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eral joint at McNeil Island； Washington。
He did five months of the sentence； shaving four weeks off for good behavior。 It could have been worse： He hauled pipes； did gardening work； and put on a prisoners' Christmas show。 Inside； the big fears seemed to subside： The business of day…to…day survival kiboshed that part of his imagination where terror flourished。 Five months in； out； the ironic kicker： He got drafted and sent to Korea。
Where he served with distinction。 Korea proved to be a mixed psychological bag： Dick's draft…trial notoriety won him friends； enemies； and a shitload of invitations to play the accordion。 Duty with a Seoul…attached outfit； back to the States early in '54。 Richard Contino： honorably discharged as a staff sergeant； while overseas； the recipient of an unsolicited presidential pardon signed by Harry S Truman。
Dick Contino： back in the U。S。A。
Back to derailed career momentum； a long transit of day…to…day survival behind him。
The BIG…ROOM gigs were kaput。 Momentum is at least 50 percent hype： It requires nurturing and frequent infusions of bullshit。 Dick Contino couldn't play the game from McNeil Island and Korea。 A bum…publicity taint stuck to him： 〃coward〃 and 〃draft dodger〃 throbbing in Red Scare neon。
He worked smaller rooms and ignored catcalls； he cut records and learned to sing。 A few journalists befriended him； but the basic show…biz take on Dick Contino was 〃This guy is poison〃。 Justifying yourself to the public gets old quick〃coward〃 may be the toughest American bullet to dodge。
Dick Contino learned to sing； but rock and roll cut him off at the pass。 He learned to act； top…lined a few B…films； and faded in the wake of heartthrobs with underailed momentum。 In 1 956； he married actress Leigh Snowden； had three kids with her； and settled down in Las Vegasclose to his hotel…lounge bread and butter。 He continued to get small…room gigs and played Italian festas in Chicago； Milwaukee； Philly； and other paisano…packed venues。
Leigh Snowden Contino died of cancer in 1982。 The Contino kids would now be 35； 32； and 30。
My researcher's notes tapped out in '89。 He said an obituary check turned up negativehe was certain that Dick Contino was still alive。 A week later； I got confirmation。 〃I found him。 He's still living in Las Vegas； and he says he'll talk to you。〃
Before making contact； I charted the arc of two lives。 A specific design was being clearI wanted to write a novella featuring Dick Contino and the filming of 〃Daddy…O〃； but a symbiotic pull was blunting my urge to get down to； business； extract information； and get out。 I felt a recognition of my own fears binding me to this man： fear of failure； specific in nature and surmountable through hard work； and the very large fear that induces claustrophobic suffocation and causes golden young men to run from army barracksthe terror that anything might happen； could happen； 〃will〃 happen。
A merging in fear； a divergence in action。
I joined the army just as the Vietnam War started to percolate。 My father was dying； I didn't want to stick around and watch。 The army terrified meI calculated plausible means of escape。 James ElIroy； age i 7； fledgling dramatist： pulling off a frantic stuttering act designed to spotlight his unsuitability for military service。
It was a bravura performance。 It got me a quick discharge and a return trip to L。A。 and my passions： booze； dope； pantie…sniffing。
Nobody ever called me a coward or a draft dodgerthe Vietnam War was reviled from close to the get…go； and extricating yourself from its clutches was held as laudable。
I 〃calculated〃 my way outand of course my fears remained unacknowledged。 And I wasn't a golden young man sky…high on momentum and ripe for a public hanging。
I've led a colorful and media…exploitable life； my take on it has been picaresquea stratagem that keeps my search for deeper meaning channeled solely into my books； which keeps my momentum building； which keeps my wolves of nothingness locked out of sight。 Dick Contino didn't use my methods： He was a man of music； not of words； and he embraced his fears from the start。 And he 〃continued〃： The musicianship on his post…army beef albums dwarfs the sides he cut pre…'51。 He continued； and so far as I could tell； the only thing that diminished was his audience。
I called Contino and told him I wanted to write about him。 We had an affable conversation； he said； 〃e to Vegas。〃
Contino met me at the airport。 He looked great： lean and fit at 63。 His 〃Daddy…O〃 grin remained intact； he confirmed that his 〃Daddy…O〃 biceps came from humping his accordion。
We went to a restaurant and shot the shit。 Our conversation was full of jump cutsLas Vegas to the Mob to serving jail time to L。A。 in the '50S； fear and what you do when the audience dwindles。
I told him that the best novels are often not the best…selling novels； that plex styles and ambiguous stories perplex many readers。 I said that while my own books sell quite well； they are considered too dark； too densely plotted； and too relentlessly violent to be chart…toppers。
Dick asked me if I would change the type of book I write to achieve greater salesI said no。 He asked me if I'd change the type of book I write if I knew that I'd taken a given style or theme as far as it could goI said yes。 He asked me if the real…life characters in my books ever surprise meI said； 〃No； because my relationship to them is exploitative。〃
I asked him if he consciously changed musical directions after his career got diverted； post…Korea。 He said yes and nohe'd kept trying to cash in on trends until he'd realized that； at best； he'd be performing music he didn't love and at worst he'd be playing to an audience he didn't respect。
I said； 〃The work is the thing。〃 He said； yes； but you can't cop an attitude behind some self…limiting vision of your own integrity。 You can't cut the audience out of its essential enjoymentyou have to give them some schmaltz to hold on to。
I asked Dick how he arrived at that。 He said his old fears taught him to like people more。 He said fear thrives on isolation； and when you cut down the wall between you and the audience； your whole vision goes wide。
I checked in at my hotel and shadowboxed with the day's revelations。 It felt like my world had tilted toward a new understanding of my past。 I kept picturing myself in front of an expanding audience； armed with new literary ammunition： the knowledge that Dick Contino would be the hero of the sequel to the book I'm writing now。
Dick and I met for dinner the next night。 It was my forty…fifth birthday； I felt like I was standing at the bedrock center of my life。
Dick played me a bebop 〃Happy Birthday〃 on his accordion。 The old chops were still therehe zipped on and off the main theme 〃rápidamente〃。
We split for the restaurant。 I asked Dick if he would consent to appear as the hero of my next novel。
He said yes and asked what the book would be about。 I said； 〃Fear； courage； and heavily promised redemptions。〃
He said； 〃Good； I think I've been there。〃
We hit the Tillerman'sa surf…and…turf palace outside Vegas。 The food was good； but my brain was schizophr