Gary Aptaker

His Story

The following is from Mike Biel"s "Doc's Dazzling Diamonds" page...

From Mike Biel....I have been forgetting to tell you this story. THIS should start the tongues wagging (including Jane and Dave's)

Early in my WRTI-FM career I was engineering the weekly airing of a program "H,S,and R: The Health, Science, and Religion Report" produced by Gary S. Aptaker. The opening was on cart but was dubbed onto the tape each week. It started with Gary shouting in a huge echo "H--S--AND--R" and then saying in a quiet voice "The Health, Science, and Religion Report is presented each week . . ." Each week as I cued up the tape I found that the letter H (or AACH) backwards is "SCHIT!" Since the opening that Gary used was on cart, he had never cued up the tape and didn't know this. One day as I cued up the tape he happened to walk by. I called him over to Control C and played it for him. He was rather surprised.

A year or so ago Home Box Office broadcast a program called "Shock Video" which told the story of how the camcorder has become a commonplace enough item to be in many places to record unusual things. Near the end of the program they started to do a whole section on homemade amateur sex tapes. They interviewed a gentleman who was laying on a longue chair out by a pool behind a lavish home. He was the founder of the oldest and largest distributor of this genre of entertainment, Homegrown Video. As he spoke, underneath his picture was the identifying name Gary S. Aptaker.

From Gerry Wilkinson to Mike Biel via e-mail....You refer to Gary S. Aptaker. According to the 1967 Templar, Gary's middle name is ROBERT.

From Mike Biel to Gerry Wilkinson via e-mail....I had not checked the original tape when I did it (sent the information to you), I might have put the wrong initial. I was just one off. I'll try to dig up the tape.

The following is an e-mail from Gary Aptaker to Gerry Wilkinson....(6/13/99)

You are correct, sir! It's Gary R Aptaker, and Mike did see me on an HBO special. Because of my experience at WRTI, I was naturally the choice of the Trustee of the Federal Bankruptcy Court to be the court-appointed CEO of Homegrown Video through the successful completion of it's bankruptcy proceedings. I actually got paid for that assignment.

I've been living in southern California (since 1969), and over the years I have been lucky enough to have had several successful careers. Currently I mentor people to generate six-figure incomes so they can achieve their dream lifestyles.

Your site was brought to my attention by a new associate who was checking me out on the internet. Please put my contact information into WRTI circulation. I'd really enjoy reconnecting with the old gang. Gary Aptaker netoffice@home.com

By the way, Gerry, I have been looking for Dave McLaughlin for the past several years. Can you help?

The following is an e-mail from Mike Biel to Gary Aptaker....(6/13/99)

It is a kick to finally get back in touch with you after all this time. You see, I have been talking about you in my broadcasting classes for at least 30 years! You remember, of course, your echoed opening for H S and R. Well, when cueing up the tapes for air each week I discovered that "H" backwards is "shit." Of course you never knew that until I demonstrated it to you when you happened to walk by Studio C one week when I was about to cue up the tape for air. The original of the opening was on cart, so you never had to cue it up on reel.

So when I teach tape editing and moving the tapes backwards and forwards by hand, this is an appropriate story to get them interested. And the fact that I saw you on TV extolling the virtues of home sex videotapes just made the epic complete! You say you were the court appointed CEO of Homegrown's bankruptcy plan. WOW! Nice work if you can get it! I can't think of anybody who has put their WRTI experience to more "interesting" work! But I could just imagine you trying to explain to Mr. Blenheim just what it is that Homegrown does! (He once told me the story of when some pranksters subscribed him to Playboy and how he had to rush home to be the first to check the mail every day until he was sure the subscription was cancelled.)

By the way, at the time of the reunion a couple of weeks ago, I had brought the videotape of HBO's Shock Video to Phila but forgot to leave it either of the J/Gerrys to upload the interview. I had not, however, at the time been able to again find the audio tape of the HS&R opening. I can now report that the tape was on the top of the pile all along, but I kept thinking it was in a different box. By the way, Gary, with it I have the original notice you had on the front of your tape box that requests that the program tape not be stolen and that if someone needed a tape THAT badly, you would get them one! When I get a chance, now that I have your address, I will get you a copy of that notice and of your tape. I bet you thought that they had dissolved into the abyss of time. It's been a while since I checked the tape, so I forget if it is the entire final show or if it is just the opening and a few sentences that follow.

The following is an e-mail from Gary Aptaker to Mike Biel....(6/14/99)

That business assignment with Homegrown Video taught me a lot about people and their hypocracies. There was a movement to have me removed from Rotary (I'm a charter member of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary), and it was funny that several of the "get Gary committee" were on Homegrown's customer list. And when I was instructed to find a buyer for the company so that the creditors could get paid, I found it very interesting to deal with "secret" potential buyers that were of high position and supposed good breeding.

But, alas, the thirty years since we all played together has been filled with a lot more than just naked women, sex and money. I made time for rock 'n roll, too. From Temple I became the writer of lesson plans for the 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines Infantry Training Regiment, then got into Direct Mail Advertising with (then) Cassidy/Richlar in Phila. Got married, moved to San Diego - 1970 (after falling in love with this place while on vacation & had son Lee in 1972. Divorced, 1973.

Started own direct mail advertising company 1971 & "accidentally" got into printing. Built Compu-List/C-L Printing, Inc. into multimillion $ Company. Served on boards of PIA (Printing Industries of America), Direct Marketing Association, Advertising & Sales Club of San Diego, Guardians, MS Society and Curriculum Advisory Council for State of California.

While visiting high schools to talk with young people about their dreams..."what would they like to do if they didn't have to worry about money"...my own dream came up. I wanted to write and perform my own music. I made a plan that I would retire from my business on my 20th anniversary to do my dream. Feb 14th, 1991, it happened! I felt like Kevin Kostner's character in "Field of Dreams". Summer of 1991 - the recording of my song "Thank You Martin" was used to open the dedication ceremony of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN. I was on my way.

The next learning lesson: "There's no such thing as a big-enough nest egg". I went through my resources pretty quickly, and, Oh, I forgot...I got married again in 1989 and as the money went, so did she. Divorce #2 - 1992. To keep everything clean, she got the assets, I kept all my creative property. FAIR! That's when I took the assignment with Homegrown. I got the company sold and stayed on for a short while just to help the new owners.

As I became Gedalia (my hebrew name) , "The Ambassador of Romance", I really got to know where the expression "starving artist" came from. I played in clubs, weddings, bar mitzvahs, business meetings, etc. Met my current consort Christine (she's a corporate attorney from Toronto) in 1993 & formed the Gedalia Corporation. Made a little dough, but discovered that I was NOT the next coming of Billy Joel! Currently, do my music mostly for charity and close friends. Have a great daughter-in-law Tiffany & 3 grandkids: Josh-10, Brandon-7 and Sydney-7mos. Got an automobile sales license & sold Porsches for a while - didn't like the car business. Got my real estate license & while selling vacation timeshares got involved in my current career: I mentor people to generate six figure incomes so they can achieve their dream lifestyles. Christine & I have a house in Oceanside, CA (just north of San Diego). Our friends call it "The Cheap Resort In Hawaii" We have a pond and waterfall and palms and exotic birds.

I play in a softball league, we travel, go dancing & I love to cook. Life is good! When a beautiful lady passes by, I do have to suck in my gut just a little, but I have all my teeth, all my hair, a little grey here and there, a little ache,... but all and all I am blessed. I have a video clip of Gedalia that I think represents MORE of who I am than the HBO piece. Who gets it?

See, there's not a book in me. My whole life in one page. And now, the rest of the story... I'm working on an album "Dos Tangos - Music For Dance & Romance". The proceeds will be used to put the music education programs BACK INTO THE SCHOOLS! What a journey I'm having to learn the real purpose of my life. I didn't realize how special you all are until I was re-connected over this past weekend.

The following is an e-mail from Gary Aptaker to Mike Biel....(6/14/99)

Can we list your e-mail address in our e-mail directory?" YES! "Also would like to do a page about you containing your e-mails. (We usually do this with everyone). Is that okay?" YES! "Anything you wish to be included?" If I snail-mail you a video clip,can you use it? Mike B said something about uploading. If yes, where should I send it? I'm looking forward to the re-connecting.

If you wish to see a larger version of the above photo of Gary from the 1967 Templar, it's here.