement is not only inspirational, but it shows me how far one person can go to achieve their goals. Even though I believe I have achieved a lot of goals in my life, what Michael has done has set the bar even higher for me in helping me to believe that if I can believe it, then I can achieve it.
In 2017, my daughter and I volunteered to help renovate a senior center in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I met volunteers from Team RWB (red, white, and blue). The mission of this organization is to “enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.” Members of Team RWB also run the same races that I have paced. With the stigma that veterans returning home from military service sometimes can’t cope with civilian life, this organization changes that image by giving returning veterans value, purpose, and fitness through the sport of running.
Agnes Varona OquendoBlack Men RunPhil McCarthy & Michael OrtizMembers of Team RWB and myself taking a break from our volunteer work.Members of the Staten Island running community maintaining the 5k cross-country trail at Clove Lakes Park.
I am now 53-years-old and as the new year carries us into 2021, I am still excited about the many opportunities that running will continue to bring into my life. Running has given me more than just good health, it has helped me make connections with many amazing people from all walks of life. The motivational nature of running has helped me achieve several of my life goals. The arc of my running story started with competition. It evolved into wanting to help others and affect social change. Running has essentially made me a better human being. Considering what running has done for me, I think I will continue this addiction well into the future. To be continued.
Both of my children have pursued running for their respective high school track teams. While my daughter no longer runs, my son still continues to run daily, even through the pandemic. Maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?
My daughter Emma at age 14 running the Fall Flat 5k, Fall 2014. She came in 10th place out of a field of 124 runners. And yes, that jar of Nutella in her hand was her prize.My son Hunter moments away from crossing the finish line at a Van Cordlandt Park high school cross-country event, Fall 2019.
What made my running experience truly great were all the runners that I’ve met throughout my running career. I want to acknowledge everyone who was a part of that experience:
Sheepshead Bay Boy’s Track Team – Jimmy Gonzalez, Trevor Chichester, Chris Garriga, Mitch Husband
Hunter College Men’s Track – Demetrios Demetriades, Derek Alves
Staten Island Athletic Club – Mark Vogt, Steve Thomas, Hamid Ghazaz, Rob Russo, Jerry Megna, Fred Rigolini, Lisa Swan, Mike Garone, Dave Panza, Bob Wisner,
Prospect Park Track Club – Adam Devine, Oren Ofrati,
Ridge Runners – Ryan Knudsen, Felix Chen,
NYRR Pacing Team – Steve Mura, Philippe Day,
Ukranian Running Club – Sergey Fedorets
Ultrarunners – Phil McCarthy, Michael Ortiz, Jacky Lee,
This blog is dedicated to my high school track coach Mark Silverman. He introduced me to the Sheepshead Bay HS Boy’s Track Team which began my love for competitive racing. I wrote the following post on my Facebook wall back in 2013. Unfortunately, due to a lifetime of cigarette smoking, Coach Silverman passed away in 2018.
Hunter and I on National Running Day, June 3, 2015. Could you tell that he loved to be there that day?
There are many articles written about strategies on how to run the NYC Marathon. Being a seven-time participant who chose not to run it this year due to extreme laziness and complete disinterest, I thought it would be beneficial to those who are also not running it to get some good advice on the dos and don’ts of non-participation of this life-changing event. Just like for the runners who are running it, there is a specific timeframe to adhere to that will help those who don’t plan on running it.
For those who are serious about training for the NYC Marathon, their self-inflicted torture traditionally begins in July. These wannabe marathoners spend almost every single day of the month running. Their weekly training regimen may include a track workout, speed drills, a tempo run, and a long run, even on the hottest and most humid of days. With a full-time job to go to and many with families to take care of, these runners will be both physically and mentally exhausted due to their relentless training. Since you are not running the marathon this year, you will not be physically or mentally exhausted and your life will go on as usual. When you get home from work, you can just relax, eat dinner, watch TV, and look forward to another day of not running.
In August, the weather gets even hotter and more humid. But hey, you’ve already trained for a month and there’s no stopping you now. Plus you forked over a non-refundable $300 registration fee in June to run this costly race, so you’re pretty much screwed. Those who are not running it did not have to cough up big money to endure a few hours of abuse come November. They will be sitting comfortably in their air-conditioned living rooms looking out the window at the sweaty losers who are marathon training outside in an environment that should only be fit for the devil.
Finally, it’s September. The weather has cooled off, but now if you have kids, they have to go back to school which will require a large outlay of parenting energy. Doesn’t anybody in the family understand that mom and dad have a race to prepare for?! During this time, you may want to consider giving up your kids for adoption. Those who are not running the marathon may wake up on a Saturday morning to go on a nice family trip upstate to go see the Fall colors. Apple-picking is also another great option, but definitely not running.
For those who are not running the NYC Marathon, October is the perfect month to check in on your hopeless friends who are now in their fourth month of marathon training. You have that one friend who had to cancel a major family event so that they could get in their 23-mile-long training run. Their spouse is already threatening divorce and can’t wait until it’s all over so that the family can get back to a normal life again. Since you are not running it, you completely savor the lovely Fall weather. You wake up late on the weekends and enjoy going out with your family for a wonderful Sunday brunch. While brunching with your family, you notice an empty table next to yours. That table would have been for your marathoning friend who is now too tired from their long run this morning and is sleeping in at 1:00 pm on a wasted Sunday afternoon.
It is now the second Sunday in November and it’s time to run the NYC Marathon! Those running it cannot possibly sleep the night before, yet they have to leave their homes at an ungodly hour the morning of to get to the race start. Then they have to wait two hours to actually begin running in their wave. It’s torture to have to wait for so long, and you’re freezing your butt off on a cold November morning. While your marathoning friend sits and waits to run a distance that guarantees serious post-race leg trauma over the next few days, you finally wake up, turn on the TV, and watch the NYC Marathon in the comfort of your own home. You sit back in your recliner and reflect on all the months that you didn’t have to train for this year’s marathon.
By choosing to enjoy life and not running this year’s NYC Marathon, you will have achieved something that will make many marathoners envious. The memories of not running this year’s NYC Marathon will last a lifetime.
In the film Pulp Fiction, there’s a memorable scene where John Travolta’s character discusses the little differences between Europe and America. His character talks about the differences between fast food names and other cultural things. When I recently went on a week-long family vacation in Paris to celebrate my children’s graduation from high school and college, I was constantly reminded of that scene by noting the many little differences between my native city and Paris. These little differences made me want to temporarily forget all of the things that identify me as a New Yorker to explore what it was like to live as a Parisien. Here’s what I learned…
When Parisiens greet each other in the morning, they enthusiastically say, “BON JOUR!!!” as if to state, “I am happy to see you!”. New Yorkers greet each other with a more monotone and less enthusiastic, “good morning”.
Paris provides free public toilettes (bathrooms) dotted throughout the city. Although New York City once tried this years ago, it did not work out. If you have to pee in NYC, you’ll have to either find a Starbucks, hold it in, or find a tree.
The French do not overeat. There are no such things as all-you-can-eat buffets in Paris. Compared to American meals, Parisien meals are small. It’s no wonder why I didn’t see any overweight people in Paris. A number of cafes that serve a petite dejeuner (little meal) also serve an additional American dejeuner (larger meal) just for American tourists.
Street signage in Paris is attached to actual buildings and does not hang on poles. In fact, street signage poles do not exist in Paris.
All subway cars in the Paris Metro have rubber wheels instead of the standard steel wheels that one finds on train cars throughout the New York City subway system. As you could imagine, trains leaving and arriving at the Metro stations were quieter than NYC subway trains.
Wine in Paris is super-cheap. If one shops at a supermarche (supermarket), they will find a wall of wine bottles costing anywhere between $1.00-$5.00 Euro (similar to the American dollar).
There is no tipping at Paris restaurants. The tip is already included in the bill. While there, it was so refreshing for me to get my bill, pay the amount on the bill, and leave without having to calculate what the tip should be.
The first floor of all Paris department stores is numbered “0”. The floors going up are “1, 2, 3, etc” and the floors going underground are “-1, -2, -3, etc”.
Parisiens love their coffee so much that many Metro stations have a Lavazza coffee machine in them.
Paris is a planned city where Napoleon wanted all structures to be built exactly six stories tall. They were all made out of locally-excavated limestone which gave the entire City of Paris a very consistent look. Building uniformity heights are very inconsistent throughout New York.
Also during Napoleon’s rule, Paris was divided into 20 distinct arrondissements (neighborhoods). You can easily see what arrondissement you are in by looking at the top of most street signs.
The street system of Paris was designed in a very disjointed radial format full of irregular street connections. If you are a visiting tourist, you will need a map or gps technology to find your bearings. New York City streets mostly follow a grid system. Many Parisien streets are named after a historical figure. NYC streets are mostly numbered.
I felt a happier vibe in Paris than in New York. I felt this even during the days and hours when many Parisiens were walking off to work.
Although I did not experience this first-hand, my good friend Michel, a native of France, told me that Parisiens are a lot more racist and prejudiced than New Yorkers.
Paris street signs are attached to buildings and not to poles.A typical Lavazza coffee machine in a Paris Metro station.The ground floor in Paris is labeled “0”, floors above are “1, 2, 3, etc”, and floors below are “-1, -2, -3, etc”.Paris is divided into 20 distinct arrondissements (neighborhoods).
And here are some things that are pretty much the same in both New York and Paris:
Grafitti
Homelessness
Inconsiderate tourists who throw trash on the ground
Major terrorist targets. Like some buildings in New York, the Eiffel Tower is surrounded by a protective anti-terrorist barrier.
For whatever reason, my cousin Jamie never had any children. While his brother Jeff, his cousins Aaron, Rose, and myself all have been enjoying the joys of parenthood seeing our children grow into fine adults, Jamie could never share those same feelings. Now 50 years old and with the regret of not starting a family early in life, Jamie had longed for a child of his own.
A few years ago and 82 miles away from Jamie, a man named Mickey Bennet took a 23andme test that helped him locate some of his distant relatives. Then in 2022, Mickey took an Ancestry DNA test. The results of that test helped Darcy Bennet, Mickey’s wife, find out the identity of his real grandfather. You see, Mickey was an adopted child who never knew who his real father was and wanted to find out. Being a person who loves to investigate things, Darcy thought it was time to know the truth about her husband’s parentage.
This is how she did it in her own words:
“A few years ago Mickey took a 23andme DNA test to learn more about where his family came from. Mickey was adopted at birth and it was a closed adoption because the mother was under 21 when she gave birth so Mickey’s parents didn’t have any information. When he took the 23andme test he learned about his heritage but was also connected to distant relatives (mostly 2nd cousins). Mickey talked to one of his second cousins and they told him that their father had a cousin, Patty Prehall, who lived in Allentown around the time that Mickey was born. At first, we thought that she was his Mom so I did a bunch of research and found some other relatives of Patty Prehall. I got to a dead end at one point and there were no updates until I got Mickey to take the ancestry DNA test. There he was connected to Bill Kulls, who originally showed up as Mickey’s first cousin. I looked up Bill on Facebook and saw that he was older than I expected so I looked up his friends with the last name Kulls. That’s when I found Jamie and I was shocked. So I sent him a message and I found Steve Kulls and sent him a message too. I found out that he was Bill’s half-brother and that Bill had three kids, Jamie included. Since we thought that Bill was Mickey’s cousin we thought Jamie was a 2nd cousin. I wasn’t convinced that Jamie was a cousin so I went back on the ancestry site and clicked on the connection to Bill. It ends up that Bill is Mickey’s grandpa. So that narrowed Mickey’s dad to be either Jamie or Jeff. I did some more research and found out that Jamie graduated high school the same year that Mickey was born, so that lined up with his biological parents being under 21. Then I found out that Patty Prehall is Jamie and Jeff’s mom so I was like “Wow”. Then Jamie replied to me and more things lined up with the timing. He came to visit NY and then we got the paternity test done and he was a match!”
It took 33 years for my cousin Jamie to find out that he was a father. Today is the first Father’s Day in all those years that Jamie can truly celebrate parenthood.
Mickey (middle) finally reunited with his real parents 33 years after his birth.
Mickey and Jamie. They look like brothers, but they’re really father and son.
A few months ago, I came across an email that was sent to my running club. It was from a runner and entrepreneur from Australia who had just developed a running shoe made almost entirely out of recycled materials. He wanted to spread the word to runners around the world about a Kickstarter campaign that he was about to start in order to get the ball rolling for his new product. As both a life-long runner and a die-hard environmentalist, I was immediately intrigued. I personally contacted co-founder Sam Burke and told him how excited I was about his new running shoe venture. I wasn’t the only one. Within four hours of starting the campaign, Tarkine running shoes met their fundraising goal by selling over $44,000 in inventory.
According to statistics by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Americans throw away at least 300 million pairs of shoes each year. These shoes end up in landfills, where they can take 30 to 40 years to decompose. Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, which usually makes up the midsole of most running shoes, can last for as long as 1,000 years in a landfill. With this in mind, I knew that I had to purchase a pair of Tarkines for the environmental aspect. There were a few exciting qualities that I learned about this shoe that I just had to explore. The Tarkine website purports that their running shoes are made almost entirely out of recycled materials and their life expectancy is 700 miles, lasting almost twice as long as a typical pair of running shoes. Once these shoes reach the end of their lives, they can be fully recycled through a program that Tarkine has set up for their customers.
I purchased a pair of blue training shoes, the Tarkine Goshawks. The box they came in stated, “The world’s most eco-friendly high-performance running shoe”. I was curious to see for myself how well they performed by wearing them for my first official run in them.
Mile 5 – February 9, 2022
I slipped on my pair of blue and white Tarkine running trainers to take these virgin shoes out for their first run. I felt an instant feeling of comfort as soon as I slipped them on. The upper part was both firm and stretchy. As with all other running shoes that have a separated tongue, the Tarkines had no separated tongue and the entire upper section was constructed as one continuous material which exerted equal pressure around my entire ankle. Once they were on both my feet, the front contour of these shoes appeared not to be your typical elliptical shape, but looked more like the asymmetrical contour of a human foot. At first, I thought that this shape looked strange, but I later realized that there was a method to the madness of this design feature. I learned that this duck-like foot shape addressed the issue of foot splay, which is what happens to the toes in our feet every time a runner lands on them after each stride. When our feet land, our toes naturally splay out from one another. The developers of these shoes were well aware of this splaying tendency and designed the Tarkines to account for this natural phenomenon.
I did my first run through my mom’s Staten Island neighborhood and around Clove Lakes Park. I ran up and down hills and through the streets. The shoes hugged my feet tightly but had some give to them. There were no pressure points or any other part of the shoes that made my feet feel uncomfortable. The rubber beneath was bouncy just enough to give me the sensation of being propelled forward as if I were wearing a pair of bouncy springs.
I completed my five-mile run and both of my feet felt great. There were no blisters like I usually get after wearing a new pair of running shoes. There wasn’t even any soreness for the shoes fit my feet like a glove due to their ability to give. With all of these positive experiences, I am looking forward to seeing if these shoes will continue to perform well as I put in many more miles on them over the next few months.
Mile 500 – September 27, 2022
Eight months and 500 miles after first putting on my new Tarkines, the blue color still appears vivid and fresh on the outside. I did wash them once since first using them. There are no visible signs of wear and tear on the upper parts. Any blue areas that appear bleached are simply dried-up salt accumulations due to sweat dripping onto my shoes.
The soles are still mostly intact except for some slight wearing due to the supination of my feet and at the very tips of my toes. You can still see 90-95% of the pattern design running throughout the sole.
In the photo below, one can see some wearing of the shoes right behind my feet. This may be due to this area of my feet often being calloused and hard.
The shoes still feel completely natural and comfortable when I wear them, even while running.
If 2021 were a pile of garbage, I plowed right through it, bravely living my life as if the pandemic never happened.
I usually start the new year off each January 1 with a soul-cleansing plunge into the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island Beach. 2021 didn’t begin that way since the event was canceled due to COVID. What did happen was an interview I had hosted for the Manhattan public access show Gotta Run With Will. My episode was postponed from the previous November also due to the pandemic. Conditions were safe enough on January 2 where we were able to successfully produce this episode with the help of gifted producer Will Sanchez and his crew. I interviewed my good friends Mark Vogt and Bob Denker who are fellow life-long runners and background actors. You can view the episode here.
As society continued to open up in February due to increased vaccinations, I was able to engage in some fun activities. I portrayed a boom mike operator for the Showtime series Succession, went skiing in Massachusetts with my son at Catamount Mountain, and went snowshoeing in the Staten Island Greenbelt. A call to the community from Senator Andrew Gounardes asked for homemade Valentines Day cards that would be distributed to older adults at local senior citizen centers. Through my Buy Nothing group, I had asked families and teachers to ask their children to make cards for this program.
In March, a single mother of five living in my community desperately needed a new refrigerator. I found a couple willing to donate a fridge that they didn’t need. With the help of my friend and fellow community activist Ajamu Osborne, we wheeled the fridge 1.2 miles to the mother’s apartment house.
My brother and I participated in an anti-Asian hate rally in Coney Island along with Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus, Steven Patzer, Ari Kagan, and others.
Mukasa Edward is a teacher, runner, and track coach living in a small village in Uganda. I have known him for a few years. His friend’s baby got an infection from a tainted vaccine and was in danger of losing her life. Mukasa needed my help. At first I didn’t know how I could help, but in time, I was able to begin a fundraising campaign that helped to save the baby’s life. You can read about it here.
Through the efforts of community activists Steven Patzer and Reyna Gobel, we engaged in the second annual Chinese Restaurant Food Crawl. Among dozens of other great community events, Steven and Reyna initiated the inaugural event at the outset of the pandemic last year to help support locally-owned Chinese restaurants in the area.
I had the opportunity to meet Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa as he walked along the Coney Island Boardwalk trying to get support for his mayoral campaign.
My brother and I spent some quality time with my dad. After our visit to his house in West Orange, New Jersey, we took our daughters for a hike on a nearby mountain.
As a background actor, I had the opportunity to portray a dead body for the third time for the show The Blacklist. My role was as a preserved cadaver that was pulled out of a drawer in a medical lab. The medical examiner then inspected me as they filmed the footage.
My daughter is a graphic design and painting major in college. As a dedicated artist, she has been exploring all forms of self-expression from the humorous to the abstract to the downright disturbing. Among many other projects, she created a “Canned Baby” label, a paper-mache mask named Snuffy, and a stuffed-animal-inspired full face mask she calls the Velveteen Vermin.
I had the opportunity to portray a FedEx delivery worker in a Nissim Black music video. Black is an African-American rapper who happens to also be a Hasidic Jew. Check out my attempt at hip hop dancing towards the end of the video by clicking here.
Canned BabySnuffyVelveteen VerminVisiting my long-time friend Juan Perez whose Rembrandt-esque art was featured at an art show in Manhattan.With Jewish wrapper Kosha DillzWith African-American Hasidic rapper Nissim Black
Since the outset of the pandemic a year ago, I worked with other volunteers by helping those most affected throughout South Brooklyn. One of the many things I did was to deliver care packages to over 200 families and hot food and PPE equipment to senior citizens. Local leaders took notice including 46th Assembly District Leader Dionne Brown-Jordan and Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus. They each invited me to events that honored those who stepped in to help during a very difficult and dangerous time. While I never expected to receive any recognition for what I had done, it was an honor to be recognized among other brave recipients.
With 46th Assembly District Leader Dionne Brown-JordanWith Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus and my daughter
I lucked out in August when I got hired to be the stand-in and body double for actor David Costabile for a Pepsi commercial. I was the same height and age as David, and I kind of looked like him. It was fun seeing how a commercial was made first-hand as well as meet the actor that I was standing in for. You can view the entertaining ad by clicking here.
When cameras weren’t rolling, I sat on this exact sofa while the camera crew set up for the next shot. Pictured is Billions star (and my twin?) David Costabile.The hair department added grey to age my hair like David’s.
One of my greatest memories of 2021 was when I went on a whale watch with an old high school friend and our favorite high school teacher. Larry Parente and I had taken two years of marine biology together with Joel Teret when we went to Sheepshead Bay High School. Our mutual love for Mr. Teret was so great that we brought our families on a whale watch with him back in August. And boy, did we see whales that day!
I was invited to two separate weddings in September. One was the union of Geo Morales and my good friend Eddie Sud. The wedding took place inside an old church on top of a mountain with breath-taking views. It was the first gay wedding I had ever attended and the venue was beautiful.
The second wedding was for my sister Rachel and her new husband Austin. It was such a happy and festive event that included tacos as an appetizer. I got to see so many old family members who I haven’t seen in a long time. The newlyweds looked great together and I wish them many years of happiness.
After hosting the January 2 episode of Gotta Run With Will, I immediately wanted to set up an interview with Mark and David Carles, brothers I know through the Staten Island Athletic Club. A few years ago, Mark was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and was told by his doctor he had only a few months to live. His brother David did not accept this as an answer and went through many doctors to find the one doctor who knew how to save his brother’s life. The interview kept on getting postponed either by the increasing COVID rates that closed the recording studio down or Mark becoming too sick to be interviewed. Finally, in October, we were finally able to get the brothers interviewed. You can see the interview here.
I got the opportunity to run the NYC Marathon for the seventh time. I wasn’t planning on running it this year, but I knew if I signed up for it, it would make me run more and lose weight. I lost 15 pounds, so I succeeded in that area. I ran the first 13 miles of the Marathon too fast and paid the price when I struggled to run the last 13. While this was my second slowest marathon, I was glad that I was able to work through the constant leg pain in the last 10 miles to be able to cross the finish line alive.
My brother Aaron pacing me on his bike while I struggled through a 20-miler.As a lead pacer for the Mile High Running Club during a long-run together.With Philippe Day after a brutal finish together at the 2021 NYC Marathon
Here are some other people and events I attended that helped to make my 2021 memorable.
I went to high school with Stan Levine. He is an amazing and funny guy who puts on the best Halloween displays at his Long Island home every October.Portraying an off-duty firefighter playing softball with actor Tommy Bayiokos for the Showtime series City On A HillAt a Q&A with lead actors from Steven Spielberg’s musical West Side StoryWith some of my fellow pacers from the Mile High Running Club celebrating the end of the running season.
With my friend and fellow runner Jacky Lee who has helped me a lot in my life. I really appreciate her.Hanging with my brother Aaron and fellow Sheepshead Bay High School alumni Lance Loox at the Wicked Monk in Bay Ridge. All three of us are on a quest to live a healthier life.
As 2021 comes to an end, I am grateful for my Mom. Just a few weeks ago, she got hit by a car that ran a red light. Fortunately, she escaped with only a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg which is now almost fully healed. I am also grateful for having good health in spite of having COVID during this last week of the year.
After receiving my first dose of the COVID vaccine almost exactly a year ago, I began 2021 believing that I was a superhero. Now I know better.
My mother Susan celebrating New Year’s Eve at the rehab center with my brother Aaron.
The following article was printed in the Staten Island Advance on April 28, 2021. In order for readers to avoid a paywall when trying to access it online for those who don’t subscribe, I provided screenshots below. A link to the original article is provided at the end.
I would like to add that runners from other local running clubs such as the Prospect Park Track Club and the Ridge Runners also played a part in donating to the Baby Brenda Fund. Members of the Facebook group Bensonhurst Parents also helped provide donations.
Here is the link to the original article as digitally published by the Staten Island Advance (www.silive.com):
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