In early June of 2019, I got a call from the New York Yankees. By then I had become accustomed to taking all kinds of calls on behalf of Olmedini. The truth is nobody could find him, so they looked for me instead. In a way (although I never took a penny) I had become the de facto agent to an octogenarian, blind magician.
The Yankees told me they had seen my photographs in the NY Times; they were so moved by the story they planned to honor Olmedini during their annual Hope Week celebration, inviting him to throw the Ceremonial First Pitch at the stadium on game day.
They gave me a date and asked me to make sure the magician would be at home that morning, without spoiling the surprise. So I called Olmedini: “Respetado mago, make sure when you wake up on June 19th you stay at home until I arrive. Have your best suit ready, get a fresh haircut and a manicure. And just know that this will be one of the best days of your life”.
And he did. And it was.
Five pitchers and a host of cable news networks arrived in El Barrio to greet him at home and escort him by subway to Yankee Stadium. And that was just the start.
