Joe Gio, a nonmusician, led the band

7/8/2000

The recent death of Joe Giovanucci, known by one and all as Joe Gio, will bring a lot of good stories to mind, says Phil Shamy.

Phil met Joe when both were Central Catholic High freshmen.

''I was nervous my first day in religion class,'' Phil recalls. ''The priest had us identify ourselves and our parish.

''I said my name was Phil Shamy and I was not Catholic. A voice came from the back of the room: 'Crucify him.' The priest said: 'It's OK, he's just kidding.' Well, that was Joe Gio.''

They became good friends, Phil says. ''Joe was the most popular guy in school. He organized a band, Joe Banana and the Bunch, even though he couldn't play an instrument. ''The band had one trumpet player. The rest of us played drums and Joe shook maracas.

"We only played Latin American music, anything noninstrumental.''

Working man

Herb Carrick of Toledo began in the dental lab business in 1940, had his own firm, once flew a plane to make deliveries, and now works for Dresch Tolson Lab - in his 61st year in the trade at age 79.

''He just enjoys working,'' says Karen Chambers, Herb's daughter, in an understatement.

Service

Margie Seeman recalls when she often drove into a full-service gas station and said to an attendant named Rex: ''Hi! Fill it!''

Driving along one day, her daughter, Ashley Pennington, who was 3, remarked: ''Hey, Mom, let's go see Fill It.''

It took a moment to realize she meant Rex the gas station man.

Thanks!

Sue Boudrie of Toledo was driving along busy Reynolds Road, when a tire fell off her car.

As the tire rolled away, Sue managed to stop without hitting anybody. For the next hour and a half she waited in the rain for help.

But not alone. Many people stopped. A young couple stood with her until police and a tow truck came. ''I sure thank them, they got me through the night,'' Sue said.

Habits

Author Stephen Covey may have his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, but Tom Schoen of Toledo, a Covey fan, says he has his own ''Seven Habits of Highly Effective Salespeople.''

He says: ''1. Get the order. 2. Get the order. 3. Get the order. 4. Get the order. 5. Get the order. 6. Get the order. 7. Get the order.

Recognition

While visiting in Asheville, N.C., Toledoan Bob Basile wore a cap with the logo ''USS CABOT-CVL28.'' As he walked the sidewalk, a man rushed from a restaurant to excitedly ask if Bob had served on that aircraft carrier in World War II.

''Yes, I did,'' Bob told him. ''Then you must have known my father, Capt. Malcolm Schoeffel,'' exclaimed Peter Schoeffel.

Bob told him that he had served under Captain Schoeffel and, with a geology background, had personally advised the commander about Pacific atolls.

''And I missed taking their picture,'' Anne Basile lamented.

The Last Word

''Aunt Mary Lou, your refrigerator is upside down.''

Young Kisora Myers, after opening great aunt Mary Lou Greenburg's refrigerator and finding the freezer on the bottom.