My name is Leo Manning. I grew up on Inwood Avenue in the mid 50's (my how time flies, a cup of coffee and a danish and here we are in the 00's). Anyway, Point Lookout was a summer town back then. It was a great place to be a kid, even if you weren't an all-star Little Leaguer. Labor Day, however, was the toughest day. It meant that all those fun, summertime residents would be making a mass exodus out of town. I remember me and Kevin McGarry standing by the "Old Gelos" on Parkside Drive and shouting "See you next year!"

But Labor Day not only meant the end of summer, it marked the beginning of another exciting school year. I was always a good student and the nuns at St. Ignatius just adored me. And, the year-round kids really knew how to have a good time on the school bus. With John Hagerstrom, Guy Lemke, Arthur Torpey, Robert Murphy and myself, singing songs such as "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall," we always started the day with smiles on our faces. Although, there were days when Arthur wouldn't let us on the bus, unless we saluted him. Today, he's a retired marine. Go figure.

After grammar school, I attended Fordham Preparatory, then matriculated at Fordham University and then, you guessed it, I went to Fordham Law School. My studying at law school proved to be a trying experience since it coincided with the emergence of the disco era. I remember many a night deciding whether to go to the library or the disco. Most times I did both. Hey, ya just can't stop when your spark gets hot, right?

Today, I am a practicing attorney at one of Manhattan's top law firms, where I wheel and deal with the bulls of Wall Street. Who says a small town kid can't make it in the big time? And when I'm not being a legal eagle, I enjoy a nice refreshing round a golf with my Point pals, maybe even a couple of cold ones afterwards. I've found that, in golf, if you never put a number higher than a 6 on the score card, chances are you'll break 100. And most times, I break 100. Which is nice.

All in all, my Point memories have taught me why my heart pulses to the beat of the city, and the roar of the sea.