Today good friend was buried. His name was Peter (Pietro) D\u2019Alliessi. Some of you old timers may have known him. In the 1950\u2019s (before my time) he raced for the prominent New York, club the Unione Sportiva Italiana. In 1954 & 1956 he was club champion. In 1957 he turned pro and rode his first six-day. His partner and guide was our own Ted Ernst. I believe this was in Cleveland (correct me if I am wrong Ted).
He was T-boned by an SUV and spent the next 6 weeks in intensive care. After an operation last Friday he died from his injuries. He was 78, hit on his birthday riding his 50\u2019s Balilla with no brakes but incredible skill. He could stop on a dime and would still dismount by pushing the bike forward and jumping off the back. 78! They said that he survived at all was due to the shape he was in.
I posted a picture of him on my wooljersey site taken from the 1957 USI
Banquet Program. Here is the link.
http://www.wooljersey.com/
Sorry if this is off-topic Dale. Pietro certainly wasn\u2019t. He did not deserve to go this way. I can be bad out there. As my wife says, you look right and BAM! They hit you from the left. Be Careful!
Edward Albert
Chappaqua, New York, U.S.A.