Absolutely Al: How Al Gray Dealt with Mobsters, Mental Illness, Marital Woes and the KGB

Initial impressions can be false impressions. Walk into Al Gray's stately home and you will be overwhelmed by dazzling works of art and a broad array of priceless artifacts. Walls are adorned with photos of Al with the political leaders of our times. You can't miss the awards for his generous support of numerous causes and charities. You realize Al Gray was on the frontlines in the battle to win freedom for Soviet Jews. You surmise this is a man who has taken a long journey down easy street. A life free from worry and financial pressures. Yes, Al has enjoyed a blessed life, but has encountered numerous challenges and setbacks. Al Gray could conquer Wall Street, but was knocked to his knees by mental illness. His life of bounty haunted by on-going nightmares about the mysterious disappearance of his beloved father. A twist of fate saved Al and his family from death aboard Pan Am 103. His mental illness would bring an end to his marriage. The future looked bleak. How did Al Gray bounce back from adversity with such a vengeance? What can we learn from his burning desire to get back on track?

Gary Stromberg is also the author of Every Tiger Has a Tale. The book shares the fascinating life stories of 48 graduates of Cleveland Heights High School. The former Heights students talk about the twists and turns they encountered on life’s highway. The inspiring stories showcase Heights graduates from several generations. Gary graduated from Cleveland Heights in 1968. He went on to earn journalism degrees from Northwestern University and Columbia University. He was awarded a fellowship by the Radio Television News Directors Association. He has been inducted into the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Heights High Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. Gary’s first book, Aren’t You That News Man?, chronicles his thirty-year career as a reporter at WJW in Cleveland. The book also shares stories of growing up in Cleveland Heights. Gary and his wife Patty are the proud parents of Kimberly, Kate and Craig Stromberg.