The Lion of Floral Park, NY

I was going to write about our Dearless Leader and his pledge to once again violate the Constitution by issuing an Executive Order concerning the disaster ongoing at our southern border. But late Monday afternoon, I learned, sadly, that one of my High School teachers passed. 

To me, and to many others who attended both Sewanhaka High School from the late 1940s to 1957, and Floral Park Memorial High School from 1957 to 1979 when he retired, Sal Mirabito was a great influence especially on the boys who were fortunate to come into contact with him. I have provided you with the article in Long Island's NEWSDAY.  He was 95.

I can assure you from my own experience that Mr Mirabito was a tough gym teacher and football coach, who expected excellence from his students and players, and truly had a heart of gold. He was a great disciplinarian, trust me, who had a unique style of punishment, which if a guy was smart and henceforth did what he was supposed to do, no repeat was necessary. 

My sin, as a Junior, was cutting his gym class at 8 AM from mid-September until the end of January. Well, one morning at about 830, he found me and dragged me by my earlobe all the way from the outside of the Senior High Cafeteria, where I was enjoying my fourth cigarette before Homeroom, to his office. The more I tried to pull away, it seemed the tighter his grip. Needless to say, he closed the office door.

So, I fixed him. I cut his class for two more weeks. He came to get me out of my English class, to the evident delight of my English teacher. We walked to his office and, once again, he closed the door. This time, however, we sat and talked like gentlemen, and he gave me the opportunity to make up the classes by running the track at 7 AM and taking gym five days a week. 

I did this everyday from mid-February until the end of April, when he relieved me of this punishment and required that I only attend my three day a week class for the rest of that year.

In my Senior year, Mr Mirabito employed me as an advocate of sorts to warn others what would befall them for cutting his class or other violations of school policy. He allowed me to talk to the offender, with the caveat that if the offender came to his next class, no further action would be taken.

When he signed my yearbook, he signed it  "To my friend, Frank... The Lion Tamer??? Your friend, S Mirabito". 

Several years later, my brother was caught smoking in the boys room and I received the call from FPM. When I arrived to sign him out, Mr Mirabito, who was Assistant Principal by this time, wanted to know why I was there instead our mom or dad. When I told him I was my brother's Godfather, which is true by the way, all he could do was burst out laughing and told us to get out of there. 

I share these stories from my own experiences because I can. I know many other "Mirabito Stories" but to me, first hand is real and true. If I told someone else's story, I am sure it would be incomplete.

I can honestly say, and have said it many times over the years, that if it weren't for Sal Mirabito, I may have, would have, been a different man altogether. He was a positive influence in my life and, I am sure, the lives of many men whose lives Mr Mirabito touched. As I said Monday on Facebook when I saw the article, he focused me to walk the right path. 

Thank you, Mr Mirabito for all you did for all the many souls who passed your way. And thank you, my friend, Sal Mirabito. You really weren't a Lion to be tamed, but rather a caring, cool Cat who only had his students' best interests at heart. 

The lives of so many are a bit emptier today, and our hearts are bit heavier, because you are gone. Thank you for being there when you were needed most. I, and we, will never forget you.