An Open Letter to the Forum - Re: Bruce Dorskin (suspended)

[Rich Klein]

And now that you mention it; I recall the fight but geez I can't remember who fought. Part of me wants to say Tony Galovich was involved but that can't be right;

I've seen a couple of classic fights/arguments at shows that I *DO* Recall the participants

1) Lou Avon and Mike Bertolini getting into an argument about who knows what at some NY City show. I swear that I learned new cuss words from listening to the two of them go at it. Best argument WITHOUT fisticuffs I ever saw

2) The Eskel Family and the Festberg Family getting into it at a Paul Gallagher show. There was a lot of rivalry with those two groups and about 1980-81 the rivalry finally escalated into a brawl.
Sago brought up a nice memory about young Mr. Eskel; who passed on way to young. He built that great collection despite, IIRC a very bad heart condition which ended his life before he turned 25.


3) The Shameus family versuw the Siegal (sic) family at a Parsipanny Show circa 1993. I was not there; but I heard that was a real doozy

4) Two autograph "plaque" guys going at each other before a show on a Snowy day in New Jersey at New Brunswick, NJ. I drove down in the snow; the show turned out to be real good AND the fight was incredible. I was trying to hold back one of the participants and he spun three ways and went back for me. The last really good fight I've seen at a hobby show

Interestingly; almost all of these fights were during set-up time

[Rich Klein]

Wanda actually did a pretty good job with the 86 National.

Yes the Mantle autographs did not go perfectly; and the Texas heat was bad. Wanda probably could have done a better job of looking concerned but I think she never realized what her facial expression conveyed to someone else. I know from all the time I spent with her children at those shows; and at other Dallas area shows over the years; that those two are among the nicest people I ever met at DFW shows. And you don't raise two people that well by accident (Pam and Randy)

In her defence (spelling just for Barry); she bailed ME out when she messed up with the Rangers tickets I had ordered. She realized the problem and gave me HER four tickets to the Rangers game so I could enjoy going. Of course, if I had known I would be spending 20+ years in Texas, I would have settled for a cold drink and a bar instead of sweating profusely that night at the game.

I swore watching that game in the Texas sun; that there was NOT a frigging way in the world I would ever move to that god forsaken state. Well, by 1990, so much for that

Rich

[nyyanksghr]

Rich- You are right, Wanda Marcus was an excellent show promoter and did a lot of good for Texas and the DFW card market. When I mentioned the "I don't give a shit" look on her face, it was as if she'd seen these fights dozens of times. That's what struck me, in my words as a 13 yr old, as "awesome". The bloody fist fight didn't remotely faze her. That game you mention, I remember it clearly. The Orioles were in town playing the Rangers. My first pro baseball game. Barry Halper was at the show with his briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. Alan Rosen paid me full book value, 50 or 60 bucks, for my Jackie Robinson rookie. I couldn't figure out why a dealer paid me full book value for a card. I figured it out quickly when PSA graded cards hit the market a few years later!

[sago]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

And now that you mention it; I recall the fight but geez I can't remember who fought. Part of me wants to say Tony Galovich was involved but that can't be right;

I've seen a couple of classic fights/arguments at shows that I *DO* Recall the participants

1) Lou Avon and Mike Bertolini getting into an argument about who knows what at some NY City show. I swear that I learned new cuss words from listening to the two of them go at it. Best argument WITHOUT fisticuffs I ever saw

2) The Eskin Family and the Festberg Family getting into it at a Paul Gallagher show. There was a lot of rivalry with those two groups and about 1980-81 the rivalry finally mscalated into a'brawl.

3) The Shameus family versuw the Siegal (sic) family at a Parsipanny Show circa 1993. I was not there; but I heard that was a real doozy

4) Two autograph "plaque" guys going at each other before a show on a Snowy day in New Jersey at New Brunswick, NJ. I drove down in the snow; the show turned out to be real good AND the fight was incredible. I was trying to hold back one of the participants and he spun three ways and went back for me. The last really good fight I've seen at a hobby show

Interestingly; almost all of these fights were during set-up time

Rich,
I think it was Eskel and not Eskin. Robert Eskel was a quite the collector at the time, and IIRC, he passed away at a young age.

As far as Lou and Bertolini, that would have been closer to a sumo match, than a fight.

In 1981 or so my brothers and I set up at a show at Queens College. Brooks Robinson was the guest.

We made a trade with another dealer who took advantage of our naivete and ripped us off. My father, who was with us, demanded that the trade be undone. When the other guy said no, my father flipped over the guys table, and was ready to send him to the floor as well. The trade was undone shortly after.