My career in journalism dates back more than 30 years to when I was a teenager working for the Telegram (a predecessor paper of the Connecticut Post) where I was exposed to all things Bridgeport—the strange, unique and unforgettable—as a general assignment and backup police and fire reporter.
I became fascinated by the city’s ethnicity, neighborhood life and political curiosity as a series of twists and turns led to a recurring mantra. When the city built a fire house on private property someone said “only in Bridgeport,” when the mayor wore a bulletproof vest during his reelection another proclaimed “only in Bridgeport,” when the legendary Superintendent of Police Joseph Walsh turned the tables on an FBI informant who tried to coax him into a bribe, still another shouted “only in Bridgeport!”
The first of my five published books was named Only In Bridgeport. The other books also included a piece of the city in some fashion such as Chased: Alone, Black and Undercover, the life of mob infiltrator Billy Chase and Bow Tie Banker, a biography of David Carson, retired chief executive of People’s Bank.
I love the Yankees, red wine and politics, and I’ve served as political consultant to a variety of candidates through the years that’s caused both exhilaration and anguish. I also moderate the daily blog www.onlyinbridgeport.com, write biography and legacy projects on behalf of retired executives and run a public relations company called Momentum Communications www.momentumtime.com
Hi Lennie,
I look forward to reading your blog!
Sallie
Comment by Sallie Cagle — July 19th, 2009 @ 5:26 pm
You are the best. Read your blog with great amusement.
Comment by mike donegan — August 25th, 2009 @ 10:49 am
Do any of you books talk about the anguish you had in politics…Especially the end of the Ganim era. Not attacking here! Just want to hear the your end of it since you were involved DEEPLY!
Comment by jeff — September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:25 am
Jeff, I’ve written and discussed quite a bit about that episode in my life including a major article for Connecticut Magazine in October 2004 entitled Hellbound Train. If you Google that it will pop up.
Comment by Lennie — September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:52 am
Lenny, Have you been following the zoning feud in the upper North End…Where the residents have been fighting developement of their neighborhood…Seems to me some big FISH…Want this area zone changed..I figure down line they will create big high rise/dorms for Sacred Heart…Then those Fish can earn Big Buck$….Its again the small few trying to fleece the City Of Bridgeport! Classic….
Look forward to your input here…..
Jeff
Comment by jeff — September 7th, 2009 @ 7:58 pm
Hey Lennie it was nice to see you are doing well Keep hope alive.
Comment by Ernie — May 19th, 2010 @ 11:53 am