I was out of the country when Charlie Santos passed away and wasn't able to attend his memorial service. This meant I couldn't tell all of his family and friends how much of a hero Charlie was to me. Hopefully, this letter will serve that purpose.

It seems like it was another lifetime, but it was really only 30 years ago. (Thirty years? My gosh, I'm getting old!) Anyway, that's when I first got mixed up in this crazy restaurant business. And the rest, as they say, is history. But when I think back to when it all started, there were a few people who had a tremendous influence on what my future would hold. Charlie Santos is atop the list.

When I first met Charlie, he made me very nervous. He was firm, but I later came to realize that he was also very fair. And now that I look back, I recognize just how much my early dealings with him influenced me. He provided a place for me to fit in at a critical phase of my life, and to this day, I think back with a smile and wonder what my life would be like if he hadn't done this for me.

Charlie and I became great friends but, truth be told, things weren't always so cordial between us. In fact, our initial dealings were downright adversarial! It wasn't Charlie's fault because I made his life miserable. You see, as a group of mischievous adolescents with nowhere to go, my friends and I decided that smack dab in front of his restaurant was the ultimate hangout spot. We created havoc and I never understood why it was such a big deal. I do now.

Frustrated by my constant presence and the commotion I caused, Charlie decided his best bet was to keep his friends close and his enemies even closer! So, he hired me to wash dishes in his kitchen. And that's when everything changed. I learned what it was like to run a business and to have responsibilities. But I also saw the proper way to treat people. He never raised his voice, but when he would walk into that kitchen, you knew you had better be working!

Charlie gave me a chance, one that I really did not deserve. He helped me get started in the trade that would later become such a big part of my life. In fact, in those early years, he took the time to show me the cooking that he knew and even trusted me to run his kitchen at the age of 18. But more importantly, as I got older, he became my trusted friend.

Charlie did so much for me. In fact, I readily credit him for my getting to where I am now in this business (I think that's a good thing!). He changed my life by caring for me at a very critical stage of both my professional and personal development. And for that, I will be forever grateful. I will miss you, Charlie.

Jeannine Dimenna