The Last Round

Sidney Zion has died of bladder cancer at 75. Based on a rather rancid evening with him in Tarrytown, New York, I'm not surprised. The man guzzled Scotch like there was no tomorrow. A mean, angry drunk sputtering racist insults. "Fuck you, Jew boy!" was one of his favorites. He had some choice words for Arabs as well.

The New York Times gave Zion a respectful obit, no shock given his long career in NYC media and social circles. The death of his teen daughter darkened his life, I'm sure, something every parent can appreciate and would want to avoid. But in my brief experience, Sidney Zion was a complete asshole. If the booze didn't kill him, then the bile certainly did. Small wonder he was chummy with Roy Cohn.

If you missed it the first time, here's the full story about that lovely night.