The comfort and ease with which my guest, Bill 'Breeze' Frascino shares endearing stories of his mother is remarkable. His candor is palpable and brings a smile to my face. Maryann loved to laugh and her laughter was contagious.
When Breeze got teased at school because he didn't look Italian enough, his mother would say, "Next time tell them you're 'FBI'-Full Blooded Italian! Maryann or mom as Breeze referred to her, used humor regularly to handle all kinds of situations, including difficult coworkers and clients where she was an executive secretary for 40 years.
When Maryann was younger, she wanted to be Carol Burnett. Always a positive attitude, she advised her son to 'smell the roses, laugh a lot and don't take things too seriously. But more importantly, she wanted her son to be a man of honor.
Maryann also loved to hang out with young people. She felt that they keep you young.
As per his mother's recommendation, she insisted 'Billy' write thank you notes to those he encountered, whether business, friend or family, who helped him out. To this day, he's still writing thank you notes. He attributes his decades of success in broadcast advertising in part to his mom's recommendations and advice. And yes, Bill sent me a note thanking me for the opportunity to share stories of his mother.
After 30+ years, it was great to catch my former coworker from WPLT FM, Plattsburgh, NY.