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As the film shows, these men have put together what amounts to an informal extended family, available in good times and bad. When Shapiro and West were in New York City last spring for Seinfeld's 50th birthday, they hired a car and driver, loaded up on deli goodies and went to visit the ailing Liss in the Bronx's Riverdale section. Liss died in May, and the PBS telecast is dedicated to "the life and laughter of Elliott Liss." Much as the boys came up with some of the money a few years ago for Los Angeles--based actor and screenwriter John Herman (Heshy) Shaner to produce his new play, so they rallied this time to contribute money toward a New York City playground in Liss's name.
The West Coast contingent lunches together every few months, and on the East Coast, many live within driving distance of one another. Heywood (Woody) Broad and Leonard (Lenny) Kulick live with their families in neighboring communities in Florida, where many of the others head in winter. Several get together each New Year's Eve in Boca Raton, and when widower Broad, a supplier for nursing homes, remarried in 2002, Bronx Boys flew in from all over the country for the wedding.
Ten other Bronx classmates have already contacted Shapiro and West, asking to be included in the group's 75th reunion, in 2006. They have some good incentives. "When we went out to Los Angeles for our 70th, people had aches and pains," recalls Lauren. "But all of a sudden, they were gone. It was like getting a tonic. Just speaking about the Bronx Boys gives me a high."