Bella Ciao, Comrade Larry, Bella Ciao, Comrade Larry!

Larry was born on October 12, 1944 in Levittown, NY to parents who had been around the Communist Party. He liked sports and was a pitcher for the Division Ave High School baseball team. He got his BA in education from Harpur College and a teaching credential. After graduation he drove south, stopping in Gulfport, Mississippi. He asked about a teaching job, and the recruiter advised him against it since it was an all-Black school. Not to be deterred by racism, Larry taught math for a year. Moving west, he taught first at Pelton Junior High in San Francisco and then at Presidio. Once he made a lesson plan using the percentages of Kentucky miners who contracted black lung disease and the profits the bosses made from the workers’ suffering. Other teachers followed his lesson plan in their classrooms. He also organized a multiracial group of young people to form a Little League team coached by three other young comrades and included his students in pick-up basketball games.

Fighting the KKK and Nazis
Larry fought racism by taking on the KKK and Nazis several times in the late 1970s and early 80s with Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and hundreds of workers and students. He was arrested in San Jose and a KKKop separated his shoulder. Possibly the biggest battle was organizing to stop a Nazi rally in Oxnard near Los Angeles. According to a veteran comrade: “When the cops attacked us, Larry came to my rescue. I couldn’t run ... Larry grabbed my arm and literally ran me to safety...we took refuge on the steps of an apartment building. A man came out and insisted we come in so the cops couldn’t arrest us. He gave us water and offered us food.”

Larry later taught at Balboa High and then at Lincoln where he regularly took students for bowling and pizza on Saturdays. He developed a CHALLENGE network with other teachers while other comrades sold CHALLENGE and leafletted the students outside. He brought some of them to May Day in Los Angeles.  He was elected to the teacher’s union executive board and helped develop a left caucus. Larry always got CHALLENGE out to people

After a few years the caucus defeated the old leadership. One main issue was the need to fight racism in the school district. The union represented classified paraprofessionals who were mostly Black and Latin women with lower pay and benefits while the majority of the teachers were white. The caucus raised that struggles must build unity among all workers and students. They eventually won that paras would be covered under the same wage and benefit proposals as the teachers in contract fights.

Summer projects in Delano, Watsonville, and Mississippi
During the summer Larry almost always went to projects that PLP teachers organized with students. Some memorable ones were among Latin farmworkers in Delano and striking cannery workers in Watsonville. One summer, fighting the Klan in Mississippi, Comrade G remembers: “Larry and I went to Tupelo with the International Committee against Racism and PLP.  It was a frightening time, and I was scared to death.  Larry became one of the most influential people there.  Thoughtful and calm, his presence helped the group focus and deal with problems as they arose.  This was a powerful contribution.”

Larry struggled with Bay Area comrades to “lead with CHALLENGE” and encouraged us to improve our distribution.  He led by example by developing a CHALLENGE route, dropping papers off at houses of friends and coworkers, libraries, stores and coffee houses. He promoted involvement in mass organizations.

Sing, study and distribute CHALLENGE
Larry sang and played the piano and guitar. He and comrade L sang together at most May Day dinners. She was a member of the Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Chorus and convinced Larry to join. He loved it! At rehearsals he distributed CHALLENGE during breaks. The Chorus was thrilled when Larry would take common songs and write parodies—and sometimes entire songs—to those tunes. These revisions were revolutionary and  whimsical. One of the songs he wrote was “The Working Class” to the tune of “Amazing Grace.”

More recently, Larry and other comrades formed a study group with members of the Chorus and from Larry’s school. A highlight was the discussion of the 10 PLP principles of CHALLENGE.  When people in the chorus were told about Larry’s death, the director and some members talked about Larry’s gift in writing songs—and that he, his wit, and his gift would be missed. One member of both the chorus and study group took over Larry’s job of distributing CHALLENGE at Rainbow Coop Grocery. Larry also worked in HEAT, a group devoted to keeping SF City College as a community asset for the whole working class. When Larry's passing on July 11  was announced, many HEAT members praised his years of dedication to City College and as a fighter against racism.

Larry and his wife enjoyed ballroom dancing and traveling.  He was proud of his son and two daughters and spoiled his seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Despite his illness Larry struggled with and encouraged his comrades forward. He was a proud communist until the end.