FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 10, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@schnepsmedia.com
This past week, I met with
some people from my past
who came back into my
life.
I met old friend Shep
Scheinberg for breakfast and he
brought Frank Borges, his fellow
graduate of Trinity College.
Impressively, Frank along with
his siblings, just donated $10
million to their mutual beloved
college and Shep wanted me to
meet him to share his extraordinary
life.
Frank shared how he grew up
on Cape Verde, a tiny island off
the coast of Africa, and came
to America when he was 8
years old, living in New Haven,
Connecticut, with working
class parents who were devoted
to giving their children a great
education.
His beloved, passionate mom
pushed him and his siblings to
go to college and he earned a
scholarship to Trinity, where
he worked to become a lawyer.
He would go on to serve
as Connecticut State Treasurer
from 1987 to 1993 and then
became chair and managing
partner of Landmark Partners,
living now in Old Palm in Palm
Beach Gardens.
He and his siblings believe
in “sharing their blessings”
with students,
and their donation
will allow
young people
the opportunity
to get scholarships
and
enhance their
lives.
What an
inspirational
story!
Then, I had
dinner with Ruby
Teich.
Who says you can’t go back
A nostalgic visit with Gail Bassen Seiden
Her parents Julie and Hy
Teich helped me to create
Life’s WORC in the 1970s. We
marched, picketed and raised
funds and had hopes of helping
their multi-handicapped son
Larry.
I can still remember the day
that 6-year-old Larry, came to
Life’s WORC’s Geraldo Rivera
Group Home in Little Neck,
Queens, with his parents’ simple
hope of having their son learn
how to feed himself.
I’m happy to report that within
weeks of Larry’s being at the
group home, he was indeed
feeding himself.
His family was eternally
grateful.
Both Julie and Hy
have since passed,
but Larry’s sister
Ruby and
I are reuniting.
She lives
in Wellington,
Florida, giving
us an opportunity
to walk down
memory lane
together over dinner
in Palm Beach.
Frank Borges and his family donated
$10 million to Trinity College.
To cap off a week of reunions,
I had a visit from Gail and Robb
Seiden. Gail’s beloved dad Nat
Bassen was my beloved, too.
We were engaged to be married,
but two weeks before the
wedding, he suff ered a fatal
heart attack.
Gail and I loved each other, but
had only brief moments over the
decades since we lost Nat.
When she was in Florida and
learned I was launching Dan’s
Papers Palm Beach, she reached
out and we met and talked for
hours.
It gave me such pleasure
that her son Aidan is studying
journalism and is now interning
at one of our media outlets,
amNewYork Metro.
Interestingly, Robb, Gail’s
attorney husband, has become
an expert on cryptocurrency and
the world of law built around it.
I stepped into that world as he
explained its use and deep belief
of it being a currency that will
grow and become part of our
everyday life. Time will tell!
But my time with them was
precious and my heart ached
with joy at seeing them both so
happy together.
Who says you can’t go back
in time?
Sunday with Ted
Vassilev on his yacht
Celebrating Dan’s Papers Palm
Beach with (back row, l. to r.)
Thuyen Nguyen, Ted Vassilev, Patrick
Condren, Barry Brumberg and
(bottom l. to r.), Donna Schneier,
Tiff any Lee and Sheila Levy.
We docked our boat and had
lunch at The River House
in Palm Beach Gardens.
Master facialist
Thuyen Nguyen and
skin care specialist
Tiffff any Lee.
The skyline of Singer Island
on the Intercoastal.
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