Last Day in Europe:

    Well it is our last night in Europe. We are still in Milano and I just finished a steak and fries and a

great antipasto and Cappuccino. Orlando Watussi’s bassist, who lent Guagua his bass when it

was lost 4 weeks ago, is here taking a lesson from him.

Eddie Gua Gua Rivera

    Watussi has Pablo, Pete, and Chembo in his apartment, Cachete and Vince are walking around

Milano, Joey is sleeping, Reynaldo is practicing, Bomberito is eating asparagus, Emo is on his

way to Newark airport, Adalberto is resting, Ismael is in NY and does not know what has happened.

Junior is missing and Nicky is drunk, sleeping on a couch in the lobby. WHAT A BAND OF

LEGENDS...I was invited to go to Watussi’s home and then hang at a club, but I am wiped from

all this pressure.

    We have a bus picking us up at 11am for the airport and I will repack my broken suitcase (3rd

one)....Have to make payroll for all and collect $$ for incidentals. Spoke to Wendy and got word

from Myles that our CD is being squashed by Fania so they can take a loss and not pay estate

taxes on Jerry Masucci's Estate. No wonder our CD is not to be found anywhere here in

Europe…I do know it is in Japan and I will bring 300 with me to Japan to sell at the concerts.

Vincent got pick pocketed while visiting a huge church by some gypsy ladies but chased them

down and got his wallet back...Cachete shopped till he had no $$$ left… I myself am very

depressed and disillusioned about keeping this band together and making money abroad...

It seems there are NO honest people anymore...Everyone wants to get over on you...Don't

people know right from wrong. Why can't the artists, agents and promoters ALL make money

giving the listening public the best show possible and making conditions right so the artists

and musicians can give the best show possible to the people who pay good money to see them.

    I am on fire and will not rest till we get justice from these thieves... I lost a lot of money, but it

was money that I did not make... I covered all musicians and bills (I think), and can always make

more money. It is just the principle: that all things are NOT equal. How can we artists do a creative,

professional performance under these conditions... My blood pressure is way up, my ulcers are

in an uproar and I have not slept well in 3 weeks, on top of being away from Wendy and Sophy

and Sasha my great pussy cats for a month...I missed them mucho.

    Well it finally happened...Nicky was out of control last night and as everyone returned from their

ventures he was in the lobby shouting and screaming at all the band members as they returned...

He took off his belt and took a swing at Joey, then Reynaldo, who is the most mellow of a person,

and Reynaldo slapped him with a rolled up magazine and floored him. It was not fun, and Nicky

is now in the crapper with all of us. He continued drinking all evening and had a $147.00 bar bill

in 1 and 1/2 days.

    I arranged for a bus to take us to the Milano airport at 11am...woke everyone up paid all the bills

and of course a small bus showed up. Then another 1/2 hr later a larger bus appeared and we

arrived at the airport to check in to British Airways....Of course we were there 3 hrs early and of

course it took 2 hours to check in with most tickets having either professional names on them,

or mothers last name as in PR families, that do not match passport names...I paid a fee of $150

each to change Michelena's mistakes and we finally were at the gate. We did some last minute

shopping to get rid of some Lira and arrived in London. I paid Cachete for the little work he did

in Europe and he boarded United airlines to NY.

    He arrived with one suitcase and left with 6. We were bussed to another terminal to board a

747 to NY. The plane was an hour late and we did some last minute shopping again... Finally,

we boarded and settled in our seats...Nicky still looking for that last drink and annoying all

the passengers around him in 4 languages.

    Guagua tried to chill him out and it almost got to a point that they would call the police and

restrain him ...Luckily he finally fell asleep... At 8:30pm we arrived in NY. Another 45 min for

immigration and customs and I was in my limo bound for West 86th St. with 5 large bags with

broken wheels...I arrived home to the awaiting arms of my wife, Wendy...Sophy and Sasha gave

me all ATTITUDE. It was GREAT to be HOME...What a TRIP.