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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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Session:         Page of 1029

Lela swung into action and said if Ross left the party, the entire party would walk out. Billingsley finally had to say that he could stay to finish dinner because Ross, instead of being angry at this, thought that this was the funniest thing that ever happened and he screamed with laughter.

Later on when he got married for the second or third time, I had a picture done by Will Cotton, a famous painter, of Ross being kicked out of the Stork Club. That was my wedding present, which hung in his bedroom until the day of his death.

Q:

To go back to Phyllis a little bit, do you think that she has been able to help you with your authors?

Cerf:

And how! But at first, she was very quiet. I remember... this still amuses me when I think about it...I would say, “Where will we go for dinner?" Phyllis would say, “Anyplace that you'd like.” Or, “What will we do tonight?" “Anything you'd like.” I remember saying to her, “Why don't you speak up once in awhile. Just don't do everything I want,” which is terribly humorous today when she is known as “The General” for good and sufficient reasons.

Well, we were married by Fiorello La Guardia at summer City Hall, which at that time was right out where the World's Fair grounds are. There was an old golf club, I think, which became the summer City Hall for a couple of summers.





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