“MY PASSPORT WAS STOLEN IN THAILAND”

Here is my next story “MY PASSPORT WAS STOLEN IN THAILAND”
It started when the Vietnam war was going strong and American men who left the USA to avoid the draft and wandered trying to live abroad. They claimed the war was wrong, so they just wouldn’t do there duty. However, to live abroad you needed to have a valid passport to travel, and so these same “WOL” young men, not being able to use their passport, knowing the US government would trace them and put them in prison tried to steal US passports in order to travel from place to place, or even travel back to America under a different name. A new business was started with crooked people stealing passports, and then selling them to these same young men.
This became a problem for American business travelers, because in many cases they were away from their hotel rooms just having dinner with customers, or local manufacturers. It just wasn’t smart to carry your passport with you at all times for just that reason, you were prone to being mugged, or worse. So, when I entered a country, I put my passport in a safe place in my room, and traveled with locals in each country I was in.
Thailand (SIAM) was a country with very lax laws and allowed these same young men to stay there, expecting them to spend American dollars while they remained. So, many locations in Bangkok catered to them while they had the money to do so. They couldn’t work to earn money, cause the local labor force was so cheap, they couldn’t compete.
On one trip, I brought my son Trey and he and I did my business together, and eventually travelling to a vacation city for a few days of fun. We were able to rent jet ski’s and run around with them, till I had to get back to business. Back to Bangkok to meet a manufacturer and to fly to my next country, usually Hong Kong. Some time while we did our thing, someone got into my room and stole my passport. It probably was a servant making money on the side, but no way for me to know. I complained to the manager who I knew pretty well, but he could nothing, knowing my passport was into the wind on a plane going back to America, or Canada.
So, I naturally went with Trey, who still has his passport, to the Local US consular office to tell them my problem and request a new passport. As we were entering the building we noticed a very, very large line going out into the street. Approaching the Guards at the entrance, I explained what had happened and want to enter to report my passport stolen and request a new one. They laughed as it wasn’t new to them, but they said I would have to wait on the long line. I laughed back at them and said look at my eyes and look at my son, do we look like locals. They said they couldn’t let me in and I said trey, show them your passport, which he did, and I said to trey “Am I your Father”? Naturally he laughed and said of course, we look alike, which we did. I then said This can’t be the first time you have heard of an Americans passport being stolen? With that I turned to Trey and we boldly walked into the building. he as an American and me as his father.
The problem was only just beginning, as we approached the desk, the person said I had to wait on that line. I looked at him and said listen, my passport was stolen and I need a new one, who do I speak to, or do I find a supervisor and start complaining as an American citizen who is being abused! Trey again showed his passport with his picture clearly on it, telling the man that I was his father and My passport was stolen. I was proud of the way Trey talked and finally the man sent us to another desk where we sat down told the whole story of why I was Bangkok, how we were staying at the ???? Hotel and how the manager could verify my many visits to Bangkok. I then said that I’m sure he knew of many of the same incidences happening all over the world, and could I please now get a new passport. You must remember in those days, the Internet and computers were in the future, so he said I had to fill out a long form, and I said whatever it will take, but I’m nor leaving here till I have my passport in hand. He realized I was not be played with, and knew trouble was in the wind, so He called over a Supervisor, and I met with him going through the story, but he was a man of action and knew he didn’t need bad press. Trey and I left both with passports!

Where were you when Martin Luther King was shot?

Where were you when Martin Luther King was shot ?
Me? Well on Friday, April 5th 1968, I was driving my motorcycle as I did every day through Harlem, on Lenox Ave where I had my flower warehouse on 168th St, just off of Lenox.. It was just a regular day for me to go there before I continued on down to my office on 23rd St and Fifth Ave, a building called “The Gift and Toy Building”. As you come south, down Lenox Avenue at 169th street, it begins to rise, so much so, that you can’t see over the hill, down the avenue until you actually reach the crest of the little hill, then as you do so, you can see way down to 110 St, where the unofficial boarder line exists between black Harlem and Spanish Harlem. Every day I did the same thing and carefully reached the top of the hill, because many times, heavy traffic was stopped there for one reason or another, and it’s wise to slow down as to go over it. I’ve learned over the years in driving, that you must always see one mile down the road you’re going to be safe, so I’m always very careful when I can’t see. This one particular day as I came over the crest, a large crowd of people were in the middle of the street, were they were yelling and screaming, and kicking and punching a man who was white, laying there trying to protect himself. he was a truck driver who was pulled out of his truck that was forced to stop in the middle of the street, so, I had no choice but to slam on my brakes and lay the bike down in order not to hit into the crowd, and as I slid with sparks flying, I stopped in time, just before hitting the crowd, who when hearing the loud screeching sound, turned to see what had happened, and why the screeching noise. I lay on top of the bike to prevent my being crushed under it, and naturally I was shook up trying to get up,  but I was not able to as some young men grabbed me and began to hit me and punch me, just as they were doing to the guy I just saw. I didn’t know what was going on and tried to fight back but it was impossible against so many. Just then, I hear screaming for everybody to stop.. “STOP”, “STOP” That’s Mr. Bianco! They jumped in and tried to stop what was happening to me, Yelling, “That’s My Bianco”, he is our friend and he has been helping us! They were very insistent and actually were fighting off all that were around me. More joined to help out. Eventually everybody stopped and I got up and was surrounded by all the boys who worked in my warehouse. They walked with me to my bike, helped me lift it up and we all pushed it to my warehouse, each of them saying how sorry they were and did I know what happened? I said all I know is when I came over the rise, they were there yelling and screaming, and I didn’t know why, because I always came the same way. They all said, “No, not that, don’t you know what happened today?” I said no “What happened?” They all screamed at once “They killed Dr Martin Luther King” and everybody in Harlem has gone crazy beating up every white man they see, even the ones like you who help us… It’s crazy everybody has gone Crazy!!! Needless to say, I stayed away from my warehouse for many days, and told my guy in charge, to call me at least three times a day with a report on how things were going, and have all my worker stay home, but that I’ll still pay them to stay out of the riots and just keep there families safe, and that it will end as it always does. I didn’t realize just how much Dr. King was loved and honored as it didn’t end right away like I though, but continued on and on, with the bad element taking over being incited by the little sneaky Bastards, like Al Sharpton, destroying the places they needed to live and eat, and hurting those businesses that actually were there for them everyday. The police did nothing! As they stayed away from all of Harlem leaving all the good black families to suffer from all that was being destroyed, knowing it was best for them to wait till it ended and then go in and restore “Law and order”!
White Knight Adventures

Well today i caught a mouse!

Today I caught a mouse!
Today I caught a mouse! By Sal Bianco
I never thought I could feel so bad as when I saw the mouse.
It was a he, or she, who kept leaving little spots around the house.
So, today I caught a mouse, and I feel so sad that I could cry,
cause now, I have to sit and watch it die.
I’m sorry, Mister, I didn’t mean to eat your crumbs from the floor!
Today I caught a mouse, but how can I ever forget its eyes,
as it struggled and fought to run from me with it’s cries.
I thought I was clever, and set a trap that glued it to a pad,
I never thought that seeing it caught would make me so sad.
So, today I caught a mouse, and now must try it set free
from a glue so strong that it could capture even me.
I tried my best to free it’s tail, and then a leg, and paw,
but no matter what I did, it became stuck, even more.
Hey! I’m stuck.. Help me! Please!!!
Yes, today I caught a mouse, but now I’m crying like a fool.
Hey! It’s only a mouse… it’s only a mouse, so I should be cool,
so why do I feel so bad about myself, at being such a louse;
Just because I caught a mouse that was living happily in my house.
It’s not dead as yet, but soon will be,
cause no matter what, I cannot set it free.
Now all I can do is cry and cry, as I have to watch it die.
Today I killed a mouse, and I feel I too want to die,
But no, because all I can do is sigh, and sigh, then just cry.
Never again can I think of a mouse, without seeing those eyes of fear;
that I won’t stop and think, and wind up with a tear.
God! I killed a mouse, and cannot understand how people kill,
things that live, and not feel what I now feel, and always will.
What pain and heartbreak I have in me,
So God ! Help me to never again kill anything I see.
Because I watched a little mouse that only wanted food,
die because of me, so now all I can do is brood.
God help me get good feelings back, and not be so sad,
it’s only a little mouse I caught with glue on a pad.
I’m a man who has lived a long life, and think that I’m so smart,
but all I can feel now is to live with a broken heart.
What’s a little dirt and mess, against a life abound;
that could still be happy, running, round and round.
I can’t seem to stop the pain and hurt that is in my heart
So God, just show me how and make me smart
to never be so foolish again, as to hurt another living being.
The little is squealing: Help! Please help, and set me free!
Yes, even a little mouse that eats, then leaves a little peeing.
So what’s a little cleaning after all that’s said and done,
to save a life, knowing it’s living and having fun.
Leaving little messes after all, it’s only a little mouse
who has chosen to live with me, in my little house.
I want to tell the world about the mouse I caught today,
so that all can stop and think, hope and pray, for that mouse I caught today.
Never again, can I watch a thing alive, die because of me.
Never again, cause now all I’ll do is smile, then help to set it free.

This is a happening that took place, February 11, 2022

This is a happening that took place yesterday February 11, 2022

Well every day I walk Bella and every day she loves me more but yesterday she thought she loved a little dog more and took off after that dog without me realizing it and she pulled me so strong that I actually flew from the sidewalk into the street never touching the ground, and the streets here are made of a tar and gravel that have little points all over the road. So here I am flying and land on my right shoulder, my left knee is next then my left hand is next, my right hand is next and thank God I never hit my head! Well I was in such bad shape I that the owner of the little dog had to-help me get up with blood pouring out of my wounds, as I’m on 2 blood thinners! He asked if I needed help to get home, and I said no and thanked him, as he was a kind Japanese man.
Finally walking slowly and finally getting into Al’s house, I realized I was in very bad shape and called Al’s daughter Angela who came running with her husband and son, as the day before my older brother had a heart attack in front of me while we were for his son and friends. They took over and bandaged me up as best they could but had no way to do anything for my right shoulder which was the main hurt but with no bleeding. I was hurting bad so Angela gave me pain pills that finally stopped the pain! They left and then, who should accidently arrive to just say hello, but my sister Elizabeth’s daughter Annette Calandra and her husband Craig. They took over and fed me and more importantly had brought a bottle of great red wine which Craig and I had for only medicinal purposes! Annette said that we’d better go to urgent care, and we did and found out no Brocken bones. Well to me it was just another experience to put in my fabulous story writings and here I thought I would never fly again at 89!!!

What were some of your nickname growing up?

Well, I’ve written about my youth and how I was accepted by my friends around me. It was their naming me that name stuck…”The Saint” because I would immediately give punches if they cursed, or if they made some physical expressions trying to accomplish the same thing. As we got older, my friends realized why I never lost a fight! They then decided to call me just that “LEFTY”. it stuck throughout my youth all the way till I going out with girls. It happened while we were going to dances in Yonkers, as we were grown up until we used our true names me, I was simply Sal. However as I started my business I was called different names in each country I had offices. It started first in the Philippines as they realized that I had accomplished for them and all called me “The one and only”. As I moved from Taiwan to Bangkok, for my Flower business, I now was called ” The flower man” and there my designs were of flower of soft polyester cloth making them more realistic. The manufacturers I set up now were able to use hundreds of women to make each flower creating a new industry for them, and It was them who called me “Thai Cheu” I actually kept an apartment in a famous hotel, The Mandarin, that had the room of a famous author who wrote many book on the creation of the American West. ( trying to remember his name and will eventually). I always spent a lot of time at the shore in southern Thailand with both my sons coming at different times. the property belong to a family of the woman who ran my office in Thailand called “Methta”. at the same time, I found a manufacturer who was using wood that only came from the jungles of Thailand and began making cutting boards made of it, and it was that time I was asked by the US CIA to help them find one of their undercover agents, called Jim Thompson. He was a very successful man who had developed many industries there and the people loved him as he was very famous throughout Thailand. They said because of my being known all over asia as and America business man no one would suspect me while actually looking for him. So, it was a new adventure for me as I planned a trip with all my flower crew to go into the Malaysian jungle where he had been last seen, to search. We did for 1 week on two different occasions, with me wearing my regular business suit to keep me in costume of my regular wear. The temperature there was sometimes 130 degree Fahrenheit. Didn’t even loosen my tie. Well, he was nowhere to be found, so out I came and reported it to the two CIA men who had first approached me. Realizing it was a dead end for their plans, as the Vietnam war was going strong and we were losing ground there, they then met with me again and asked me to join them as a Cia “Undercover agent! WOW! well, I knew what the only answer could be “Sorry,  but I Can’t risk my business and all my customers to do it so, “Thanks, but no thanks”. Sal Bianco Jr “THE UNDERCOVER AGENT FOR THE CIA??? What next? how about “The White Knight” it was my name in Seoul, Korea and China? So, I formed a company called “The White Knight L.L.C.

What were the best sounds you heard in your lifetime

Well, the very best sound I heard most of my young life was that of my mother, calling me for some reason or kiddingly yelling at me for being naughty(Bad). it stayed as my favorite till she died at 97 in 2002. As for the sound of Music, it was strictly “JAZZ” ( Hey! Maybe I can use that “Sound of Music” to maybe make a movie) Or was it done before??? I learned that music was great to dance to, so it became my best sound growing up from when I was 13 as then my 2 older sisters used me as a dance partner while they learned how to dance new dance steps that were just coming into being. From then on music had been one of my best sounds, making me want to ask a girl, any girl “Lets Dance”! Hey! Maybe I could write a great song with that title! nnnnah It’s too Boyee-ish !!! next next sounds that came into my life was the crying of babies… my 2 little sons wanting something or other but why would I like the sound of crying you might ask? Well it meant I had two sons, two sons that I could teach to be better than me in life, as I taught them all that I knew and have used in my life, which was fun for me in doing. Their crying stopped early as they saw how great it was in just “DOING”! Now 60 some odd years later they now “Watch over me”. Dag-nab-it!!! Again another song title I could have made a fortune writing, but I made it another way and it was the “sound” of laughter from thousand of Philippinoes I gave to opportunity to use their hands to make things I designed, and then for them to make money they never had before. They would call to me all together as I passed: Here comes “THE ONE AND ONLY” which became another sound I loved, as it was said in Philippino, which already has a melody as its spoken! Another time 20 years later when I was retired and made my own motorhome on a 1990 Peterbilt tractor, I was traveling south through West Virginia on I46 and didn’t realize I had a serious oil leak from a pipe I and my brother had installed. Well, The engine ran out of oil and began to lock and did, destroying the engine, and as I rolled to a stop I wound up exactly on milemarker 232. Claire saw it and remarked “Sal look 232”!!! My lucky number “32”, and I thought but sadly, not this time! So calling, AAA they said to call the local towing truck. When he arrived, he asked what was wrong and I proceeded to tell him I lost all my oil and the engine froze. Well, he turned to me and said I can take you to a Peterbilt about 25 North of here, or , I can take you to my farm and I’ll rebuild the engine for you. At Peterbilt it may take a month or more to rebuild, but I promise I can do it in two weeks at half the price. Looking at him, I said to myself I like how honest he is and well, to him: Ok! Take me home. He did so, and we became instant friends. I told Claire that I would drive her to her daughters, and come back here to help in anyway I could. So, I drove her home and came back to be part of the engine rebuild. Hey! Where are you going with this as there actually no sound that could be my favorite here in fact the beautiful sound of my engine running no longer exists! so, living in my Motorhome for two weeks was going to be my new life, and no sound to boot. Wrong! very wrong!! On the second night there, Larry asked if I would like to go with him to his friends barn. Me, being a New Yorker, didn’t know about barns, so I said Ok, thinking I was going to do some work in a barn. Well, we arrived and from out side I heard music and thought some family was listening to the radio or TV. well, Larry opened the door for us to enter and a blast of sound came out, no, not sound but the  most exciting music, not like anything I every heard. Entering, I was like a boy hearing music for the first time. Music that made you want to dance, but nothing like a dance I was used to, fast, faster than a jitter-bug, one that made you want to stamp your feet and fly around the room! Looking at these different kind guitars, but not guitars exactly cause they had a different sound, a twangy sound! I’ve heard the sound before but not be in the same room, no not room but a big area with a smell of horse manure and hay. Wow! I yelled to Larry as I was listening Wow! Again I was shocked also by the people playing the music and the sounds the music made. Why they were farmers, in farmers cloths, just having a great time together playing the music of their fathers. I naturally had to ask: Larry how can they do this and not be great on TV? He said: “They are farmers and this has been their TV all their lives! There was one sound that stood out and I again asked Larry “What is making that twangy sound?” He replied: “Why that’s the Banjo! Wow, I said I love it, and want to learn to play one. Well. the night went on and I learned to dance a different kind of dance. What a thing for me to learn to play, and so I went out and bought a Banjo. This was 20 years ago and I have a beautiful one, but still can’t play it! But I did hear another sound and it was when I yelled “WOW- It’s the “Sound Of “Banjo-V” ! ah! Come on I must be the first to use this title???

How the different location on where we lived affected my life!

On every day I lived in my life, I was affected by where i lived at the time. To begin with, I and my family lived in lower Manhattan on Mulberry Street, an Italian American Community. Because of where we lived, I and all who lived there were protected by each other. older people treated the young as though they are family, so although it stopped a lot of fun for kids, but also, we felt safe by it. Even the police realized to stay off the street and there was no crime because of the local men who enforced peace and calm organized by their social clubs each located on each cross street. so, my growing up there was wonderful and safe in a city that was not safe. So it actually was a place within a place, that can have a positive effect on life.

When I was 10, in 1942, we then moved to the Bronx and rented the first floor of a two family private home on 205th street. The street had mostly privates homes on it but at each end were a 10 story apartment buildings. So now my life went into a different faze, as we were new and had to fit in. I and my brother were finally in our own bedroom and our sisters had there bedroom, but now i had to prove that i was not to be hassled by the boys my age on the street. New boys on the block had to learn to fit in, so it was a question for me to prove it. At the time I never met any boy who was left handed like myself, so i was never noticed of being different. It was natural that there would be confrontations with boys thinking a small little boy would be a pushover. So, one by one i had to prove just who I was and i never lost and boys around my age realized that i was not to be pushed around, and once I was accepted, everything became great for both my brother and myself. it became fun living there and now my friends and began a “Victory Garden” in an empty field on the street below us called 204th St. because the second World War was going strong and the garden planted with vegetable of all sorts. i was gear to do and made us closer together at a time when there was nothing else to do. TV was only available to the very rich! All my friends went to public school, but our mom insisted we go to the local Catholic school, and because we did, i began to have another set of friends and other interests. so now my interests hold a lot more religion and my faith became very strong. this created a new how I received a new name, I was called by my friends on 205th St. “The Saint”! So here again where I lived had a very large influence on my life, and the direction of where my life and desires was going. Didn’t like girls because they were always taking my friends away to do stupid things, at least that’s what I thought. i knew that i liked leading and like finding new things to do and as I got older I knew i Wanted to do things, and the next place we moved was where i learned to do everything I wanted to do and try.
In 1947 we moved again, but this time into our own home. It was further north and west near 138th St. in the Bronx, near the city of Mount Vernon in Westchester County. The house was heaven to live in with a big back yard and a garden that I helped my mother to make, and a young Tulip tree at the edge of the little grass we had. My Mom grew up on a small farm in Yatesville, Pennsylvania and knew all that was needed to make a beautiful garden, and at the same time she taught me all that she knew and as I was to learn, I was going to do things for her to make our home even beautiful again, almost like new, as it needed a lot of work on the outside. So to work onto the roof to put new shingles where they were needed. Then my Mother said we need to replace all the outside walls with a new product just invented. they were asbestos Board with one side smooth black and the other that would show, red brick design that actually looked like a finished brick house. later on in my life I would a similar thing to a very old house, but it’s another story i’ll eventually get to as it’s about me and my boys. Well let’s get back to what my Mom wanted next: Junior: We need to call Ludovigo and have him build a garage and you can learn how be his helper as I used to be laying bricks. Ludovigo was a man who loved my mother and actually wanted to marry her, but was refused as my mom thought of him as a brother. My mom hadn’t met the man of her dreams yet, My father, here again is a story in it’s self and I wrote a while ago look for it! so Ludovigo came and we began. first My job was to clear the back property line of all bushed and fencing. we then began laying concrete blocks until a wall was created and it became the back wall of the garage. but as it was being built we added blocks that would form the side walls. then we finished the side walls . we then stopped to put a roof on top to protect the floor we then made. it was going to be a three car garage and used for big parties. Well, the next portion was to put a front of solid bricks and then a door to finish it. hen it came to put a top around on the roof of the garage, Ludovigo said he would use a new product he designed. When my Mom saw it, she said we needed to have a large patio added onto the back of the house with a porch with steps leading from the kitchen to the patio. Well, we did it and Ludovico’s new patio tiles of 18”x 18’ was used to finish it. wow ! what a great house now, one to be proud of, and it was, cause I would have all my friends from 205th St and others to come every weekend to work on our cars, with my father bar-b-queuing great meat along with my mothers pasta, and cakes. Later when my oldest sister, Elizabeth, was going to get married to Domenici Guerrerio, we used that Garage to hold her engagement party. The family from all over was there and I’ll find the pictures to go with it. At that time I was 17 and working as a carpenter with two friends of Ludovico’s living in the Bronx. We were building new homes in Harrison, New York, and I loved it, making real money and with it to buy a car from Dominick’s brother “CherryNose”, or Cherraaze in Broken Italian.

Top of the world….Ma!

Today I finally was able to complete a task I’ve been trying to accomplish for weeks now. Every day Bella and I cover pretty much 2 to 3 miles after walking throughout our complex. She always pulls me along to a new adventure she has smelled! But there is one place I make sure we stop at, and it’s on the grass in a field where a small tree stump has been cut. It has a height of 10” and is 8”round with a flat top where it was cut by a saw. Each day I would try to put one foot on top of it and try to squeeze the other as well, but I no longer have the balance of the stud I once was! But like “JOHN PAUL JONES ”, I won’t give up the ship!!! But each time I try this feat, I lose my balance and after 3 or 4 attempts, with Bella barking, saying Come-on, I have a lot of smelling to do yet!!! So, I continue our walk. But today as I reached the area, I said “today is the day”… First, the first foot, then squeezing the second next to it, I stood up straight, with a lot of swaying, but less and less and there I stood and then I yelled:: “ON TOP OF THE WORLD… MA!!!” and from everyday thereafter I would end with yelling:

                                  “TOP OF THE WORLD …. MA!”

Wow! Wow!!I can’t believe it!

Today I awoke to my phone buzzing as I’m in Fresno California, 3 hours early than you all! But when I looked at my phone, there were 572 replies on Nextdoor to my story of “Top of the world… Ma! I was so thrilled to have so many people reacting to it! “WOW” what more could anyone ask for! Thank you all for your wonderful replies!!! I’ve writing my life adventures here but what this morning was the same thrill I used to get years ago!

Someone I’ll never forget when I was young and 20+

When I was young and 20, around 1955, I was in Macy’s Jewelry department on 34th St. in Manhattan, NY, looking for an engagement ring. I was waiting for the salesman to bring me a black velvet covered board with 6 beautiful engagement rings that were fitted into slots to hold them firmly in place.. As I waited, from the corner of my eye I noticed that a woman came and stood alongside me, also waiting for the salesman to help her with something she was holding in her hand. When he came back, he told her that he would be with her shortly and began telling me about each ring pointing to it saying what each cost and the size of it in carats. As he did so, I picked each one up and looked at it like I knew what I was doing, but actually I didn’t have a clue. The woman alongside me saw my indecision and said to me… “Don’t look at the ring because of price or carat size, but look at each and decide which one you like best, and the one you would be proud to give.” I turned and looked at her and realized she was someone I recognized as special. She was Angela Lansbury and as pleasant as could be, so I smiled a big smile and thanked her and I did as she suggested, and bought a one carat perfect gem. It was much more than I could afford, but it was the one I really liked, and handed it back to the salesman. He then said he now needed the size that would fit my girlfriend. I again looked shocked as I had no idea what it was. Again, Angela Lansbury smiled at me and said “Just buy the ring, and give it to her, then afterwards you both can come down here and get it sized properly”. Wow, she was so smart and very beautiful, even more than in the Movies. I thanked her with a big smile and she smiled and turned her attention to the salesman. It was 20 years later that I visited that Department to buy a 3 carat ring to give to my wife who was now a very different person than the one I loved at first, but that’s another story for another time. What triggered this story for me was for a mili-second, I saw Angela Lansbury on TV as she is today, and it brought back my first meeting of her. Naturally I’ve seen her over the years, and should have contacted her to tell her I am no longer an innocent young man but very successful in my way of life, as she was in hers! But she has always been part of my memories as special.