Forty-four years ago, on March 21, 1977, I met Vincent Gagliostro in New York City, and my life changed forever.
It was an interesting happenstance how we met, and if it wasn’t for a split second in time, we may have never met.
I was 21 years old, and still living at home in Brooklyn with my parents. It was the height of the disco era, and every Saturday night I would go into the city to dance away the night to the disco beat. I was close with my brother Joe, who lived in the city on Fifth Ave. and 14th Street, and we would frequently go to dance clubs together.
On this particular Saturday, I called Joe and asked him what he was doing that night. At the time, he was attending Parsons School of Design, and was studying interior design. He invited me to come with him to a party one of his classmates was giving, just around the corner from him. He told me to pick him up at his apartment at 10PM and we would go to the party together.
I drove into Manhattan, and had the doorman ring my brother but he wasn’t responding. I thought maybe he was in the shower, and knocked on his door to no avail. He clearly wasn’t home. I was pissed because I was looking forward to the party, and figured he went without me, plus he didn’t give me the address. I went back to the street to figure out what I was going to do now that I was already in the city. At that moment, I ran into a couple, Michael and Gail, who were classmates of Joe, who I knew, who introduced me another classmate, Vincent, who was with them, who I didn’t know. I asked them if they knew about the party, and they said they were actually on their way there, and I could come with them.
My brother Joe never showed up at the party, and I learned the next day, he had taken a disco nap and didn’t hear the door or the telephone.
At the party, I ended up talking to Vincent almost the entire night. I especially liked him because he laughed and smiled at all my corny/bad jokes. I felt a deep warmth coming from him, and my instinct told me that this person was going to be a good friend, or something more, but I didn’t know what. I had never been in a longtime relationship before.
Paris, 1982
Although we spoke to watch other at length on the telephone the following week, we had our first official date the following Friday, for dinner and a movie. I don’t remember the restaurant, but the we saw The Late Show with Lily Tomlin and Art Carney at the Sutton theater on East 57th Street and Third Avenue. (Ironically a few years later we rented an apartment right next door). Vincent was impressed when I picked him up in my shiny, chartreuse Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, with white leather interior.
At the time, Vincent was working at this first job after graduating school at a graphic design company, and I was managing a lady’s shoe store which my family owned, on Maiden Lane, near Wall Street.
I’ll never forget the coat Vincent was wearing when I met him; a kaki green nylon anorak, with a hood, designed by an up and coming, French, fashion designer, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Even then Vincent was fashion forward, and the jacket was from Saks Fifth Avenue, costing over $200.
The rest is history as they say, and our relationship escalated quickly. In the following weeks, we would spend almost every night together, and within a month I moved in with Vincent, who was living in Tribeca. We’ve been together since then, always living together.
I always think, what if I turned that corner a few seconds later, and I wouldn't have run into Michael, Gail, and Vincent, what my life would be like.
Today we are closer than ever.
We went through a lot in 44 years, surviving Son of Sam, the AIDS epidemic, 9/11, terrorist incidents in Paris, and now the Coronavirus.
Here’s to Vincent, the most wonderful, kindest, sweetest, generous, patient, and loving person I’ve ever met.
And here’s to many, more happy years together.
Got to go Disco!
Some things are just meant to be! Happy Anniversary.
Posted by: Sheri | March 21, 2020 at 01:03 PM
Congratulations. I can't imagine a more perfect pair. Stay well. Stay safe. Many blessings to you both for a long and healthy life together.
XO
Cheryl
Posted by: Cheryl | March 21, 2020 at 03:37 PM
What a sweet love story! Forty four years of love and sharing is a long time. What good fortune to have found your soul mate all those years ago. Congratulations to you both.
Peggy B
Posted by: Peggy Hale Bilbro | March 21, 2020 at 03:41 PM
congratulations guys! such a sweet and hopeful story. Needed to hear this today. Sending love from Upstate NY - miss you and stay healthy. XOXO SJO
Posted by: SJ | March 21, 2020 at 05:34 PM
What a beautiful love story, thank you for sharing. I love your blog and I hope to make it to Paris one day.
Posted by: Kasey | March 22, 2020 at 04:23 AM
I love you Richie and Vince. Great story. Stay safe...Kenny Gordon
Posted by: Kenny Gordon | March 22, 2020 at 01:57 PM
Beautiful love story Richard and Vincent 😍 Richard you are a great story teller Glad to read again too It’s been a while ( I think last time you were choosing your front picture) Stay in my beautiful city I wonder how long it will be before I can visit again Much love from Françoise (Liverpool) ☺️
Posted by: Françoise Pelcat | March 24, 2020 at 03:07 AM