but as this it really the story of lou d'allesandro is his development as a young boy and sort of carrying forward the ideals of the mother who really cared about the people around her who left us far too young, and sort of, you know, i know one of the most emotional things we talked about in the research of this book was him reflecting back on what she would think after all these years of what he has accomplished in his life. so without any further ado, and i would like to introduce my dear friend and the subject of the book, lou d'allesandro. [applause] >> thank you, mark. it's always tough to live up to introductions, but let me tell you the course of one's life,

my name is mark bodanza and i'm the author of the book lou d'allesandro. a under be here this evening and i would start by saying the obvious elements of lou's story are fast fascinating but there's much more. he is clearly bound to this cork and presidential politics that's the new hampshire primary and back in 2003, the national media finally figured this out with a story writtenly mark leibovich of the "washington post" and as they say after that, sore of all hell broke loose. every four years in the presidential cycle, story of lou's coveted endorsement in the first primary in our nation is cycled all over the world. lou is most of you or some may know is the longest serving member of -- or? new hampshire in the state senate. he was a long almost four decade history in new hampshire politics, and a fascinating history to say the least. and each year when that presidential cycle rolls around, in the news trucks pull into town, and the candidates line up and doors get knocked on and restaurants get visited and diners get visited, lou is in the middle of a

that's kind of the life and times of lou d'allesandro as a relates to the book. as they say in the book the greatest sorrow of my life is truly this, that my mother never get to see in every boys do anything. never get to see her boys do anything. and my older brother was extremely successful as an athlete and extremely successful as a businessman, but my mother never got to see any of that, any of that. never got to see anything of us. i was at saint lazard school. i was in the first grade at my brother paul was in the kindergarten and my brother henry really had just been born, so that's the greatest sorrow that i have is that you have these wonderful experiences, you are able to do some things, at the most important people in your life just never got a chance to see anything. i guess that's why they write books, right? so you can share with other members of the family. so with that i'll answer any questions you might have, you know, about the book. first of all have to thank everybody for coming. i have i think an association with everybody in the room, and th