34 replies to this topic

[MG Brown]

[Half Fast]

[Cheater]

Joe ‘Noose’ Neumeister was one of the most talented people I have ever met in the slot racing hobby. He was also could be one of the most difficult to work with in many ways. It seems like ‘compromise’ was a word that never made it into his vocabulary.



 

At the first ‘Sano’ race created by Mike Swiss in October 2007 (which is where the IRRA organization was actually begun), a small number of the racers decided after the event was over to go out for some food and a few adult beverages.

 

I don’t remember what led to Noose telling this story, but please understand that it came directly from his mouth; it’s not second or third hand. I cannot recall who all was present, other than myself, Swiss, and Jay Guard. There were a few others but no more than three or four, maybe five. (If you were there, please let me know.)

 

The following story is as best I can recall after nearly 20 years and I wanted to post it here because I have discovered that even some of Noose’s closest friends are not aware of it. Also I do not know his exact ages when these events occurred; he never said and I never asked.

 


According to Noose, he grew up in a pretty impoverished situation and his family lived in a NJ tenement on the second or third floor. His most prized possession was a child’s bicycle, which had a small bell that rang when he pedaled it. One evening, late in the day, he heard the bell ringing and realized someone was stealing his bicycle. He leaned out a big open window to see who it was, leaned too far, and fell out the window right over the concrete stoop directly beneath. Another resident, a woman, was just coming up the steps with a large basket of clean laundry, saw Noose falling, and rushed forward to catch him in that basket, which she did, unfortunately breaking both of her arms in the process. Noose was not seriously injured. I am guessing he was four or five years old at the time, but I really don’t know.



 

Sometime later, I’m guessing at least several decades at a minimum, Noose’s first marriage was ending in a fairly acrimonious divorce. At the same time, the wife he was divorcing was diagnosed with requiring a kidney transplant, for reasons I do not know. As part of that process, all her family members were asked to be tested for a donor match and the doctor convinced Noose to be tested as well, knowing he was not a blood relative. As fate would have it, Noose was the only perfect donor match of anyone who had been tested.



 

When the doctor informed Noose of the situation, he was incredulous. As best I can recall his words, he said “You are actually asking me to donate a kidney to a woman I have come to absolutely hate and whom I am currently divorcing?” The doctor basically said, “Your call.” Noose said, "Let me think about it.

"

 

I would imagine Noose didn’t sleep much that night but remembering what happened after his fall from that window when he was a young child, he eventually came to believe that “sometimes in life you have to pay back.” And he said that's the reason he donated a kidney to his soon-to-be ex-wife.


[slotcarone]

Greg, I was not at that table after the Sano and never heard the part about falling out the window but for sure the part about donating the kidney to his ex-wife I heard a few times. That is a fact for sure!

[Racer36]

Noose told me about the kidney donation story a number of years ago. Evidently it was all she got in the divorce!

[MSwiss]

I never heard the falling out the window part of the story, just the kidney donation. 

 

That original Sano had the post race festivities, IIRC, at TGI Friday's, which coincidentally had the Who poster hanging

just outside the men's washroom that was the inspiration for the first T-shirt design.

 

Subsequent post-race get togethers were always at my house where three to five of the racers were already staying.

 

There were some great stories from Noose, Howie, and Tracy.

 

We knew we were having a good time when my wife, a real heavy sleeper, would come down in her pajamas and declare, "Why don't you guys go to bed, already?" LOL.

[Cheater]

I never heard the falling out the window part of the story, just the kidney donation.

This doesn't surprise me. Do you also not recall, when leading us back, missing the proper exit and having to make a U-turn to get us back to the correct location? LOL.

[Mike Patterson]

I don't want to sidetrack this thread, but if anyone knows the artist of the poster in post #27, would you please PM me?

[Half Fast]

The artist was Keith Bauer, Doug's son.
 
Cheers,

[Mike Patterson]

Thank you.