My parents independently escaped Hungary during the 1956 revolution. My dad and his best friend had to cross a cold frosty river during their escape, he barely made it across alive. His best friend tragically died of hypothermia. Mum and her family's first escape attempt failed. They were thrown into a cold icy pit and left to die by their Russian captors. Escaping the pit with the help of some passers by, they tried again, this time crossing fields laced with machine gun fire until they reached Austria.

Both eventually ended up in England, still never having met until 2 years later when they undertook the long sea voyage from England to Australia. They liked each other enough, but lost contact shortly after reaching shore.

One day mum spotted a bunch of larrikins having some fun tumbling along Bronte beach. Inquisitive by nature, and fun at heart she approached them, quickly realising one of the lads was the young man she had met on that boat a few years prior.

My parents fell in love and started attending the Rudas acrobatic school (run by Tibor Rudas and his wife - later made famous for creating the 3 tenor shows with Pavarotti, José Carreras and Plácido Domingo).

My parents created their own adagio act called the Two Leslies (a combination of balancing, throws and acrobatics) performing and travelling with Rudas productions around the world through much of the late 60s and early 70s. They travelled prolifically, including touring Japan, Iran, Canada, France, England, Pakistan, Australia and the USA (including Las Vegas).

My dad went on to manage several cabaret shows in Atlantic City, Montreal and Nassau. Including the shows at Le Cabaret Theatre in Resorts International Bahamas. The photo of Muhammad Ali was taken at Le Cabaret Theatre where he held training sessions and gave a speech to a select audience shortly before his last professional fight with Trevor Berbick in 1981. The kid in the green shirt is my brother (I believe this photo might actually be previously unreleased publicly :)

Rosey Grier played in the NFL for 12 seasons for the Giants then the Rams. He was Ethel Kennedy's bodyguard and it was he who got the gun from Sirhan Sirhan when Robert F. Kennedy was shot. He made a book called "Needlepoint for Men" in 1973 (this photo is from that book). He became a Protestant minister in 1983. He is alive and well today. He turned 94 in July.

In 1955, Ella Fitzgerald struggled to get booked at top-tier, glamorous white-dominated clubs due to industry barriers. Marilyn Monroe, a massive fan of Fitzgerald's music, intervened by calling Mocambo owner Charlie Morrison. Monroe promised that if Morrison booked Fitzgerald immediately, she would occupy a front-row table every single night, ensuring massive media attention and celebrity crowds. Morrison agreed, and Monroe kept her promise, drawing stars like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland into the audience. Fitzgerald later credited the week-long run with changing her career trajectory so she never had to play small jazz clubs again

(of himself)

Their close companionship and long periods of cohabitation - spanning off and on for over a decade while both actors also married women - have long fueled pop culture fascination and biographical speculation regarding the nature of their relationship.

Paducah, Ky. Was told he was furious he lost to women.