When asked if he attended his Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) reunions, the recently passed real estate mogul and civic leader Marshall Rose said he did not, that he thought most of his classmates would have been in jail. In the New York Times obituary (written by Sam Roberts) from which the previous anecdote came, it was noted that despite starting at the bottom in New York, Rose died near the top. Brooke Astor (1902-2007), “the undisputed grand dame of New York’s social life,” was one of many boldfaced names in his prominent friend circle.
Rose’s life exists as yet another reminder that in the United States it doesn’t matter where you start. More than in any other country, your past and present don’t define you or your future.
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