NEWS FLASH! LARRY VENEZIANO ADOPTED BY TOMMY BOLACK!
Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", May 2001, page 6
While on a recent vacation driving to Las Vegas, we decided to take a detour
through New Mexico to visit an old friend, "Tommy" Bolack. We spend a
whole day (not nearly long enough) at his estate. "Tommy" and his
employees extended us every hospitality as we marveled at his wide range of
collectibles.
Tommy and Larry stand behind the Bolack
home which is nestled into the bluffs
of the
B-Square Ranch in Farmington, New Mexico.
Surrounded by meters and "one-armed bandits" mounted high on the
wall is a display case which houses only a small part of his insulator
collection.
We enclose some photographs, but they only begin to scratch the surface of
this remarkable individual and his entrepreneurial accomplishments. We were, to
say the least, highly impressed! As an advanced curator of many diverse interest and hobbies, he has built his empire into a museum leaving
absolutely no spare time for anything else. We have teased him for years about
never leaving his five square miles of "playland". Now we understand
why!
Amongst rows and rows of museum quality electromechanical devices,
"Tommy of Arc" demonstrates one of his popular exhibits.
| Tommy holds one of the many special pieces, a purple CD 140 JUMBO, that is
part of the lineup on the top of his rolltop desk. Wouldn't it be great to sit
and look at an eared Jumbo (CD 269), an aqua and olive and purple Jumbo and a
purple, olive and green CD 126 Brookfield "blob top" while you tried
to compose a letter or balance your check book? |
 |
Mary Beth Veneziano can survey the river, alfalfa fields and wildlife
preserve from the front balcony of the Bolack home.
We want to thank "Tommy" and his wonderful staff (maybe he will
give them a raise...?) for extending such a warm welcome. They were great!
Anyone going out West should try to make this a sure stop in your travel plans.
It will certainly be the high-light of your trip --- it was ours!
We wish "Tommy" all the best in
his future endeavors... wherever that may take him. Enjoy the pictures.
Larry
and Mary Beth Veneziano, West Chicago, Illinois
 |
Help make the clear "crossover tramps" pile with brackets and
"aqua mound" (at the right) filled with just aqua insulators grow on
your next visit. Tommy is always looking for additions, and will even pay money
to have quantities shipped to make their home on the piles that now exceed 7
feet in height and 20 feet in diameter. |
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