By 1990, Vince’s parents had separated and Mary Ann’s financial problems had begun. She obtained her estranged husband’s power of attorney and arranged for a fifty-thousand-dollar second mortgage on the family home. On September 30, 1994, Mary Ann filed an uncontested divorce petition. The marriage was dissolved a month and a half later.
While his parents’ marriage was ending, Vince began dating a woman named Susan Giordano in the early nineties. Soon they were married, but, almost as if his parents’ troubles were foreshadowing his own life, Susan filed for divorce in February of 1997.
“As a married couple they were like oil and water,” Mary Ann said. “Susan was a fiery little thing, but I liked her.” After splitting up, the two remained friends, both on Facebook and in real life. When Susan’s mother passed away, Vince supported Susan as if they were still married, assisting with the preparations for the funeral.
On January 9, 1999, Vince remarried—this time to Suzanne Carson. Suzanne had grown up in the same Wappingers Falls neighborhood as Vince, but since she was two years younger—a big difference to little kids—their paths had never crossed.
Suzanne was in college when they wed, changing her major to nursing soon after and earning her R.N. The couple began their life together on Drum Court in Wappingers Falls. During the warm-weather months, they frequently went kayaking. They often thought about attempting a crossing of the Hudson River, but Vince believed it was too dangerous.
On July 6, 2001, Vinny’s father, now living in New Jersey, passed away at the young age of 62. In February 2004, Vinny and Suzanne moved a small distance north when they purchased a home in the Fox Hill Condominiums complex in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The name Poughkeepsie often generated confusion to those unfamiliar with the area because there are two of them and both hug the Hudson River. The geographically smaller City of Poughkeepsie had a population of nearly thirty-three thousand. Wrapping around the City on three sides is the Town of Poughkeepsie, with over forty-three thousand residents, and home to Vassar College, one of the Seven Sisters of the Ivy League.
In February 2009, Vince and Suzanne moved to Pleasant Valley, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie, after purchasing a gorgeous home with an in-ground pool, a sunroom, a lovely kitchen with granite countertops, and four bedrooms.
But Vince’s indulgences and generosity to friends were beginning to cripple him financially. He often treated friends to drinks at a bar and gave away his own money and property to those in need. His 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee and his 2006 Stingray boat were repossessed, and his credit card debt neared eighty thousand dollars. Vince filed for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy on November 29, 2010. Again, it was as if he were following his parents’ path. His mother was in the middle of Chapter 7 proceedings, having begun her ordeal two years earlier. Her finances were complicated by a judgement against her for unpaid New York State real estate and personal property taxes in excess of five thousand dollars. Vince’s situation was wrapped up more quickly than his mother’s, and his file was closed in February 2012.
His troubles were not over, however. In a mutual decision, Sue and Vince both moved in and out of the house a couple of times, one living in an apartment while the other stayed in the home they owned. Suzanne filed for divorce in November 2012. The couple wanted different things out of life and, as his mother reflected, “Vinny was very stubborn.” Suzanne bought out his share of the marital home and their marriage was dissolved on March 20, 2013.
After he left his house for the last time, Vinny moved in with a platonic friend, Amanda Bopp. “He was the most genuine, soulful, funniest best friend I’ll ever have,” she remembered.
One October, Amanda flew out to California to see a friend and attend a Halloween party. On the way back, Vince planned to meet her in Las Vegas. However, Vince’s plans were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy. Because of its second landfall in the Northeast, his flight was canceled. He was distressed at the prospect of Amanda being out in Las Vegas all alone—he did not think it was a safe place for a single woman. He booked three different substitute flights, determined to get out there at all costs. His gamble paid off. He arrived in “Sin City” to accompany Amanda. As everyone said, Vince never left anyone hanging.
The caring and concern he demonstrated with others was a guiding principle of Vince’s life. He never missed a family celebration on the holidays or other important occasions. He cultivated a particularly close relationship with his only nephew, Michael Rice. When Michael was young, he and Vince played sports together. As adults, Vince was like a big brother to his nephew. They’d go out to Mahoney’s Irish Pub and other venues together. For his family and friends, Vince was a constant.
While Vince was working through the red tape of his legal dilemmas, he found respite in running. The Walkway Over the Hudson was one of his favorite routes once it opened to the public on October 3, 2009, part of the four-hundred-year anniversary commemorations of Henry Hudson’s exploration of the river that defined the area.
Formerly the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, the bridge had been hailed as the eighth wonder of the world in 1888 when the 1.25-mile span was first completed. But after it caught fire in 1974 and was subsequently abandoned by railroad traffic, it became a derelict eyesore. Estimates to demolish the structure soared past $40 million. However, someone had a better idea—for $5 or $6 million, the bridge could be resurrected as a walking path.
Fundraisers for the Walkway foundation kicked off the effort. Engineers, divers, and construction workers followed through on the plans. The effort took nineteen years, but the end result was a majestic midair pathway floating twenty-one stories above the beautiful and powerful river. Vince loved every foot of it.
He also ran competitively. In the Dutchess County Classic five-kilometer marathon in Freedom Plains in September 2012, he finished with a time of 25:46:90, placing him in the top half of all racers.
Throughout all the chaos in Vince’s life, Sean Von Clauss remained his friend and an active part of his social circle. Vinny often announced his arrival at a party with a robust shout of, “Crazy Clauss is in the house!”
But their relationship was deeper than their party patter made it seem. They were both there for each other when it counted. Sean said, “Vinny was an amazing person: always the life of the party and yet could stop people from doing stupid things. He made me a better person.”
One evening, their elementary school gang met up at Billy Joe’s Ribs in Newburgh. After a great night of laughter, catching up, and reminiscing on the good old days, Vince stopped Sean in the parking lot. “Hey, crazy Clauss, come here.”
Vince then brought up the taboo subject of Sean’s estrangement from his daughter. Sean had previously been married to a woman six years older than him who came from an affluent family. As a musician, Sean was on the road for performances more than he was at home. He fell into the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle of hard partying and late nights. His wife finally had enough. She gave Sean an ultimatum: give up playing music or give up your family.
Sean said he thought that it was an idle threat, until the day he came home from a tour and his key wouldn’t work in the door. She’d changed all the locks. His ex-wife gained full custody in a divorce and, according to Sean, it was impossible for him to have visitation. He told Vinny the last time he’d seen his daughter, she was three years old.
Vince knew the history and also knew that Sean didn’t like to talk about it. However, he felt that it was about time to do so. “I’m proud of you, man,” Vince told him. “You’ve come a long way from your rock-star, long-hair, sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll days. I’m so happy you’re clean and sober and are back playing music. You have a natural talent and an amazing voice. But, my brother, you need to get your daughter back in your life. I know it’s a sore subject and you refuse to talk about it, but you have to complete your journey and get her back in your life.”
Big, bad Sean, with tears rolling down his face, wrapped his friend in a bear hug and said, “I love ya, brother.” Sean wasn’t just moved in the moment. Vince inspired him to reengage with his daughter, and together they began to rebuild their relationship.
Sean had met Angelika through his career as a musician. He was performing at a St. Columba Catholic School get-together in early 2013 when Angelika and Vince first saw each other. Sean introduced the two, but Vince was in the purgatory of divorce proceedings at the time and nothing more came of their encounter.
His marriage to Suzanne officially ended on March 20, 2013, and all that was past history by September 22 of that year, when Vince showed up at Mahoney’s Irish Pub to drink beer and hang with friends as they watched the much-anticipated New York Jets–Buffalo Bills football game. Mike Colvin was there, too. His former radio partner, Mark Cooper, had recently passed away at the age of 49. He left behind Thomas, his now-10-year-old son.
That afternoon, Mike was DJing a fundraiser to raise money for the boy’s education. Angelika was there taking photographs of the event. This time, Vinny could focus on the women around him and he was smitten by the tiny energetic, cheerful woman with the cute accent. The instant attraction was mutual
Although Vince was eleven years older than Angelika, they had a lot of the same interests. They both loved kayaking and were always ready to participate in outdoor sports and athletic activities. Both were fond of gourmet cooking and wine. They also found common ground in their romantic pasts, with two marriages and two divorces apiece. Before parting ways that evening, the two made plans for their first date.