About the Author and Founder of Mike's Bike Tours & Bus Bavaria: although my father's family was A story of an American entrepreneur's not at all wealthy and he never earned a salary that allowed him to do much more than make the successes, failures & good life in Germany payments on his 30-year mortgage by Michael Lasher for a house that cost $11,000 while also providing for his seven kids, on w e e k e n d s i n t h e s u m m e r throughout my entire childhood and youth my family and I greatly appreciated the privilege of enjoying the use of the pool on the gorgeous waterfront property of a fo r m e r t yco o n a n d i co n o f A m e r i c a n e n t e r p r i s e . (2011) Over the past 21 years I have as practicing Catholics. My father spoken to thousands of our was a Lieutenant at the United States Merchant Marine Academy guests and they have consistently in Kings Point, NY - which, along asked me about my personal story w i t h G re at N e c k , i s o n t h e more frequently than anything peninsula referred to as West Egg else. Since many of our clientele are (representing old money) in F. Scott curious enough to find this subject Fitzgerald's – The Great Gatsby. He interesting I've chosen to take this died in 2009, known affectionately opportunity to write this article for to senior administration members My parents grew up in Great Neck, those who may enjoy reading it of the Academy as “The Mayor of and my mother's maiden name and, after 22 years, finally provide a King's Point”. was Sherman. We are proud far more thorough version of my My entire family was very decedents of Roger Sherman, the story than I could or would care to fortunate to have been associated only Founding Father to have offer anybody verbally in response with this excellent institution, signed all four of the great state to future inquiries about it. As I which is located on the north Shore d o c u m e n t s , i n c l u d i n g t h e b e g a n t o w r i t e t h i s t e x t I of Long Island where some of the Declaration of Independence and immediately wondered how far w e a l t h i e s t p e o p l e i n back I should go into my own America lived in personal background. For the sake the early 20th of completeness I've decided to go century, includ- all the way back to the beginning ing particularly, (of my life). I figure what the heck, W a l t e r P . y'all have some 3+ hours to kill Chrysler, who while on our coach today anyway, d o n a t e d h i s so why not? Here goes! property to the I was born on Long Island in late federal govern- 1967 and grew up in a town called ment and whose Hicksville, which also happens to mansion is the be where Billy Joel is from, of whom centerpiece of I am a big fan. I'm the youngest of the Academy's seven kids, and yes, we were, raised c a m p u s . S o Roger Sherman stands at the table second from left 41 the Constitution, which was finally possible in the winter. At 15 I (CUNY) from which I graduated in based upon his Great Compromise washed dishes and pans in the 1992 with a B.A. (in International proposition, a.k.a. the Connecticut kitchen of a nearby Italian Business). Had I the chance to do it Plan. We are also related to William restaurant on Friday and Saturday over again I wouldn't spend 5 years Tecumseh Sherman, the famous nights for $3 an hour. At 16 I also of my life going to college to get Union General at the time of the stocked shelves in a local grocery the kind of education that I did, Civil War, best known for his “march store for the legal minimum wage rather would travel and / or study to the sea” (depicted in Gone with at the time, which was $3.35 / hour. independently instead. Today I am the Wind) and the famous quote, At 17 I was a bus boy (cleaning off p e r s o n a l l y o p p o s e d t o t h e “ a l l w a r i s h e l l ” . tables) at another local Italian paradigm which now dominates in restaurant called Cristiano's, in the USA that one must obtain a Syosset, NY - which happens to be college degree in order to increase the restaurant Billy Joel sings the likelihood of becoming about in the Ballad of Brenda and successful. I believe that going to Eddie / “Scenes from an Italian college in the USA these days is the Restaurant” - a fantastic song I right choice for those who need the recommend listening to sometime degree, like those who will become if you're not already familiar with it. doctors, engineers, etc. or really At around the age of 18 I eventually know what they want to study and became a waiter and worked in why, but not necessarily for those several restaurants on Long Island who simply believe they must have as well as in NYC, including the a piece of paper which proves they (excellent) Bryant & Cooper went to college in order to increase steakhouse in Roslyn, which is still their chances of getting a “good open to this day. (If you happen to job”. With so many young people be from Long Island and ever go getting a degree from a college there, please consider asking to institution these days, that piece of William Tecumseh Sherman speak with the owner, George Poll, paper has become worth less and and tell him that I send my best! less while costing more and more, For those of you from the South, He'll remember me if you tell him I and the quality of the education is, particularly Atlanta, please try not was the kid who let him borrow my in my opinion, very often lessor to hold this against me. At any rate, silver 914) than what one can achieve on their my name is not Sherman, for that As a waiter I often earned pretty own at home with the internet, was my mother's maiden name, good money, but I also was fired books and travel. At any rate, once I but my family's history in America from a number of places. In NY h a d f re e d my s e l f f ro m t h e predates the Revolutionary War, at waiters are a dime a dozen and for a volitional ball and chain that the least on my mother's side. young kid like me it wasn't that goal to achieve a four-year degree I went to a parochial (Catholic) easy to keep a good job for long. had become to me, I immediately school from 5th through the 9th Eventually I decided to work for went on a two-month backpacking grade, after which I switched over myself and started cleaning trip through Europe that summer, to Hicksville High School. In my a p a r t m e n t s a n d o f fi c e s i n 1 9 9 2 . W h i l e i n Z e r m a t t , youth I was talented at sports and Manhattan for $15/hour under the Switzerland, home of the famed played soccer, baseball (shortstop), name Total Apartment Cleaning. I and beautiful Matterhorn, I applied tennis, basketball and was always printed 1,000 business cards and a for a job at the rather casual Hotel the quarterback for our beloved flyer which I taped to a dozen or so Post. Fortunately, I made a good sandlot football games but sadly ATM machines, from which I impression while struggling to gave up playing organized sports at started getting calls right away. In speak only German in my interview, the young age of 15 because I began fact, I never had to advertise like although their entire staff spoke working in addition to going to that again. I still recall the feeling of English fluently and many of school. From about the age of 12 I gratitude I had after my first job whom spoke little to no German at enjoyed earning money however I transforming a filthy studio some all. I spent the fall of 1992 back in NY could. I had a paper-route which young lady had just acquired into a and moved to Zermatt in mid- earned me about $30/week and for spick and span place over the December. The hotel provided me about $10/hour I also mowed course of 4 hours and walking off with an apar tment and my lawns in the spring and summer, with $60. That was 1990, and I was housemate was only 18. It was then raked leaves in peoples' yards in the attending school at Baruch College, that I first began to develop the fall and shoveled snow whenever part of the City University of NY opinion that I had all but wasted 5 42 years going to college.