By Bill Kelly
There is much speculation as to why the Hell’s Angels failed to ransack Ocean City as they threatened to do. Some say they accidently went to Ocean City, Md., instead. Others say they were just delayed at a roadhouse party, while some believe Conway Twitty performed for them to keep them from coming.
Oakland Calif. Hell’s Angels President Sonny Barger retired to Arizona where he continued to ride, became an anti-smoking advocate, and helped his family write biker-themed children’s books. He died on June 29, 2022 at the age of 83.
Popular Ocean City Mayor Thomas Waldman was twice elected mayor: 1963-1967 and 1971-1978. His daughter Kathy lives in Virginia.
Ocean City Policeman William Warren retired from the force. Mentalist George Joseph Kresge – aka The Amazing Kreskin, still lives in North Jersey and at 88 years old, according to his website, is returning to show business.
Bay Shores bartender Buddy Tweil moved to Florida where he rented beach chairs in the sun. Pittsburgh Paul, the “Sheriff of Reality,” went back to Pittsburgh, but occasionally returns to walk the boards.
Conway Twitty went on to become one of the most popular country music stars of all time, and often sang duets with Loretta Lynn. Levon Helm portrayed Loretta Lynn’s father in the movie, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
The Hawks went off with Bob Dylan, first playing Forest Hills in New York, where the folk music purists booed him for “going electric.” They went on a world tour, but Levon got tired of being booed, quit and got a job on a Louisiana oil rig. He was temporarily replaced by the Monkeys’ drummer Micky Dolenz. After Dylan was in a serious motorcycle accident, he recuperated at the summer residence of his manager, Albert Goldman, in Woodstock, N.Y. known as an artists’ colony.
There the Hawks joined him, renting a pink split-level home where they lived, wrote songs and played and recorded in the basement. Levon joined them, and the townspeople began to refer to them simply as The Band, a name they kept. Their first album was called, “Music From Big Pink.”
The townspeople of Woodstock refused to allow the concert to be held there so it was moved to nearby Bethel, N.Y., where The Band was a major attraction.
Nurse Lynda Van Devanter enlisted in the Army, volunteered for duty in Vietnam and wrote about her experiences in a book, “Home Before Morning” (1983, University of Massachusetts Press). Her recollections recorded here are from the chapter, “Dunes ’Til Dawn.” She became an advocate for Vietnam veterans suffering illnesses related to the chemical defoliant, Agent Orange.
Devanter’s boyfriend “J.J.” (Jonathan James Smith of Tuckahoe in Upper Township) graduated from Ocean City High School and served in Vietnam. I’d like to know what became of him, if anyone knows.
Duncan MacRae, who served in Vietnam as a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, returned to making pizzas at Mack & Manco’s and then, with his younger brother Scotty, opened Yesterday’s restaurant at Five Points in Columbia, S.C. Both are now retired, but will return later this year for a Mack & Manco’s reunion.
Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks occasionally returns to Ocean City to visit her family. She was working as a waitress in Los Angeles when she joined Fleetwood Mac, and had a year-long love affair with Joe Walsh, who dropped out of Kent State to play with the James Gang and then the Eagles.
Walsh recalled his experiences in Somers Point on a Philadelphia radio program. He said he broke off his affair with Stevie Nicks because they were both addicted to cocaine. Nicks called Walsh “the love of my life.” She will perform at the Etess Arena at the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City on Feb. 10.
Boardwalk bookstore owner Roger Monroe became a real estate agent and developer and is now retired in Somers Point. When he recently ran into Fred Prinz who sold balloons on the Boardwalk, they talked about the Anglemyer murder and a recent story about it which ran in a national true crime magazine. The story by Tom Donaghy names a new suspect: the brother of the suspect accused and acquitted in the crime.
Hollywood screenwriter Donaghy is writing a screenplay about the murder which he hopes filmmaker Ron Howard will make into a major motion picture.
Bay Shores band leader Johnny Caswell became a music recording engineer in California and returned for an Atlantic City casino engagement where old fans came out to see him.
Pete Carroll of the Carroll Brothers became a truck driver. He once pulled up to The Anchorage Tavern, tooted his horn and said hello to the regulars who remembered him from when he lived upstairs.
Anthony Marotta, Sr., of Tony Mart’s fame passed away, and his son Tony, Jr., lives in Arizona, but son Carmen Marotta still promotes live music and is writing a book about all the great bands that performed at Tony Mart’s.
KYW TV news producer David Brenner became a major stand-up comic who often appeared on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show,” sometimes filling in for Carson. He told the story of breaking into Judge Helfant’s chambers on TV.
His on-air reporter Tom Snyder became a late night talk show host himself, often humorously portrayed by Dan Akyroid on “Saturday Night Live.” As Brenner had attended Temple University, his KYW TV news films are stored in the Urban Archives at the Temple University Library. His “Long Cool Summer of ’65” documentary, which appeared on KYW a week after Labor Day, is located there. We are attempting to obtain a copy. Both Brenner and Snyder have passed away.
Grace Kelly returned to Ocean City every Labor Day weekend of her life, except the year she died. Her son, who was reprimanded for riding his skateboard in the house, is now Prince Albert II of Monaco. He recently returned to Philadelphia where he purchased his family home. He restored it and returns there frequently.
Grace Kelly’s cousin John Lehman still summers in Ocean City. He was named secretary of the Navy by President Reagan and served on the 9-11 Commission.
Tito Mambo (his real name was Tito Mambo De La Cruz, and originally from Cuba) avoided federal riot charge and reportedly purchased a 1965 pink Cadillac convertible which had been used in the Miss America boardwalk parade and still had a pair of high heel shoes on the back seat.
He was last seen driving West on the Expressway. He had a silhouette stencil of Peter Pan’s shadow painted on the trunk of his pink Caddy and a Pan quote: “This all happened before and it will all happen again.”
“Is that all there is? If that’s all there is my friend, then let’s keep dancing, let’s break out the booze and have a ball. If that’s all there is.”
— sung by Peggy Lee
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