The summer of 1967 was a turning point in my life. At that time, I was working for the city of Chicago as a supervisor for the Commission on Youth Welfare. It was a challenging and exciting job, but it also came with a fair share of disturbances. One evening, my in-laws were visiting us when I received a call about a disturbance at a youth center on the West side.
As I arrived at the center, I was taken aback by the darkness and the silence. This was unusual because the kids were supposed to be playing games, watching TV, listening to music, and dancing. It was a suspicious scene, and I had to investigate further.
When I entered the hall, I noticed that the TV was playing, but there was no sound. As I focused on the screen, I realized that it was showing the final episode of the popular TV show, The Fugitive. The silence was deafening, and the sight was eerie. It was the most viewed episode in the history of television at that time.
After the incident, I went back home to find my wife and in-laws having dinner. We started discussing my job, finances, and how I was doing in Chicago. It became clear that my in-laws wanted their daughter back home and offered us a job in the new restaurant they were opening in Palm Beach, next to the nightclub they owned.
It was a tempting offer, but I loved my job in Chicago. I was working closely with the precinct captain and learning the ropes of Chicago politics. The city was abuzz with activity during the 60s, and I felt like I was part of something significant.
However, the offer to move to Palm Beach was too good to resist. My father-in-law owned O’Hara’s nightclub, the most famous nightclub in Palm Beach County. The town of Palm Beach was also the home of the Kennedys, adding to the allure.
Before I knew it, I was renting a home in Palm Beach and embarking on a new phase in my life, full of excitement and opportunities.