By Bob Giaquinto
The June 4th meeting of the Greenwich Retired Men’s Association featured a performance by the RMA’s own Melody Men, a 20-man male chorus which entertains at senior living facilities throughout the area. This is the 50th anniversary year for the group, which was formed in the summer of 1975 and made its first public appearance at the RMA Thanksgiving luncheon later that year. It has been the choral community outreach group of the RMA ever since. It currently schedules about 25 one-hour performances each year, during the Spring and Fall seasons, to appreciative senior audiences throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties. The program includes pop, country, folk, and Broadway show tunes.
The Melody Men have also sung the National Anthem at Citi Field before two NY Mets games, and annually at the Greenwich Old Timers Dinner. They perform “God Bless America” annually at the Greenwich Town Party, and the 9/11 Memorial Service at Cos Cob Park.
The founding director of the Melody Men was Wally Pennels, and the director for many years thereafter was Bob Button. Tom Healy is the current music director and Bob Morgan, a former recording executive and producer, is the arranger/ piano accompanist, ably assisted by Tony Cocchi and Joe Mancinelli.
During its June 4th appearance the Melody Men sang 16 songs, under the leadership of Tom Healy. I found the performance entertaining, enjoyable, and relaxing. I am amazed at the talent of these members, which not only includes singing a variety of songs but the playing of various musical instruments. On the piano, we were treated to the very talented music legend Bob Morgan. The following songs were featured:
1. “Oklahoma!”
2. “June is Busting Out All Over” -from the show Carousel.
3. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” – with Jeff Junker on trombone.
4. “Getting to Know You” – including soloist Don Conway.
5. “When You’re Smiling” – with Tony Cocchi and Charlie Adams both on their guitars.
6. “Cabaret” – including soloist Jerry Schwendeman plus his dance moves.
7. “A White Sport Coat,” made famous by Marty Robbins, and “Graduation Day,” made famous by the Four Freshman, including a duet by Tony Cocchi and Joe Mancinelli.
8. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – including soloist Tom Healy.
9. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – including Jeff Junker on trombone
10. “Piano Man,” sung by Bob Morgan while playing the piano and with Captain Mike Hayden on harmonica.
11. “Take Me Home Country Roads” including a duet by Tony Cocchi and Joe Mancinelli.
12. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” with special voice and instrumental effects by Joe Mancinelli, and Jeff Junker on trombone.
13. “Top of the World” made famous by the Carpenters.
14. “Sweet Caroline” made famous in 1969 by Neil Diamond, with the audience participating in a sing-a-long.
15. “Nothing like a Dame” including solos by Don Conway and Tony Cocchi.
16. “I Want to be Happy”
The following RMA members took part in this musical presentation: Tom Healy, Bob Morgan, Mike Hayden, Michael Ambrosino, Don Conway, Tony Cocchi, Jerry Schwendeman, Joe Mancinelli, Jeff Junker, Bill Fakundiny, Anders Ekernas, Peter Junius, Bob Phillips, and Jim Butler.
The presentation can be viewed by going to the RMA website at https://greenwichrma.org, and clicking on “Speakers.”
The RMA’s upcoming presentation, “Tariffs, Immigration, Taxes and Federal Spending: Implications for the Economy and Financial Markets” by Larry Kantor, is scheduled for 10:45 AM on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 (note changed time). RMA presentations are held at Christ Church Greenwich.
US Presidents typically get too much credit and blame for the state of the economy. The business cycle is alive and well, determined mostly by the behavior of hundreds of millions of households and businesses both here and abroad, as well as exogenous factors such as weather, OPEC and systemic health issues. Policy also plays a role, although monetary policy usually has a bigger influence than anything the Administration does. But there are exceptions, and President Trump’s tariffs clearly fit the bill: The changes have been so extreme that they are having significant impacts on financial markets and the economy. The plunge in immigration will also have notable effects. The direction is clear: these policies will raise prices and reduce output and employment. The magnitudes, however are not; tariff changes of this size have not been experienced in our lifetimes, and where they will end up and how long they will be maintained is far from clear.
Join us to hear Larry Kantor, who will draw on his many years as a senior leader in the financial industry to tackle the critical economic issues of the day. Larry has appeared on nine previous occasions before the RMA and has received widespread praise for his clear, concise, and comprehensible views on national issues from an economist’s perspective. Larry is currently an operating partner at Atlas Merchant Capital, a private equity firm. He was a 2016 Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow at Harvard University following his retirement as managing director and global head of research at Barclays. He was also a member of the investment bank executive committee and made numerous media appearances. Prior to working at Barclays, Larry held several positions of increasing responsibility in academia, at the Federal Reserve Board and in the financial industry. Larry received his PhD and MA in Economics from Ohio State University.
To stream the presentation by Larry Kantor at 10:45 AM on Wednesday, June 18, click on https://bit.ly/30IBj21. This presentation will also be available on local public access TV channels, Verizon FIOS channel 24 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79.
Note: The views expressed in these presentations are those of the speakers. They are not intended to represent the views of the RMA or its members.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees, regardless of gender. Any member of the public who would like to receive a weekly email announcement of future speakers should send a request to members@greenwichrma.org. The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer, and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members. For further information, go to https://greenwichrma.org/, or contact info@greenwichrma.org.
