Suppose They got released in 1972....

This is something I like to ponder... if movies went a different way than the actual theatrical or even alternate endings of films.

Now, let's see: Ray... Ray... He would have gone on to become Spanky's right hand man. Spanky had been a great success in the underworld of NY's gambling and protection schemes of the 60's. But now drugs are rearing their ugly heads and Spanky, wasn't completely satisfied with his overall level of success (white guys in his position earn twice what he does) so he wanted to expand his reach into other related avenues.

He has had a lot of turn-over due to the level of commitment of the 'younger' generation... and the fact that they "do" as many drugs as they sell. He has a couple lieutenants that are loyal, but they are almost his age and this game is taking it's toll on them. The last drive-by shooting took it's toll also. In 1972, Rayford shows up almost as a send from Spanky's god.

Over the years, "Spankys" had to change with the times... it was known by many names through the years, but currently it was called "The Groove Room". Years earlier when some adult book stores moved into the area forced a sooner-than-expected name change from "Spanky's Room". As Spanky recalls, "...too many mudda fuggas comin in holdin' they johnsons axin' where all tha white women at!"

Ray accepted the job under the terms that he pay back ALL the money with interest that he owed Spank from the whiskey run 40 years ago. Spanky knew Ray was a lowlife from way back when, but that was also the reason he could appreciate Ray. He understood Ray. Ray was, more or less, for better or worse, his people. But could he trust Ray?

Ray knew how they got drugs into prison, he could only imagine how they smuggled it into New York! So he wasn't exactly on board with the whole new business model, but he knew what he really wanted and kept his eye on the prize... the hottest jazz night club in Harlem: Ray's Boom Boom Room.

Now it wasn't going to be easy and in spite of his big talk in prison, Ray had never killed anyone before. But it was either him or them, as he stood over the body of a younger thug who had pulled a gun during a major purchase. Ray's rep grew to that of urban myth but he had been arrested by Hoppin' Bob for the crime, and though Ray tried to escape, he was eventually freed due to lack of evidence. "Can't Get Right" was the only witness, and he. wasn't. talking.

Years later after Spanky had died, alone, in his bed... Ray took over the business and sold off most of the diversification that Spanky had previously set up. He kept the loan and hospitality divisions, but sold the drug bidness to Gold Mouth who ended up with such a bad cone-bread addiction that it finally did him in from diabetes years later. You may remember he also had that hit rap song about cone-bread, from his album, "Hey Gurl!" He went by the artist name Bigg Goldd...

Ray made enough from the sale to buy the club and open 3 more around town. He retained distribution rights as part of the buyout and just as coke became widely available in the late 70's, early 80's. His clubs blew up as the best places to party. The other clubs weren't named after his favorite dream, however, just the original Spanky's was called The Boom Boom Room. The other clubs in order of popularity were called: 8 Balls (a pool hall), Blowin (an odd Jazz / Disco fusion) & The Candy Store (which actually had a real candy store in the front, and liquor in the back ;).

You couldn't get your powder on in Harlem without hitting one of these joints. Ray knew how they got the coke in, and he didn't care. His green was flowing in faster than Jangle Leg pitchin woo on the job! Rayford would go on to be worth more than most of his idols. Except for some questionable "fat suit" roles he did pretty well for himself.

"Can't Get Right" would show up from time-to-time to pay his respect to Claude and Ray, but he was heavy into gambling through some of the major players. Word on the street was he owed them a lotta cash and was never "heard" from again.

Ray died in the late nineties shortly after attending a baseball game with long time companion Claude Banks... who worked as the head busboy at The Boom Boom Room where he always had Worcestershire sauce ready to dispense from a holster on his belt.



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"Your wife's on my Wham-O"

Well even escaping a few decades later they seemed to be adjusting just fine. I think the similarities are in that just like Red had a purpose in going on due to his reuniting with Andy, Ray and Claude had each other. Brooks had nobody.

Yours sincerely, General Joseph Liebgott