THE INTERVIEW: ACTRESS AND TELEVISION PERSONALITY FLORETTE VASSALL! (PART 1 OF 5)

Left to Right: Richard Espinosa of En Vivo Live Media applauds "EVVY" Achievement Award Winner, Lolitta De La Vega, Editor In Chief of Temas Magazine and Ambassador of "EVVY" Cultural Interchange. Florette Vassall is on the right.

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Here's the story to explain how Florette "Flo" Vassall became a dear friend of mine. Like many of my ex-Pan American World Airways friends--meeting Flo was the result of my association with the late Marty Shugrue. Following Marty's passing in March 1999, a special service honoring him in August, during what would have been his 60th birthday was held in New York's Saint Agnus Church. The service in New York was poignant because Marty spent 20 years of his life with Pan Am first as a Boeing 707 pilot, and in successive promotions in management, he rose to become Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of "The World's Most Experienced Airline". Not feeling up to attending my Nephew's wedding, like many others, I too flew in for the memorial service to honor this incredible man who inspired me greatly. In the afternoon heat, a number of we men stood outside the church within walking distance in fact, of The Pan Am Building (now the headquarters for Met Life). I knew no one and this must have been quite obvious, because a lovely lady named Ruth Estwick approached me to introduce herself. As it turned out, Ruth's late husband Earl Estwick became one of the first black executives at Pan Am serving with the late Najeeb Halaby, Father of Jordan's Queen Noor, a former head of The F.A.A under President Kennedy and CEO of Pan Am from 1969 to 1972. "Pardon me, but you seem so alone that I just had to come over and introduce myself", she said. "I'm Ruth Estwick". As we became acquainted, another Pan Am executive, Jim Leet joined us and we shook hands and chatted a bit before entering the Chapel. Unknown to me at the time, Florette Vassall, an ex-Pan Am employee who became an Executive Producer, Actress, Fashion Model, and Television personality in the Manhattan area (and a close friend of Ruths) was also seated in the church. But we didn't see her! Following the service, many of us walked to the renowned "Wings Club"--an exclusive Club whose members included the top executives of the nation's airlines (and of course this included Marty). Afterwards, I left the reception to catch some lunch with a retired Pan Am 747 Captain before taking a self-tour of the Pan Am lobby--viewing the sculpture "Flight" (not to be missed). And believe it or not, the tenants of what was Pan Am's headquarters on the 46th Floor allowed me to stop by and stand at the far window overlooking Lower Manhattan. A young lady who was the receptionist asked me about Pan Am and of course I "talked a blue streak" about the company I so admire. Standing quietly at that window, I tried to grasp the history-making events that transpired in the boardroom down the hall from an airline empire that literally taught the world to fly. (Pan Am once owned the building that bore its namesake from 1963-1992-10 months after the airlines' demise). When I returned to my home in the Southwest, I received an e-mail from a lady named Florette Vassall stating that she had lunch with Ruth Estwick and that she was sorry that she missed meeting me. Ruth must have made me sound special. Within weeks, we chatted on the phone and became great buddies. Seven years later in April, 2005 Flo had just returned to JFK Airport from Germany when she discovered that I would be attending the 30th Reunion of Pan Am's "Last Flight Out" of Vietnam that was coordinated by Al Topping at the Hyatt Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia near the Capitol. Although exhausted, Flo traveled to the event and I finally hugged this great friend! Who else would travel to see me? I ask you! The following interview was conducted over a three-week span as Flo was executive producing her program on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) and BCAT (Brooklyn Cable Access Network), not to mention in between appearing in numerous TV commercial shoots.

FLORETTE VASSALL'S INTERVIEW AS A RESIDENT OF THE FLATBUSH SECTION OF BROOKLYN CAN BE SEEN IN THE REPEAT CABLECAST OF NEIGHBORHOOD BEAT AT 12:30 PM AND 8:30 PM EACH WEDNESDAY ON BCAT, BROOKLYN COMMUNITY ACCESS TELEVISON, CHANNELS 56TW AND 69CV. IT CAN BE SEEN THROUGH LIVE STREAMING ONLINE AT briconline.org/bcat. AND CLICK CHANNELS 56 Time Warner and 69 Cablevision. Here's Part 1 OF OUR VISIT.

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MM: Flo, most of my fellow bloggers have seen you on TV without realizing it. Can you tell us about your role in the MTV Video of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" with The Counting Crows?

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FV: THE SEGMENTS OF "BIG YELLOW TAXI", IN WHICH I APPEAR, WERE SHOT IN THE DUMBO SECTION OF DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, NOT FAR FROM THE AREA IN WHICH MY FAMILY SETTLED AFTER MY FATHER RETURNED FROM THE WAR AND WE WERE ALL REUNITED AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF SEPARATION. I PLAY THE ROLE OF THE GRANDMOTHER. IT IS QUITE CHARMING AND A LITTLE SAD. I AM THE GRANDMOTHER OF A LITTLE SIX YEAR OLD BOY. HE IS ONE OF THE LOVES DESCRIBED IN THE SONG, THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY BY THE BIG YELLOW TAXI. I AM SEEN LEANING ON THE RAIL/FENCE OF A BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE HOUSE, LOOKING SOMEWHAT SADLY BUT CURIOUS, AT SOME YOUNG ADULTS DOWN THE BLOCK. THEY ARE STANDING AND CHATTING ON THE CORNER; THREE VERY ATTRACTIVE TEENS. AS THEY DISPERSE, ONE BEGINS WALKING IN MY DIRECTION. AS HE COMES NEARER TO ME, HE MORPHS INTO MY LITTLE SIX YEAR OLD GRANDSON WHO RUNS TO MY ARMS FOR A LOVING EMBRACE. THIS BRINGS A SMILE TO THE PREVIOUSLY NOSTALGIC LOOK THAT WAS ON MY FACE AS I PENSIVELY STUDIED HIM WITH THE THREE EARLIER, BUT I NOW ENJOY THIS LOVING MEMORY OF HIS CHILDHOOD WITH ME IN THAT VERY WARM HUG. A LITTLE LATER IN THE VIDEO, I AM SHOWN WITH ANOTHER LOOK OF SADNESS AS MY LITTLE SIX YEAR OLD GRANDSON IS WAVING TO ME FROM THE REAR WINDOW OF THE BIG YELLOW TAXI THAT HAS TAKEN HIM, (IN THIS CASE, MY LOVE) AWAY. IT IS A VERY NICE VIDEO BY THE COUNTING CROWS. DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE WATCH THEIR LOVE RIDE AWAY IN A BIG YELLOW TAXI. IT IS STILL SEEN OFTEN ON MTV AND DESIGNERS1.

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MM: Let me work backwards for a moment. You have one of the most fascinating backgrounds. Tell us about your parents and your lineage?

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FV: ONE LARGE PART OF MY COMPLEXITY IS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO "FIGURE ME OUT"; OR, IN THE CASE OF MY YOUNGER BROTHER, SISTER AND I, FROM THE TIME WE WERE SEPARATED FROM OUR PARENTS AND LIVED IN MIXED COMPANY, WE WERE SEEN AS CHILDREN OF COLOR, BUT WE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE "DIFFERENT". THE DIFFERENCE WAS THAT MOST WHITE AMERICANS AND NON ETHNICS SEE ALL BLACK PEOPLE THROUGH ONLY ONE SCOPE, USUALLY AS BLACK AMERICANS; PRIMARILY OPPRESSED AND FROM THE SOUTH. WE WERE FIRST GENERATION AMERICANS. I WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN BORN TO THE FAMILIES OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER. GREAT PRIDE WAS TAKEN IN THIS FACT AND ALL WERE SO VERY HAPPY TO HAVE A REAL AMERICAN BORN INTO THE FAMILY. MANY PLANS WERE MADE FOR MY SUCCESS BY MY PARENTS AND MY MOTHER'S FAMILY. IN MY BOOK, TITLED "MY MOTHER WAS AN AIR RAID WARDEN", A WORK STILL IN PROGRESS, THERE IS A CHAPTER TITLED "PETER'S STORY". THAT IS THE STORY OF MY GRANDFATHER, PETER WALCOTT. HE WAS BORN IN JAMAICA IN THE VILLAGE OF ALBERT TOWN, TRELAWNY. HE WAS OF A FAMILY OF TEACHERS AND HIS BROTHERS WERE TEACHERS. PETER WAS A SADDLER AND LATER LEARNED HOW TO RUN A RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE. HIS FATHER WAS CHARLES WALCOTT AND HIS MOTHER WAS DAISY CAMERON. PETER MARRIED HENRIETTA FERGUSON . SHE WAS OF THE FERGUSON'S WHO LIVED IN ST.. ELIZABETH PARISH IN JAMAICA. WHEN THE PANAMA CANAL WAS BEING BUILT PETER AND HENRIETTA MOVED TO PANAMA AND HE WORKED THERE AS A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER. HE DROVE THE TRAINS THAT CARRIED THE SUPPLIES FOR THE BUILDING OF THE CANAL. HE AND HENRIETTA LIVED A VERY COMFORTABLE LIFE IN PANAMA. WITH THE SEVEN CHILDREN THAT WERE BORN THERE, THEY HAD A LOVELY HOME AND FARM. MY MOTHER WAS THE THIRD BORN. HER BIRTH CERTIFICATE SAYS HER PLACE OF BIRTH WAS THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE. DURING THE GREAT WAVE OF IMMIGRATION PETER SOLD HIS PROPERTY IN PANAMA AND BROUGHT HIS WIFE AND FAMILY TO AMERICA IN 1923. HE WAS ABLE TO GET WORK AS A HIGH RISE BUILDING ENGINEER IN MID-TOWN MANHATTAN. HE RETAINED THAT JOB UNTIL HE RETIRED. AFTER HIS FIVE YEARS RESIDENCE HE RECEIVED HIS NATURALIZATION PAPERS IN 1928. MY FATHER'S MOTHER WAS OF A NUMBER OF PERSECUTED FRENCH JEWISH FAMILIES WHO FLED PARIS FOR CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. HER NAME WAS FLORENCE DU BOIS. SHE LIVED MOST OF HER YOUNG LIFE IN CUBA AND MARRIED A MAN NAMED EARLINGS HENRY. SHE BROUGHT MY FATHER, LAURENCE HENRY, HERE IN 1922 DURING THE GREAT WAVE OF IMMIGRATION TO "GIVE HIM A BETTER CHANCE IN LIFE". MY DAD'S MOTHER PASSED AWAY WHEN HE WAS ONLY 14 YEARS OLD. HIS FATHER HAD REMAINED IN CUBA AND HE WAS AN ONLY CHILD. HE WAS TAKEN IN BY A FAMILY IN ALBANY, NEW YORK. AT AGE 16 HE JOINED THE NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD AND WAS BASED AT CAMP SMITH NEW YORK. IN 1942 HE WAS DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY AND BECAUSE OF HIS EXPERTISE IN MORSE CODE, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS, HE SERVED AS AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR IN 1945. HIS CHAPTER IN MY BOOK IS TITLED "LARRY'S STORY" AND A SEGMENT OF IT AIRS ON MY PROGRAM, "EVVY" CULTURAL INTERCHANGE. ONE OF MY MOTHERS EARLY EXPERIENCES AFTER HER ARRIVAL HERE WAS WITNESSING THE VISIT OF THE PRINCESSES, ELIZABETH AND MARGARET ROSE. MY MOM MADE UP HER MIND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DRESS HERSELF AND HER CHILDREN AS ROYALTY. SHE TOOK A COURSE IN SEWING WHEN SHE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. MY GRANDFATHER BOUGHT HER A SINGER SEWING MACHINE WHICH I REMEMBER HER USING WITH A HANDLE WHEEL THAT SHE WOULD TURN TO DO THE STITCHING. AFTER THE WAR SHE HAD IT CONVERTED TO AN ELECTRIC MODEL WITH A FOOT PEDAL. MAMA MADE ME BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES AND I WAS ALWAYS HAVING PROBLEMS LATER ON WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN WERE VERY JEALOUS AND WERE ALWAYS BEATING ME UP AND TEARING AT MY DRESSES. THAT AND THE FACT THAT I SPOKE WITH A SPANISH ACCENT MADE IT NECESSARY FOR ME AND MY BROTHER TO RECEIVE EARLY LESSONS IN SELF DEFENSE. MY MOTHER'S FAMILY SPOKE SPANISH AT HOME. MY FATHER HAD FORGOTTEN MOST OF HIS SPANISH AND FRENCH. HE SPOKE TO ME IN PERFECT ENGLISH AND MY GRANDFATHER SPOKE TO ME IN SPANISH. I WAS ABLE TO FIND THEIR SHIP RECORDS IN THE ELLIS ISLAND ARCHIVES. IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH INFORMATION IS ON FILE ABOUT THEM FROM THOSE RECORDS. THEY ARE ALL BEING DOCUMENTED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED BOOK.

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MM: I have a photo of you from a 1970 full-page magazine ad when you are seen on the telephone at the Pan Am reservations counter in New York. Were you modeling by then?

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FV: MICHAEL, I HAVE NEVER STOPPED MODELING SINCE I BEGAN AT AGE 15. I USED TO KEEP MY MODELING BOOK IN MY LOCKER AT THE VANDERBILT COUNTER BECAUSE FROM TIME TO TIME I WOULD GO ON A CASTING CALL DURING MY LUNCH BREAK. THAT SHOOT WAS FOR AN AD FOR IBM AND THE TELEPHONE COMPANY. THE PHOTO WAS USED IN A VIDEO COMMERCIAL. THAT WAS IN APRIL OF 1970. I CARRIED MY BAGGAGE TO WORK WITH ME THAT MORNING AND THAT SAME EVENING I LEFT THE OFFICE FOR JFK TO MAKE MY FIRST TRIP TO MUNICH TO SEE CHARLEY. HE WAS MY LATE DEPARTED FRIEND WHOM I HAD MET WHEN I WAS MODELING CADILLAC FOR GM AT THE NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR IN 1965.