Love Survives 3 Continents

I was borne in Europe, Budapest, Hungary in June 23,1924. I hadtwo older sisters. My Father died when I was 6 years old. When Iwas 10, I started to learn classical piano, unti l I heard on radio fromAmerica the Brigands. Without my Mother knowing I started to learn jazz piano. My oldestsister paid for my weekly lessons. At 16 in High school I formed asmall orchestra. When I was 18, on Lake Balaton in Hungary I meta lively girl named Erika, building castles in the sand. We both fellin love. Aft er three years or dati ng and telephoning when Hungary was overtaken bythe Germans and being a Jewish, I was taken to a forced labor camp. Aft er six months, Ifound a way to escape from the 300 Jews being taken to German concentrati on camps. When I tore off the yellow arm band identi fying I am a Jew, and got home to ourapartment, I was told that our whole family with me included was allowed to move intoa building protected by the Swedish fl ag. Raul Wallenberg from the Swedish Consulatearranged all this for a few hundred people. When the war was over, I promised Erika aft er I found her hiding on the hills of Buda, ina non Jewish building I told her that I will try to escape from the now occupied RussianHungary, and go to America and will send for her. Aft er fi nding a clever way to cross theborder to Germany, the American Consulate sent me to Munich and fortunately founda piano-bar at the American Red Cross where they hired me to play Piano. An Americanoffi cer decided to help me and arranged I will not have to wait 3 years for my quota toemigrate to USA. When arrived by ship to New York City in Jan. 1946, I was only given a studio apartmenton Broadway but I needed to fi nd a job fast so I could earn money to eat. Got a job atBickfords Restaurant near 42 second street washing dishes from midnight to eight ambut I was in seventh heaven cause I could go to the movies on Broadway, and see allthe Big bands playing before the movies were shown. I usually stayed 2 or 3 ti mes andlearned English that way. Later I got a job as a fur salesman, and aft er 3 years in New Yorkwhen I was 30 years old got a job in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a piano vocalist and fromthen on I entertained all over the US major citi es piano-bars. Had my own 1V show inKGUL Houston, Texas, later 3 years in Las Vegas at the Dunes hotel. In 1971, I married a lady who died with a heart att ack in 1975. When I was 52 years old I wanted to write to my litt le Erika and when I found out, Iwrote her a lett er to Melbourne Australia, gave her my phone number and address inHollywood, she did call me a week later. The rest of my happy life really started fromthen on.