Manny Gluck, 65, Dies; Yankee Vendor No. 1
Emanuel Gluck, a retired middle-school principal who had a rich alternate life as Yankee Stadium's longest-working vendor, signified by his No. 1 badge, died on May 12 at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital in Manhattan. He was 65.
Mr. Gluck, 6 feet 6 inches, was the tall guy with the booming bass voice at Gate 4. He was there for every opening day for 50 years, saw every perfect game ever pitched at Yankee Stadium and was on hand for 19 World Series, 10 of which the Yankees won.
Longevity has its privileges. Movie stars like Billy Crystal greeted him by name. His choice location, which his seniority allowed him to select, generated three times the sales of lesser gates. His wife would not say what he earned, but did volunteer that the Yankee Stadium job paid for their trips to gamble in Aruba and Las Vegas and to watch sports in stadiums around the country.
Mr. Gluck treasured his photographs showing him with the likes of Mickey Mantle and Don Larsen, and with his collection of autographed balls, some of them a half-century old. He developed particularly strong relationships with umpires.
His verve for vending was not noticeably dimmed by the flagging interest in using a pencil to keep score. "Programs, programs, opening-day programs," he bellowed in a voice that became as familiar as fly balls and Cracker Jack in the House that Ruth Built.
"Scorecards, scorecards, scorecards!"
In addition to his wife, the former Sharyn Primavera, Mr. Gluck is survived by two sons, avid, of Fair Lawn, N.J., and Jeff, of Ridgewood, N.J.; a daughter, Fran Kanter, of Flushing,Queens; two stepsons, Michael Primavera of Milford, Conn., and Rob, of Shelton, Conn.; and seven grandchildren.
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