After the army stint I worked at the missile test center in Florida for two years. Surprisingly , the USA didn't get a satellite in space  until I left to  the missile facility . I left to travel with the Jerry Cozzi trio which was fired two weeks after leaving my day job. Although  I got more schooling , this time in electronics , I stayed with music and  played as a resort player in the Catskills , and in the slow time of the winter I would often be a cruise ship musician. I would usually  go out  for three or four months at a time with Carnival. I have also been a guest musician for Hawaiian - American cruise line ( on both the Independence and Constitution ) and the Delta steamship company on  the Mississippi (on both the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen ).  There was a brief stint with Norwegian Cruise line. I played some of the above as a musician for the Sammy Kaye Orchestra (1994-2002).

The Catskills (both the Jewish and Italian alps) allowed me to be in concert with entertainers like Jerry Vale, Sergio Franchi, Al  Martino,  Enzo Stuardi, Eddie Fisher, and play on and off or with comics as Milton Berle and Jackie Mason, Dick Shawn, Charlie Callas, Sal Richards, Alto and Mantia, etc. 

Highlights of the above was playing 6 shows behind Ms. Anna Marie Allbeghetti and being an onstage trio member for a month of  theater with  Ms Melissa Manchester. Also, I  worked with conductors Glenn Osser and Ms. Pearl Kaufman of Northridge Music; both were wonderful.

Another highlight was forming a music arranging service with arranger, Mr. George Siravo . He was nominated for a Grammy for the Tony Bennett album,"Who Can I Turn To." The company was not a financial success but the learning situation with Mr. Siravo was very exciting and  unforgettable .

Kudos go to musicians that give of there time to perpetuate live music in a world that seems to have turned its back on same . Praise also for the politicians that didn't allow the military to reduce the size of  the wonderful military bands such as exist at West Point MA. The cost of one  jet engine is more than the cost of maintaing the entire wonderful West Point music program.

Pet peeves: greed in medicine, lyrics for messages songs that aren't  enunciated well enough to present the message, lack of interest in old tap and jazz dancing, lack of lovely bands to play in when one graduates from high school and wants to "go on ," heartless political actions and wars, jazz players that never studied the music of the dixieland  pioneers, decline of small farms and the altering of food products with  the addition of plastics and such  --- AND, oh yes , lack of world peace

Regrets: I always wanted to play for Sinatra , T. Bennett, or  Rosemary Clooney.  I also wish I had studied piano as a youth, and that I would  have had private lessons as a young man.