This was years ago, when I had a talk show on WBAL Radio that included great guests and lots of informed opinion, and interesting conversations that lasted more than three minutes -- back in the good old days. (No one yelled, "Shut up!" and the host refrained from calling people "morons.") Merv arrived with grand entourage up on Radio Nob and I had an hour interview with him; callers had a wonderful time asking him about his entertainment career. He was a delightful guest who obviously enjoyed the chance to speak over the air with fans, some of who remembered him from his days as a band singer.

Griffin, dressed in a tan summer suit, was on a book tour at the time. He, of course, was an extravagantly wealthy man by then, and among his acquisitions were luxury hotels and casinos. One of his rivals in that particular area of investment was Donald Trump, but with the recession of the early 1990s Trump's three casinos — the Taj Mahal, Castle and Plaza — had racked up more than $1 billion in debt.

Holding up a copy of Griffin's book, I said, "You write about Donald Trump in your book, Chapter 7 isn't it?"

"Actually," said Griffin, with a grin and a wink, "he's in Chapter 11 now."

Rest in peace.