Ah yes, of course, the end of April! Derrick was coy about sharing the date of his birthday only sharing that it was 'the end of April'. The time difference between us meant that he never did quite remember my birthday, but I had sent him a message a few days before that date and then noticed an extraordinary peace in my environment the likes of which I had never felt before. I sat with it for several minutes. I woke hoping he might have answered but instead there was an email informing me of his memorial service. Somehow, I had missed the message telling me that he was in hospital and was unlikely to recover. Since then, I feel his presence often hovering just above the clouds.

I admired so much about Derrick. He could make me laugh, and I loved that. I knew him at his happiest - married and working towards his goals - and I knew him in the worst moments of his life. It wasn't always easy to be his friend, if only I had the remedy, but I am grateful he was my friend for a number of years. He has left an indelible mark on the world and in the hearts of many, many people. Most certainly, not forgotten. xx

Derrick Charles Vito

1st breath of life – 0900, 29 April 1975

Last breath – 10pm, 22 October 2022

If love could have saved you, you would have lived FOREVER

PRECIOUS CHILD, our hearts still ache in sadness, and secret tears still flow,

what it meant to lose you, no one will ever know 

It’s so hard to lose someone, the way that I loved you, but God and all His Angels, are loving you too

IL DIVO - Time to Say Goodbye (Live) This world-famous song, an adaptation of the original Italian composition “Con te partirò”, is here performed live by Il Divo at London’s Coliseum in 2011.

If I could've had a Service / Funeral for my son, this is one of the songs I would have chosen for him. For me, this is the most difficult one to watch. I have been playing it since he died. Please think of him when you watch it. Thank you.

Bring Him Home (Hugh Jackman) | Les Misérables (2012) Hugh Jackman gives an emotional performance of Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) joins the revolt in Paris in order to protect Marius (Eddie Redmayne) whom his daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), is in love with. 

Do we not have many 'what if's' after someone died . . .If I could have protected my Son from what his life had become, this song says it all.

(Derrick adored Olivia Newton-John) Grease (1978) - You're the One That I Want + ending scene

Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film based on the 1971 musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Written by Bronte Woodard and directed by Randal Kleiser in his theatrical feature film debut, the film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson who develop an attraction for each other. The film stars John Travolta as Danny, Olivia Newton-John as Sandy and Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies (Wikipedia)

"You're the One That I Want" is a song performed by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John for the 1978 film version of the musical Grease. It was written and produced by John Farrar.

"You're the One That I Want" is one of the best-selling singles in history, having sold over 6 million copies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France alone, with estimates of more than 15 million copies sold overall (Wikipedia)

0:16 / 3:17

Rainbow Connection - Kermit The Frog - The Muppet Movie (1979) - (our song . . .)

Why are there so many

Songs about rainbows

And what's on the other side?

Rainbows are visions

But only illusions

And rainbows have nothing to hide

So we've been told and some choose to believe it

I know they're wrong wait and see

[Hook]

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection

The lovers, the dreamers and me

[Verse 2]

Who said that every wish

Would be heard and answered

When wished on the morning star?

Somebody thought of that

And someone believed it

Look what it's done so far

What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing

And what do we think we might see?

[Hook]

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection

The lovers, the dreamers and me

[Bridge]

All of us under its spell

We know that it's probably magic

[Verse 3]

Have you been half asleep

And have you heard voices?

I've heard them calling my name

Is this the sweet sound

That calls the young sailors?

The voice might be one and the same

I've heard it too many times to ignore it:

It's something that I'm supposed to be

[Hook]

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection

The lovers, the dreamers and me

Da-da-da-dee-da-da dum

Da-da-da-da-dee-da-da-doo

DC Vito and Emily Long's Proposal 

Jun 5, 2007

January 15th, 2007. At the famous Second City Toronto. The actor Anand Rajaram plays Deepak Chopra in a sketch DC had worked out with the crew months beforehand.

Transcript

0:00

send outside why don't you come into my

0:01

office the office no no useful we

0:12

believe in integrated sessions you know

0:15

let me let me just make it a little bit

0:18

more hospitable just a moment there you

0:31

are this why don't you both have a seat

0:33

please actually you know what I think I

0:36

have you sit on either side of me then

0:39

we can create a proper channel of

0:41

communication through man I'll be the

0:44

conduit for your communication so now

0:47

you you've come to me you have some kind

0:49

of existential crisis so you don't speak

0:52

much is there some kind of existential

0:56

crisis perhaps that you're going through

0:58

at the moment or that could be a great

1:03

indication surgery or something so is

1:09

there there's so many sort of crisis in

1:11

your life waves maybe we can begin the

1:13

different way like a perhaps sir well

1:15

maybe we can get to know your name what

1:17

is your name sir ac/dc yes DC as in the

1:22

kapa haka yes where your name is

1:24

District of Columbia but I with you I

1:28

would be a better yo get embarrassed

1:32

know that but that's wonderful but your

1:35

parents named you some place that's

1:37

where your name Adam please I'm sorry

1:42

emily emily is a beautiful name

1:45

everything yes very editing lovely

1:47

flower you have what kind of flower is

1:49

that it's a magnolia magnolia wonderful

1:51

is that have a significance for you

1:53

particularly significant it's it's very

1:56

pretty yes so this is wonderful it's

1:58

wonderful and it's nice that you can

1:59

adorn adorn your body with beautiful

2:02

things you know because it helps you to

2:04

feel beautiful outside and work on being

2:06

beautiful inside isn't

2:08

and what is that what job do you do I'm

2:10

a cartography cartographer see what with

2:13

maps particular to specialize in

2:16

District of Columbia yes I imagine it's

2:22

one of the first things you were to find

2:24

out now I what about you a kind of job

2:26

you have um I work for a theater company

2:28

I feared a company that's wonderful what

2:30

you do for the theater come on a

2:32

literary manager I see so you deal with

2:35

playwrights and itís that's exciting

2:38

work so I I think this is quite

2:40

interesting part maybe part of the

2:42

reason you're both perhaps going through

2:44

a place it's you know that talk with

2:46

what I mean you do know that our maps of

2:48

the world already finished and there

2:57

must be a lot of factors this time

2:59

that's that yes and you as well I mean

3:03

you work for a theater company

3:04

representing Clarence no one goes to the

3:06

theater so kind of difficult what you're

3:10

going through but you know I think I

3:11

think that it's still good that you're

3:13

both pushing forward you know why don't

3:15

why don't we try a simple exercise

3:17

perhaps you could say something let me

3:19

just see how you communicate maps

3:20

there's something you could say you know

3:22

to him let me see let me see how you

3:25

communicate so think of something

3:26

special you like to say to him and Tracy

3:32

do you think our flight tomorrow well no

3:36

not a question as much as perhaps you

3:40

know you could make a statement you

3:41

could say something you know perhaps her

3:44

face she's a pragmatic man set the alarm

3:51

you're going to get cold water on it

3:54

that but that's that's fine that's fine

3:57

that's a nice simple way of

3:58

communicating is that perhaps something

3:59

that you would like to ask her or say to

4:02

her well why don't you go ahead I think

4:49

that you should thank you for coming and

4:51

you know if you're continuing with any

4:53

kind of existential crisis in your life

4:55

then recommend you buy all of my books

4:59

thank you I'm not sure

3:32

NOW PLAYING

Holy spiri

DC Vito, The Lamp, Stribling's New York Radio Show

Apr 25, 2016

D.C. Vito co-founded The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project) in 2007. Since that time, The LAMP has brought media literacy training to over 3,000 youth, parents and educators, transporting equipment and facilitators directly to communities in need of its services. Under Mr. Vito’s leadership as Executive Director, The LAMP’s programming capacity has grown tremendously from serving roughly 75 students in the 2010-2011 school year, to serving over 850 students by the 2011-2012 school year.

http://thelamp.org/staff-and-…

Stribling's New York is a one hour weekly radio program on WOR 710 AM Sunday's from 11pm - midnight hosted by Rob Taub, who over the past 25 years has interviewed everyone from presidents to pop stars.

The show is a celebration of everything about New York City with a focus on real estate and the people who live and work here. We'll talk about where to eat, shop and experience the best of everything the city has to offer from music to museums to sports

To learn more about Stribling & Associates contact our producer/real estate agent, Tony Simone at 646-515-9417 or tsimone@stribling.com To find out more about Stribling, please visit: www.stribling.com

http://www.wor710.com/pages/o…...

Transcript

0:01

that was author David petrusha really

0:05

interesting fellow who writes about many

0:10

different great historical characters

0:12

who did an earlier interview with him on

0:13

Arnold Rothstein that was quite amazing

0:15

and you are listening to stribling New

0:19

York on wor AM radio 7 10 on your

0:22

digital dial I'm your host Rob tab we

0:24

are joined here by Tony Simone our

0:28

producer in the studio by the way since

0:30

the show is sponsored by Stribling &

0:32

associates if you need to buy a home or

0:34

apartment or rent one contact Tony

0:38

Simone TS IM 0 NE @ stribling calm and

0:42

Tony will help you and Tony what is your

0:46

your blog address it's Tony Simone calm

0:50

very simple my name is Juan com t 0 and

0:53

y SI m 0 NE and tony moan like Nina

0:56

Simone yeah except Tony makes you

1:00

happier Nina Simone kinda makes me a

1:01

little sad when I listen to those songs

1:03

LOL oh I get the creepy weepy so ok like

1:07

I cries I've cried at a McDonald's

1:09

commercial you know it does it uh we're

1:11

joined by DC veto who is the executive

1:14

director of the lamp learning about

1:18

multimedia project welcome DC thank you

1:20

thank you for having me so what does

1:23

this what tell us about lamp the lamp is

1:25

a non lamp the lamp is the nonprofit

1:29

organization based here in New York City

1:30

and we teach media literacy to young

1:34

people parents and educators across the

1:37

country and we provide hands-on

1:41

programming in the city by bringing the

1:44

technology and and the curricula but we

1:46

also create technology and tools that

1:48

allow us to reach beyond New York City

1:50

what is media literacy it works as I say

1:52

what does that mean yeah it's it's

1:54

always a term that that needs to be

1:56

explored so this this day and age we

1:59

have young people between the ages of 8

2:01

and 18 consuming somewhere along 11

2:04

hours of entertainment media a day the

2:07

idea is literacy of reading and writing

2:10

no longer is adequate you need to

2:12

understand media as

2:14

well that's back back in the 18th

2:16

century when all there was was reading

2:18

and writing made sense that that was

2:20

what defined literacy so media literacy

2:22

in our version is understanding we call

2:25

the three C's so it's comprehending all

2:28

forms of media being able to create all

2:30

forms of media and ultimately ultimately

2:32

being able to critical and challenged

2:34

media I creating your own YouTube

2:36

channel creating your own young your own

2:38

so figuring that out Rob but all I mean

2:42

every every every young person is a

2:44

producer themselves thereby constantly

2:46

producing media it's understanding

2:48

what's behind that and the impact that

2:49

media that's really cool how'd you come

2:51

to lamp like how did you one day walk

2:53

down Simon to teach kids made it meteor

2:55

literacy well the the I was working on a

2:58

city council campaign in 2001 in

3:01

Brooklyn and I'm a Colorado native and

3:05

so I was a transplant and everybody back

3:07

then knows 2001 the primary was 911 and

3:10

all my family and friends were calling

3:13

me saying what can we do to help out and

3:15

I didn't have an answer and the and the

3:18

we turn to our elected officials at the

3:21

time and both Mayor Bloomberg and

3:22

President Bush were saying somewhat very

3:24

similar things which was all you need to

3:26

do is just reach into your pocket and

3:28

spend money instead of taking on this

3:31

idea that the country was unified and

3:34

saying go and work in your communities

3:35

and be a volunteer and go read books at

3:39

your school so that idea that boiling us

3:42

down to essentially nothing more than

3:43

consumers sort of troubled me and I

3:47

looked into it noted that media have a

3:49

tremendous role in shaping what we know

3:52

about the world and there are no

3:54

organizations that are working in

3:56

communities helping people understand

3:57

and this day and age now with the

3:59

election we can see that media literacy

4:02

is so important because of people not

4:04

understanding what to believe what

4:06

sources are accurate what what is being

4:09

manipulated for them it's it's a good

4:12

point get nowadays I mean I once my

4:14

former life when I worked for speaker

4:16

Quinn and we worked closely with my a

4:18

Bloomberg he once called this is a

4:20

non-political show but we can go with

4:22

there a little bit yes he um he would

4:24

say you know when people twatter

4:28

it's be met Twitter it's annoying

4:30

because they say something about me and

4:32

everyone believes it and it's a

4:34

phenomenon that happens all the time now

4:36

that I have relatives and family members

4:39

who obviously have more time than I do

4:41

who obsess over social media did you

4:43

hear what they said yeah gee what

4:45

happened and I imagine a kid growing up

4:47

anywhere in New York City since the

4:49

show's focused on New York City but New

4:51

York and Beyond of course we have great

4:52

cast from everywhere what how do how do

4:55

people deal with that beyond being

4:56

bullied but about how do they equip

5:00

themselves one day I mean brokers all

5:02

the time they tell us get on social

5:03

media video tape yourself videotape

5:06

myself why right right right so I guess

5:09

it's a great thing that you're

5:10

ganization doing that for kids well in

5:11

the dude it's high school and college

5:12

has high schools k to 12 k through 12

5:15

yeah I knew that well what was it will

5:17

rogers once said all I know is what I

5:19

read in the papers and it's a hundred

5:21

century we look at social media and we

5:24

may think that's true as a journalist I

5:26

see how things are changing sometimes

5:29

for the worst when I work for time

5:31

incorporated fact-checking was just

5:35

diligent and uncompromising and that

5:38

really doesn't happen anymore now the

5:41

the cycle of news in the cycle that

5:43

media attends to strive for doesn't

5:47

permit that and because they're also

5:49

competing with all of us who are

5:51

generating our own media and without an

5:53

understanding of the impact that that

5:55

media that we're creating have we're

5:58

just throwing it out there and so that's

6:00

that's what we're really focusing on our

6:01

young people is helping them understand

6:02

both what it means to be a critical

6:05

consumer but also a responsible producer

6:08

as well right it is I've never

6:09

considered this you're turning over like

6:11

the means of this technology without of

6:14

the ethical lessons right a lot of

6:16

today's youth so if you're supplying

6:18

them that and that's highly commendable

6:20

and where do I write a check well our

6:25

website is the lamp org and you can

6:27

donate directly on our website so how

6:30

how large is your organization where

6:32

you're based out of here in new york

6:34

city or brooklyn where in new york city

6:35

we're over at herald square so that's

6:37

purposeful because we want to be our

6:39

near all the train stations because we

6:41

carry the equipment all across the city

6:43

so laptops video cameras everything

6:45

that's needed to create the media

6:47

products because we feel like if you

6:49

understand how they're constructed

6:50

you'll be able to deconstruct them and

6:52

we have six senior staff and we have

6:56

about 20 to 25 facilitators and we serve

6:59

about 900 students a year in New York

7:01

City and all five boroughs and then we

7:03

also with recent tools that we've

7:06

developed we also have reached beyond

7:08

New York City and and serving up to 10

7:11

states and around the country so do you

7:14

see yourself growing exponentially

7:15

what'swhat's for the future yeah we

7:18

created a tool called media breaker with

7:20

funding from the knight Foundation and

7:22

MacArthur and it's the only of its kind

7:25

online free video remixer so it allows

7:30

you to remix other people's video with

7:32

the idea that you're going to learn how

7:33

to do that responsibly and this tool is

7:36

now a lot is is in 11 states currently

7:40

and it's in over 100 classrooms here in

7:42

New York City so they're re-editing

7:44

commercials three editing news clips

7:46

they're talking back to music videos so

7:49

the challenging some stereotypes in

7:52

Beyonce or Kendrick Lamar things like

7:55

that that they normally would just be

7:57

asked to passively consume where do you

8:00

find your students are the specific

8:03

socio-economic group in public schools

8:05

yeah so we seventy percent of our young

8:08

people are young people of color and we

8:10

particularly focus on communities in

8:14

need that's just been that's been a

8:17

focus from the very beginning and we

8:19

work in schools we work in all the

8:21

library systems here in New York City so

8:22

new york queens and booked in brooklyn

8:24

it's kurt and we work with YMCAs and

8:27

several settlement houses around around

8:29

the city as well because where does just

8:31

somebody go if they don't have access to

8:34

a computer really there you know library

8:36

but that's limited I would think so yeah

8:39

we this is very necessary yeah we do

8:41

have some we have some public workshops

8:43

that we've done at the Brooklyn Public

8:45

you actually would probably like that

8:47

one of the workshops that we've done we

8:48

do a thing called a break athan so this

8:51

is in its in his past we did a break the

8:55

soup

8:55

Tony are familiar with this where we

8:57

actually have kids throw a Super Bowl

8:59

party but instead of just watching the

9:01

game we actually have them re-- mixing

9:03

the commercials that will be going up

9:04

during game and they're challenging the

9:07

commercials so the challenge of the cool

9:08

then the stereotypes and the misleading

9:10

representations and we blowed them up

9:12

live during the game I liked I only

9:15

focus in the halftime show but right now

9:16

I can focus on something a little bit

9:18

more about if it's Madonna or something

9:19

so this year we've been really focused

9:22

and really pushing break the election

9:24

right so we've done five events now here

9:26

in New York City public events a couple

9:28

of Brooklyn Public Library where the

9:30

students are actually remix in political

9:32

ads and they're trying to challenge

9:33

because the political ads are horrible

9:36

and they're not offering any information

9:38

or any policy prescriptions and young

9:40

people aren't learning from them right

9:42

so we rascally we're actually asking

9:44

them to to re-configure them with their

9:47

own thoughts and we we published those

9:49

that at work well speaking of Madonna

9:52

I've reinvented myself more times than

9:55

she has probably and I worked

9:56

extensively at one time your hair is

9:58

different no I'm yeah I can't dance as

10:00

well as she does either i think i could

10:02

sing pretty good but she uh I'm not

10:05

talking about Madonna I'm talking about

10:06

television production and editing and I

10:09

was a television producer and I see

10:11

stuff that's been heavily cut especially

10:14

on Twitter people will post a video seen

10:16

terrible things done with Obama's

10:18

speeches and how it is it will probably

10:21

going to get to a point at some someday

10:23

where we're going to have a federal

10:25

agency that's going to look at these

10:26

things or so it's how I'm honored

10:28

monitored I don't know it's it's the

10:30

kind of erroneous information that gets

10:32

cranked out now that's taken as as given

10:36

because you know it it's it's there as

10:38

my god say it says on the television ah

10:41

well this has been a very interesting

10:43

interview and we're wrapping up now here

10:45

comes our music but thank you yeah you

10:47

see and feel joining us feel free to

10:49

check us out and give us the website one

10:51

more time the lamp dot org okay the lamp

10:54

dot or argue been listening to stribling

10:56

New York go to our website wwc troubling

11:00

com or email Tony Simone TSI m.o.n

11:05

at Stribling com good night i'm rob tab

11:08

i'll see you next week

11:29

you

Playing for Team Human today is D.C. Vito, Executive Director of The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project). The LAMP brings hands-on media education into underserved communities, empowering students and teachers with the skills needed to comprehend, create, and critique media. In today’s episode, D.C. and Douglas make the concept of “media literacy” tangible for an interactive media era, while unmasking the social programming lurking just behind the screen.

Learn more at thelamp.org. There you’ll find MediaBreaker, a free online program that enables students to deconstruct, re-edit, and remix the messages in current advertising campaigns.

Visit our resources page here on teamhuman.fm for a quick connection to the many valuable media breaking tools the LAMP offers.

Follow Team Human Show

Twitter: http://twitter.com/teamhumans…

Instagram: http://instagram.com/teamhuma…

Medium: http://medium.com/teamhuman

Program Prepares Young Adults from NYCHA Developments for Tech Jobs

By Roger Clark Manhattan

PUBLISHED 6:17 PM ET Feb. 18, 2016

"They are building their digital portfolios so that they can carry those to potential job interviews, and they are learning skills that are really going to allow them to enter this field that these students otherwise wouldn't be encouraged to do so," said D.C. Vito, executive director with The LAMP.

Derrick, I am still in disbelief at your absence from our lives. So many have been crushed by your sudden and tragic departure—your mother, sister, and special love of many years, and so many close family members and friends. I ponder often on our wonderful times together back in Denver in the '90s. As your senior, I loved how we often met on a similar intellectual wavelength on a plethora of stimulating topics. You were way ahead of your time. You were inquisitive and a deep thinker on countless levels, and a unique individual that possessed an uncommon passion of caring for others. From those very early days, I knew you were destined for greatness. It's hard to believe the last time I saw you was in New York shortly after 9/11 when the non-profit my daughter Nina and I co-founded was in Manhattan and the neighboring areas helping to bring healing through music following the national release of our Columbine CD. I remember that sumptuous dinner we had in Brooklyn as you shared the story of your deeply impactful experience as the tragedy unfolded, which I still reflect on every 9/11 anniversary. I believe it helped shaped the man you were to become who forged ahead with an awesome vision that enrichened the lives of many.

As we celebrate your birthday, just months after your untimely passing, I do so with a deep sense of gratitude for you being in my life. You will be long-remembered, my dear cousin, and special friend. Godspeed—I look forward to seeing you on the other side!

Happy Birthday, dear D.

Sending love your way,

Robyn XXOO

DC, DCV, Derrick, Mr Vito, 

You would have laughed so hard at this, me finding out yesterday, six weeks after the event, online, by accident, via the kind of joke that you would have loved. Typical of you, I’d say. A man who was so capable of being kind and so capable of making a person uncomfortable and being gleeful about it. Can you believe it? I can’t believe it. I’m behind everyone else in my shock so this love letter to you is going to be from a shocked, angry, devastated, destroyed person who just found out yesterday that you went too far. A man who loved to go too far. Man, I was lucky to know you, right? One day, not today, I’ll be able to feel the full gratitude of having you as part of my life for nearly 20 years. But not today, not yet, because I still can’t really process that this has happened. I want to shout at you, clip you round the head. What did you do? 

You were (were! what the f…) one of the smartest people I’ve ever known, just staggeringly bright about every subject. But you also listened, if you didn’t know enough about a particular thing. Our conversations about the Brexit shitshow, I knew you were soaking all that info up. Our conversations about jazz, you knew loads but you knew my parents knew more and that all my info came from them. Our conversations about football were deep and wide-ranging and came from my decades of being a fan, you being a fairly recent one when we met. You would admit I taught you lots about football, and you did pick a good team, then complained they never won anything. Well, you know Arsenal might win the title this season? Over my beloved Man City, as well. And you’re not here to see it. Typically shytff (Yiddish for stubborn) of you isn’t it? 

You complete idiot. I can’t believe you did this. I am furious at you. Absolutely incandescently furious. I don’t even know how this happened, how the least likely person on earth to fall into trouble ended up dead at 47, a year older than me. Where am I going to direct this anger? I love you. I love you. I love you. I should have helped you more. I should have been more present. You were always present for me, when my mum died, when Bowie died, for any family emergency, for any upset about some stupid boyfriend. I could see it pained you when anyone hurt me. You felt everything so deeply, I’ve never met anyone like you before, I never will again. I should have emailed you more and called you more. I should have checked in on you more and now I have to live with that. 

It was nearly 20 years ago when we met online. Then I was coming to NYC and we decided to meet, and I asked you to pick the place - a romantic at heart, you chose Martine’s, that chocolate shop, now closed, in Bloomingdale’s. Of course you chose the most Nora Ephron meeting point on earth. It was so classy, so you, so New York. When you told me you’d moved to Chicago, I said, are you kidding? You are New York! What a poorer place that city is now without you. We had so many fun nights in New York over the years. And what a great night in Camden that was huh? You wore an Arsenal shirt to meet us of course. 

I treasure every email you sent, you were such a brilliant writer. You sent these gorgeous, long, hilarious, heartfelt, piss-taking letters. I can’t read them yet, but I will. The last time we talked you were broken, but I could still see the fire that used to be you and I knew you were going to come out of the hole. Because what was the alternative? There was no chance the mighty DC I know would get into a place you couldn’t get out of. It never occurred to me, which is probably part of the problem. That’s why I didn’t drive you crazy to talk to me these last few months. I should have. You idiot, I can’t believe you did this. Did I say how angry I am? In time, it’ll dissipate and all that will be left is how we talked, laughed, ate, and music, there’s always going to be music. Because I never met anyone who loved Johnny C. as much as you. I was always surprised when anyone loved jazz, because I never thought people grew up like I did. But man, you knew it and you could take it all, too. When most people would go towards the nice stuff and away from the Ascension of it all, you ran towards it. 

I’ll chant it for you tonight like Carlos does and I’ll think of you forever: A Love Supreme, A Love Supreme, A Love Supreme, Supreme, Supreme. 

With all my love from my broken heart 

Liz

My condolences to the Vito family and all who loved and knew D.C. 

D.C. was a beautiful and eccentric person who helped start my career in television. My most cherished memory was D.C. learning of my childhood trauma and connecting me with someone older/wiser who had a similar trauma all to give me community in my time of healing. It meant a lot to me and that person he connected me to took me on a walk in Prospect Park that helped cleanse my soul. 

If I ever needed a reference letter he wrote it and always took an interest in my work. He was a generous soul and I pray that God keeps him.