Subj:	Bill Gonillo
Date:	9/28/2008 8:03:44 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
From:	renoraines69@gmail.com
To:	jmelchiore@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Hello,

My name is Ray Damon. I was doing some research on the Hartford Whalers this morning and came across an article about Bill's passing. I almost fell out of my chair. As I continued to look I found all the wonderful things people said and posted about him and they are all true. I dont want to be reduntant but he WAS one of the great guys around. Many years ago he gave me my break into sportscasting when he was the voice of Yale football. Of all the resumes and crappy demo tapes that I had sent out, Bill was the one that gave me a chance and brought me on as an intern for the High School games, the Yale games and the weekend talk shows. He taught me the real world about the sportscasting business and the one thing he told me most often, was always to remember to have fun. Him and I had so much fun over the two years we worked together and I always tell stories about some of the things he did and taught me. Our final two broadcasts together were late fall of somtime in 1994 I believe the year was. The final High School game and final Yale game of the year. I was coming to Florida for a job that I had got with Bill's help. He gave me a send off on the air for both broadcasts that I truely did not deserve, but he told me that I had earned. We kept in touch over the years but as all too often happens in this world, eventually we lost touch with each other. I did not know about his passing and I'm greatly saddened that I was not able to attend his funeral due to my lack of knowledge. I owe him a lot as he gave me my break and taught me what I needed to know. The right and wrong way to go about things. Not only in the sports world but in life in general.

I have since left the business and have a computer business here in Tampa. I do some things related to sports in the local area from time to time and whenever I do I always think of Bill. And I'm not just saying that. Some things he said to me in certain situations have always stuck with my through my life, be it something funny or work related.

I dont know if you are a relative of his or not but I wanted to thank you for the great web site and offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. Everything that I have read that has been posted about him is true. I know first hand. There are not too many truely wonderful people left in this world. I have not been able to figure out why. But he was definately the cream of the crop in that regard. I am very sad to find out this news.

Again, thank you for the nice tribute site and if there is anything I can do in anyway, I would be more then glad to lend a hand.

Ray Damon