Johnny And Me
The True Story Of John Wayne Gacy
by
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No one else paid attention to the newcomers. My father was busy having a conversation. He was holding the floor as he always did with the neighbors that had gathered every Saturday night during the fifties. My father was the fore runner of the block parties that would go on after we moved away from Monitor. All of us were now taking notice of these new people. I would like to interject a thought at this time: My father would always remind you, “Did you brush your teeth?” “Did you comb your hair?” He did this around other people and in private, and no matter where it took place it was still humiliating. This was part of the power control that never bothered my father. To him this was a way of life. He never let you forget that he was the boss. His friends thought it was below his stature. My father though he was “Big Time” in front of his friends. He would put down his own family to try and build himself up. But he expected the highest respect from us. He pounded it into our brains, so you can see why I took notice of Johnny’s appearance right away.
When I looked at Johnny, I saw in his eyes hurt and a lot of anguish. I realized that he must have a mean and violent father like mine. Johnny was dressed very nicely in corduroy pants and a very bright print short sleeved shirt. He was wearing brown leather shoes that were worn and scuffed. Johnny has such a personality that any deficiency in the quality of his clothing and shoes was oblivious to me. When we met, he was like any other child on their first meeting. Little did I know what would happen shortly thereafter. He stepped forward and put out his hand. I extended my right hand and we shook hands. As he introduced himself, and this will always be in my memory, “My name is John Wayne Gacy.” He had such a strong, direct manner of introduction for one so young. This was my first insight into the extraordinary person Johnny was. When Johnny shook my hand I felt something added to my life that I had never felt before. When I looked at Johnny during that handshake I could tell that he felt something too. His eyes said it all.
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About the Book
Johnny and Me is a true story about my childhood experiences growing up in the northwest side of Chicago with John Wayne Gacy. This story details the everyday life experiences in my and Johnny’s homes. Details of our families are in the book along with the understanding of each of our parents as they raised us in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Many of these stories included are of my personal life before Johnny came on the scene in order to let the reader understand my point of view as my life unfolded. I have tried to show you the Johnny that I remember as a childhood friend and I hope that I have been as accurate as I can be on this subject.
Various moments of joy, anger, and fear are shared between the two of us as we tried to have a normal childhood in the midst of anxiety and confusion that was brought on by our father’s abuse of alcohol and demanding personalities. The story portrays how our environments molded our characters and helped us to make choices in our adult lives. Details regarding our reactions to everyday events supply hints of how Johnny and I would function in our separate social worlds as we matured.
Johnny’s possessive nature is described as we went playing normal childhood games and making new friends. His religious experiences are mentioned and a complete description of his controlling personality is shared as one of Johnny’s ways to cope with his surroundings. Other details of Johnny’s life are revealed such as his early desire to be in the spotlight of social applause.
The book concludes with my personal emotions about a friend whose life went the wrong way. His childhood, along with my own, could have been different.
About the Author
Barry was childhood friends with John Wayne Gacy and together they shared many adventures and struggles. Since John’s execution in 1994, Barry was encouraged by many to write about the Johnny that very few people had the opportunity to hear about. In writing this book, Barry hopes to shed some light on the other side of John Wayne Gacy and find spiritual closure for himself.
Barry has a vast library on the Presidents of the United States. Abraham Lincoln holds a special place in Barry’s heart as they both hail from the great state of Illinois.
Barry is retired and currently lives in Wyoming home of the “Daddy of ‘em all”, Frontier Days. He previously lived in Wyoming 36 years ago and loved the “Wild West” so much that he returned in 2005.
Barry has a great passion for trains and he visits the Union Pacific Railroad Yard and two of the few remaining steam locomotives that are in Wyoming. The newly restored train depot and museum are also places that Barry holds dear to his heart. He collects HO scale electric trains and has an elaborate HO train layout that is one of his greatest treasures.
Barry has a cat named Sharpy.