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I began teaching tennis to pay the bills when I was in law school.
When I finished my military service, my dad called me to ask about my future plans. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so he suggested I become a lawyer.
Throughout my early life, I always loved warm weather and being outdoors–going to the beach, riding the waves. So I asked if it was okay to enter the University of Miami law school in Coral Gables, Florida. I knew that Dad would be pleased because one of my mom’s brothers, Tony DeFillipo, lived in nearby North Miami Beach and could keep an eye on me.
I had a wife, a nine-month-old son and a 1949 Plymouth. And with the cash from having sold my previous car and our personal belongings, we headed to Florida. Dad provided the additional money I needed and we bought the house right next door to my uncle Tony DeFiIlipo for $17,000.
I started law school in the fall of 1956. Although the GI Bill paid for my tuition, I needed to earn some money to take care of my family. Uncle Tony, besides owning the largest gas station and…