Ghost, I managed a sales office in the Cleveland, Ohio, area for Mickey. Mickey worked with police unions across the country. He got into the business through Roy Radin. If you want to read a hair raising tale read the book about Radin's murder, Bad Company: Drugs, Hollywood and the Cotton Club Murder. Following Radin's murder Mickey settled down in Cleveland because his relationship with the police here was pretty strong. I think Radin's murder spooked him.

Mickey was a good friend and I spent a lot of time talking with him. And I mean, for anybody who has heard stories about Judy's husbands, that we were friends. Trust me, I always had girlfreinds. He owned The Frankin Castle in Cleveland when I met him. That's the most notoriously haunted house in the State. And, yes, it is haunted. Mickey and I would talk about everything. He told me about how stilted Judy's old contracts were with MGM, how he met her at Arthur, how she would play the star and pick up the tab for an entire table of people in Europe and then be penniless the next day. He told me about finding her the morning of her death. But the coolest thing he told me about Judy is how he played Over the Rainbow for her in concert. He would be seated at the piano and begin playing the most somber rendition of the song that you would ever hear. And while he played there was a huge silk screened wall hanging of Judy over the piano. It was a bit surreal.

Mickey was eccentric, level headed, gruff, humorous, stingy, generous --- I think he must have been the fellow Kris Kristoferson was writing about when he wrote in a song about a "walking contradiction." He could easily intimidate you until you had his number. When you did have his number you could give him just as good as he gave and he respected that. Discovering that about him made running his business much easier.

Meanwhile, I think you've missed a couple of good Idol shows. You may want to watch it next week.