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ELFA 34th Annual National Funding
Conference Report
By Shari L. Lipski, CLFP

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) held its 34th Annual National Funding Conference March 14th – 16th at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, with another record-breaking attendance of 678 registered attendees and fifty-nine exhibitors, making this another outstanding industry conference.

The event began on Tuesday with the Best Practices Roundtable Hosted Luncheon and General Session. After lunch, the attendees broke out into four groups: bank, captives and vendor, independents, and small ticket. Each group spent the afternoon discussing the state of the industry and hot topics key to that leasing industry sector’s interests and the evening opened with a networking reception for all attendees.

Donna Yanuzzi, Director of Equipment Finance, SVP at First Equipment Finance, FNCB Bank, said, “The true value of attending ELFA events isn’t just the knowledge gained, it’s the connections we make, and the inspiration ignited.

“The ‘Bank Best Practices’ event was no different as we came together at a time of concern to learn as well as ensure best practices are being met in the industry, we all love and support.”

ELFA’s Emerging Talent Advisory Council held a networking event kicked off by Bob Neagle, ELFA Board Chairman, followed with a panel discussion on “Bridging the Gap – The War for Talent” and a reception. This year’s Emerging Talent event had seventy registered attendees from forty-six member companies.

Amanda Brubaken, Sr. Program Manager, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc., said, “I have been a part of the Emerging Talent Advisory Council (ETAC) for two years. This is my first year as the Chair of our Regional Networking Task Force.

“One of our goals for ETAC is to gear ourselves toward the up-and-coming talent in the industry, and this event accomplished that. Most of the attendees were new to an ELFA event. Between them and the ELFA Board, we saw a diverse representation of talent and experience, as well as effective conversation that will help move our goals forward“, said Amanda Brubaken, Sr. Program Manager, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc.”

Cindy Fleck, CLFP, SVP / GM Equipment Finance, Channel Partners, reported, “This is such a great industry, ELFA hosted a fantastic event, and the people are truly amazing! Whether it’s peers, customers, or competition; everyone supports one another! I feel very blessed by my 33 years in the equipment, finance industry!”

Tuesday evening was then open for dining with clients, prospects, and friends.

Wednesday morning began with breakfast at the 7 a.m. [OMG, I know right] and a full day of speed dating among the fifty-nine exhibitors located throughout the hotel in private suites, meeting rooms, and the exhibit hall. The evening started with a fully packed reception and was then open for attendees to visit and explore the restaurants and events of the great City of Chicago.

Thursday morning again started with a networking breakfast – again at 7 a.m. – with a half-day of meetings with exhibitors before everyone headed to the airport around lunchtime.

Ralph Petta, President & CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, commented, “It was terrific to see more than 675 ELFA members in Chicago for the 2023 Funding Conference”.

“We thank the Funding Planning Committee for their assistance organizing this unique event. The conference is one more example of strength of the equipment finance industry—and the power of ELFA to bring industry professionals together to foster connections and get business done.”

Each year that I’ve attended, I’ve met new faces in leasing, new start-up companies, and have always enjoyed learning something new about the people and businesses I thought I knew everything about. This short but powerfully focused one-on-one networking can be exhausting come day three, but I have never come away from this event feeling like I could have missed it. Today’s business climate only stresses how important and influential getting together with your peers and competitors can be to cultivate and enhance our dynamic industry.

For those of you that attended, I hope you enjoyed your time here in Chicago and made the connections you needed to drive your business forward during the next calendar year. For those members that missed this event, don’t worry it will be back here in Chicago next year and I look forward to meeting you then.

On behalf of LeasingNews.org, our Board of Advisors, and this conference’s local Chi-town reporter, I wish you a wonderful 2023.

All the best,
Shari L. Lipski, CLFP
Chair, Leasing News Advisory Board
Principal, ECS Financial Services, Inc.
Trustee, Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation

CODA:

2023, Chicago, Proxi Restaurant
- 7th Annual World Famous LIP Dinner

Here’s a fun photo from the "World Famous 7th Annual LIP dinner" that I host each year in Chicago at the Funding Conference. I call it the LIP Dinner because I invite – “Leasing’s Important People” – get it?

LIP. Lipski – Leasing’s Important People - Ha!

This started in 2014 with Bruce Kropschot, Paul Menzel, and me. At dinner Paul found out that 30+ years earlier Bruce put out a job opening at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company (Mani-Hani). Paul applied and got hired. They worked in two different cities, paths never crossed while they both worked there, butt it was Bruce that started Paul’s career in leasing.

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

David T. Bell was hired as Director of Multi-Unit Franchise Lending, Start Hill Finance, LLC., Fairfield, Connecticut. Previously, he was Director of National Franchise Lending, Seacoast Bank (January, 2021 - December, 2022); SBA Business Development, FunEx Solutions Group (January, 2021 - December, 2021). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-bell-01723910/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-t-bell-01723910/

Robert (Bob) Fanelle was hired as Sales Consultant, Quality Equipment Finance, Carmel, Indiana. He is located in Clementon, New Jersey. Previously, he was Broker Relationship Manager, North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC (August, 2020 - February, 2023); Business Development Manager, Marlin Capital Solutions (2015 - August, 2020); Inside Sales/Account Executive, Siemens Financial Services (November, 2014 - August 2015); Branch Manager, Vice President, PNC Bank, N.A. (September, 2012 - October, 2014).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-fanelle/

JP DeStefano was promoted to Director, Industrial Finance Division, CIT, New York, New York. He is located in Dallas-Fort Worth Area. He joined CIT March, 2021, Vice President, Industrial Finance Division.
Previously, he was National Sales Manager, Summit Funding Group (October, 2019 - March, 2021_; National Account Manager, Equify, LLC (June, 2018 - October, 2019). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpdestefanosfg/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpdestefanosfg/

Kelsie Kimbrough was promoted to Account Supervisor, Amur Equipment Finance, Grand Island, Nebraska. She is located in Aurora, Nebraska. She joined Amur December, 2019, Accountant. Previously, she was Personal Banker, U.S. Bank (May, 2014 - December, 2019).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsie-kimbrough-681881208/

Nathan McKenzie was hired as Assistant Vice President, Asset Management, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited, New York, New York. He is located in Chicago, Illinois. He joined Deutsche Leasing Gruppe March, 2020, as Junior Asset Manager, promoted June, 2021 Asset Manager. Previously, he was Accountant, University of Chicago (July, 2019 - March, 2020); Credits, Incentives, and Methods Intern, RSM US LLP.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncmckenzie/

Justin Wilmes, CLFP, hired as Lead Syndication Analyst, Stryker, Portage, Michigan. He is located in Aurora, Oregon. Previously, he was Account Manager, Dext Capital (September, 2022 - November, 2022); AVP Sales Manager, U.S. Bank (2015 - July, 2022). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-wilmes-clfp-65935149/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-wilmes-clfp-65935149/

7-Eleven Launches Plans for EV Charging
Network in US and Canada
By Auto Remarketing Staff

Dealers already might have been going to a nearby 7-Eleven to put some gas in a vehicle before a test drive or to fill the tank just before final delivery.

Well now, dealers soon can go to 7-Eleven to make sure their electric vehicles are set to go, too.

The company announced 7Charge, its new, proprietary EV charging network and app that are designed to deliver a convenient and reliable fast-charging experience at select 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. and coming soon to Canada.

Executives said 7-Eleven intends to build one of the largest and most compatible electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging networks of any retailer in North America with the launch of 7Charge, which is already delivering fast-charging services to customers in several locations in Florida, Texas, Colorado and California.

The company said the 7Charge network will offer EV drivers 7-Eleven’s trademark convenience and accessibility.

The company highlighted 7Charge sites allow customers to charge any EV make and model compatible with common CHAdeMO or Combined Charging System (CCS) plug types, and the 7Charge app offers a new level of convenience and coordination to customers looking for a seamless charging and payment experience.

Joe DePinto, President and Chief Executive Officer at 7-Eleven. said, “For over 95 years, 7-Eleven has innovated to meet our customers’ needs — delivering convenience where, when and how they want it,” said Joe DePinto, president and chief executive officer at 7-Eleven. “Now, we are innovating once again to meet our customers’ where they are by expanding our business to provide EV drivers convenience of the future…today.”

The 7Charge network will deliver on the growing consumer need for EV charging infrastructure.

By expanding the 7Charge network, while continuing to utilize third-party fast-charging network options, 7-Eleven said it will have the ability to grow its network to match consumer demand and make EV charging available to neighborhoods that have, until now, lacked access.

Once the network’s expansion is complete, 7-Eleven said it will have one of the largest and most compatible fast-charging networks of any retailer in North America, serving communities and customers at charging stations across its entire family of brands, including Speedway and Stripes stores.

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This Bank Lends to Owners of Real Estate
Who Lease to Cannabis Companies

REZYFi is positioned as one of first cannabis mortgage bankers in the U.S., while most traditional lenders are still reticent to serve the state-licensed cannabis industry.

REZYFi Lending sees higher margin lending opportunities as well as significant market opportunity to provide the growing and underserved cannabis industry with financial services.
ResMac forecasts $285 million in retail loan origination in 2023 and foresees strong growth opportunities.
ResMac is on pace to originate $250 million in wholesale loan business in 2023, with its year-over-year credit facility increase expected to jump more than 300%.
The company’s management team has more than 40 years’ experience in the mortgage and lending industry.
REZYFi expects to operate nationwide by the end of 2022; it currently operates in 34 states.

REZYFi, Inc. is a cannabis mortgage bank servicing the needs of both traditional and non-traditional consumers and businesses. Its target markets include licensed and permitted cannabis companies, owners of real estate who lease to cannabis companies, and companies and individual homeowners seeking a variety of real estate-related first and additional mortgage-based financing and project-specific financings, such as solar installations and real estate development projects.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, REZYFi operates through two wholly owned subsidiaries – REZYFi Lending, which primarily addresses emerging real estate-related financing opportunities, and ResMac Inc., the company’s traditional mortgage origination, correspondent and servicing operation. REZYFi is currently licensed in 34 U.S. states, with plans to expand to all remaining states later this year.

Source: cannabisnewswire.com

REZZYFI, Inc. Investor Brand Network
https://www.investorbrandnetwork.com/clients/rezyfi-inc

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DFPI Announces Comprehensive Review
of Oversight and Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation is conducting g a comprehensive review of the department’s oversight and regulation of Silicon Valley Bank and will issue a report by early May 2023. Through this review, we will examine how we can strengthen and update our system of financial regulation to meet emerging and evolving challenges.”

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation protects consumers, regulates financial services, and fosters responsible innovation. DFPI protects consumers by establishing and enforcing financial regulations that promote transparency and accountability. We empower all Californians to access a fair and equitable financial marketplace through education and preventing potential risks, fraud, and abuse. Learn more at dfpi.ca.gov

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This Day in American History

     1526 - The first North American Slave Revolt: Nearly 40 years before the first permanent European settlement in North America, Spanish explorers bring enslaved Africans to what became the Carolinas. The Africans escape in what is the first recorded slave revolt in North America. In 1501, Spanish settlers brought slaves from Africa to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. There was a slave revolt in 1522 on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which now comprises Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Most of Columbus’ bounty were Indian slaves as this was large commerce for basically “free labor.” In 1562, John Hawkins, the first Briton to take part in the slave trade, makes a huge profit hauling human cargo from Africa to Hispaniola.
    1619 - Africans brought to Jamestown are the first slaves imported into Britain's North American colonies. Like indentured servants, they were probably freed after a fixed period of service.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/tl.html
    1621 - A peace treaty and defensive alliance between the Wampanog Indians, led by Chief Massassoit, and the Pilgrims was concluded at Strawberry Hill, Plymouth, Mass. Arranged by Squanto, an English-speaking Indian, it was one of the earliest recorded treaties between Europeans and Indians in North America. Squanto had been kidnapped and sold as a slave in Spain. He escaped to England, where he learned English, and lived in Newfoundland for a time before returning to Massachusetts in 1619.
http://www.night.net/thanksgiving/massasoit-treaty.html
    1622 - The Powhatan Confederacy massacred 350 colonists in Virginia, a quarter of the population. On Good Friday, over 300 colonists in and around Jamestown were massacred. The massacre was led by the Powhatan chief Opechancanough and began a costly 22-year war against the English. Opechancanough hoped that killing one quarter of Virginia’s colonists would put an end to the European threat. The result of the massacre was just the opposite, however, as English survivors regrouped and pushed the Powhatans far into the interior. Opechancanough launched his final campaign in 1644, when he was nearly 100 years old and almost totally blind. He was then captured and executed. In 1644, another Indian uprising, led by Opechancanough, threatened Jamestown, but was surprised by the colonists and resulted in a treaty which forced the Indians to cede additional territory and effected a peace until 1675. Remains of the successful English settlement were found in 1996, including wood stains showing where the original wall was, the skeleton of a settler, and glass beads used for trading with the local Indians.
    1630 - The first legislation prohibiting gambling was enacted in Boston, Massachusetts.
    1713 - The Tuscarora War ended with the fall of Fort Neoheroka, effectively opening up the interior of North Carolina to European colonization. The conflict was between the British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora Native Americans after nearly 50 years of peaceful co-existence. The Europeans enlisted the Yamasee and Cherokee as Indian allies against the Tuscarora, who had amassed several allies themselves. This was considered the bloodiest colonial war in North Carolina. Defeated, the Tuscarora signed a treaty with colonial officials in 1718 and settled on a reserved tract of land in what became Bertie County. After their defeat, most of the Tuscarora migrated north to New York where they joined their Iroquoian cousins, the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. They were accepted as the sixth nation. Their chief said that Tuscarora remaining in the South after 1722 were no longer members of the tribe.
    1765 - Britain enacted a requirement to buy revenue stamps – “The Stamp Act” - for every pair of dice, every pack of playing cards, and every newspaper, document, and pamphlet. The purpose of the tax was to raise funds to pay for the upkeep of the British army in America. Colonists mounted a sustained boycott of British goods until the tax was repealed.
    1790 - Thomas Jefferson became the first U.S. Secretary of State.
    1794 - Congress banned U.S. vessels from supplying slaves to other countries.
    1812 - Birthday of Stephen Pearl (d. 1886), author, born in Templeton, Massachusetts. He was an ardent abolitionist, and in 1839, moved to Texas, where he converted many of the slave-owners, who were also large landowners, by showing them that they would become rapidly rich from the sale of land if immigration were induced by throwing the country open to free labor. Here he acquired considerable wealth in the practice of his profession. He also had a dedicated following around a “universal” philosophy and language.
http://www.famousamericans.net/stephenpearlandrews/
    1820 - Naval hero Stephen Decatur died from a duel. One of Decatur's colleagues, Commodore James Barron had been the subject of scandal in 1807 when he commanded the frigate Chesapeake and failed to prepare it for battle to British warship Leopold. Barron's disgraceful defeat led to his court martial in 1808. One of Decatur's naval duties was to sit on the trial of Barron's court martial. Although Decatur and Barron had been friends, Decatur agreed to a verdict that expelled Barron from the Navy for five years. This event began the thirteen-year dispute that would end on the dueling grounds in Maryland. Barron was overseas at the end of his five-year expulsion from the Navy and did not return to help defend his country during the War of 1812. Upon Barron's return to the United States in December 1818, Decatur challenged his absence during the war. In his defense, Barron claimed he had no money, and therefore could not get back to his country. Back and forth over four years, letters were written and both men stood their ground. Eventually, the quarrel became a fatal battle of honor.
Although dueling was illegal in the city of Washington, it was still common for naval officers to challenge one another. Commodore Stephen Decatur and Commodore James Barron met on the dueling ground in Bladensburg, Maryland. Both men were shot, but Decatur was mortally wounded. He was brought back to his home on Lafayette Square and died several hours later. The nation mourned the death of a great naval hero.
http://www.decaturhouse.org/museum/history2.htm
    1842 - Publisher/abolitionist Josiah Warren (1798-1874) opens 2nd Time Store in New Harmony. Warren founded several “equity” stores, founded three utopian colonies, and wrote “True Civilization.” These stores based sales on the hours of labor and worked on the trade of these goods for the time of labor, utilizing a “clock” formula. He is considered America's first anarchist.
http://www.famousamericans.net/josiahwarren/
http://www.kat.gr/kat/history/Txt/Gl/Anarchism/JosWarren.htm
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/bstud/warren.html
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/bstud/nh.html
     1871 - In North Carolina, William W. Holden became the first governor of a US state to be removed from office by impeachment. Appointed by President Andrew Johnson in 1865 for a brief term, and then elected in 1868, serving until 1871, he was the leader of the state's Republican Party during Reconstruction. The main charges against Holden were related to the rough treatment and arrests of North Carolina citizens by state militia officer Col. George W. Kirk during the enforcement of Reconstruction civil rights legislation. Holden had formed the state militia to respond to the assassination of a Republican senator, the lynching of Wyatt Outlaw, an African-American police officer, and numerous attacks by the KKK.   After the Democratic Party regained majorities in both houses of the state legislature in 1870, he was impeached and convicted on six of the eight charges against him by the Democrats of the North Carolina Senate in straight party-line votes. In 2011, Holden was posthumously pardoned by the North Carolina Senate.
    1872 - The State of Illinois was the first to pass a law banning sex discrimination in employment: “no person shall be precluded or debarred from any occupation or employment (except military) on account of sex.” 100 years later, the Senate passed the passed a law to prohibit sex discrimination, but it never received the necessary votes to become law. Ironically, only 35 states ratified the 1972 amendment. Among the ones that ironically did not were Illinois, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
    1874 - The Young Men's Hebrew Association originated in the 1840s as the Young Men's Hebrew Literary Association. The first YMHA opened in Baltimore, MD, in 1854, but was unsuccessful. The first permanent YMHA was founded this day in 1874 by a group of German-Jewish businessmen and professionals headed by Dr. Simeon Newton Leo. The first president was Lewis May. A second club was started in Philadelphia in 1875.
    1882 - The Edmunds Act is passed by Congress making polygamy a felony offense, disenfranchising polygamists and barring them from public office. Apparently, the only US law to deprive citizens of their civil rights without trial. More than 1,300 men were imprisoned under the terms of this measure. It was specifically enacted to halt the growth of the Mormon religion in Utah.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h734.html
http://www.vermonthistory.org/educate/Edmunds/gEdmunds.HTM
    1887 - Leonard "Chico" Marx (d. 1961) was born in NYC. He was the oldest of the Marx Brothers. In addition to his work as a performer, he played an important role in the management and development of the act, at least in its early years.
    1893 - The first women's collegiate basketball game was played at Smith College at Northampton, MA. Senda Berenson, then Smith's director of physical education and "mother of women's basketball," supervised the game, in which Smith's sophomore team beat the freshman team 5-4.
    1899 - Ruth Page (d. 1991) was born at Indianapolis, IN. American dancer and choreographer. She was a leading figure in Chicago dance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Opera Ballet and the Chicago Ballet.
http://www.ruthpage.com/
    1907 - Trumpeter player Rex Stewart (d. 1967) was born in Philadelphia.  http://www.dnai.com/~lmcohen/BOOKS/dc801590.htm
    1908 - Birthday of Louis L'Amour (d. 1988), Jamestown, ND. American writer of western fiction. After the 1950s, L'Amour published, at the peak of his career, several westerns a year. Best known is “Hondo.”
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/lamour.htm
    1912 – Character actor Karl Malden (d. 2009) was born Malden George Sekulovich in Chicago. He was in such classic films as “A Streetcar Named Desire,” for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, “On the Waterfront” and “One Eyed Jacks.” Malden later played in high-profile Hollywood movies such as “Baby Doll,” “How the West Was Won,” and “Patton.” He starred with a young Michael Douglas as Lt. Mike Stone in the 1970s TV crime series “The Streets of San Francisco.” Douglas freely credited Malden for the fame Douglas has received as an actor.
    1920 – James Brown (d. 1992) who played Lt. Rip Masters in “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin,” was born in Desdemona, TX.
    1920 - A spectacular display of the Northern Lights was visible as far south as Bradenton, FL, El Paso, TX, and Fresno, CA. At Detroit, MI, the display was described "so brilliant as to blot out all stars below first magnitude".
    1931 - Yesterday was James T. Kirk’s birthday; today is William Shatner's birthday, Montreal, QC, Canada.
    1936 - Great floods were at their crest on rivers from Maine to Ohio. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania reached 6.1 feet, Harrisburg hit 3.5 feet, and Hartford hit 8.6 feet, a depth greater than ever before. 107 lives were lost and damage was placed at $270 million.
    1943 - Singer/guitars/song writer George Benson was born in Pittsburgh. Benson began as a jazz guitarist, playing and recording with organist Brother Jack McDuff, and recording a series of mainstream jazz LPs on his own for several labels. In 1975, Benson signed with Warner Brothers, where he was encouraged to sing. The result was "Breezin'," which became the biggest-selling jazz album of all time. His hit singles, all vocals in the Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway mold, include "On Broadway," "This Masquerade," "Give Me the Night" and "Turn Your Love Around."
    1943 - Birthday of Keith Relf (d. 1976), vocalist, guitarist and harmonica player with the legendary British band, the Yardbirds, was born in Richmond, England. The group gave birth to three major guitar heroes of the 1960's - Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. For his part, Relf is credited with being one of the first to use guitar feedback. After the Yardbirds broke up in 1968, Relf and another member of the group, Jim McCarty, formed a duo called Together. Relf then organized a classical rock band, Renaissance, and a heavy rock group, Armageddon. In 1976, Keith Relf was found dead in his London home with a guitar in his hands. He had died of an electric shock.
    1945 - Top Hits
A Little on the Lonely Side - The Guy Lombardo Orchestra (vocal: Jimmy Brown)
Accentuate the Positive - Johnny Mercer
My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time - The Pied Pipers
There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder - Jimmie Davis
    1948 - Andrew Lloyd Webber birthday, London, England. Composer of such smash musicals as "Jesus Christ, Superstar," "Evita," "Cats," "Phantom of the Opera," "Starlight Express" and "Aspects of Love." Webber, the son of a composer, studied music at the Guildhall School and the Royal College, as well as attending Oxford. With lyricist Tim Rice, Webber was asked to write a children's show for EMI Records. The result was a version of an Old Testament story, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which was a moderate success. With manager David Lands underwriting their efforts, Webber and Rice started work on a rock opera, "Jesus Christ, Superstar," which tells the story from the viewpoint of children who might have known Christ. The recording of the opera was released on two LP's in October, 1970, and four years later had sold 5.5 million copies. "Jesus Christ, Superstar" opened on Broadway in 1971 and in London a year later. A film version, directed by Norman Jewison, was made in 1973.
    1953 - Top Hits
Till I Waltz Again with You - Teresa Brewer
Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como
Doggie in the Window - Patti Page
Kaw-Liga - Hank Williams
    1955 - Disc Jockey Alan Freed joins the staff of Coral records as an A&R man. His two-year deal calls for him to work with Coral's parent Company, Decca, as a producer.
    1956 - Sammy Davis, Jr. starred in the play, "Mr. Wonderful," in New York City. The critics were unkind, saying that they didn't care for the production. Audiences, however, gave it ‘thumbs up' and the show went on to be one of Broadway's more popular musicals, catapulting Davis into the limelight. He appeared with Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas, as Sinatra was also making a comeback, having won the Academy Award in 1954 as best supporting actor in “From Here to Eternity.” They became fast friends. The public black and white relationship was ahead of its time.
    1956 - Perry Como became the first major TV variety show host to book a rock and roll act on his program. The ‘Incomparable Mr. C.' booked Carl Perkins for the show and Perkins sang "Blue Suede Shoes."
    1958 - Movie producer Mike Todd and three other passengers were killed when the Lockheed Lodestar aircraft they were in exploded while in midair. Mike Todd was Elizabeth Taylor's third husband and she took his untimely death very hard. It was reported that Taylor had planned to be on board as well but her husband discouraged her from the trip due to an illness she was getting over. Todd produced the Oscar-winning movie from two years earlier, “Around the World in 80 Days,” and introduced innovative methods of filming to the industry.
    1958 - At the urging of his mother, Hank Williams, Jr. makes his stage debut in Swainsboro, Georgia. He is the eight-year-old son of the late country singer (who passed away New Year's Day, 1953) and his wife, Audrey Williams. It would take years and a near-fatal accident before he could develop a style of his own and come to terms with being the son of one of country music's greatest performers
    1960 - The first patent for a laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) granted to Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes. Schawlow shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics with Nicolaas Bloembergern and Kai Siegbahn for his work on lasers. He also was married to Townes’ sister. He then took a position with Townes at the physics department of Columbia University in the fall of 1949. Schawlow coauthored “Microwave Spectroscopy” (1955) with Townes. Also with Townes, they prepared a much disputed, by Gordon Gould, laser patent filed by Bell Labs in 1958. Townes was known for his work on the theory and application of the maser, on which he got the fundamental patent, and other work in quantum electronics connected with both maser and laser devices. He shared the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics with Nikolay Basov and Alexander Prokhorov.
    1961 - Top Hits
“Surrender” - Elvis Presley
“Where the Boys Are” - Connie Francis
“Dedicated to the One I Love” - The Shirelles
“Don't Worry” - Marty Robbins
    1961 - Industrial designer Raymond Loewy made this sketch of a futuristic sports car at the request of Sherwood Egbert, the recently appointed president of the ailing Studebaker Corporation. Egbert charged Loewy to design a new car bold enough to capture the popular imagination and boost the company's sagging fortunes. Loewy and his team of designers produced a prototype in record time, and the Avanti debuted in the spring of 1962 to rave reviews. My parents liked it so much they sold their Olds to get a red Avanti. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar22.html
    1962 - The play, "I Can Get It For You Wholesale," opened on Broadway. It featured a 19-year-old named Barbara Streisand. She stopped the show at the famed Shubert Theatre in New York City. Streisand starred as Miss Marmelstein. Audiences kept coming back for more of Barbara for 300 performances.
    1963 - "Our Day Will Come" by Ruby and The Romantics topped the Billboard Hot 100.
    1966 - Sopwith Camel appears at the Matrix in the San Francisco Marina District.
    1962 - A former member of the New York Giants, requesting anonymity, later revealed as Sal Yvars, revealed that Bobby Thomson's home run in the 1951 National League playoffs against the Brooklyn Dodgers – the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” - was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The spying is claimed to have gone on for the last three months of the season. Thomson, along with former Giants manager Leo Durocher, vehemently denied that he received help, but a source close to the team confirmed the spy operation. Wiki: “At the urging of manager Leo Durocher, coach Herman Franks, a catcher in his 11-year Major League career, took a seat behind the scoreboard and watched the opposite catcher's signals through a telescope. Using an electric buzzer, he relayed what he saw through an electrical signal to the dugout, where the Giants' batter would be informed of what pitch was coming. According to the book “The Echoing Green” that revealed the scheme, the system was installed on July 20. What is known is that the Giants were nearly unbeatable at home after that date closing the season with a 37-7 record. However, before one jumps to the conclusion that they "stole" the pennant through this devious tactic, it should also be noted that they were also a tremendous team on the road.
    1967 - McNERNEY, DAVID H., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Place and date: Polei Dock, Republic of Vietnam, 22 March 1967. Entered service at: Fort Bliss, Tex. Born: 2 June 1931, Lowell, Mass. Citation: 1st Sgt. McNerney distinguished himself when his unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion near Pole Doc. Running through the hail of enemy fire to the area of heaviest contact, he was assisting in the development of a defensive perimeter when he encountered several enemy at close range. He killed the enemy but was painfully injured when blown from his feet by a grenade. In spite of this injury, he assaulted and destroyed an enemy machinegun position that had pinned down 5 of his comrades beyond the defensive line. Upon learning his commander and artillery forward observer had been killed, he assumed command of the company. He adjusted artillery fire to within 20 meters of the position in a daring measure to repulse enemy assaults. When the smoke grenades used to mark the position were gone, he moved into a nearby clearing to designate the location to friendly aircraft. In spite of enemy fire he remained exposed until he was certain the position was spotted and then climbed into a tree and tied the identification panel to its highest branches. Then he moved among his men readjusting their position, encouraging the defenders and checking the wounded. As the hostile assaults slackened, he began clearing a helicopter landing site to evacuate the wounded. When explosives were needed to remove large trees, he crawled outside the relative safety of his perimeter to collect demolition material from abandoned rucksacks. Moving through a fusillade of fire he returned with the explosives that were vital to the clearing of the landing zone. Disregarding the pain of his injury and refusing medical evacuation 1st Sgt. McNerney remained with his unit until the next day when the new commander arrived. First Sgt. McNerney's outstanding heroism and leadership were inspirational to his comrades. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
    1967 - Elvis Presley begins filming his 25th movie, “Clambake,” in Los Angeles.
    1967 - The Who make their US stage debut, performing at the Paramount Theater in New York City.
    1969 - UCLA defeated Purdue 92-72 to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball championship. The Bruins were the first team to win three consecutive championships -- all under legendary head coach John Wooden. UCLA went on to dominate the college basketball title through the 1973 season, winning the NCAA Championship 10 times under Wooden.
    1969 - Top Hits
“Dizzy” - Tommy Roe
“Traces” - Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost
“Indian Giver” - 1910 Fruitgum Co.
“Only the Lonely” - Sonny James
    1972 - The Senate passed the 27th Amendment, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sending it to the states for ratification. Hawaii led the way as the first state to ratify and by the end of the year, 22 of the required states had ratified it. On Oct 6, 1978, the deadline for ratification was extended to June 30, 1982, by Congress. The amendment still lacked three of the required 38 states for ratification. This was the first extension granted since Congress set seven years as the limit for ratification. The amendment failed to achieve ratification as the deadline came and passed and no additional states ratified the measure.
http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/
    1972 - The Yankees trade first baseman Danny Cater to the Red Sox for lefty reliever Albert Walter Lyle. Over the next seven years, Sparky will pitch in 420 games in relief with 57-40 record and a 2.41 ERA notching 141 saves as he helps the Bronx Bombers to appear in three World Series, winning two. A three-time All-Star, he won the American League Cy Young Award in 1977, the first relief pitcher ever so honored in the AL. He led the in saves in 1972 and 1976. In a move only George Steinbrenner could make, right after Lyle won the Cy Young, he signed free agent Goose Gossage and Lyle was traded to Texas after the 1978 season and the 1978 World Series in which he did not appear. Teammate Graig Nettles: “He went from Cy Young to sayonara.”
    1975 - Barry Manilow makes his first US television appearance, performing "Mandy" and "It's A Miracle" on ABC-TV's American Bandstand.
    1975 - Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You" hits #1.
    1976 - Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter tells the audience at the National Association of Record Merchandisers' Scholarship Foundation Dinner that Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and other bands inspired him while working late nights when he was the Governor of Georgia. To prove he would never lie to them, he quoted lines from the Beatles' "Yesterday" and Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind.
    1977 - A blockbuster coastal storm lashed New York and New England. Norfolk, Connecticut was buried under 33 inches of snow. 24 inches was reported at Pittsfield, Massachusetts and 18 inches piled up at Gardner, Massachusetts. Snow amounts exceeded 30 inches in the Catskills in southeastern New York. 3 to 5 inches of rain deluged south coastal New England and wind gusts reached 60 to 90 mph. A 450 foot radio tower in Framingham, Massachusetts was toppled by the high winds.
    1977 - Top Hits
Love Theme from "A Star is Born" (Evergreen) - Barbra Streisand
“Fly like an Eagle” - Steve Miller
“Rich Girl” - Daryl Hall & John Oates
“Southern Nights” - Glen Campbell
    1977 - Comedienne Lily Tomlin made her debut on Broadway, as "Lily Tomlin on Stage" opened in New York.
    1977 - Stevie Wonder releases the single, "Sir Duke." The tune was a tribute to Duke Ellington and would spend 3 weeks at #1
    1977 - The John Denver TV special, “Thank God, I'm A Country Boy” aired on ABC-TV. Guests included Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Roger Miller.
    1982 - Diana Ross' first solo album for RCA, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," goes platinum less than three months after its release.
    1985 - Top Hits
“Can't Fight This Feeling” - REO Speedwagon
“The Heat is On” - Glenn Frey
“Material Girl” - Madonna
“Crazy for Your Love” – Exile
    1988 - Rain and high winds battered the Northern Pacific Coast Region, with wind gusts to 78 mph at Ocean Shores, WA. The high winds uprooted trees and down power lines. Ten cities in the northeastern U.S. reported new record low temperatures for the date. Eight cities in the central U.S. reported record highs. Southerly winds gusting to 60 mph helped push the mercury at Ottumwa, IA to a record warm reading of 83 degrees    1989 - Dick Clark announces he'll no longer host "American Bandstand," ending a 33-year run.
    1989 - Six cities in the Great Lakes Region, and three in southern Texas, reported new record low temperatures for the date, including Alpena, MI with a reading of 9 above zero, and Brownsville, TX with a reading of 38 degrees.
    1990 - A surge of arctic air kept temperatures in the teens and 20s during the day in the north central U.S., and heavy snow fell over parts of Montana. Record warmth was reported in the western U.S., and in Alaska. Phoenix, AZ reported a record high of 94 degrees, and the town of Barrow, located along the arctic coast of Alaska, reported a record high of 20 degrees.
    1991 - At Sotheby's in NYC, a 1909-10 baseball card in mint condition of Honus Wagner sold for $451,000, with the 10% auction house premium. Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall purchased the rare card. On the same day, a 1952 Topps card of Mickey Mantle sold for $49,500, tripling the pre-auction estimate, while a baseball signed by 12 players at the 1939 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, sold for $20,900. A new all-time record was established when a 1909-10 Honus Wagner T206 sold in August 2021 for $6,606,296.
    1993 – Intel shipped the first Pentium chips (80586), featuring a 60 MHz clock speed, 100+ MIPS, and a 64-bit data path.
    1999 - Top Hits
“Believe” - Cher
“Heartbreak Hotel” - Whitney Houston Feat. Faith Evans
“Angel of Mine” - Monica
“I Still Believe” - Mariah Carey
    2011 - South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed an abortion bill that requires women to undertake counseling and wait 72 hours, the longest period in the U.S.
    2014 - Mt. Gox, the Bitcoin exchange that filed for bankruptcy, announced that it found 200,000 of the 800,000 missing bitcoins belonging to customers. The missing bitcoins were overlooked because they had been stored in an older format in a 'wallet' presumed to be empty.
    2021 - Evanston, Illinois, votes to become first US city to pay reparations to Black residents for past discriminations and effects of slavery, giving $400,000 to each household.

NCAA Basketball Champions:
1958 - Kentucky
1969 - UCLA

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Gimme that wine"

Silicon Valley Bank: Now what? How Northern
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https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/03/18/silicon-valley-bank-now-what-how-northern-california-wine-is-faring-after-the-fallout/

Santa Clara Valley Wine Auction set
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What’s New in Napa?
Hot Tasting Rooms to Visit Now
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