I was reading the Times this morning and came across an article for promoting a second annual meeting of straight survivors - I had no idea there was a first, or that there was this type of forum. I was one of the original straight members, I think my number was 70- something, I was incarcerated there when they were based in the old train station off of 40th street south and 8th avenue, shortly thereafter they moved to a huge warehouse off of park street. I hadn't thought about that place or those people for many years now but I'll try to remember as I go. I recall some pip squeak little nazi guard whose name I believe was mike, maybe his last name was shanahan - what a little punk he was, love to be locked in a closet with him for a few minutes, he was connected somehow to a butch type girl named diane who may have been his wife and was equally evil. I've forgotten the term for them now, but the person to whose home I went at night was named Art Groff, never forget that guy either, but not for the same reasons he was pretty cool and just trying to go along and get along - survive - same as me. Let's see, some of the inmates at that time were: Perry Rodocker and his older brother, Brain, who was a friend from school and was imprisoned there shortly after me; Lamar who I knew from being a classmate at Northeast High, when I was incarcerated there I learned then why he would never speak to me at school; Wade something or other; Something - might have been Jeff - Rahall, his father owned Channel 10 and a bunch of other stuff, very rich folks, I was assigned for a short while at his mothers hours, she was divorced from the father at the time but still lived in a real palace, great food there too and she was very kind. I'm sure if I sat in a room with a bunch of those guys, or spoke to them their names and face would come flooding back into my memory but on this short notice that's about all I can remember right now. Oh well thanks for letting me spew a bit, I've kept these nightmares hidden for so long that it is good to get them out.
