This is the
letter that I received from Mark Warren Carlstedt on July 10, 2006. Here is his side of
the story.
At the time I was a special cop in Fort Lee and was assigned by
Anna Cook to stand-by Fox as he signed autographs. It was on the
midway where the Cyclone was but closer to the Palisade gate in a
booth that had been set-up. If I remember the name of the ride
correctly, we were near the Himalaya ride just before the arcade.
There were quite a few kids there getting autographs. It got a bit
disorderly with the kids pushing and shoving so I stepped in tried
to restore a little order telling the kids to form a line and
everyone would be taken care of. Suddenly Fox says in a very loud
voice "The Palisades cop is assaulting the children." Thinking that
I would get involved in something unpleasant, I left them and told
Fox that he could keep order. Since it was my assignment to be with
Fox, I went to the administration building and told Anna Cook what
happened. As God is my judge, Mrs. Cook said that every time Sonny
Fox came to the park he created problems and that he would not be
invited again. She told me to go back and just stand by to make sure
nothing major happened and escort him back to the administration
building, which I did.
When he (Fox) finished with the kids, I escorted him back to the
administration building through the back way - behind the Himalaya
and past the freak show to the office. While on the way and out of
public view, Fox grabbed me by the back of the shirt collar (I was
leading the way through the back way) and pulled me to the ground! I
was shocked, to say the least. I did cuff him and bring him into the
administration building handcuffed and Irving and Anna Cook went
ballistic! I told Mrs. Cook that Fox had really done it this time
and repeated what she had said to me about him being a problem
before in front of Fox. Well, she denied saying that. Irving was
running around making sure that I had no operable phone to call for
a squad car to bring Fox in (there was a phone jack switchboard in
the office and one had to be "plugged-in" to get an outside line).
Irving got on the phone to Teddy Grieco (he was on a fishing boat
with Fletch Creamer Sr. so he [Irving] made a ship-to-shore call - a
big deal in those days). I spoke with Chief Grieco on the phone and
he told me to let Fox go and he would speak with me about the
situation upon his return. He wasn't mad or even slightly annoyed
with me. So, as much as I didn't like it, I did what the Chief said.
The only thing that I could imagine, both then and now, is that
Fox was pulling a publicity stunt and was involving me in it. If I
remember correctly, his TV show was falling out of favor at the time
and he wanted to show himself as a hero to the kids. Nothing else
makes sense. I felt then and I still feel now like I was being
set-up.
I escorted many acts to the stage in those times and never had a
problem with any of them. I was the regular when Bruce Morrow did a
radio show weekly from the Casino Bar and we got along quite well.
Anyway, I enjoyed the show very much and, in spite of Sonny Fox,
it brought back so many fond memories. Even Callahan's is closing,
if it didn't close already. Thanks for keeping the memories alive.
I'm afraid that when we're all gone, so will any recollection of
Palisades Amusement Park.
