Title: Palm Trees on the Hudson
Author: Elliot Tiber
ISBN: 978-0-7570-0351-6
 

Click Here To Purchase Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland & Interior Decorating
 

Elliot Tiber, it seems, was always being pushed around by Mom.  It was not an easy way to begin life but, he never suffered any bumps and bruises just the prophesy that he would be a complete flop in anything he decided to do.  Unless, of course, he became a Rabbi.  Elliot however, had other ideas.  Mom used to take him to the movies once a week so she could get a plate on "Plate Night" where movie theaters, in order to get customers, would give away plates a couple of nights a week.  Elliot, at age eight, fell in love with Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz.  After seeing this movie, he had a life long admiration of the singer/actress.  The family was poor but, did OK most of the time.  Dad had his own roofing business and Mom ran a little store in Brooklyn.  They had their own house and weren't as bad off as some of their neighbors.  When Elliot started college he announced that he would be moving out and into Manhattan.  This sent Mom into a tailspin as she still wanted him to make something of himself (RABBI) and not leave home.  There were three other children in the family, all girls, but Mom seemed to want to keep her only son close.
 
Elliot did leave home and got himself a room in Greenwich Village.  He was so happy to be out from under his mother's thumb.  He went to school and got some decorating jobs on the side to make some extra money.  Elliot worked hard for many years to become one of the best decorators in the city.  He succeeded, much to the dismay of his mother, who still wanted him to become a Rabbi and get away from the decadent world of decorating and show business.  His mom and dad had moved to Upstate New York and bought a Motel to run, thinking that they would be as popular as Grossinger's and other hotels in the east that people flocked to in the summer months.  As it turned out, their motel was off the beaten track and they lost money.
 
After Elliot had made a name for himself in the city, he was offered the chance to plan a birthday party for a friend on a Hudson River Dayliner.  The guest list included politicians, Mayor Lindsay of New York City, entertainers, and many of the rich and famous.  And, best of all one of the guests would be, JUDY GARLAND, Elliot's idol from a very young age.  For the party, Elliot planned an Arabian Nights Fantasy, including fortune tellers, palm trees, exotic foods and servers painted with gold paint to make them special.  All was well until about half way around Manhattan Island, fights broke out on deck and many of the palm trees were thrown overboard and when the boat docked the guests ran in every direction to get off the boat.
 
This event changed Elliot's life enormously as when he went to collect the money to pay everyone, the birthday boy said he wouldn't pay and sent some mob members around to collect.  Elliot had no way to fight this so he sold all his belongings to pay the bills and went to live with his parents for a while to recoup.  This, to me was not a bad thing, but Elliot would probably not agree.  It seemed to me that Mom could be overbearing at times but, was not violent or abusive - just loud.  And, Dad, bless his heart, was very quiet.  As soon as Elliot found out why Dad was so quiet be began to be quiet too and didn't fight back.  That seemed to be the only way Mom would stop ranting.  If nobody is listening WHY BOTHER!!  A really interesting tale of a family who loved one another in their very own way.

Click Here To Purchase Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland & Interior Decorating