Iron History

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08/15/2008 Entry: "8/15/2008: First half of a letter from Charles A. Smith to Joe, dated Oct 19, 1987"

Letter from Charles A. Smith of July 16, 1987:

Dear Joe,
Thanks for your letter post dated July 13th which reached me yesterday.

I am enclosing a cutting sent me by Joe Assirati or someone. As you will see, their surmise that only ONE death has taken place in the USA as a result of steroid use is grossly in error. You might- just a suggestion- get a paragraph or so out of it for your next newsletter. Joe is also preparing something for you on Charlie Assirati, his brother, who passed away recently. C has might, with more than the usual justification, be described as England�s Tony Sansone, although he wasn�t as tall. You should have seen him when he was in his prime.

Re the situation at the Collection. It is thus. I am no longer there. Last Wednesday, July 8th, I wasn�t feeling good at all. Hadn�t slept well for a week or so and was feeling real down. So I called Terry up at his home, since I couldn�t get him at the Collection. I told him these words. �Please don�t bother picking me up tomorrow. I haven�t slept well and I am in a bad temper.��He hasn�t called me since so there we are.

The last thing I was working on there was translating for Jan from French to English, excerpts from Las Rois De La Force- about Sandwina and Athleta and her daughters, Brada, Anna and Louise.

When referring to ED I was being lazy, not wanting to write out Ellington Darden to the full.

I am glad you and your lady have talked at length re Ell�s offer. And of course you know that you have my heartfelt wishes for the best of luck in whatever you do. It is just, to me, that heaving away almost twenty years appears somewhat shortsighted. In my opinion I think it better for both of you if you stay put, but try and work for Ell from where you are, doing both jobs and thus having your cake and eating it too.

I has a nice and very lengthy letter from Herb Glossbrenner, who sent me a copy of his mag, saying he hoped I would subscribe and also saying he would welcome continued correspondence. I haven�t replied yet, but will do so. However, twenty bucks for a quarterly mag does seem a bit steep to me, and also I can�t afford to pay it at the present time.

Also had a nice letter from David Chapman who tells me he will be visiting England this fall to call in on Webster and will also pat Joe Assirati a visit. He has written Joe to this effect.

There are lots of things that happened that I am at a loss to explain to myself. But that�s all water under the bridge now and I have what�s left of my life to think of. I have been double dealt before, but then it was at least done by an expert and I didn�t know what was happening. This time I did, but I had made a promise and I meant to keep it whatever.
Yes, Pacifico was arrested- AGAIN- for steroids and was sentenced. He is to perform some considerable period of community service. But instead of this community service being as it is in England, where they make the high and mighty as well as the lowly, mow old folks� lawns, paint their houses and repair their toilets, Pacifico�s �service� consists of his going around and lecturing to youth groups on the dangers of steroid use. I am told it takes him two to three hours to get his tongue out of his cheek when he gets homes from his chores.

Kennedy rarely if at all replies to letters. His style is more like Balik�s in that he phones. He does phone me at long spaced intervals and occasionally I get a letter of two or three lines. But that�s it. I�m a little suspecting of brother W�[not Weider]. Don�t know why but he seems to be a little too pushy for my liking. However I may be grossly in error here since I don�t know enough about the bloke to express a valid opinion. Re McCallum- who�s he? � I suspect that Kennedy simply used your query as �filler�.

His new writing find Greg Zulak is some find. In one article in the issue slamming Cheery Chinmore, he says that squat racks weren�t know in Steinborn�s day, which is a dump of donkey dust since they WERE KNOWN AND BUILT. In fact in 1922 Ottley Coulter tells you how to make them in his Apollo Course, as I may have mentioned. In another �gem� he gives press behind necks as a sterling exercise to develop the PECS. Well well. We live and learn don�t we?

Amazing.

I do hope they treat your article ok. But Balik has a pen crazy dame in his employ as copy editor. She is said to be an editorial worker for NBC in Hollywood. She knows naught about weight training in any of its forms, but manages to emasculate stories, and would probably do so if she was a lifting expert. And it�s so far back now- way way back in the middle thirties- when I first wrote an article for IM that I can�t remember if I was all agog over its appearance or not. I guess I must have been.

As for you being an accepted author. Ain�t you that already? Yeah.

I intend to write a letter to Glossbrenner which will have the same sentiments as expressed by you. Olympic lifting will only die in this country if we allow it to die. I agree with Rudy Sablo who is of the opinion that US lifters are too bloody lazy too train as they should do. And of course I blame Hoffie in the long run for his monopolizing the sport as he did for so many years. We will see the same thing happening to Bodybuilding because of the Wanking Wunder�s monopoly of it now.

That opinion in Reno�s news letter that money can cure Olympic lifting�s ills is stupid and symptomatic of the times we live in when it is the expressed opinion of so many that every man has his price- watch the Contra hearings for verification of this. I can recall training with the Egyptian world champs in 1941 at their club. No saunas, no hot showers- cold water and can it get cold in Egypt, contrary to what you might think. Their club room was a disgrace by modern standards. Their diet as poor- Khoofts and bisella and stuff like that, yet they produced world champs and busted world records all over the place. If the spirit- note I sais the SPIRIT is there the body will be also and we will have champs.

I understand that Mae Mollica went to St. Lucia with Rick Wayne. I am also told there is some considerable acrimony twixt he and the WW of WH. Eo we will see. I understand Mae is said to be a bright gal.

The historian story is typical of the WW�s. Nice sounding title means no money has to be paid out. Am I cynical? Or is this just past experience speaking?

Re York, there are repeated rumors- note I said rumors- that once this suit is settled between Grimek and The Heirs, the company will be sold and the possibility exists that the mag will GO GO GO. I do hope not. I also doubt if Delinger would entertain any articles from me. Speak of Smith and you speak of the WW of WH.

Well it�s bloody hot- again, and I am sitting drinking iced coffee- HONEST, cross my heart.

[then after some comments on the Contra hearings�] What a bloody world.

With these inspiring words I take leave of you with the always good wishes to you and yours.

Chas.
Letter from Charles A. Smith of July 16, 1987:

Dear Joe,
Thanks for your letter post dated July 13th which reached me yesterday.

I am enclosing a cutting sent me by Joe Assirati or someone. As you will see, their surmise that only ONE death has taken place in the USA as a result of steroid use is grossly in error. You might- just a suggestion- get a paragraph or so out of it for your next newsletter. Joe is also preparing something for you on Charlie Assirati, his brother, who passed away recently. C has might, with more than the usual justification, be described as England�s Tony Sansone, although he wasn�t as tall. You should have seen him when he was in his prime.

Re the situation at the Collection. It is thus. I am no longer there. Last Wednesday, July 8th, I wasn�t feeling good at all. Hadn�t slept well for a week or so and was feeling real down. So I called Terry up at his home, since I couldn�t get him at the Collection. I told him these words. �Please don�t bother picking me up tomorrow. I haven�t slept well and I am in a bad temper.��He hasn�t called me since so there we are.

The last thing I was working on there was translating for Jan from French to English, excerpts from Las Rois De La Force- about Sandwina and Athleta and her daughters, Brada, Anna and Louise.

When referring to ED I was being lazy, not wanting to write out Ellington Darden to the full.

I am glad you and your lady have talked at length re Ell�s offer. And of course you know that you have my heartfelt wishes for the best of luck in whatever you do. It is just, to me, that heaving away almost twenty years appears somewhat shortsighted. In my opinion I think it better for both of you if you stay put, but try and work for Ell from where you are, doing both jobs and thus having your cake and eating it too.

I has a nice and very lengthy letter from Herb Glossbrenner, who sent me a copy of his mag, saying he hoped I would subscribe and also saying he would welcome continued correspondence. I haven�t replied yet, but will do so. However, twenty bucks for a quarterly mag does seem a bit steep to me, and also I can�t afford to pay it at the present time.

Also had a nice letter from David Chapman who tells me he will be visiting England this fall to call in on Webster and will also pat Joe Assirati a visit. He has written Joe to this effect.

There are lots of things that happened that I am at a loss to explain to myself. But that�s all water under the bridge now and I have what�s left of my life to think of. I have been double dealt before, but then it was at least done by an expert and I didn�t know what was happening. This time I did, but I had made a promise and I meant to keep it whatever.
Yes, Pacifico was arrested- AGAIN- for steroids and was sentenced. He is to perform some considerable period of community service. But instead of this community service being as it is in England, where they make the high and mighty as well as the lowly, mow old folks� lawns, paint their houses and repair their toilets, Pacifico�s �service� consists of his going around and lecturing to youth groups on the dangers of steroid use. I am told it takes him two to three hours to get his tongue out of his cheek when he gets homes from his chores.

Kennedy rarely if at all replies to letters. His style is more like Balik�s in that he phones. He does phone me at long spaced intervals and occasionally I get a letter of two or three lines. But that�s it. I�m a little suspecting of brother W�[not Weider]. Don�t know why but he seems to be a little too pushy for my liking. However I may be grossly in error here since I don�t know enough about the bloke to express a valid opinion. Re McCallum- who�s he? � I suspect that Kennedy simply used your query as �filler�.

His new writing find Greg Zulak is some find. In one article in the issue slamming Cheery Chinmore, he says that squat racks weren�t know in Steinborn�s day, which is a dump of donkey dust since they WERE KNOWN AND BUILT. In fact in 1922 Ottley Coulter tells you how to make them in his Apollo Course, as I may have mentioned. In another �gem� he gives press behind necks as a sterling exercise to develop the PECS. Well well. We live and learn don�t we?

Amazing.

I do hope they treat your article ok. But Balik has a pen crazy dame in his employ as copy editor. She is said to be an editorial worker for NBC in Hollywood. She knows naught about weight training in any of its forms, but manages to emasculate stories, and would probably do so if she was a lifting expert. And it�s so far back now- way way back in the middle thirties- when I first wrote an article for IM that I can�t remember if I was all agog over its appearance or not. I guess I must have been.

As for you being an accepted author. Ain�t you that already? Yeah.

I intend to write a letter to Glossbrenner which will have the same sentiments as expressed by you. Olympic lifting will only die in this country if we allow it to die. I agree with Rudy Sablo who is of the opinion that US lifters are too bloody lazy too train as they should do. And of course I blame Hoffie in the long run for his monopolizing the sport as he did for so many years. We will see the same thing happening to Bodybuilding because of the Wanking Wunder�s monopoly of it now.

That opinion in Reno�s news letter that money can cure Olympic lifting�s ills is stupid and symptomatic of the times we live in when it is the expressed opinion of so many that every man has his price- watch the Contra hearings for verification of this. I can recall training with the Egyptian world champs in 1941 at their club. No saunas, no hot showers- cold water and can it get cold in Egypt, contrary to what you might think. Their club room was a disgrace by modern standards. Their diet as poor- Khoofts and bisella and stuff like that, yet they produced world champs and busted world records all over the place. If the spirit- note I sais the SPIRIT is there the body will be also and we will have champs.

I understand that Mae Mollica went to St. Lucia with Rick Wayne. I am also told there is some considerable acrimony twixt he and the WW of WH. Eo we will see. I understand Mae is said to be a bright gal.

The historian story is typical of the WW�s. Nice sounding title means no money has to be paid out. Am I cynical? Or is this just past experience speaking?

Re York, there are repeated rumors- note I said rumors- that once this suit is settled between Grimek and The Heirs, the company will be sold and the possibility exists that the mag will GO GO GO. I do hope not. I also doubt if Delinger would entertain any articles from me. Speak of Smith and you speak of the WW of WH.

Well it�s bloody hot- again, and I am sitting drinking iced coffee- HONEST, cross my heart.

[then after some comments on the Contra hearings�] What a bloody world.

With these inspiring words I take leave of you with the always good wishes to you and yours.

Chas.