A LESSON IN COURAGE

A bunch of us from our ad agency were at a disco on 20th street one night in the 1970s

It was the “everybody scores” 1970s.

And we were watching Nick Gisonde, a great, talented, handsome young Art Director from our agency, dancing with a beautiful blond girl who was clearly his target for the night.

Nick was a great dancer, and we talked while he continued to dance.

“Nick, I’ve got to go home,” I said. “Tomorrow we’ve got to finish Carter Hall Pipe tobacco.”

“I know I know” Nick Shouted to me as he continued dancing.

Then he said, “The chicks are back” The chicks are back”

Which was the last lines of the pipe tobacco commercial Nick wanted us to use.

The Idea of the commercial was that Carter Hall pipe tobacco smelled so great it would attract women. “aka” chicks.

It was a different world in those days.

I left the disco not realizing that that was the last time I would see Nick Gisonde dancing or walking.

Nick didn’t come in to work the next day, and the word was he had the “flu”.

Days went by, weeks and months went by after we learned that the “Flu” was a virus that had attacked Nick’s spinal cord and he would never walk again.

He was then in his 20s, paralyzed, a cripple.

Sentenced to a lifetime in a wheelchair.

And that is when Nick gave us all a lesson in courage.

From the beginning, he taught us that he didn’t want sympathy.

My partner Ron Travisano, who led the league in being emotional

said to Nick when he first came back to work,

“Nick, what can we give you? We’ll give you anything you want.”

Nick said “Anything?”

Ron said “Anything”

Nick said “How about you put my name on the agency masthead”

“Call the agency Gisonde Della Femina and Travisano.”

Lesson learned.

Nick went on to be a great art director for us and for every ad agency he was part of.

Many years later, when a few of us would go out for dinner and reminisce about the days when we all were having the best years of our lives.

Nick came to those dinners.

One particular night stands out.

We had just finished dinner, and I volunteered to push Nick on his wheelchair out of the crowded restaurant.

Everything went fine until I got to the door of the restaurant, I hit something and Nick and I went flying out of the restaurant.

I was lying there and I looked up and saw Nick on the ground, still hanging on to his wheelchair which was upside down.

Nick looked at me and said “Jerry you are still a clumsy idiot.” then he started laughing. I was laughing hysterically as was Frank DiGiacomo and a couple of others who were trying to pick us up. No one was hurt. Everyone was happy. Another story to tell over the years.

I could tell you so much more about Nick, but someone told it better than I can.

Rich Russo, one of the good guys, wrote a tribute on Facebook to Nick Gisonde, who passed last week.

Here it is. If your read it before read it again, It’s that good.

If you didn’t see it read all about my friend Nick Gisonde, the most courageous man, I will ever know.

RICH RUSSO WROTE:

Most of you weren’t lucky enough to work with Nick or know him. If you’re a fan of advertising, you should know who he was. Nick was an art director and director who did most of the great, iconic MILLER LITE beer spots— Taste Great. Less Filling. The campaign used pretty much every athlete and pop culture icon in odd pairings to comedically launch the first Lite Beer from Miller. But that wasn’t all the great work Nick created. His experience , impact and award list was as hefty as anyone’s . What made Nick’s work even more special was he did them all for 40 plus years bound or better yet not bound by a wheelchair . Nick was a star at the great agency of Della Femina, Travisano . A handsome , funny, self-deprecating great talent when he suddenly caught a virus in his spine and never walked again. He never walked again but everything else he kept doing. Including working with a new friend Christopher Reeves doing work to raise awareness and money for the handicapped. Including winning boat loads of awards, including going to every NY Giant game even when the weather froze the best fans out. Including our dinners in Hoboken where his humor and stories held court. Would the same stories get repeat performances? Yes, but it was ok, they were great and he could tell them with flair.

That’s a FB blip of who Nick Gisonde was. I thought he deserved for the ad community who missed him to know who he was . Because who he was stood taller than simply a man in a wheelchair .

Nick was one of the most inspiring people I have ever met.

Rest in your well-deserved peace Nick. And thanks for all you brought to everything and everyone you touched.