Monday, December 25, 2017

Idylease: Christmas 2017



Season’s Greetings from Idylease: A Historic Landmark in Newfoundland, NJ. Hoping your holiday season is filled with joy and laughter through the New Year. >>Watch Video

Animation in Adobe After Effects by Richard Zampella at Idylease

Visit us on the Web: http://www.idylease.org

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Transatlantic Crossing on The Queen Mary 2



Richard Zampella on-board Cunard's QM2 Legendary Transatlantic Crossing from NY to Southampton -- October 20-27, 2017 -- The pinnacle of civility in travel.

The RMS Queen Mary 2 (also referred to as the QM2) is a transatlantic ocean liner. She is the largest and only major ocean liner built for the British Cunard Line since Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969, the vessel succeeded the QE2 as flagship of the Cunard Line.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Richard Zampella Produces Best of Long Island Internet Teasers





Richard Zampella, Managing Partner of Transmultimedia Produces Best of Long Island Internet Teaser for Broward Limos on Long Island. Broward Limo has Been Nominated as The Best Limousine Service, Party Bus and Wedding Transport on LI for 2018. Zampella has designed website for Broward since 2011 and is proud of his association with the Long Island based Limousine
Company. Richard Zampella at Transmultimedia was also nominated as the Best Web Service on Long Island for 2018.

About The Best of Long Island Program

Identifying top quality among the countless restaurants, shops and family run businesses on Long Island is no small endeavor. But for the last decade, with your support, the Bethpage Federal Credit Union, we has sponsored the largest business awards program in the history of Long Island. The Bethpage Best of LI contest is a roadmap to the best, top-notch businesses and services throughout both Nassau and Suffolk counties, as chosen by the residents and patrons who rely on them. 

About Broward

Broward Limousine is the premier luxury ground transportation provider on Long Island providing transportation services throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. They have been in business since 1985,  having grown from a family business into a top notch, luxury transportation operation serving customers across the nation.

About Transmultimedia

Richard Zampella is the founder and Managing Partner of Transmultimedia, Inc., and is responsible for the management and business development of the company. Richard works directly with clients to identify, implement, anticipate and deliver technical solutions that maximize client's bottom lines. Richard is a Preservationist that has over 20 years of experience in technology, entertainment, licensing & marketing related fields.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Skipperdee's Defends Best Ice Cream Title in 2018 and Adds 3 Additional Nominations for The Best of Long Island

Richard Zampella
Skipperdee's In Point Lookout, NY Receives Four 2018 Nominations for The Best of Long Island

Skipperdee’s Ice Cream Shop located in Point Lookout, NY, announces its s nominations for the 13th Annual Bethpage Federal Credit Union Best of Long Island Contest. Skipperdee’s was awarded the title of Best Ice Cream on Long Island in 2017. Skipperdee’s is nominated in three additional categories for 2018 as Best Ice Cream, Best Bakery, Best Candy Store and Best Lunch Deal on Long Island for it’s afternoon tea service. Skipperdee’s invites the support of our guests, business partners and friends to vote for in the four food categories at https://bestof.longislandpress.com/voting/ 

The Best of Long Island annual contest has grown into the largest business awards program in the history of Long Island by identifying the best hospitality in the area. Each year, residents and patrons choose their favorites by voting in stages. Last year, 58,499 nominations were made and 780,243 votes were cast.

Skipperdee’s is pleased to have advanced to the contest’s final stage for 2018 by receiving enough votes to be chosen as a finalist in four of the the food services category. Best Ice Cream, Best Bakery, Best Candy Store and Best Lunch Deal.

The official voting period runs October 1st through December 15th, with voters allowed to cast a ballot once every day.

We are humbled to have been voted Best Ice Cream on Long Island in 2017 and thrilled to have been nominated in three addition categories for 2018,” said proprietor Richard Zampella, “We work hard to earn the confidence of our guests and provide gracious hospitality in a atmosphere that celebrates family fun, and to have been selected by those we serve is extremely gratifying.”

Long Islanders value the annual Bethpage Best of Long Island competition and the importance of a business being named The Best on the island!

About Skipperdee’s

What do you get when you cross an ice cream shop with a bakery, confectionary, coffee house, and toy store? You get Skipperdee's a celebration of all things sweet and fun. Drop in for a scoop of ice cream in flavors like sweet and salty pretzel or carrot cake, or warm up with an espresso, cappuccino, or other specialty drink. Or stop by for afternoon tea, which takes place each weekday afternoon, where they serve hot cups of tea alongside finger-sandwiches and desserts. Bakers work tirelessly to whip up cupcakes and other baked goods like macarons, while classic candies like Goobers and Chuckles await to delight kids young and old. Visit our Website at: Skipperdee's

Friday, September 22, 2017

Idylease: So the Legend Goes...


Video promo for a "Walking Tour of Idylease" on September 24, 2017 Sponsored by the Greenpond History Association and Hosted by Richard Zampella who is the Owner & Operator of Idylease.

For ticketing information visit: www.idylease.org

Monday, September 4, 2017

Room Restoration at Idylease

Richard Zampella
Room Restoration Completed in August 2017 by Richard Zampella, Owner & Operator of Idylease
Richard Zampella
1906 Walnut & Mahogany Dresser Restoration from the Workshop at Idylease
For over 35 years Richard Zampella has envisioned an opportunity to celebrate the history and future of Idylease where he grew up on in Newfoundland, NJ. Consistent with the wishes of his late father, Dr. Arthur Zampella, the property along with it’s historic structure is finally under the stewardship of his son.  Majestically standing on Union Valley Road since the day she opened her doors to the public in 1903, Idylease remains one of Newfoundland's most beautiful and impressive structures.

Living at Idylease offers old world charm harking back to the popular resort hotel era that took place at the turn of the century in the Highland Region of New Jersey. Each room at Idylease is being meticulously restored to reflect the time when Idylease first greeted guests on New Years Day in 1903. Rooms are furnished with period decor and recall a time that celebrates the tradition of gracious hotel living.

For more information about Historic Preservation and Idylease Visit us on the Web at:


Friday, September 1, 2017

A Walking Tour of Idylease on September 24, 2017



Join us on Sunday September 24th at 1:00, for a walking tour of Idylease. The Greenpond History Association invites you to a gathering at the Historic Landmark located at 124 Union Valley Road in Newfoundland, NJ. The tour will be hosted by Richard Zampella who is the current owner & operator of Idylease. The tour will  highlight the role Idylease played in the early history of tourism in Newfoundland.

Construction of the Historic Landmark began in the summer of 1902 and took 8 months to complete. On New Year’s Day in 1903 Idylease opened her doors to the public, advertising the facility as a “Modern Heath Resort.” It had been the dream of owner, Dr. Edgar Day to construct a country escape where cheerful hospitality reigned for persons “wearied or worn with the ceaseless turmoil of the city.”

Dr Edgar Day Portrait
Edgar Day was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but was no stranger to the area. His family owned a summer house on Dunkers Pond off Paradise Road for many years. As a young man Edgar spent his summers exploring the Newfoundland area. It no doubt made an impression on him, even after the family sold the summer home to the North Jersey Water Company that was acquiring land to build the water system for the City of Newark, NJ.

A graduate of the Long Island School of Medicine, Dr. Day choose to return to Newfoundland, as the spot to build his facility. He purchased 112 acres from the family that owned & operated Brown’s Hotel. At the turn of the 20th century. The Brown family owned a parcel of land in Newfoundland that exceeded 1,000 acres. There he set about the task of constructing an Inn that would maintain the most modern mechanical & sanitary systems that could be devised for the time.

Dr. Day was a proponent of “Nature Cures” whereby regular diet, scientifically administered baths, massage and exercise could cure a myriad of ailments. Dr. Day would employ a staff of Norwegian-trained massage therapists, and maintain facilities for the “most approved scientific apparatus for administering baths, sprays, and douches.” Potential guests, in the accepted social order of the day, were reassured by the policy boldly stated on the first page of the brochure: “Hebrew Patronage Not Solicited.” Idylease’s prohibition of tubercular cases reflected modern understanding of tuberculosis as a transmissible infection caused by bacteria.

Tragically, Dr Edgar Day would only live 4 years after the completion of Idylease, but his nephew George would continue on as the General Manager of the hotel until his retirement in 1920. Dr. Daniel Drake who had been the resident physician at Idylease after Days death, would go on to purchase the property from the Estate of Dr. Edgar Day. Also practicing medicine at Idylease was Dr.  Leo B. Drake, Daniels brother who was a 1917 graduate of the Harvard School of Medicine.

The Inn would flourish for several decades until the advent of the automobile would render the area obsolete as a tourist destination. The railroad, which had maintained a schedule of 13 station stops per day to Newfoundland, was facing an uncertain future. No longer tied the rails as the sole means of transportation, travelers could now drive to more distant locales such as the Adirondacks or the Poconos. At the peak of the tourism industry in Newfoundland, there where a dozen or so hotel that catered to the tourists that had flocked to the area. Most notable was; Brown’s Hotel, The Green Pond Hotel, and the Hotel Belair.

Dr. Drake saw the necessity in to keep the Inn functioning and in the mid 1930s, he concentrated to the needs of those suffering from Tuberculosis. It is ironic that after Idylease had prohibited tubercular cases for many years, it would cater exclusively to the disease. This change was a result of the failing tourism industry. The Inn would go on to be listed as one of several prominent Tubercular Sanitoriums on the East Coast. With the development of the TB vaccine, Dr Drake set about to treat those that had already been infected prior the vaccine. Slowly the patient base began to dissipate and Idylease would fall on hard times. Dr. Drake would shutter Idylease in 1943 an he passed away in 1951. Idylease would sit vacant for a period of ten years with the windows boarded up and its plumbing shattered.

Dr Arthur Zampella Portrait
Dr Arthur Zampella had graduated from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1943. He had always had an interest in geriatric care and the elderly. It was his wish to find a facility where he could practice medicine and serve the needs of an aging population. As a lifelong scholar, Zampella’s interest in this area were reflected in his authorship of many published medical articles, chapters and books on various aspects of aging, care of the elderly, as well as ethical, socio-economic and philosophic discussion in these fields. In a article entitled, “Sampling of the Attitudes of the Aged,” Zampella explored the dilemma of the aging process whereby the elderly are characteristically striped of their social identities after being admitted to a nursing homes. He felt that a sterile environment, devoid of a homelike atmosphere reduced life expectancy.

For many years he searched for a facility that would meet his vision and in 1954, he was introduced  to Idylease. Dr. Zampella purchased Idylease from the Estate of Dr. Daniel Drake and and converted Idylease into a Nursing Home. The renovated facility maintained a staff of 11 doctors and employed 65 people. Idylease Nursing home closed in 1972. Dr. Zampella operated Idylease as a congregate living facility until his death in 1992.

From 1992 to 2016 Idylease languished in uncertainty until the property was purchased by Richard Zampella, the son of Dr. Arthur Zampella. Since then, the estate has seen a resurgence with various restoration projects conducted on the structure.

http://idylease.org/idylease-blog/about-richard-zampella/

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Idylease Internet Teaser




Internet Teaser for Idylease: A Historic Landmark.
Created in After Effects by Richard Zampella who is the Owner & Operator of Idylease in Newfoundland, N.J.

Music:
He's the Last Word
Lyrics by Gus Kahn, music by Walter Donaldson
Performed by Broadway Bell-Hops

More info at: http://www.idylease.org/richard-zampella.html

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Idylease Internet Short



Watch this interent short film about the history of Idylease in Newfoundland, NJ.
Cinematography & Editing by Richard Zampella.
Shot at Idylease with:

Sony PXW‑X70 4K Camera
Dracast LED Light Panels
Chimera Softboxes

Edited with Adobe After Effects and Avid Media Composer
www.idylease.org/richard-zampella.html

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Richard Zampella Produces Internet Teaser for Broward Limo



Richard Zampella is the founder and Managing Partner of Transmultimedia, Inc., A NYC based creative services firm. He has designed and deployed over 400 websites in his career and specializes in website SEO and branding for small business nationally.

Richard Zampella has designed websites for Broward Limousine since 2011.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Blu-Ray Release of Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen





Richard Zampella at Transmultimedia announces the Blue-Ray release of Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen to coincide with the birthday of writer Ernest Hemingway. The two disc collectors set includes a unique 16 page fold-out Arts-in-Review booklet comprising articles, photographs and original newspaper reviews and advertisements of Ernest Hemingway’s novels and stories and Gary Cooper’s films. In addition, the box set includes a brand new audio commentary by director/writer John Mulholland and hours of never-before-seen interviews and footage.

The documentary is narrated by Sam Waterston with Len Cariou as the voice of Ernest Hemingway. It includes interviews with Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston,  Patricia Neal, George Plimpton, Robert Stack, and dozens more.

About Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen

In many ways it was the perfect match:  Ernest Hemingway, whose heroes on the page personified courage - "grace under pressure" - and Gary Cooper, the man who often portrayed those characters on screen. Yet, in other ways - politically, emotionally and personally - Hemingway and Cooper were a study in contradictions. The story of this extraordinary 20-year friendship is the focus of The True Gen.  Written/Directed by John Mulholland and Produced by Richard Zampella.

To order your limited edition 2 disc set visit: http://cooperhemingway.com/blu-ray/

Monday, July 3, 2017

Happy Fourth of July from Richard Zampella at Idylease


Richard Zampella at Idylease wishes you a happy and safe 4th of July this year as we celebrate our 125th anniversary as West Milford's First Historically Designated Landmark.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Lest We Forget: Ronald Reagan's Evil Empire Speech




The glory of this land has been its capacity for transcending the moral evils of our past. For example, the long struggle of minority citizens… for equal rights, once a source of disunity and civil war is now a point of pride for all Americans. We must never go back. There is no room for racism, anti-Semitism, or other forms of ethnic and racial hatred in this country. 

I know that you’ve been horrified, as have I, by the resurgence of some hate groups preaching bigotry and prejudice. The commandment given us is clear and simple: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” 


Ronald Reagan, 8 MARCH 1983


In 1988 I was an intelligence analyst serving in the United States Army. In my lifetime, Ronald Reagan was, and will forever be my definitive commander in chief. Ronald Reagan’s determination to destroy communism and the Soviet Union was a hallmark of his eight-year presidency. He stunned the Soviet Union with his tough stance, calling it an “evil empire” whose leaders gave themselves the “right to commit any crime.”

Yelena Bonner, the widow of Soviet dissident Nobel Prize winner Andrei Sakharov, praised Reagan for his tough course toward the Soviet Union. “I consider Ronald Reagan one of the greatest U.S. presidents since World War II because of his staunch resistance to Communism and his efforts to defend human rights,” Bonner said, “Reagan’s policy was consistent and precise, and he had a great talent of choosing the right people for his administration.” His phrase, ’evil empire,’ became a household word in Russia. Russians like a straight forward person, be he enemy or friend. They despise a wishy-washy person.

Throughout the 1950s, Ronald Reagan gave hundreds of speeches against Communism. His dramatic conversion from being an FDR Democrat to becoming a conservative Republican was rooted in his life-long convictions against Communism. Even during this early time, he showed keen foresight with the aim of containing Soviet aggression and global communism. Nothing about Russian or Communism has changed today as documented by well over 11 U.S. intelligence agencies. The Russian government engaged in a concerted effort to influence and undermine the results of our recent election.

If Ronald Reagan were alive today, he’d have good reason to go after Vice President Mike Pence for defamation of character. The vice president was one of several participants at a CPAC conference who claimed that President Donald Trump reminded them of Reagan. Trump is like Reagan in the same way that a card table is like a racehorse: They have the same number of legs, but after that the similarities are sparse.

The fact that Donald Trump even serves at the same capacity as Ronald Reagan is disdainful to me.

I post this 1983 excerpt from Reagan’s “Evil Empire Speech” for those that seem to have forgotten Ronald Reagan's unwavering position against Russia. Lest we forget.

Richard Zampella

Sunday, May 14, 2017

100 Years: Commemorating the Birth of Dr Arthur Zampella

From Negatives Found in a Box Left Behind: Like Fragments of Worthless China
The hands of time have turned a year once more, and I find myself marking the passing of time. Not at the start of another summer, but rather, at the anniversary of my father’s birth. May 15th, marks 100 years since Erminio and Filomenna Zampella welcomed Arthur Dante Louis Zampella into a world that he wanted to make a better place.

That fact he has been a focal point in my world in the decades since his absence is a testament to the profound impact that he had on my life. My dad is the one person in my upbringing that had absolutely faith in my abilities. At various milestones in our time together, he was always my ardent supporter who saw things effortlessly when I could not. He had ultimate faith in me, even when I expressed self doubt. Several days before he died, he shared with me that one day Idylease would be under my stewardship and all the dreams and aspirations I had for the property would become so. When things looked bleak in my endeavors to realize his wish, his words kept me moving forward to its rightful conclusion.

My father represents the legacy that has been drawn over my life. But while a legacy can carry tremendous responsibility, it can also be an unexpected safe harbor—think of a child from a story, who is heartened to find that the older hero-kid is the one who has snuck up behind, to protect him.

Whatever we know about the fate of the dead, it is the tradition of Christians to pray for them and to commemorate them at regular intervals.

I have even come to know my father deeper in his absence. It is not unusual for fate to place me in the path that some inexplicable force brings people to me that knew him at various times in his life. I would venture to say, he has willed certain things to be and I take full advantage of these opportunities. Knowing him thus has given me a way and a role of knowing him in a way that my siblings, did not.

For them, he is the soft-spoken, country doctor—walking slowly in his white bucks, sitting at the kitchen table at night opening mail and reading the Sunday Times. This is the comfortable version of what they chose to remember.

I remember this father, too, and in the 25 years I knew him, he provided an astute example of fathering that I have never lost the memory of or the significance of his gift of making the world a better place: The phone ringing in the dead of night, and my father dressed within minutes with his shirttail hanging out, ready to head out on a medical emergency. He would tell me to grab his bag. He never asked if I wanted to go with him, but rather it was unspoken and understood that I should accompany him.

Sometimes, we would find distraught family members that had been robbed of a loved one. I know that these calls bothered him deeply. Even at an early age, our conversations on the ride home were about the fragility of life.

I saw him in situations that my siblings never saw and for inexplicable reasons, they refuse to acknowledge this. Vivid memories of valiant efforts and fighting to save lives with a defibrillator and adrenaline needle injected directly into a patients un-beating heart. There were triumphs and there were disappointments. It was a metaphor for life and something he wanted me to understand.

My father would often make house calls: at nights, on weekends. When he died, I found drawers full of unpaid bills from dozens of patients, of all backgrounds and standing in life.

I hope that my siblings will tell their children these stories of their grandfather. Perhaps knowing him more fully, they do not have my desire, interest or self awareness to recall in such detail.

The Apostle Paul’s disappointment of bearing witness to the resurrected Christ he had never seen was such, that he spent the rest of his life inhabiting and reconstructing. I like to think my desire is akin to his; I collect details as though reassembling broken china.

If nothing else, I can be custodian of those shattered fragments.

Richard Zampella
Idylease
May 15, 2017


Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Why I Like Old Things

“Once a piece of history is destroyed, it is lost forever.”

Richard Zampella
Restored American Empire Dresser leaving my workshop at Idylease and resting in it's rightful place in the Historic Landmark located in Newfoundland, NJ

I like to surround myself with old thing. They have character. There’s something to be said for having a sense of history. Old music, old movies, old cars and old furniture to name a few. Old things are just more interesting

There is something special about old things. The incredible craftsmanship, the quality materials, but most precious is the history behind them. If these things could tell stories, imagine what they might share. Everything has a story. Often, many old things end up in the trash. Well, it’s said that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Surrounding yourself with traces of history is a way of connecting to the past. Old things also tell the story of another time. They have an innate history.

I also like to restore things that are forgotten. I like the idea of preserving objects for future generations. Perhaps with the hope that one day someone like me will appreciate that something from another era survives.

As a preservationist, I am a proponent that the past can also educate. Architecture as an example, is a direct and substantial representation of history and place that can teach us about our collective past. By preserving historic structures, we are able to share the very spaces and environments in which the generations before us lived.

Historic preservation is the visual and tangible conservation of cultural identity. There is something about running your hand down a banister that previous generations have held in their hands for centuries. It gives you a intrinsic sense of place and time and a perspective on where you fit in this impersonal world. Old things ares. a part, a small part, but an important part of a much greater story.

Preserving historic buildings―whether related to someone famous or recognizably dramatic―strangers or longtime residents are able to witness the aesthetic and cultural history of an area. Old buildings maintain a sense of permanency and heritage. There is no chance to renovate or to save a historic site once it’s gone. And we can never be certain what will be valued in the future. This reality brings to light the importance of locating and saving buildings of historic significance―because once a piece of history is destroyed, it is lost forever.

About Richard Zampella

Richard Zampella is a preservationists that own and operates Idylease, a former resort hotel located in Newfoundland, NJ. He is also a documentary film producer who has produced and edited several films with writer and director, John Mulholland. His productions include skillful use of archival materials such as film footage, photographs, periodicals and correspondence, narrated by actors including Len Cariou, Sam Waterston, Frank Langella and Liam Neeson.  Production credits include Sergeant York: Of God and Country, Inside High Noon and Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen which was awarded a Crtics’ Pic by the New York Times.

His upcoming projects include a documentary on author/screenwriter Elmore Leonard, the release of the Director’s Cut of Inside High Noon and a BluRay of Margaret Mead’s New Guinea Journal written, directed and produced, written and directed by Craig Gilbert, the creator, writer and director of the landmark PBS series, An American Family.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Skipperdee’s Gets the Nod as Best Ice Cream on Long Island



Yup, it’s official. Skipperdee’s has been selected as the Best Ice Cream on Long Island. The store was nominated for this year’s Bethpage Best of Long Island in the “Best Ice Cream” category and was awarded the top honor on February 21, 2017.

 Together we brought this title to Point Lookout, the place we call home. The official announcement was made after 780,243 votes were cast and tabulated. The public has spoken to name Skipperdee’s Best Ice Cream in the Food section!

Skipperdee’s is located at 26 Lido Boulevard located in Point Lookout and is a celebration of all things sweet and fun. Drop in for a scoop of ice cream in flavors like sweet and salty pretzel or carrot cake, or warm up with an espresso, cappuccino, or other specialty drink. Or stop by for afternoon tea, where they serve hot cups of tea alongside finger-sandwiches and desserts. Bakers work tirelessly to whip up cupcakes and other baked goods like macarons, while classic candies like Goobers and Chuckles await to delight kids young and old.

Richard Zampella worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years. He has managed the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel and served as Food & Beverage Manager of the The Essex House Hotel on Central Park South. For 15 years he worked 65 floors high atop Rockefeller Center at the Rainbow Room under legendary restauranteur Joe Baum. In 2010, he created the concept and design for Skipperdee’s Ice Cream Shop in the seaside hamlet of Point Lookout, NY.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Transmultimedia 2016 Video Retrospective



Richard Zampella is a documentary film producer who along with Writer/Director John Mulholland has created content for Warner Home Video and Paramount Pictures. Among their production credits are Sergeant York: Of God and Country, narrated by Liam Neeson. Inside High Noon narrated by Frank Langella and Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen narrated by Sam Waterston. The later was chosen by the New York Times as a Critics’ Pic in October of 2013.

In early 2017 both Mulholland and Zampella have begin post production on a brand new documentary which explores the life and works of Author Elmore Leonard and his place in the American literary pantheon. The documentary discusses how he started, why he wrote what he did, how he arrived at his lean, terse minimalist style of writing.

Get social with Richard Zampella at: facebook.com/RichardZampella.nyc

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

New Elmore Leonard Documentary Begins Post Production

Elmore Leonard
Image(s) courtesy of: "The Elmore Leonard Archive, Irvin Department , University of South Carolina Libraries"​


Documentary Writer/Director, John Mulholland has wrapped production on his new feature documentary on "Hollywood's Favorite Writer" Elmore Leonard, and has begun post-production on the film.

The documentary is produced by Richard Zampella , who shot the interviews and will be editing the film with Mulholland. Central to the film, adding depth and resonance, is more than half-an-hour of never-before-seen interview footage with Leonard in which he analyzes and discusses how he started, why he wrote what he did, how he arrived at his lean, terse minimalist trademark.

Elmore Leonard is an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Among his best-known works are Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Swag, Hombre, Mr. Majestyk, and Rum Punch (adapted for the movie Jackie Brown). Leonard's writings include short stories and original screenplays that became the films 3:10 to Yuma and The Tall T, as well as the FX television series Justified.

On camera interviews include:

Author, James O. Born, Producer & Writer, Wendy Calhoun, Retired LAPD Sergeant, Cheryl Dorsey Writer, Kate Dries, Author, Rachel Howzell Hall, Author, James W. Hall, Elmore Leonard Children, Peter, Chris, Kate and Jane Leonard, Elmore Leonard Wife, Beverly Leonard, Author and Sports Writer, Mike Lupica, Author, Alphie McCourt, Family Friend and Leonard Advisor, Bill Mertz Family Friend, Eliza Mertz, Author, Friend & Bookstore Owner, Otto Pendler, Virginia Tech Film Studies Professor, Stephen Prince, Bailbondsman, Mike Sandy, Author & Leonard Researcher, Gregg Sutter, Washington Post Columnist and Author, Neely Tucker and Producer & Writer, Graham Youst

Director John Mulholland & Producer Richard Zampella's last film, "Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen"  received a New York Times Critic's Pick which opened in theaters in New York & Los Angeles in 2013 and is currently in distribution nationwide.

Monday, January 9, 2017

On the 25 Year Anniversary: Dr Arthur Zampella

Arthur Zampella, MD
Arthur Zampella, Robert Lax and Barry Ulanov Editors of the Columbia Review in 1938

Arthur Zampella Columbia University
Marks, Zampella, Dr Powell, Warsaw, Ferayorni: Members of the  Pre-med Society at Columbia University in 1938

My dad worked as a tour guide in Rockefeller Center while he was a pre-med student at Columbia University. He knew John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who would ask him about his studies. As a child he would stand me before the tablet in Rockefeller Center and read to me the credo he believed in from a man he knew.

“I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.”

Life is a series of moments – and as time passes some moments are indelibly seared in our memory. Some moment we can plan for, but the ones that hit us on idle Wednesday are usually the most unexpected and significant.

The last time I saw him at the age of 25, I remember wishing he were young and vibrant like the photographs I had seen of him as a young man.

For all intent and purpose, I was raised by the grandfather I never had. Arthur Dante Louis Zampella was born to Filomna & Erminio Zampella in Jersey City, NJ in 1917. I was raised with an appreciation of a different era. The influences of fashion, music and history were from a different time. Something I would not fully appreciate until I grew older.

Time has a way of making you forget some things, but I can recall that moment 25 years ago as if it were yesterday. Standing beside his lifeless body and knowing that whatever life force that made the man I adored stir... was no longer with me or within him.

I dream sometimes that I see a figure in the distance on the grounds at Idylease. I think it is him as my mind is prone to play tricks on me. As I approach, it is not him… but rather a stranger. A painful reminder that he is no longer with me. He did not leave me willingly.

As I sit at Idylease on this eve of this anniversary. The words he spoke to me two days before he left
are still with me. "One day you will own Idylease and your vision for the property will become true."

Most people I speak with that have lost a parent often tell you that there is no such thing as closure, or “getting over it”. Closure would mean forgetting the past and moving forward, For me, the loss itself reinforces my compassion, especially when I see others lose a loved one. Even though you may fill that void, you will never touch, or talk again. It becomes a part of who you are – like where you grew up or remembering reading a good book or a seeing a play.

We should always tell those close to us how we feel about them, even if they have heard it from us before. Tell them why you love them, speak with them like it’s the first time – and the last time.

Moments matter.

- Richard Zampella
On the 25th Anniversary of the Death of
Arthur Dante Louis Zampella