Ron the Flasher

Many moons ago I got a book called the Disco Years from a dear friend on my birthday. We will call her Sunny Day Moore. Sunny had trumped all of my other gifts that year because A. I have obsessed over the Studio 54 scene for, it seems like forever. B. The photography was amazing. And C. It was just a really thought full gift, unlike the Nag Champa incenses that I got from another friend. Moving on.
The beautiful coffee table book is filled with photos that Ron Galella took back in the day when hair was big and boobs were real. My kinda era. Ron became infamous for taking The Wind Blown Jackie shot. He was the paparazzo who got the shot whatever it took. He was invasive, court bound and bold, best part was he wasn't shy about it. Fellini used the term in La Dolca Vida, Paparazzo. In Italian, Paparazzo means mosquito or little buzzing thing. Sure. If the shoe fits right? The film in a sense glorified the Pap world and showed them moving the face of a man passed out in his car just to get a better shot. All of this can be found in the documentary, Smash His Camera. There is great footage of him still in action, sneaking into events, his trial (for invading Jackie O's privacy) and my favorite, his mafia style home and artificial garden that he proudly states, "I put those in myself". He is like the crazy uncle that I never had! It's official. I'm adopting him.