Delaware County District Library

Dinner with Dimaggio, memories of an American hero, Dr. Rock Positano and John Positano ; with a foreword by Francis Ford Coppola and an introduction by Fay T. Vincent

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Dinner with Dimaggio

952648284

Dr. Rock Positano and John Positano ; with a foreword by Francis Ford Coppola and an introduction by Fay T. Vincent

memories of an American hero

The real Joe DiMaggio, remembered by one of the few who really knew the man behind the legend—candid and little-known stories about baseball icons from Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and his Yankees teammates on the field to Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and others off the field. As told by Dr. Rock Positano, DiMaggio’s closest confidante in New York during the final years of his life, Dinner with DiMaggio is an intimate portrait of one of America’s most enduring heroes. This memoir of a decade-long friendship reveals the very private DiMaggio as he really was—sometimes demanding, sometimes big-hearted, always impeccable, loyal, and a true stand-up guy—while serving up illuminating stories and rare insights about the people in his life, including his teammates, Muhammad Ali, Sandy Koufax, Woody Allen, and more. In 1990, Dr. Rock Positano, the thirty-two-year-old foot and ankle specialist, was introduced to DiMaggio, the pair brought together by a career-ending heel spur injury. Though Dr. Positano was forty years younger, an unlikely friendship developed after the doctor successfully treated the baseball champ’s heel. At the start, Joe mentored Rock but came to rely on his young friend to show him a good time in New York, the town that made him a legend. In time, the famously reserved DiMaggio opened up to Dr. Positano and talked about his joys, his disappointments, and his sorrows as he reflected on his extraordinary life. The stories and experiences shared with Dr. Positano comprise an intimate portrait of one of the great stars of baseball and icon of the twentieth century

Foreword by Francis Ford Coppola -- Introduction by Fay T. Vincent -- The Last American Hero -- An Unlikely Friendship -- Dinner with DiMaggio -- In the Melting Pot -- La Bella Figura -- A Stand-up Guy -- Take Me Out to the Ball Game -- A Legend on Legends -- Love Lost -- Fans in High Places -- It's Cold on the Tundra -- The Patron Saint of Kids -- Winding Down -- Swinging in Coney Island -- Last Dinner with DiMaggio -- Afterword -- A Simple Memorial for an Unpretentious Man

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