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Robert A. Mills

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Blogs by Robert A. Mills

EXPERT
5/25/2013 9:16:18 AM

Once upon a time there were two high-profile entrepreneurs in Rochester, NY named Leo Spezio and Tony Comparato. I didnt know Leo very well, but I was acquainted with Tony by virtue of the fact he was a regular lunchtime diner at the Downtowner Motel restaurant, run by a certain gentleman named Merle Sweet.

In those days of yesteryear, my 2-6 PM radio show was broadcast remote on WROC. I had made a success of this dodge by doing the program on location, away from the confines of the studio--in the showroom of George B. Doyle Chrysler/Plymouth, for example, before setting up daily at the Downtowner.

Prior to that and for years afterwards, I had enjoyed long term contracts at Island Valley Golf Club, Flanagan Furniture Co., the HMS Bounty Restaurant, and John Doyle Chevrolet.

But it was during my three years at the Downtowner that I first met Tony Comparato.

I was in the process of interviewing Cassius Clay (later, Mohammed Ali) when Tony C. approached me. How long you committed to Sweet? he wanted to know.

I told him, The contract runs to the end of the year.

Leo Spezio and me are partners, he said, in a new Holiday Inn franchise on Ridge Road in Greece. We aint even broke ground yet, but we wanna hire you to do your show from our lobby. Who is the account exec you work with?

I explained he should take it up with Jerry Flynn at the station. I said, If Sweet does not renew I might be available. Whad you say your name was?

Over the next few months Comparato and Spezio built a marvelous edifice on Ridge Road West in the suburb of Greece, near the Kodak Park facility, with exquisite accommodations and a restaurant and bar that attracted many of international fame as well as the Hollywood bunch and local yokels. My radio show, set up in the lobby, gave me easy access to a plethora of visiting celebrities, etc. I was a fixture there for a long time.

Over the ensuing months I learned that Comparato was a health nut and a true tennis aficionado, and he and Spezio were building a huge tennis and sports complex on Henrietta Road, a modern multi-court and swimming pool facility that was state-of-the-art and 98% indoors. Tom Decker, my sidekick at WROC-TV, and Sandy Byers, a favored client, and I were invited to be charter members. Gratis, of course.

It was a happy association. Every afternoon I had radio guests such as Hal Halbrook, Dom Delouise, Sandy Koufax, Racquel Welch, Tom Watson, Robert Goulet, Sammy Dais, Jr., Johnny Mathis, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, Oscar Peterson, the mayor and my pick of councilmen et al — and mornings and weekends, I played all the tennis I wanted, swam and saunned and worked out at the sports center with a personal trainer named Andre.

As my son-in-law would say, life was good.

In 1966 Tony and his partner Leo built a shopping plaza across the street from the Holiday Inn. By then I had, in addition to my broadcasting chores, taken on the presidency of a dynamic new travel agency, and we opened our main office in the brand-new shopping plaza — where it remained for many years.

In fact, it was during one of many tours in Hawaii that the Holiday Inn burned down at Thanksgiving time. Although I was no longer employed there, I read in the local newspaper that several lives were lost (and I learned recently the city of Rochester was re-opening the case to determine if arson was involved).

I do not know the outcome, as I have long since retired and moved to Georgia. I do not even know if Leo Spezio and Tony Comparato are still alive, or if they were still owners of the inn when the fire struck; I am certain, in any event, they had nothing to do with that holocaust. I do not know if Comparato’s sons are even now involved in their father’s empire.

I do, however, remember one son — I believe his name was Thomas. He came to me at the travel agency one year and said he was getting married. Tommy told me, We want to honeymoon in Hawaii, and I wanna hire you to go with us and show us around the place. You are supposed to be an expert. My dad will pay all your expenses.

An expert? On Hawaii — or honeymoons? Hmmmm.

I tagged along, anyway. It was an experience I will never forget.

Robert A. Mills
Copyright © 2013, all rights reserved

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