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Serge Alexander Storms
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; appears next in Orange Crush.
Maria Conchita
One of the five members of the Books, Booze and Broads book club. Maria has a passionate interest in fashion, but, unfortunately, lacks the required fashion sense needed to become a designer. As such, she typically wears loud clothing and garish makeup. Maria majored in graphic design at the University of Florida. She is a single mother, and is also outgoing, talkative and extremely clumsy. She is Latin American; in her mid-forties; almost six feet tall and possesses a large and gangly physique.
Rebecca Shoals
The ‘flower child’ and reluctant beauty of the Books, Booze and Broads book club. Rebecca was raised in the Tampa Bay area by her folksinger parents. She is gifted with a natural artistic talent, as well as the ability to play any musical instrument. After her college years at the University of Florida, she went on to become a successful commercial artist. She is also a single mother. Rebecca is in her mid-forties; medium height; naturally curvaceous; has auburn red hair, bedroom eyes, and high cheekbones.
Samantha “Sam” Bridges
The de facto leader of the Books, Booze and Broads quintet. Samantha is an assistant state attorney in Miami. She possesses a strong self-reliant streak and sense of justice, as well as an overriding desire to defend the weak. After graduating school, where she excelled in soccer, lacrosse, basketball and softball, Samantha majored in law enforcement at the University of Florida. She is a single mother with (at least) two daughters. Samantha is forty-six years old; six feet tall; possesses an athletic physique; and wears her blond hair in a short-cropped style.
Paige Turner
A member of the Books, Booze and Broads book club. Orphaned at an early age, Paige was raised by her grandparents in Okeechobee. She went on to get her veterinary degree at the University of Florida. She is a veterinarian and a single mother. Paige is shy, quiet, and has a passive personality. She is in her mid-forties; petite; with big brown eyes; possesses classic ‘girl next door’ attractiveness; and usually wears her hair in a ponytail.
Teresa Wellcraft
A member of the Books, Booze and Broads who is an aerospace engineer. Teresa grew up in Daytona Beach, where she was molested at a young age by her stepfather. This traumatic event resulted in her becoming both a loner and an overachiever. She is extremely intelligent, majoring in both chemistry and engineering at the University of Florida. Teresa is forty-six years old, thin-built, and is blond.
Paul, the Passive-Aggressive Private Eye
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; no further appearances.
Jethro Maddox
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; no further appearances. It is revealed in this novel that he is the president of the Pensacola chapter of Hemingway Look-Alike club.
Orbit Motel manager
Last seen in Florida Roadkill; no further appearances to date.
Johnny Vegas, the Accidental Virgin
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; appears next in Atomic Lobster. It is revealed in this novel he is the son of an insurance mogul.
Lenny Lippowicz
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; appears next in Cadillac Beach. It is stated in this novel he is currently forty-two years old, and that his father passed away sometime prior to August 1992.
City (A.K.A. LaToya Olsen)
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; appears next in Cadillac Beach.
Country (A.K.A. Ingrid Praline)
Last seen in Hammerhead Ranch Motel; appears next in Cadillac Beach.
Ralph Krunkleton
Author of Florida murder mystery novels such as: B is For Bongo, Bad Trip, The Naked and the Murdered, Murder at the Watergate, Parrot Droppings, The Stingray Shuffle and Blender Bender. After retiring from the literary world over a decade ago, Ralph currently resides in a stilt house in the Upper Keys. Despite his semi-reclusive existence, Ralph is friendly, well-centered, and outgoing. He is currently sixty-seven years old (he is said to have been twenty-seven in 1958); burly and physically fit; has a hard and leathery face from an outdoor lifestyle; and keeps his head shaved bald.
Tanner Lebos
Ralph Krunkleton’s literary agent and longtime friend. Tanner is also the agent for Preston Bradshaw and his traveling troupe of performers.
Ivan
Ex-KGB agent who is currently a member of the Mierda Cartel. Ivan is the operator of a cocaine distribution network based out of the Palm Reader book store. His career in the KGB ended years ago, when he was caught sleeping with the wife of a Politburo member.
Mr. Grande
The head of the Merida Cartel, a small cocaine cartel based in Granada. Originally born in Russia, he is tall, rugged-looking, and resembles actor Gene Hackman. First name unrevealed.
The traveling entertainers
Along with Preston Lancaster, this eclectic group consists of: Dave & Jeff, a Wurlitzer-playing duo called Bad Company; Andy Francesco, the troupe’s stage act known as the “Pickpocket comedian”; Spider, a juggler who is regularly hypnotized by Preston into believing he is one-armed; Bruno Litsky, a Jay Leno impersonator; Saul Horowitz, a one-man vaudeville tribute show; Frankie Chan, a hand-shadow performer; Xolack the Mentalist, a stage magician; Dee Dee Lowenstein, a Carmen Miranda impersonator who joins the group after Saul Horowitz leaves; and Bob Kowolski , the lone member of the new Steppenwolf band who replaces Dave & Jeff while the troupe is touring across the country.
Preston Bradshaw Lancaster (A.K.A. The Great Mez-Mo)
The resident hypnotist in the traveling entertainers. Preston frequently abuses his power of persuasion and tricks woman into sleeping with him. Born into an upper-middle class family from the Gainesville, FL. area, Preston attended the University of Florida in the late 1960s. While in college, Preston honed and perfected his hypnotic skills on numerous co-eds, nine of whom he impregnated. Preston was forced to leave town due to one of these pregnancies, and finished college in Nevada. After ruining his teaching career with more scandals involving co-eds, Preston wound up employed as a stage hypnotist in Reno. Aside from his obvious loathsomeness, Preston also shows signs of being somewhat sadistic. This is evidenced by the cruel tricks he plays on his fellow performers while they are under hypnosis. Based on the timeframe during which he was at the University of Florida, it is believed he is in his mid-forties.
Ivan’s Russian Goons
The four original goons in Ivan’s gang are: Pavel, an ex-KGB agent who ruined his career in the intelligence organization by accidentally sitting on a plunger and blowing up an elite Soviet demolition team; Nikita, a helicopter pilot who was dismissed from the KGB after he accidentally sent a commando team rappelling down a chimney during a labor riot in the Ukraine; Leonid, who was kicked out of the KGB after he mistook his suicide pill for an after-dinner mint and gave it to the Soviet emissary to Kazakhstan; and Igor, who was dismissed from the KGB after he accidentally killed the last two columns of marching band in the May Day parade with the specially-equipped machines guns on the limousine he was driving. The four replacement goons Mr. Grande sends Ivan are: Dmitri, Alexi, Vladimir and Chuck.
Cameron & Brandon
Two fraternity brothers from an unnamed Ivy League school who are back home in Palm Beach during the Christmas break. They are both stars of their school’s sculling team; in their early twenties; weigh two hundred and forty pounds; and have muscular physiques.
Mrs. Lippowicz
First appearance; appears next in Cadillac Beach. Lenny’s widowed mother who lives in Pompano Beach.
The drummer for ________________
A member of the rhythm section of a well-known (but unidentified) rock band who joins Preston Bradshaw and the rest of the traveling entertainers for their gig aboard the Sliver Stingray.
Eugene Tibbs (A.K.A. Blind Jelly Doughnut)
An ex-blues guitarist from Mississippi. Eugene currently operates a one-man wildcat bathroom attendant business in NYC – Big Apple Urinal Guys. He found himself in New York after fleeing in disgrace from Tampa when his ruse of pretending to be a blind guitarist was publicly revealed. Eugene is African-American, and currently lives in the SoHo section of lower Manhattan.
Zigzag
The leader of the Queens-based Jamaican gang who is involved in an ongoing turf war with the Balboa crime family.
NOTE - The novel's hardcover edition was used for the (Chapter : Page) notations
The events of The Stingray Shuffle begin on the same day as the conclusion of Hammerhead Ranch Motel, as Serge, Lenny, City and County race east in pursuit of Paul and Jethro. Based on a review of the events in Hammerhead Ranch Motel, this chase occurs on Wednesday, December 17, 1997. Working forward from the numerous New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day references in The Stingray Shuffle, its climax occurs on Friday, January 2, 1998. Therefore, the events (involving Serge) in The Stingray Shuffle occur between Wednesday, December 17, 1997 and Friday, January 2, 1998.
“I usually hate it when some show-off wrecks a perfectly good linear story by jumbling the chronology.” – Serge A. Storms, The Big Bamboo (2: 38)
NOTE - The novel's hardcover edition was used for the (Chapter : Page) notations
MONDAY, JULY 8, 1996
Serge is arrested after he is caught sleeping inside a historic railcar at the Flagler Museum. (7: 55-57)
TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1996
Amused by Serge’s animated courtroom defense, the judge sentences him to fifty hours of community service at the Flagler Museum. (7: 57-59)
MONDAY, JULY 15, 1996
Serge is arrested after he is caught doing some restorative work at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. Impressed once more by Serge’s defense, the judge places him on probation. (10: 72-77)
While hanging out in a cemetery, Serge invites himself to a funeral. After giving an inspirational eulogy, Serge shocks the mourners by dumping the deceased’s ashes into the sewer. (10: 77-79)
TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1996
Serge is convicted for disturbing the funeral and is sentenced to the state hospital in Chattahoochee. (10: 77-79)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 1997
Samantha, Maria, Rebecca, Paige and Teresa decide to revive their old their reading club - the Books, Booze and Broads (BBB). (12: 90)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1997
Word begins to spread that sales of Ralph Krunkleton’s eleven-year-old The Stingray Shuffle have unexpectedly spiked. (4: 30-32)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1997
Ralph’s publishers decide to capitalize on his unexplained resurgence in popularity. (4: 32-33)
Preston Bradshaw amuses himself during his hypnotist show in Reno by hypnotizing a seventeen-year-old girl into having sex with him. Afterwards, Preston brags about his hypnotic powers to his fellow performers. (17: 126-133 & 17: 137-139)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1997
Tanner convinces Ralph to go on a book-signing tour. (6: 42-51)
Tanner tells Preston and the other lounge act performers he has arranged for them to go on a cross-country tour. (20: 159)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1997
The BBB uses one of Ralph’s old novels as a guide to the best bars in Key West. (12: 89-97)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1997
A powerful Columbian cartel hires Mr. Grande and his Mierda Cartel to build them a fully functional, Civil War-era submarine. (9: 64-67)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1997
Ivan discovers his scheme of smuggling cocaine inside hollowed-out copies of The Stingray Shuffle has inadvertently led to a surge in sales for the old novel, and now the publishers want his bookstore to host Ralph’s upcoming book-signing. (8: 60-63)
While on their cross-country tour, Preston and the others learn Tanner has booked them for a murder-mystery train gig aboard The Silver Stingray on New Year’s Day. (20: 162-164)
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1997
Mr. Grande’s H.L. Hunley replica sinks to the bottom of the bay on its maiden voyage. (9: 67-69)
During Ralph’s book-signing at The Palm Reader, regular copies of The Silver Stingray accidentally get mixed up with the hollowed-out, cocaine-filled ones. The BBB’s plan to meet their favorite author is ruined by a police raid on the store. (14: 106-111)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1997
Ivan and his men stop along Collins Avenue to assist an elderly driver being harassed by a group of Ivy League students. (15: 112-115)
The BBB discuss the previous night’s raid at Ralph’s book-signing over coffee at an outdoor café on Collins Avenue. Across the street, Ivan and his men beat up the Ivy League students who were harassing the elderly driver. (2: 14-15)
Needing to make good on his obligation to the Columbians, Mr. Grande decides to find the missing briefcase, and use the five million dollars to purchase a Soviet-era submarine on the black market. (15: 115-116)
Ivan is assigned by Mr. Grande to find the missing briefcase. (15: 116-117)
Serge, Lenny, City and Country continue east on Interstate 4 in pursuit of Jethro and Paul, and the briefcase filled with five million dollars. (5: 34-41)
Serge and Lenny ditch City and Country at Bok Tower and Gardens. (7: 52-55)
Jethro and Paul hole-up at the Orbit Motel in Cocoa Beach. (3: 20-23)
Serge makes a detour to visit the Orlando Amtrak station. (10: 70-72)
Aware his date enjoys sex in public places, Johnny Vegas bribes a Gooney Golf employee into letting him take Bianca out onto the driving range in the range cart. Unfortunately for Johnny, Bianca panics when the golfers use the cart for target practice. Bianca flees the cart and is immediately knocked out by a golf ball. (3: 23-29)
Serge’s GPS tracker leads them to the Kennedy Space Center. (13: 98-105)
Serge and Lenny search for Jethro and Paul inside the Kennedy Space Center. They track the two men back to the Orbit Motel. (16: 118-125)
While interrogating a Buccaneer Life and Casualty employee for information about the missing five million dollars, Nikita and Leonid are accidentally killed. Ivan and the two remaining Russians learn the briefcase was last seen with George Veale at the Orbit Motel. (18: 140-145)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1997
As they arrive at the Orbit Motel, Ivan and his men notice Serge and Lenny chasing Jethro and Paul across the highway into the Goony Golf. The Russians join the chase for the briefcase. Pavel is accidentally killed, but Paul and Lenny are captured by the two remaining Russians. Meanwhile, Serge manages to get ahold of the briefcase and makes his escape. (19: 146-149)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1997
While interrogating Paul and Lenny at Jetty Park, Igor accidentally kills Paul. Ivan decides to continue Lenny’s interrogation back at the Orbit Motel. (19: 148-151)
Capturing Igor in the Orbit Motel parking lot, Serge frees Lenny from the trunk of the Russians’ car. (19: 151-153)
Serge places Igor inside a Goony Golf cart he removed the protective cage from, and then sends the cart out onto the driving range. (19: 153-154)
While the police investigate Pavel’s death at Goony Golf, Igor’s unprotected cart is pummeled by a salvo of golf balls hit by the practicing golfers. (19: 154-155)
The police are informed Igor has just been killed at Goony Golf. (19: 155)
Mr. Grande agrees to send Ivan some more men. (19: 155-156)
Ivan picks up Dmitri, Alexi, Vladimir and Chuck at Orlando International. (19: 156)
Blaming himself for Paul’s death, Jethro decides to kill himself by putting a shotgun barrel in his mouth and pulling the trigger with his toe. Ivan and his new crew burst into Jethro’s motel room. Jethro panics and tries to flee with the shotgun stuck to his foot. In the process, Jethro inadvertently peppers the Russians’ feet with ground-level shotgun blasts, causing them to flee the room in pain. (19: 156-157)
While trying to get his toe unstuck from the shotgun, Jethro accidentally shoots himself. (19: 157-158)
Ivan puts the word out to his criminal contacts to keep an eye out for Lenny’s Cadillac. (21: 165)
Serge and Lenny are spotted driving through Riviera Beach by one of Ivan’s contacts. (21: 165-167)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1997
While hiding out at the Flagler Museum, Serge and Lenny catch Cameron and Brandon vandalizing one of the historic railcars. (22: 168-172)
Inside an abandoned warehouse, Serge begins dehydrating Cameron and Brandon. (22: 172-174)
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1997
Serge moves his two dehydrated captives up to the roof of the warehouse and begins basting them with coconut oil and salt. (22: 174-176)
The medical examiner concludes Cameron and Brandon were turned into human jerky. (22: 176)
Ivan learns Lenny’s Cadillac was seen leaving the warehouse in West Palm Beach. (23: 177-178)
Serge and Lenny notice Ivan’s Mercedes following them down U.S. Highway 1. (23: 178-181)
Serge and Lenny hide out at the Pompano Park racetrack. (24: 182-184)
Lenny arranges for his mother to come to the racetrack. (24: 184-186)
The Russians tail Mrs. Lippowicz’s van as she drives Serge and Lenny back to her house. (25: 187-192)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1997
Ivan and his men follow Serge and Lenny to the rotating lounge atop the Pier Sixty-Six hotel. Serge overhears Ivan and his men speaking Russian and mistakenly assumes they part of the Russian mafia. Serge offers to pay them five million dollars to get him aboard a Soyuz flight into outer space. (25:192-203)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1997
Serge and Lenny wait at the B & H Deli for their midnight rendezvous with Ivan. (26: 204-206)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1997
Serge and Lenny are ambushed by the Russians at the Kennedy Space Center’s Rocket Garden. Lenny is wounded in the leg by gunfire, and Serge is forced to hand over the briefcase. Serge and Lenny escape the Russians aboard a replica moon buggy. (26: 206-208)
Serge drops Lenny off at the hospital. (26: 208-209)
Ivan phones Mr. Grande from the Moon Hut. Mr. Grande orders him to take the money to New York and use it to buy a Soviet-era submarine from an ex-KGB agent named Yuri. Serge, hiding in the back of the restaurant, overhears the Russians’ travel plans. (26: 209-210)
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1997
The BBB decide to go on the murder mystery-themed trip aboard The Silver Stingray. (27: 211-213)
Serge boards the Russians’ commercial flight to New York City. Elsewhere on the plane, Samantha and her friends agree to celebrate the upcoming New Year’s Eve in Times Square. (27: 213-216)
Eugene Tibbs prepares for another profitable night as a wildcat men’s room attendant. (28: 217-223)
Ivan accidentally swaps briefcases with Eugene in the Russian Tea Room’s men’s room. As Ivan and his men leave to meet with Yuri, Serge realizes what has happened and stays behind. Eugene discovers the mix-up and, aware the Russians will soon realize their mistake, hurriedly departs the restaurant with the briefcase. Meanwhile, Ivan and his men discover they have the wrong briefcase and rush back to the restaurant. (29: 224-232)
Ivan forces the Russian Tea Room’s maître d’ to tell him where to find Eugene. (30: 233-234)
Eugene notices Serge following him and gives him the slip. Serge finds Eugene’s home address on a business card Eugene accidentally dropped during the chase. (30: 234-235)
The Russians arrive at Eugene’s SoHo apartment building. (30: 236-237)
While lying in wait for Eugene to return to his loft, Ivan and his men become embroiled in a three-way gun battle between the Balboa mob mafia and Zigzag’s Jamaican gang. When the dust settles, Ivan and Zigzag realize they are the ones left standing. Calling a truce, they decide to team-up to find Eugene and the briefcase. (30: 237-240)
Eugene books passage to Miami aboard The Silver Stingray. (31: 241-242)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1997
Serge sneaks into Eugene’s loft and hears a phone message from Amtrak confirming Eugene’s reservation aboard The Silver Stingray. Serge heads over to Penn Station and buys a ticket for The Silver Stingray. While there, he meets the BBB, who invite him to Woody Allen’s clarinet performance at the Café Carlyle. (31: 242-244)
After the Woody Allen concert, Serge takes the BBB on a sightseeing tour of the city. (31: 244-248)
While the others head over to Times Square to watch the New Year’s ball drop, Serge and Samantha slip away back to her hotel room to have sex. (32: 249-256)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1998
As Serge and the BBB board The Silver Stingray, Tanner introduces Ralph to Preston and the other performers whom will be acting out the various roles in the murder mystery. Ivan and Zigzag arrive at Penn Station but are too late to prevent Eugene from hopping aboard the departing train with the briefcase. (33: 257-265)
Serge steals Tanner’s briefcase containing the scripts and props for the murder mystery, including millions of dollars in funny money. (34: 266-267)
The performers, unable to start the murder mystery due to the theft of the scripts, are forced to improvise and do their lounge acts instead. During his hypnotism show, Preston uses his powers to trick Rebecca into thinking he is Brad Pitt. (34: 267-271)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1998
Ivan and Zigzag chase after The Silver Stingray in their car. (35: 272-273)
Serge is awoken in the middle of the night by Samantha talking in her sleep. (35: 273-275)
Over breakfast, the BBB discovers Rebecca was tricked into sleeping with Preston. (35: 275-278)
Serge spots Eugene aboard the train, but loses sight of him when the passengers suddenly rush over to the windows to watch Ivan and Zigzag coming alongside the train on horseback. (36: 279-283)
Ivan and Zigzag board The Silver Stingray seconds before it enters a tunnel. As the train emerges from the tunnel, the passengers discover someone snapped Preston’s neck while they were all plunged into darkness. (36: 284-285)
Ivan and Zigzag grab the briefcase from Eugene, but Serge takes it from them at gunpoint and runs away. While looking for Serge, Zigzag is killed by a booby-trapped grenade inside Serge’s sleeper cabin. Ivan confronts Serge on the train’s roof, and the two begin to fight. Samantha climbs onto the roof and hits Ivan with the briefcase. The impact opens the briefcase, sending the millions flying into the air. With nothing left to fight about, Serge, Ivan and Samantha go back inside the train. The Silver Stingray suddenly derails and lands in a swamp. (37: 286-290)
Serge confesses to the BBB he murdered Preston because of what Preston did to all of them decades ago in college. He tells the women he learned about their shared secret while Samantha was talking in her sleep. The train suddenly lurches, causing Serge to hit his head against the wall. As the rescue team arrives, Serge jumps out of the train and disappears into the swamp. (38: 291-296)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1998
Suffering from amnesia, a confused Serge boards a Greyhound bound for Key West. (E: 297-298)
Serge’s bus arrives in Key West. (E: 298-299)
Serge eludes the police by jumping off a drawbridge. (P: 1-3)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1998
Serge, now living with the monkeys on Key Lois, hears a boat approaching the island. (P: 3-5)
Johnny Vegas and Sasha arrive on Key Lois. Johnny’s plans to lose his virginity are ruined when an army of monkeys begins chasing Sasha around the island. (E: 301-303)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1998
Samantha and her friends discuss how shocked they were to find the five million dollars hidden in their luggage after they and the rest of the train passengers were rescued. They conclude Serge must have swapped out the real money for the prop funny money sometime before his fight with Ivan atop the train. (E: 299-301)
“The key to life, Serge knew, was the diligent keeping of lists”- Hammerhead Ranch Motel (E: 287)
1) South Beach Dating Solutions employee * - Pistol whipped.
2) Igor - Pummeled to death with golf balls while forced to ride in an
unprotected range cart.
3) Cameron - Dehydrated and turned into human jerky.
4) Brandon - Dehydrated and turned into human jerky.
5) Preston Bradshaw Lancaster - Broken neck.
6) Zigzag - Killed by a grenade rigged to Serge’s toy train set.
* Course audits who were only injured, not killed
TOTAL GRADUATES = 5
COURSE AUDITS = 1
GRADUATES TO DATE = 19
COURSE AUDITS TO DATE = 10
Hobbies:
Scotch:
Turn-ons:
Turn-offs:
(in order of appearance)
Written by Doug Ingle
(Referenced by Serge)
Written by Robbie Krieger & Jim Morrison
Performed by the Doors (inside Serge’s head)
Written by Alan O’Day & Johnny Stevenson
Performed by the Righteous Brothers (inside Serge’s head)
Written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Performed by the Beatles
Written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King.
Performed by Serge Storms
Written by Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia
Performed by Serge Storms
Written by Steve Goodman
Lyrics modified and performed by Serge Storms
Written by Joni Mitchell
(Lyrics written in graffiti in Key West)
“(They Long to Be) Close to You”
Written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Performed by the Carpenters
Written by Paul Rodgers & Mick Ralphs
Performed by Jeff and Dave’s Bad Company
Written by Nick Feldman, Jack Hues & Peter Wolf
Performed by Wang Chung
Written by Mars Bonfire
Performed by Bob Kowolski’s Steppenwolf
Written by Diane Warren, Emilio Estefan Jr. & Gloria Estefan
Performed by Gloria Estefan
Written by Alice Cooper, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway & Neal Smith
(Referenced by Serge)
Written by U2
Performed by Serge Storms
Written by Nicholas “Topper” Headon, Mick Jones, Paul Simeon & Joe Strummer
Performed by the Clash
Written by Peter Townshend
Performed by Serge Storms
Written by Paul Anka
Performed by Serge Storms
Written by Jimmy McHugh & Al Dubin
Performed by Dee Dee Lowenstein
Written by Gilbert O’Sullivan
Performed by Serge Storms
(in order of appearance)
Snake Creek Drawbridge (Overseas Highway / U.S. Highway 1)
Crosses Snake Creek; connects Plantation Key and Windley Key, FL.
141 North U.S. Highway 27, Clermont, FL.
Florida Capitol building
400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL.
Wolfie’s Deli
2038 Collins Avenue (State Road A1A), Miami Beach, FL.
Hotel Nash
1120 Collins Avenue (State Road A1A), Miami Beach, FL.
Alachua County Courthouse (currently Alachua County Administration Building)
12 Southeast First Avenue, Gainesville, FL.
University of Florida
226 Tigert Hall, Gainesville, FL.
Port Canaveral
445 Challenger Road, Cape Canaveral, FL.
Hialeah Park Race Track
2200 East Fourth Avenue, Hialeah, FL.
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
3900 Don Emerson Drive, Lakeland, FL.
Miami International Airport
2100 Northwest 42nd Avenue, Miami, FL.
University of Miami
1320 South Dixie Highway (U.S. Highway 1), Coral Gables, FL.
Caribbean Club
104080 Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1), Key Largo, FL.
Green Turtle Inn
81219 Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1), Islamorada, FL.
Monroe County Public Library
81830 Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1), Islamorada, FL.
City Lights Bookstore
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA.
The Fillmore
1805 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA.
Colony Hotel & Polo Steakhouse
155 Hammon Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Bok Tower Gardens
1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, FL.
SeaWorld Orlando
7007 Sea World Drive, Orlando, FL.
Silver Springs State Park
5656 East Silver Springs Boulevard, Silver Springs, FL.
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum (Whitehall)
1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, FL.
Burdines clothing store
(possibly) 401 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL.
Palm Beach County Courthouse
205 North Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL.
Cypress Gardens (currently LEGOLAND Florida)
1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven, FL.
Jonathan Dickinson State Park & Trapper Nelson’s Cabin
16450 Southeast Federal Hwy (U.S. Highway 1), Hobe Sound, FL.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park & House
18700 & 18815 County Road 325, Hawthorne, FL.
Orlando Amtrak station
1400 Sligh Boulevard, Orlando, FL.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Tower of Terror & Aerosmith Rollercoaster)
351 South Studio Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL.
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
12450 Southwest 152nd Street, Miami, FL.
Ponce de Léon Hotel
74 King Street, St. Augustine, FL.
Alcazar Hotel (currently Lightner Museum)
75 King Street, St. Augustine, FL.
Cordova Hotel (currently Casa Monica Hotel)
95 Cordova Street, St. Augustine, FL.
Ormond Hotel
15 East Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, FL.
Royal Poinciana Hotel
44 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL.
The Breakers Palm Beach
1 South County Road, Palm Beach, FL.
Gasparilla Inn & Club
500 Palm Avenue, Boca Grande, FL.
Union Station
601 North Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, FL.
City of Lake Wales Depot Museum
325 South Scenic Highway, Lake Wales, FL.
Florida State Hospital (“Chattahoochee”)
100 North Main Street, Chattahoochee, FL.
Federal Little League Park (young Samantha’s ballpark)
2890 Southwest Eighth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Daytona Beach International Airport
700 Catalina Drive, Daytona Beach, FL.
Key West International Airport
3491 South Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL.
Conch Flyer Lounge
3495 South Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL.
Florida State University
600 West College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL.
Heron House
512 Simonton Street, Key West, FL.
Lost Weekend Liquor Store
427 Caroline Street, Key West, FL.
Pier House Resort and Caribbean Spa / Chart Room bar
1 Duval Street, Key West, FL.
City of Key West Old Town Garage / 300 Grinnell Street Garage
300 Grinnell Street, Key West, FL.
Key West Cemetery
701 Pauline Street / 701 Passover Lane, Key West, FL.
Captain Tony’s Saloon
428 Greene Street, Key West, FL
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
907 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL.
Green’s Funeral Home (see pg 102 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
1015 11th Street E, Bradenton, FL.
Okeechobee Cattlemen’s Rodeo Arena
1885 U.S. Highway 441 N, Okeechobee, FL.
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
1180 Seven Seas Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL.
NASA Causeway (State Road 405)
Crosses the Indian River Lagoon; connects Merritt Island and Titusville, FL.
NASA Causeway Bridge (State Road 405)
Crosses the Indian River Lagoon; connects Merritt Island and Titusville, FL.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
NASA Parkway W (State Road 405), Merritt Island, FL.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
500 Captain Armours Way, Jupiter, FL.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (see pg 118 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
Cape Canaveral, FL.
Patrick Space Force Base (see pg 118 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
845 Falcon Avenue, Patrick Space Force Base, FL.
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL.
PGA National Palm Beach Golf
6080 Honeywood Way, Lake Worth, FL.
Opa-locka Executive Airport
14201 Northwest 42nd Avenue, Opa-locka, FL.
Emory L. Bennett Causeway (State Road 528) – second section
Crosses the Banana River; connects Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral, FL.
Durango's (previously the Mousetrap; currently Ohana J’s)
5602 North Atlantic Avenue (State Road A1A), Cocoa Beach, FL.
Cape Colony Resort (currently LaQuinta Inn)
1275 North Atlantic Avenue (State Road A1A), Cocoa Beach, FL.
Cockroach Bay Boat Ramp
5299 Cockroach Bay Road, Ruskin, FL.
Jetty Park
400 Jetty Park Road, Cape Canaveral, FL.
7-Eleven
(Possibly) 8400 North Atlantic Avenue (State Road A1A), Cape Canaveral, FL.
Brevard County Medical Examiner / morgue
1750 Cedar Street, Rockledge, FL.
Orlando International Airport
1 Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, Orlando, FL.
Travel Inn Riviera Beach (see page 166 in Chapter Notes and Vital Trivia)
3334 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Foreign Auto Services (likely the unnamed body shop)
3400 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Burt Reynolds’ childhood home
28 West 37th Street, Riviera Beach, FL.
The Oasis (Reynolds family restaurant)
73 Blue Heron Boulevard, Riviera Beach, FL.
Singer Island Drawbridge (Blue Heron Boulevard)
Crosses Lake Worth Lagoon; connects Singer Island and Riviera Beach, FL.
Ta-Boo
221 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Cartier
214 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Tiffany & Co.
259 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Gucci Worth Avenue
150 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Saks Fifth Avenue
172 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Renato’s
87 Via Mizner (337-339 Worth Avenue), Palm Beach, FL.
Everglades Club
356 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL.
Royal Park Bridge (State Road 704)
Crosses the Lake Worth Lagoon; connects West Palm Beach and Palm Beach, FL.
Flagler Memorial Bridge (State Road A1A)
Crosses the Lake Worth Lagoon; connects West Palm Beach and Palm Beach, FL.
West Palm Beach Amtrak Station
209 South Tamarind Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL.
Palm Beach Medical Examiner’s office
3126 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL.
Dairy Belle
2635 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Rivera Beach, FL.
Kim’s Indian River Citrus (see page 178 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
34 West Blue Heron Boulevard, Riviera Beach, FL.
Riviera Groves & Packing House (see page 178 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
2815 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Parramore’s Fruit House (see page 178 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
2500 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Publix
3000 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Bazaar International & Trylon Tower
301 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Spanish Courts
1224 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Riviera Theatre (Main Street Theater)
2417 Broadway (U.S. Highway 1), Riviera Beach, FL.
Saint Francis of Assisi Parochial School (see pg 179 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
200 West 20th Street, Riviera Beach, FL.
Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (see pg 179 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
200 West 20th Street, Riviera Beach, FL.
Miami High School
2450 Southwest First Street, Miami, FL.
Pompano Beach Harness Racing (Isle of Capri Casino)
777 Southwest Third Street, Pompano Beach, FL.
Miami Orange Bowl (currently Marlins Baseball Stadium)
1501 Northwest Third Street, Miami, FL.
Rickenbacker Causeway (State Road 913)
Crosses Biscayne Bay; connects Miami, Virginia Key, and Key Biscayne, FL.
Stiltsville
Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL.
Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
5101 Northwest 21st Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Brooks Memorial Causeway / Brooks Memorial Drawbridge (17th Street/ State Road A1A)
Crosses the Stranahan River; connects Barrier Island and Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six & Pier Top Restaurant
2301 Southeast 17th Street (State Road A1A), Fort Lauderdale, FL.
B & H Deli (currently Pond’s County Store)
5995 North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, FL.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
1987 Scrub Jay Way, Titusville, FL.
Parrish Medical Center (nearest hospital to Kennedy Space Center)
951 North Washington Avenue, Titusville, FL.
Moon Hut
7802 North Atlantic Avenue (State Road A1A), Cape Canaveral, FL.
Breakers Palm Beach
1 South County Rd (State Highway A1A), Palm Beach, FL.
Palm Beach Zoo (& Dreher Park)
1301 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL.
Norton Museum of Art
1451 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL.
Waterfront & City Commons (Clematis Concert Series site)
101 North Flagler Street, West Palm Beach, FL.
Palm Beach Polo and Country Club (see pg 212 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
11199 Polo Club Road, Wellington, FL.
International Polo Club Palm Beach (see pg 212 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
3667 120th Avenue S, Wellington, FL.
Gulfstream Polo Club (see pg 212 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
4550 Polo Road, Lake Worth, FL.
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Queens, NY.
Sun Studio
706 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN.
Grand Central Terminal (Grand Central Station)
89 East 42nd Street, New York City, NY.
51st Street Subway Station
Lexington Avenue & East 51st Street, New York City, NY.
Skipper’s Smokehouse
910 Skipper Road, Tampa, FL.
Port Authority Bus Terminal
625 Eighth Avenue, New York City, NY.
86th Street Subway Station
East 86th Street & Lexington Avenue, New York City, NY.
Saks Fifth Avenue
611 Fifth Avenue, New York city, NY.
Bloomingdale’s
1000 Third Avenue, New York City, NY.
Rite Aid Pharmacy
1532 Second Avenue, New York City, NY.
Bleeker Street Subway Station
Lafayette Avenue & Bleeker Street, New York City, NY.
The Carlyle & Café Carlyle
35 East 76th Street, New York City, NY.
Four Seasons New York
57 East 57th Street, New York City, NY.
Waldorf Astoria New York
301 Park Avenue, New York City, NY.
Tavern On the Green
67 Central Park West, New York City, NY.
Sardi’s
234 West 44th Street, New York City, NY.
JW Marriot Essex House New York
160 Central Park South, New York City, NY.
Trattoria Trecolori
254 West 47th Street, New York City, NY.
Brasserie
100 East 53rd Street, New York City, NY.
Rockefeller Center
45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, NY.
Le Cirque
151 East 58th Street, New York City, NY.
Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
50 Central Park South, New York City, NY.
The River Café
1 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY.
The Russian Tea Room
150 West 57th Street, New York City, NY.
Unisphere
Avenue of the Americas, Flushing Meadow Corona Park, Queens, NY.
Warwick New York Hotel
65 West 54th Street, New York City, NY.
Ed Sullivan Theater
1697 Broadway, New York City, NY.
West 50th Street Subway Station /Siberia bar
West 50th Street & Eighth Avenue, New York City, NY.
Houston Street Subway Station
Varick Street, just south of West Houston Street, New York City, NY.
White Horse Tavern
567 Hudson Street, New York City, NY.
LaGuardia Airport
Queens, NY.
Newark Liberty International Airport
3 Brewster Road, Newark, NJ.
Pennsylvania (Penn) Station
234 West 31st Street, New York City, NY.
Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue, New York City, NY.
GE Building & Rainbow Room
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, NY.
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
Sparks Steak House
210 East 46th Street, New York City, NY.
Flûte Midtown
205 West 54th Street, New York City, NY.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
The Frick Collection
1 East 70th Street, New York City, NY.
National Academy Museum
1083 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
Whitney Museum
945 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY.
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
2 East 91st Street, New York City, NY.
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street, New York City, NY.
Trailways Bus Station (see pg 253 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
99 Northeast Fourth Street, Miami, FL.
Sbarro
1606 Broadway #897, New York City, NY.
Millennium Broadway Hotel New York
145 West 44th Street, New York City, NY.
New York Public Library Main Branch
476 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
Stork Club
3 East 53rd Street, New York City, NY.
21 Club
21 West 52nd Street, New York City, NY.
Statue of Liberty
Liberty Island, New York City, NY.
Flatiron Building
175 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY.
McHale’s Café
750 Eighth Ave, New York City, NY.
Hotel Edison & Café Edison
228 West 47th Street, New York City, NY.
Cotton Club
656 West 125th Street, New York City, NY.
Palm Beach County Main Library
3650 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL.
Carnegie Hall
881 Seventh Avenue, New York City, NY.
Wilmington Amtrak Station
100 South French Street, Wilmington, DE.
Washington Monument
2 15th Street NW, Washington D.C.
Richmond Amtrak Station
7519 Staples Mill Road, Richmond, VA.
Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico
2100 Rowell Road, Quantico, VA.
Savannah Amtrak Station
2611 Seaboard Coastline Drive, Savannah, GA.
Okeechobee Amtrak Station
801 North Parrot Avenue, Okeechobee, FL.
Pratt & Whitney
17900 Bee Line Highway, Jupiter, FL.
Grassy Key Dairy Bar
58152 Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1), Marathon, FL.
Brass Monkey Lounge
234 55th Street Ocean, Marathon, FL.
Seven Mile Bridge (Overseas Highway/U.S. Highway 1)
Crosses Moser Channel; connects Knight’s Key and Little Duck Key, FL.
Greyhound Bus Station
3535 South Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL.
Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, FL.
Hilton Palm Beach Airport (see pg 300 in Chapter Notes & Vital Trivia)
150 Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL.
Bahia Honda Bridge (Overseas Highway / U.S. Highway 1)
Crosses Bahia Honda Channel; connects Spanish Harbor Key and Bahia Honda Key, FL.
(in order of appearance)
Phosphate mine
Unknown location in Florida
German Team’s lab
Unknown location in Florida
Swedish Team’s lab
Unknown location in Florida
French Team’s lab
Unknown location in Florida
The Pit bar
Polk County, FL.
Roscoe Weege’s office
Unknown location in Florida
Samantha’s 1970’s apartment (“divorced student housing”)
University of Florida campus, Gainesville, FL.
Do Drop In biker bar
Gainesville, FL.
Orbit Motel
Oceanside of North Atlantic Avenue (possibly 7800 block), Cape Canaveral, FL.
Hammerhead Ranch Motel
Gulfside of Gulf Boulevard, Belleair Shore (A.K.A. Beverly Shores), FL.
Goony Golf
Westside of North Atlantic Avenue (possibly 7800 block), Cape Canaveral, FL.
Checkers restaurant
North Atlantic Avenue (State Highway A1A), Cape Canaveral, FL.
Unnamed book wholesaler warehouse
Off State Road 836 (Dolphin Expressway) “Exit 7”, Hialeah, FL.
Palm Reader bookstore
Strip mall in North Miami Beach, FL.
Unnamed restaurant
West 53rd Street, New York, NY.
Spy vs. Spy
Tampa Bay area, FL.
Ralph’s Krunkleton’s stilt-house
Overseas Highway, Upper Keys, FL.
Unnamed seafood restaurant
Longboat Key, FL.
Mierda Cartel headquarters
Atop Mount St. Catherine in Grenada.
Unnamed cemetery
Palm Beach County, FL.
Samantha Bridges’ childhood home
Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Unnamed park
Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Teresa Wellcraft’s grade school
Daytona Beach, FL.
Unnamed movie theater
Daytona Beach, FL.
Paige Turner’s grandparent’s home
Okeechobee, FL.
Maria’s childhood home
Unknown location, FL.
Rebecca’s childhood home
Tampa Bay area, FL.
Samantha Bridge’s current home
Miami, FL.
Buccaneer Life and Casualty / Florida National Bank Tower
Eastside of Ashley Drive (likely North Ashley), Tampa, FL.
Juan Garica’s cigar factory
Ybor City, Tampa, FL.
Airline parts depot
Opa-locka, FL.
Lenny’s old condo
Kendall, FL.
Gold Rush Hotel (including the Sapphire Room and Flash In The Pan restaurant)
Reno, NV.
Preston’s dorm room
University of Florida campus, Gainesville, FL.
Preston’s parent’ home
Likely in or near Gainesville, FL.
Preston’s flop house
Reno, NV.
Unnamed muffler shop
State Road A1A, Cocoa Beach, FL.
Space Shuttle Pawn
Cocoa Beach, FL.
Alamo Room
San Antonio, TX.
Lone Star Supper Club
Somewhere in Texas
Galveston Skate-O-Rama
Downtown Galveston, TX.
Tango Room
Scranton, PA.
Caesars Palace of Hoboken
Hoboken, NJ.
Cameron and Brandon’s waterfront estate
South Lake Drive, Palm Beach, FL.
Serge’s warehouse hideout
Near the West Palm Amtrak Station, West Palm Beach, FL.
Lippowicz home
Near Interstate 95, possibly on Northwest 21st Street, Pompano Beach FL.
Unnamed adult theater
Three blocks from Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa, FL.
Eugene Tibbs’ loft apartment
Crosby Street, New York, NY.
Billie Holiday’s carriage house
Crosby Street, New York, NY.
Unnamed print shop
New York City, NY.
Unnamed French bistro
Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY.
Unnamed pizza parlor
Near the intersection of Broadway and West 57th Street, New York, NY.
South Beach Dating Solutions
Miami Beach, FL.
(In chronological order)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- National Academy Museum
- Museum of the City of New York
- Whitney Museum
- Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
- American Museum of Natural History
- Late Night with Conan O’Brien at 30 Rockefeller Center
- Dairy Belle
- The old site of “Indian River Citrus”
- Location of where Publix once stood
- Where the Bazaar International & Trylon Tower used to be
- Site of the old Spanish Courts
- Location of the old Riviera Theatre
- Drive past the World’s Fair Globe
- Drive through the Midtown Tunnel
- Head north up the Avenue of the Americas
- Loiter in front of the Warwick New York Hotel
- Keep your eye on the prize as your stroll up West 57th Street
- Browse the menu at The Russian Tea Room
- Hop aboard the subway at the 59th Street / Columbus Circle Station
- Take the N-R line to the Houston Street Subway Station
- Sprint across Greenwich Village and SoHo
- Visit a (fictional) loft apartment on Crosby Street
- Make some new friends at Pennsylvania (Penn) Station
- Attend a Woody Allen clarinet concert at Café Carlyle
- Ride down Madison Avenue in a limo
- Point out the Chrysler Building
- Check out the view of the Empire State Building from the GE Building’s
Rainbow Room
- Pop inside Sparks Steak House
- Spend a minute inside Flûte Midtown
- Pull over and walk west on 46th Street to Times Square
- Hang around outside Sbarro
- Properly ring in the New Year at the Millennium Broadway Hotel New York
- Walk past McHale’s Café
- Meet your new friends at Café Edison
- Hop aboard an Amtrak train bound for Miami at Penn Station
(in order of appearance)
Serge is arrested numerous times for trespassing while he is obsessed with the impact the air conditioning and refrigeration industry played on Florida’s history. (10: 75)
While working at an airline parts depot at the Opa-locka Executive Airport, Lenny heroically stops a drug dealer fleeing from the authorities. (16: 122)
Lenny is hired to clean the interiors of Broward County Sheriff’s cruisers. (16: 122)
Completely oblivious to the fact Hurricane Andrew is on its way, Lenny returns home to his condo in Kendall. (16: 122)
Lenny rides out Hurricane Andrew inside the stairwell of his condo. He wakes up the next morning to discover the stairwell is all that remains of his home. (16: 123)
Lenny receives a hefty insurance check for the destruction of his condo. He uses the money to throw a six-month-long, non-stop, cocaine party. (16: 123)
Broke from his cocaine bender, Lenny begins living in his car. (16: 123)
Lenny forces his own death certificate to get out of paying for the parking tickets he amassed while living in the back of his car. The ruse works a few times, but the authorities finally get wise to it, and he is forced to flee town. (16: 123)
While serving as an altar boy during Easter Sunday Mass, young Serge succumbs to heat exhaustion. Passing out in the Easter lilies, he is immediately defrocked from his position in the church. (23: 179)
Serge’s parents take him to Pompano Beach Harness Racing. (24: 185)
Serge goes to New York to see a taping of the Conan O’Brien Show. Distracted by the city’s numerous museums, he almost misses the show. (32: 252-254)
Serge spots Katie Couric inside the Rainbow Room. (32: 252)
Serge develops a life-long interest in trains from watching Captain Kangaroo. (33: 259)
Using the alias Serge Yamamoto, Serge films a dating video for South Beach Dating Solutions. (32: 250-251)
By the conclusion of The Stingray Shuffle, Serge is suffering from amnesia and is living among the monkey population of Key Lois. When he is next seen, in Orange Crush, he believes himself to be Muntjack “Jack” Pimento and is working as Lieutenant Governor Conrad’s press secretary. After the conclusion of The Stingray Shuffle, Serge first resurfaces again, in Tallahassee, as Jack Pimento in the summer of 2001. From January 1998 to the summer of 2001, there is a three-and-a-half-year gap in Serge’s timeline in which virtually nothing is known about his life. In fact, the only event from this period which has been documented is in Nuclear Jellyfish (19: 142), where Serge says he attended a presidential rally in Tampa featuring Dick Cheney in “2000”.
The fact Serge can recall the 2000 presidential rally indicates that, after regaining his memory, he can remember events which occurred when he had amnesia. There are three other documented examples which suggest he also remembers the time when the events in Orange Crush took place.
In Torpedo Juice (22: 175), Serge states, “two years” ago, he briefly worked as a Florida tollbooth operator. Serge also mentions in Torpedo Juice (36: 273), he snuck into Jimmy Buffett’s Shrimpboat Sound recording studio “two years” ago. Since Torpedo Juice occurs during the spring and summer of 2004, both statements refer to some point in 2002.
Lastly, in Hurricane Punch (22: 178), which occurs during the 2007 hurricane season, Serge states he was in the Florida Keys “five years ago” when a major tropical storm hit. Again, this is a reference to an event which occurred in 2002. (It should be noted it is possible Serge is misremembering how many years ago this occurred and is referring to the arrival of Hurricane Rita on Tuesday, September 20, 2005.)
Of course, it is possible one (or more) of these examples happened after Serge regained his memory. However, considering Serge was not cured of his amnesia until just prior to the November 2002 election, the odds are against all three examples occurring in the last two months of 2002.
NOTE: Pages listed are from the hardcover edition
PROLOGUE
(pg 0) The Stingray Shuffle was published on Tuesday, February 4, 2003.
(pg 2) While explaining the sensations he is experiencing during his amnesia, Serge
mentions a “blizzard of chads”. This is a clear reference to the 2000 presidential
election Florida recount. As such, it should be considered a topical reference
based upon The Stingray Shuffle’s 2003 publication date.
(pg 4) Serge tells his simian friends about the “briefcase.” This is a reference to the
missing Halliburton briefcase filled with five million dollars from Florida Roadkill
and Hammerhead Ranch Motel.
CHAPTER 1
* No Notes.
CHAPTER 2
(pg 15) Samantha Bridges visits the Office of Child Support in Gainesville on a “Monday
morning in July”. This occurs in “1971”. Since Monday, July 5, 1971 was a national
holiday (therefore the government office would be closed), this leaves July 12,
July 19, and July 26 as possible dates for this scene.
(pg 16) Samantha has a “two-year-old” daughter with her during the visit to the Office of
Child Support. This means Preston Lancaster hypnotized Samantha into having
sex with him sometime in the fall of 1968. This is inconsistent with her mention
of “1973” (35: 275) as being the year Preston impregnated her. Perhaps “1973” is
the year she caught up with Preston and confronted him about what he did
to her. Regardless, since Samantha was a “nine-year-old” (11: 80) in the “fall of
1960” (11: 80), Preston likely impregnated her when she was only seventeen-
years old.
(pg 16) In 1971, issues such as child support were handled by the local police and court
system in Alachua County. Therefore, it is assumed the “office of child-support
enforcement” is located inside the Alachua County Courthouse.
CHAPTER 3
(pg 23) Johnny Vegas is “six-foot” tall.
(pg 24) Johnny Vegas is the son of an “insurance mogul” and lives off a “trust fund”.
(pg 24) While describing Johnny Vegas’s bad luck, it is said “a few months” before his
appearance in this novel, he was thwarted from losing his virginity when his
Cuban date became angered over the fact the “feds” had just taken “Elián”
González into custody. Under the orders of Attorney General Janet Reno,
federal agents apprehended the young Cuban boy from his Miami home on
Saturday, April 22, 2000. Since this scene occurs in the middle of December
1997, this should be considered a topical reference reflective of The Stingray
Shuffle’s 2003 publication date.
(pg 25) “Seven months” after Johnny Vegas’s bad timing regarding the saga of Elián”
González, he is foiled again from losing his virginity when his date becomes
incensed over the Supreme Court decision “taking Florida away from Gore”.
Again, this is a topical reference to the aftermath of the 2000 presidential
election aftermath. The Supreme Court made its decision on Tuesday,
December 12, 2000.
CHAPTER 4
(pg 31) Ralph’s The Stingray Shuffle “has been out for eleven years”.
(pg 33) The fact Ralph’s last published novel was released “eleven” years ago would
indicate The Stingray Shuffle was the last book he wrote before his retirement.
CHAPTER 5
* No Notes.
CHAPTER 6
(pg 42) Ralph’s “Sanibel Biological Supply” fishing cap is a nod to the Randy Wayne
White literary character, Doc Ford.
(pg 47) Ralph was “twenty-seven” in “1958” when he was in San Francisco and became
inspired to write the beatnik murder mystery B Is for Bongo.
(pg 47) “Nine years” after writing B is for Bongo, Ralph was in San Francisco during the
Summer of Love. This experience served as the basis for his next murder
mystery about a group of hippies on a cross-country trip, Bad Trip.
(pg 47) “Two years” after writing Bad Trip, in 1969, Ralph was arrested in NYC with
Norman Mailer during an anti-war protest. This led him to write The Naked
and the Murdered.
(pg 47) “Tanner Lebos” is an anadrome for Tim Dorsey’s literary agent, Nat Sobel, with a
‘ner’ tacked onto the reverse-spelling of Nat.
(pg 47) Ralph and Tanner Lebos first met during a Simon and Garfunkel concert in
“Central Park” in “1969”. The folk rock duo did not perform there in 1969; their
first concert in Central Park occurred on Saturday, September 19, 1981. The
location of Ralph and Tanner's first meeting is likely misremembered, and
occurred either during the Simon and Garfunkel's Yankee Stadium concert on
Wednesday, April 16, 1969 or the two-night engagement at Carnegie
Hall on Thursday, November 27 - Friday, November 28, 1969.
(pg 48) Ralph and Tanner’s business relationship ended in “1987”. The narrative
indicates John D. MacDonald was present the night Ralph and Tanner split
up. However, Mr. MacDonald passed away on Sunday, December 28, 1986.
It is possible the dust-up involving Ralph and Tanner outside the seafood
restaurant on Longboat Key occurred in the latter half of 1986; and the formal
end to their business relationship occurred in the early part of 1987.
(pg 49) During Tanner’s phone call informing Ralph about the renewed interest in his
books, they acknowledge they haven’t spoken in “eleven” years. Since this
statement is made during the last half of 1997, it can be concluded after the
incident at the Longboat Key seafood restaurant, the two did not talk to one
another and left the dissolution of their business partnership to their attorneys.
CHAPTER 7
(pg 53) Serge mentions he hasn’t “been to Bok (Tower) since I was a kid”.
(pg 55) On the day of Serge’s arrest at the Flagler Museum, the “Spider-Man” burglary
trial was in the news. This could be a reference to Melvin Hill, the Miami-based
burglar dubbed the Spider-Man burglar. However, Hill was arrested in July 1987,
almost a decade before Serge’s arrest at the museum.
(pg 59) During Serge’s first trial, the court psychiatrist stated “there’s nothing violent” in
Serge’s criminal record.
(pg 59) The court psychiatrist mentions Serge’s criminal record lists a “string of night
burglaries” including: “Cypress Gardens, Trapper Nelson’s Pioneer Home, the
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Estate”. The break-ins at Cypress Gardens and Trapper
Nelson’s Pioneer Home are chronicled in Hammerhead Ranch Motel.
CHAPTER 8
* No Notes.
CHAPTER 9
(pg 65) Despite the fact the Mierda Cartel’s hit squad which appeared in Florida Roadkill
was from the fictional Caribbean island nation of Costa Gorda, the cartel’s
headquarters is near the top of “Mount St. Catherine, the highest point in
Grenada”.
CHAPTER 10
(pg 71) The “Tower of Terror” ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened to the public on
Friday, July 22, 1994
(pg 71) Serge mentions the “Aerosmith roller coaster”. This is another topical reference
reflective of the novel’s 2003 publication date, as The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Starring Aerosmith did not open to the public until Thursday, July 29, 1999.
(pg 74) Serge’s court-appointed public defender states Serge is prone to “compulsive
tangents”, "where “he has to find out every single thing there is about a subject,
talk to as many experts as he can, see and touch everything. . . ”. (This statement
could also be used to explain the origin of the website you are reading.)
(pg 75) The public defender tells the judge there were “a number of arrests last year
dealing with the air-conditioning and refrigeration industry”. This means Serge
was obsessed with these subjects sometime in 1995.
(pg 77) The video footage of Serge’s appearance at the funeral shows a “sunny lawn full
of tombstones” and “a wiry man in swim trunks and tropical shirt”.
(pg 79) As he is hauled away from the courtroom, Serge yells, “I’m out of order? You’re
out of order! He’s out of order! And he’s out of order! They’re out of order!
This trial’s out of order! The whole courtroom’s out of order! . . . ”. He is quoting
Al Pacino from 1979’s . . . And Justice for All.
CHAPTER 11
(pg 80) Samantha Bridges was “nine” in the “fall of 1960”.
(pg 84) Teresa Wellcraft’s stepfather sexually abused her during the “summer” between
the third and fourth grade.
(pg 85) Teresa began “smoking when she was twelve and drinking at thirteen”.
(pg 85) Teresa lost her virginity when she was “fifteen”.
(pg 86) Paige Turner’s grandparents died when she was “fifteen”.
CHAPTER 12
(pg 90) Samantha is currently an “Assistant State Attorney in Miami”.
(pg 90) Samantha’s “youngest daughter just left for Florida State.” This indicates
Samantha has more than one daughter.
(pg 90) Samantha’s daughter “just left for Florida State”. Assuming this is a reference to
the fall semester and her daughter is living in a dorm room; Florida State’s
residence halls open to the student population in mid-August.
(pg 91) “Parrot Droppings” is another novel written by Ralph Krunkleton.
(pg 93) Sam declares, “Fuck Dr. Laura”. This refers to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the well-
known radio talk show host and author.
(pg 94) Teresa states the Books, Booze and Broads club has read “five” of Ralph
Krunkleton’s novels so far.
CHAPTER 13
(pg 100) Serge describes the “stingray shuffle” as: “When it’s stingray season in Florida
during the summer, stingrays lie on the bottom of the water near the shore,
under a thin blanket of sand, and you can’t see them. The stingrays would
much rather flee than fight, but if you walk normally in the water and step on
one, you pretty much pin it to the bottom and leave it no choice but to hit you
in the leg with its poisonous tail barb.” “So, instead of walking normally when
you’re in shallow water, you shuffle your feet along. That way, if you
accidentally come across a ray, you just bump on the edge, and it spooks
and swims away.”.
(pg 102) The “Picasso cat” statue was stolen by Robert Naughton (A.K.A. Peter D. Nelson;
A.K.A. "Mr. Green”) on Tuesday, November 14, 2000. He was arrested by the FBI
on Saturday, December 9, 2000 in Stuart, FL. after using the statue as collateral
to borrow a dinghy from a catamaran captain. He confessed his plan was to
return the statue as part of a scheme to collect the $10.000.00 reward the
museum had offered. This is a topical reference reflective of the novel’s 2003
publication date.
(pg 102) Reading the newspaper, Serge mentions an article about a funeral home
“being sued for putting voodoo dolls in a chest cavity”. Funeral director Paula
Green-Albritton and her son, Jimmie Lee Clark, were arrested on Saturday,
June 27, 1998 and convicted on Friday, March 5, 1999 for the mutilation of the
corpse of Willie Suttle. Suttle’s severed left hand was found on the shore of the
Manatee River in November 1997. The investigation led to the exhumation of
Suttle’s burial, which revealed twelve voodoo dolls had been stuffed into
his chest cavity. Given these dates, this is another topical reference reflective of
the novel’s publication date.
CHAPTER 14
(pg 106) The Palm Reader bookstore is in “strip mall” in north Miami Beach.
CHAPTER 15
(pg 115) New England Life & Casualty apparently rebranded themselves as “Buccaneer
Life and Casualty” shortly after the events in Florida Roadkill.
(pg 115) Despite being based in Grenada, the Mierda Cartel is “Russian”.
(pg 116) Mr. Grande is “Russian”.
CHAPTER 16
(pg 118) Serge mentions the Kennedy Space Center is “next to a pair of classified Air
Force installations”. He is referring to Cape Canaveral Air Station and Patrick
Air Force Base. The bases were renamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
and Patrick Space Force Base in 2020.
(pg 119) While at the Kennedy Space Center, Serge comments the moon rock on display
“looks awfully familiar.”. This is a reference to his scheme in Hammerhead
Ranch Motel to pass off worthless rocks as certified, authentic moon rocks.
(pg 121) “Claude Pepper” was nicknamed the Grand old man of Florida politics. A
life-long Democrat, Pepper’s political career began with his election to the
Florida House of Representatives in 1929. He then served in the United States
Senate from 1936 to 1951. However, due to intra-Democrat party friction
between himself and President Truman, Senator Pepper lost his re-election
bid on Tuesday, November 7, 1950 to the Truman-backed Democrat, George
A. Smathers. On Tuesday, November 6, 1962, Pepper was elected to the United
States House of Representatives, representing Florida’s 3rd District.
This began Pepper’s decades-long career as a United States Congressman.
His sixty-year political career ended when he died on Tuesday, May 30, 1989.
(pg 121) Serge states his “great-great-grandfather was the noble Juan Garcia”, who was
a “Tampa Cuban”. It is unclear which branch of Serge’s family tree Juan Garcia
is from. Serge’s parents are Pablo and Gloria (nee Gonzales) Storms. Nothing is
known about Pablo’s side of the family tree, but Gloria’s parents (i.e. Serge’s
maternal grandparents) are Sergio Gonzales and a Miami burlesque dancer
named Vavette. Sergio’s parents (i.e. Serge’s great-grandparents) are José and
Maria Gonzales. According to Cadillac Beach (20: 129), both José and María’s
parents “arrived from Cuba” during the “Spanish-American War”. Therefore, it
is possible Juan Garcia was María’s father.
(pg 122) Lenny mentions he was born in “Pahokee”. This confirms the narrative about
his backstory in Hammerhead Ranch Motel (11: 114).
(pg 122) Lenny prevents a drug smuggler from escaping federal agents at the airport
on a “Wednesday”.
(pg 122) Based on Lenny’s narrative, it can be concluded his “dad died” sometime before
Hurricane Andrew hit Florida.
(pg 122) Lenny was “visiting some friends in Georgia one weekend” and was “coming
home at sunset on a Sunday night”. Since this is the Sunday before Hurricane
Andrew struck, it is Sunday, August 23, 1992.
(pg 123) “Hurricane Andrew” was a deadly category five hurricane which made landfall
near Kendall, FL on Monday, August 24, 1992.
(pg 124) Serge and Lenny’s southbound path on North Atlantic Avenue (AIA) would
seem to indicate the Orbit Motel is somewhere south of the old “Cape
Colony Inn”. This would mean the fictional motel is near where State Road
A1A splits off and becomes North Orlando Avenue and North Atlantic
Avenue. This contradicts Florida Roadkill (13: 146), which states the Orbit
Motel is “next door” to the Moon Hut, which is about four miles to the north
of the A1A split in Cocoa Beach.
(pg 125) Serge’s favorite astronaut is “Frank Borman or John Young”. Colonel (USAF)
Frank Frederick Borman, II was Command Pilot for the Gemini 7 mission.
He was also the Commander of the Apollo 8 mission, which was the first
manned mission to leave the Earth’s orbit and orbit around the moon. Borman
was offered the command of the first moon landing mission, Apollo 11, but
chose to retire from the service instead. Captain (USN) John Watts Young
was the commander of the Apollo 16 mission and the ninth person to walk
on the moon. With six space flights over the course of a forty-two-year career,
Captain Young holds the record for the longest serving astronaut. In addition,
he is the only astronaut to have piloted four different classes of space crafts –
Gemini, the Apollo Command / Service Module, the Apollo Lunar Module,
and the Space Shuttle. During his conversation with Story Long in Nuclear
Jellyfish (11: 88), Serge says his favorite astronaut is “Frank Borman”.
Coincidentally, Story replies her favorite astronaut is “John Young”.
CHAPTER 17
(pg 137) After ditching Becky at the altar, Preston’s parents shipped him “across county
to finish up at another college in Nevada”.
(pg 137) After becoming a college professor, Preston began using his hypnotism skills
to seduce co-eds. As a result, “in three short years, he was drummed
completely out of the teaching field”.
CHAPTER 18
(pg 143) The insurance adjuster works for “Buccaneer Life and Casualty.” This is further
evidence that New England Life & Casualty changed its name sometime after
Florida Roadkill.
(pg 144) Igor states the insurance company paid out the five million dollars in
“September”. However, according to Florida Roadkill (9: 101), George Veale
didn’t get the money until “one day in late October – opening day of the 1997
World Series”.
CHAPTER 19
(pg 151) The “pressurized ball” Igor mentions in the new Killian’s canned beer is
commonly referred to as Bob, the floating widget.
CHAPTER 20
(pg 159) The Gold Rush Hotel is mistakenly referred to as the “Gold Dust Motel”.
(pg 162) The “Flamingo, the Satin Club, the Stardust Room, the Horseshoe Lounge, Fast
Eddie’s, the Sands, the Surf, the Algiers, the Copa, the Aladdin, the Riviera, the
Flamingo. . .” are all too vague to place in The E-Ticket Tour of Florida section.
(pg 162) “Saving Private Ryan” was not released until Friday, July, 24, 1998.
(pg 162-163) Bob Kowolski (A.K.A. Steppenwolf) joins the troupe during their “Thursday-
night engagement” at the “Caesars Palace of Hoboken”.
CHAPTER 21
(pg 166) The Sahara Motel in Riviera Beach is on “US 1”. There is a “body shop next door”
to the motel. Given these facts, it is likely the motel is a fictionalized version of
Travel Inn Riviera Beach, and that the unnamed body shop is Foreign Auto
Services.
(pg 167) Serge announces to Lenny, “Let’s rock” as they leave the Sahara Motel.
(pg 167) From the Sahara Motel, Serge and Lenny make a “quick left onto North Thirty-
seventh Street” to reach Burt Reynolds’ childhood home. This is a
typographical error and should be West Thirty-seventh Street, as the
Reynolds’ family home is located at 28 West 37th Street.
(pg 167) Serge mentions he grew up on “Thirty-Fifth Street” in Riviera Beach. This is the
second-known childhood home for him. In Florida Roadkill (5: 57), it is stated he
and his parents lived in “Riviera Beach, in an upstairs apartment near a citrus
packing house on Blue Heron Boulevard”. A third address, on “Thirty-second”
Street, is mentioned in Electric Barracuda (44: 349), and is further identified as
“431 West Thirty-second Street” in Shark Skin Suite (26: 192).
(pg 167) “Boogie Nights” was released on Friday, October 31, 1997. Therefore, it is a
relatively new movie when Serge makes a reference to it.
CHAPTER 22
(pg 169) The Royal Park Bridge is mistakenly referred to as the “Royal Palm Bridge”.
(pg 170) Cameron and Brandon are “brothers”.
(pg 175) Serge recalls listening to “WPOM” when he was young. He is referring to
WPOM-AM 1600 which began broadcasting in 1972. In 1977, WPOM changed
from a rock 'n' roll format to an all-black music format.
CHAPTER 23
(pg 178) While driving around Riviera Beach, Serge points out to Lenny, “That’s where
Indian River Citrus used to be”. It is possible he is referring to Kim’s Indian River
Citrus, located at 34 West Blue Heron Boulevard. However, Kim’s Indian River
Citrus was still in existence in December 1997. Serge could be referring to the
old Riviera Groves & Packing House at 2815 Broadway, which was closed by that
point. It is also possible he is pointing to 2500 Broadway, which is the location
of the old Parramore’s Fruit House. Since it is unknown which (if any) of these
businesses Serge is referring to, all three have been listed in The E-Ticket
Tour of Florida section.
(pg 179) Serge states he attended “parochial school”. In the early-to-mid 1960’s, the only
parochial school - as well as the only Catholic church - in Riviera Beach was
Saint Francis of Assisi. Its current address is 200 West 20th Street; however, the
yellow pages from that era gives the address as 220 West 20th Street.
(pg 179) Serge mentions when he was a child in parochial school, the “nuns took us to
see The Sound of Music when it first came out”. However, the film was released
on Tuesday, March 2, 1965. At that time, Serge was only two-and-a-half years old,
which is clearly too early for Serge to have been in school. Serge is perhaps
recalling a time when the popular movie was re-released in the theaters.
CHAPTER 24
(pg 185) While at the Pompano Beach race track, Serge states “my folks used to come
here in 1964”.
CHAPTER 25
(pg 189) Serge mentions Lenny is “forty-two” years old.
(pg 189) Lenny and his mother’s house is a “single-story concrete ranch house next to
the interstate ramp. White, with baby-blue trim.” In Cadillac Beach (6: 49), it is
described as a “modest blue ranch house” which sits “in the shadow of the I-95
interchange near Pompano Beach”. Given this information, it is likely the
Lippowicz home is located on East Golf Boulevard, immediately to the east of
the northbound Interstate 95 Exit 39 (Sample Road) ramp.
(pg 189) The fact Mrs. Lippowicz’s living room is “filled with religious paintings, crucifixes,
ceramic Madonna, votive candles” would seem to indicate she is Catholic, or at
least Christian.
(pg 195) As he and two of his men prepare to go inside the Pier Sixty-Six hotel to search
for Serge and Lenny, Ivan orders “Igor, Dmitri – you wait here with the van, in
case they come back”. However, “Dmitri” (25:202) is later said to be at the Pier
Sixty-Six bar with Ivan when Serge approaches their table.
(pg 195) Ivan mistakenly calls one of the members of his new crew “Igor”.
(pg 195) As he and Serge arrive at the Pier Sixty-Six rotating lounge, Lenny gripes,
“We come here all the time.” Unless they visited during the days it took Serge
to turn Cameron and Brandon into human jerky, there has not been an
opportunity for Serge and Lenny to visit the Pier Sixty-Six together since they
first met in Hammerhead Ranch Motel.
(pg 202) “Dmitri” is with Ivan in the bar as Serge approaches their table. This conflicts
with Ivan’s earlier orders of having him wait “with the (Mrs. Lippowicz’s) van”
(25: 195).
CHAPTER 26
(pg 206) “Dennis Tito” is an American multi-millionaire who is referred to as the first
space tourist. Using his own fortune, Tito was accepted by the Russian Federal
Space Agency as a crew member of the Soyuz TM-32. The mission launched
on Saturday, April 28, 2001 for a rendezvous with the International Space
Station. Tito returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz TM-31 on Sunday, May 6,
2001. Since Serge is referring to the newspaper “articles” on Mr. Tito’s
planned trip, this is not necessarily a topical reference based on this novel’s
publication date. It is entirely possible Mr. Tito’s plan to travel to space
was publicly known in December 1997.
CHAPTER 27
(pg 212) The “Polo Club” brochure could be referring to the Palm Beach Polo and
Country Club at 11199 Polo Club Road, Wellington, FL; the International Polo
Club Palm Beach at 3667 120th Avenue S, Wellington, FL; or the Gulfstream
Polo Club at 4550 Polo Road, Lake Worth, FL. As such, all three are listed in
The E-Ticket Tour of Florida section.
(pg 215) While on the flight to New York, Serge orders a “Coke”. This is another rare
occasions he is seen drinking something other than bottled water or coffee.
CHAPTER 28
* No Notes.
CHAPTER 29
(pg 228) “Siberia” is the subject in the 2009 documentary Life After Dark: The Story of
Siberia Bar.
CHAPTER 30
(pg 239) The Balboas use “fifty-caliber tommy guns”. While fifty-caliber machine guns
exist, there are no fifty-caliber Thompson machine guns.
CHAPTER 31
(pg 243) Rebecca claims “Mia went with the Beatles to see that Maharishi guy”. This is
incorrect - Mia Farrow, her sister Prudence (the inspiration for the Beatles’
“Dear Prudence”), and her brother, John, traveled with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
to his ashram in Rishikesh, India on Tuesday, January 23, 1968. Although the
Farrows and the Beatles were at the ashram at the same time, their trips were
planned separately. It wasn’t until Friday, February 16, 1968 when John Lennon
and George Harrison arrived, followed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on
Tuesday, February 20, 1968.
(pg 243) Rebecca also mentions Mia Farrow “married Sinatra”. Mia Farrow and Frank
Sinatra were married on Tuesday, July 19, 1966.
(pg 243) Rebecca goes on to say Mia Farrow “played the on-screen mother of Satan.”
This is a reference to Rosemary’s Baby, which was released on Wednesday,
June 12, 1968.
(pg 247) While looking a photos of Teresa’s children, Serge comments, “He’s a fine one!”
Therefore, Teresa has a son.
(pg 247) Serge mentions he “was raised by a single mom”.
CHAPTER 32
(pg 250) According to John Walsh, the South Beach Dating Solutions video Serge filmed
was seized by the police in “Miami”.
(pg 250) In the video, Serge claims to be “thirty-five” years old. This indicates he filmed
the dating video while he, Colman and Sharon Rhodes were in the Miami area
during Florida Roadkill. This places Serge’s filming of the video either on the
afternoon of Sunday, October 26, 1997 or the morning of Monday, October 27,
1997.
(pg 252) Serge mentions he “once sat next to Katie Couric” at the Rainbow Room. He
mentions this again in his letter to Katie Couric in Cadillac Beach (26: 173).
(pg 252) Serge states “Paul Castellano got whacked’ at Sparks Steak House. Castellano,
a member of the Gambino crime family, was gunned down the evening of
Monday, December 16, 1985. It is believed his murder was ordered by John Gotti.
(pg 252) Serge tells Samantha and her friends he came to NYC “last year” to attend the
filming of Late Night with Conan O’Brien Show.
(pg 252) Serge mentions the “Star of India” heist, which occurred on Thursday, October
29, 1964. This crime, as well as its aftermath, will later become a major plot
point in Cadillac Beach.
(pg 253) The motion picture Murph the Surf (Live A Little, Steal A Lot) premiered on
Wednesday, June 11, 1975. Contrary to Serge’s assertion that Jack Murphy was
“portrayed by Robert Conrad”, the actor played the part of Allan Kuhn. Don
Shroud played the role of Jack Murphy.
(pg 253) The “bus locker in Miami” where the Star of India was recovered is located at
the Trailways Bus Station. According to a Vanity Fair article about the 50th
anniversary of the theft, the locker was 0911. The Star of India was recovered
from the bus locker in the early hours of Friday, January 8, 1965.
(pg 255) During sex with Samantha, Serge rattles off some famous names, including
“Earl ‘the Pearl’”. This is the nickname for legendary New York Knicks
basketball player, Earl Monroe.
(pg 255) Serge mentions “Ford to City”. This is a reference to the Wednesday, October
29, 1975 declaration by President Gerald Ford that he would veto any federal
bail-out efforts for New York City. The statement inspired the New York
Daily News' headline: “Ford to City: Drop Dead”.
(pg 255) Serge says, “the Sharks and the Jets”. These are the names of the two rival
street gangs in West Side Story.
CHAPTER 33
(pg 258) Serge insists the table in the Café Carlyle he and the BBB are sitting at is the
one where “Al Pacino shot those two guys in The Godfather”. Serge is referring
to the scene where Michael Corleone (Pacino) shoots Captain McKluskey
(Sterling Hayden). Unfortunately, the scene was filmed inside the old Luna
Restaurant on White Plains Road in the Bronx. The only scene filmed at the
Hotel Carlyle was the one where Luca Brazi (Lenny Montana) walks down the
hallway seconds before entering the bar where he is killed. The bar itself is
located at the Hotel St. George in Brooklyn Heights.
(pg 259) Serge states his interest in trains began while watching “Captain Kangaroo”
when he was young. He will refer to his love of the children’s morning show
again in The Maltese Iguana.
(pg 259) The “president’s speech” about Penn Station Serge refers to is from President
Bill Clinton. Unfortunately, President Clinton did not deliver the speech until
Wednesday, May 19 1999.
(pg 264) Serge’s declaration of, “Alllllll aboard! . . .The Silver Stingray serving Dade City,
Winter Haven, Delray Beach and Coooo-ka-munnnnnnga!” is a nod to the
comedy bit first performed by the legendary Mel Blanc on The Jack Benny
Program radio show. On the evening of Sunday, January 7, 1945, Mel Blanc,
playing a train conductor, uttered the classic, “Train leaving on Track 5 for
Anaheim, Azusa, and (the exaggeratedly drawn-out) Cucamonga”.
CHAPTER 34
* No Notes.
CHAPTER 35
(pg 273) Zigzag’s pistol is said to be a “.380 automatic”. It should be referred to as a
semi-automatic.
(pg 275) During her nightmare, Samantha claims it is “1973” when she confronted
Preston. The fact her daughter was a “two-year-old” (2: 16) in “1971” (2: 15)
indicates she confronted Preston years after giving birth.
(pg 276) Frankie mentions “Private Ryan”. This is a topical reference, as Saving Private
Ryan did not premiere until Friday, July 24, 1998.
CHAPTER 36
(pg 281) The “book critic from Miami” named “Connie” is likely the Miami Herald’s Connie
Ogle.
(pg 281) Based on Connie’s comment, “that character you have who can never seem to
score,” Ralph apparently has his own Johnny Vegas-type character in his novels.
(pg 285) The “tunnel” The Silver Stingray enters is completely fictional. (Not to mention,
completely hilarious, given Florida’s terrain!)
CHAPTER 37
(pg 288) While Serge and Ivan fight atop The Silver Stingray, the train crosses a bridge
over the “Indian River”. Geographically speaking, this cannot be the case.
The train has not yet reached the Okeechobee depot yet. This is most likely a
typographical error and should be the Kissimmee River
(pg 289) The Silver Stingray passes though the “Okeechobee depot” before it crashes.
(pg 290) The fact The Silver Stingray is derailed near “Pratt & Whitney” indicates it
crashes in or near the J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area.
CHAPTER 38
(pg 293) Preston got each one of the BBB members pregnant “twenty-five years ago”.
EPILOGUE
(pg 300) After their rescue from the derailed train, the BBB and the other passengers
were put up in the “Hilton". It is likely Amtrak got them all rooms at the Hilton
Palm Beach Airport. Based on this assumption, this hotel is listed in
The E-Ticket Tour of Florida section.