The notice arrived in the mail.

A Bronx Reunion will be held in Florida.

Time - Sunday, Jan. 16 - noon to 4 p.m.

Place - The Hilton Hotel in Sunrise, FL.

Who will attend? Many Bronxites have moved to Florida or spend their winters there. The last Bronx reunion was in Uniondale in 1983 for over 1,000 people.

"Why don't we have a Bronx reunion right here in Florida? Well, 350 Bronxites arrived from all over the world, many from Long Island. This was the brainchild of the two men who were the driving force behind this concept - Hank Paul and Mel Waxman.

Mel Waxman is a much-decorated member of the NYPD. He also lived in the East Bronx and is proud of it. At present, he is retired and living in Sunrise, FL. Hank Paul lives in Los Angeles.

Mel Waxman and Hank Paul put together a glorious afternoon in South Florida. Table after table of former Bronx residents seeking to reunite emotionally with old friends and neighbors. The women wore name tags with both their maiden and married names. Many name tags carried the street names of Bronx neighborhoods.

The disc jockey played Doo Wop and '50s' and '60s' songs; Earth Angel was played again and again.

Interspersed were announcements such as... "Anybody here from:

"Herman Ridder - 1951?"; "Theodore Roosevelt High School? - 1956?"; "Boynton and Elder Avenue?"; "Charlotte Street?"; "DeWitt Clinton - 1949?"; "The Grand Concourse?"; "Taft High School?"; "Pelham Parkway?"

These were Bronx people in their 60s and 70s looking for a connection. The dress was informal, but the women appeared smart and fashionable. The men for the most part dressed casually with an occasional sport jacket. No ties!

Personally, I met folks five years older or more than myself and some quite a bit younger. If you recognized somebody it was a great sign that they had not changed all that much. I stared at one Bryant Ave. resident for about 10 minutes before he finally evolved as one of the "big guys on my old block." In my youth he was a "super hero." We hugged in a new equality.

Entertainment was provided by the 5 Delights, who sang Dream a Dream, a cappella so beautifully in the old '60s' style. Waldo Champion and Irv Solomon sang songs that brought a tear to the collective eye of 350 Bronx listeners.

Mel and Hank deserve much praise for undertaking this vast project. It would have been larger but the hotel changed its availability. The food was delicious. I met quite a few Long Islanders, even a neighbor from Jericho.

My wife Lorraine flew down and she loved it, even though she never had the privilege of being a Bronx resident.

The weather was not wonderful (rainy and damp), but the spirit of 350 Bronxites in one room projected great warmth and a glow of friendship and sunshine.

P.S. - Answer to the hundreds of inquiries: The diner was the Majestic Diner (opposite Fortunoffs. Good food - large portions - attentive service!)