GAIL GROSSMAN REMEMBERS MANNY CRESPO

For My Dear Friend Manny Crespo.

I was privileged and honored to have known Manny Crespo as a dear friend, confidant, “big brother”, colleague, and mentor.I was very fortunate to have been invited to move into the Crespo office in the early 1990's. In the office, I shared space with Manny, his wife Aracely, and son, Manny, Jr. Once I moved into the office, I was not just an office mate, I was part of the Crespo family. It was an honor I hold very dear. Whenever Manny wanted to talk with me he would simply yell across the hallway, G-R-O-S-S-M-A-N and I would respond, C-R-E-S-P-O. It was our little refrain that we said toeach other long after Manny became a Judge. I watched Manny’s kindness and compassion overflow to all the people that he met. Manny always had more concern for his clients than anyone I ever knew. If he got a client out on a bond after being in jail, Manny always gave the client some money so he could take the Metrorail or bus home. If the client was hungry, Manny would take his client downstairs to the Pickle Barrel and buy them some food and sit and eat and talk with them. His door was always open for his clients, fellow lawyers, friends, family members, and anyone else who needed Manny’s help.

Manny loved to eat, and he knew all of the best restaurants in town. Much to our waistlines’ detriment, we went to lunch together several times a week. It would always take a very long time to get to and from lunch because Manny knew so many people. We would be stopped in the street, and stopped at least several times in the restaurant by people who knew and loved Manny. Everyone from valet drivers and waiters to Judges and Congressmen would want to talk with Manny. He was a people person and he was loved by all. When Manny was elected to the Circuit Court bench, we decided that we would rather remain dear friends, than for us to have to distance ourselves from one another so that I could practice in front of him. As a result, I was on Manny’s permanent recusal list. While I never practiced law in front of Manny, I watched as he patiently, and with great care, dispensed justice. While his calendars were long, everyone who appeared in front of him from defendants to prosecutors, defense lawyers, probation officers, corrections officers, police officers, witnesses, and jurors, all felt that they had been treated fairly by Judge Crespo. He listened to everyone and allowed everyone to speak their piece.

Manny’s life long dream was to become a Judge and when he accomplished that goal, he was the happiest man alive. He loved being a judge so much and loved the law so much that he sent around a memo to all of his fellow judges volunteering to do weekend bond hearings for them if they needed him to. Many judges took him up on that offer and Manny became the bond hearing king relishing his weekend bond hearings because it gave him the opportunity to be a judge even on the weekends. Manny also loved to greet and swear in the jurors. He was always happy to fill in for a fellow judge for this job as well. I watched him on several occasions as he turned the routine job of swearing in the jurors into a ceremony. Manny would give the jurors a speech about how they lived in the greatest country on earth and how, without their service, the jury system could not function. He would tell the jurors how his family escaped from Cuba to seek a better life in the United States and how they all should be proud to serve as jurors in the greatest country on earth with the greatest justice system on earth. By the time Manny finished his speech and swore the jurors in, each and every person in the jury pool felt that they were needed, appreciated, and were an integral part of the criminal justice system. Manny got standing ovations from the jurors for his speeches. If a jury member was fortunate enough to be picked to serve on one of Manny’s cases, they were treated to more history from Manny as well as pastelitos and Cuban coffee.

While there are thousands of Crespo stories I could tell (because everyday was an adventure with Manny) one of my personal favorites is one that occurred at my home. It just goes to show you that not only did people love Manny, but animals as well. Manny and I served on a statewide Florida Bar ethics committee together that required us to travel around the state of Florida for meetings. This particular meeting was held in Tampa and the airfares at that time, from Miami to Tampa, were so high we decided to drive up and back to Tampa in one day. Manny picked me up in the wee hours of the morning and we drove to Tampa for our meeting. Of course, we had to stop at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Naples on the way up for breakfast and on the way back for a late lunch. When we got back to my house in Miami we were both very tired from the long ride. Manny came into my house to rest for a few minutes before heading home. Rather than rest, Manny got more stimulation than he bargained for.

When we got to my house, I had to let all of my animals out of the house, including my pet pig, Princess. Manny wanted to see Princess so he accompanied me out side. Princess was supposed to be a Vietnamese pot bellied pig, however, she must have been cross bred with a boar because she was huge pig. At the time Manny was there, Princess was in heat. Princess took one whiff of Manny and fell in love. Once Princess decided she was in love, there was no stopping her. Princess proceed to try and mate with Manny many times. Manny wanted no part of that nonsense and began to run. Princess, who could run very fast in short spurts, caught up with Manny each and every time and cornered Manny and began her mating ritual. I had never seenanything so funny in my life. There was Manny, dressed in a business suit, running around in circles, trying to evade the advances of a pig. After I got my laughing under control, I was able to save Manny from the amorous Princess and keep his dignity and honor in tack.

Manny, my dear friend, my confidant, my mentor, my “big brother” you have left a big hole in my heart. I will miss you beyond what words can express. I hope you know what an impact you made on my life and the lives of your wonderful family, colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. You will be dearly missed by all.

I love you.Gail Grossman

Rumpole responds: Well written and well done. Another great post on our dear departed friend. As Judge Glick so eloquently stated, we honor his memory by telling those "Crespo stories". Plus, if you email us a picture of princess, we will post it.