Letters, We Get Letters

Letters, we get letters. We get stacks and stacks of letters. Dear Perry . . .Would you be so kind, To fill a request, And sing the song I like best? That was the theme song of one of my favorites, the Perry Como Show. Perry was a barber before he became a popular vocalist. That's Sal, "The Barber," Maglie in the picture. We had a great barber shop in KV on Catherine Street. We all called it "Pete, The Barber's." I just got an email that made my Thanksgiving a little more special and hopefully soon we can post some pics of the real Pete and crew. Here's an excerpt:
Hey Dave:
I loved the site.
My family lived in Knickerbocker Village also.
I lived in the "H" building, 12 Monroe St. (HF8).
My grandfather was "Al the Barber" and my Uncle, his son, was "Pete the Barber". They owned the Barber Shop on Catherine St. I was responsible for the wall mural on the Water St. side of the NY Post, formerly the Journal American Building.
I have many, many memories and photographs which I'd be willing to share with you and your site.
Contact me and let me know how.

here's a 1990 article about Perry, who by all accounts was just as nice off stage as on.
ABOUT LONG ISLAND;
Memories Are Made of This
By DIANE KETCHAM

LEAD: PERRY COMO memories abound in Port Washington. Sheldon Tarakan was singing his.

PERRY COMO memories abound in Port Washington. Sheldon Tarakan was singing his.

''Letters, we get letters, we get stacks and stacks of letters,'' sang Mr. Tarakan from his desk at the Port Washington Public Library. Asked to come up with a memory of Perry Como in 1990, Mr. Tarakan recalled the mail song that was sung each week on the Perry Como Show in the 1950's. Although he had not heard the song in several decades, the words flowed from Mr. Tarakan's lips. ''Dear Perry, would you be so kind, to fill a request and sing the songs we love best.''

''This is incredible,'' the library official said. ''I'm a kid again, sitting in my living room in Jamaica, Queens. Perry's on TV singing and my father's in his chair dozing. My father was a true Perry Como fan. He fell asleep whenever Perry sang.'' In Port Washington they not only remember Perry Como on television,they remember him in church. ''He was there every week and he used to sit with his wife in the side wing so he wouldn't cause a commotion,'' said a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church.

They remember Perry Como driving around town. ''He drove a gray Cadillac with the license plate PC-42,'' one elderly woman said. ''He always waved to me.'' They remember him playing golf at the Sands Point Golf Club. ''I was caddying for a foursome he was in,'' said a middle-aged man. ''I heard Perry Como curse.''

For most of his singing career, Mr. Como lived in Sands Point. He raised his three children there. He was active in the local church, shopped in the local stores and supported the local hospital, St. Francis in Roslyn. Mild-mannered and friendly, Perry Como was the approachable celebrity. They loved him on the North Shore of Long Island. They still do.

In the 1970's he moved to Florida, but Long Island remains a part of his life. His son David lives in Cold Spring Harbor, and Mr. Como comes north to visit his grandchildren and perform at the Westbury Music Fair.

There is another reason Perry Como returns to Long Island each year. He comes back for the St. Francis Hospital Celebrity Golf Classic. Since 1950 Mr. Como has offered his help to St. Francis, a cardiac speciality hospital. For the last 10 years he has been the major attraction at its annual charity golf tournament.

''Perry is the spirit of the tournament,'' said Dr. Robert F. Vizza, the president and chief executive of the hospital. ''You mention the St. Francis golf tournament and people say, 'Oh, that's the one with Perry Como.' ''

''You do what you are able to do,'' Mr. Como said, explaining why he plays in the tournament year after year. ''People say, 'Why don't you just give them money and stay home?' That's not me. I want them to remember me, not the money.''

At 78 years old, Mr. Como was at the Brookville Country Club last week playing golf for St. Francis one more time. The golf seemed secondary to the picture-taking and autograph- signing. Of all the celebrities present, Perry Como was the biggest draw.

As he stepped out of a black limousine with his 13-year-old grandson, Chris, Gena Mollura of Great Neck rushed up with her Polaroid. Mrs. Mollura and Nathalie Dutra of Manhasset, volunteers helping with the tournament, were supposed to be guarding the door to the women's locker room. Nobody seemed to mind that they left their post to have their picture taken with Mr. Como. He smiled and hugged them. Mrs. Mollura practically swooned.

Silver-haired with gold-rimmed glasses, the trim Mr. Como looks the same as he did 20 years ago. ''He still gets a lot of fan mail,'' said his manager, Mickey Glass. Mr. Glass, 80, a resident of West Hempstead, has been with Mr. Como 50 years. Like an American Express card, ''When he leaves home, I'm with him,'' Mr. Glass said. ''I go everywhere with Perry. As long as he needs me, I'll be his manager.''

Although Mr. Como and his wife, Roselle, live in Jupiter, Fla., the entertainer keeps an office in Great Neck that Mr. Glass runs. ''People call. They want to book him or find out where he will be appearing,'' the manager said. ''We get the fan mail there, too. It's Perry's Long Island connection.''

It's been more than 25 years since Mr. Como had a television show, yet the singer is still recognized wherever he goes. ''I was at the grocery store in Florida pushing one of those carts,'' Mr. Como said, ''and this woman comes up to me and starts staring and staring. I thought she was ill, so I said, 'Are you having a problem?' and she said, 'I thought you were dead.' ''

With 13 grandchildren and one great-grandson, Mr. Como says he is very much alive. At the golf tournament, he doted on his grandson, Chris, who attends Cold Spring Harbor High School. Being Perry Como's grandson has made Chris a slight celebrity at school, he said. ''They think I'm related to the Governor.''

Being Perry Como's grandson has also given Chris free haircuts. ''He used to cut my hair all the time,'' Chris said. ''He was a barber before he was a singer, you know.'' Mr. Como cut men's hair in Canonsburg, Pa., before moving to New York and starting his singing career.

As Chris followed his grandfather around the clubhouse, so did his admirers. Men and women continually asked for Mr. Como's autograph. Cameras appeared at every turn. ''Mr. Relaxation,'' as he was known during his television career, smiled through it all. He even signed his name while getting dressed in the men's locker room.

''He's so generous with his time at these events,'' Dr. Vizza said. ''You'll never see him turn down a request for a picture or an autograph.'' His accessibility is remarkable, given that he has no records to sell, no appearances to promote.

''You put St. Francis on the map, Perry,'' said Sister Jean, a Roman Catholic nun who has worked at St. Francis Hospital since 1941. As the sister had her picture taken with Mr. Como, she recalled how she and the other nuns involved him with the hospital. ''We sent him a big photo of all the sisters lined up holding a sign that said 'Perry, we need you.' He's been helping us ever since.'' ''Who could turn down pleading nuns?'' Mr. Como said. Golf tournaments and dinners are the closest Mr. Como comes to the workings of the hospital. ''They asked me to view an operation once,'' he said. ''After the first incision I said, 'I'll see you later.' ''

When he returns to Long Island he always tries to visit Sands Point, he said. ''I go back to the Sands Point Golf Club and have lunch with some of the guys.'' And like many former homeowners he drives past his old house on Cornwells Beach Road. ''The last time I passed the house it was being sold,'' he said. ''It was hard to look at it, the grass was so high. We didn't even get out to look at the backyard. We had put a nice pool in for the kids, you know. It's hard to see it like that. The house has been sold two or three times since we left.'' Last week there was time only to visit his son David and play in the tournament. ''I haven't played much golf lately,'' he said. His handicap? ''My clubs,'' he said.

''Perry plays like he sings,'' Dr. Vizza said. ''Slow, deliberate and smooth.''

As the singer prepared to tee off, the other members of his foursome, Leslie Quick Jr., Tom Christman and Donald Wenk, were deciding who would be Mr. Como's partner. His manager Mr. Glass was noticing a woman on the terrace overlooking the tee. It was Carolyn Martin from New Jersey. ''She's a fan,'' Mr. Glass said. ''She goes to most of Perry's concerts. I don't know how she got here.''

Mr. Como waved to Ms. Martin and then teed off, whistling as he took his swing. Golfers snapped his picture as he jumped into the golf cart, hugged his grandson and headed down the green fairway. Mrs. Mollura was showing off her photos with the star, and Perry Como memories were still being made on Long Island.