- [Steve] "Here's The Story."

- [Interviewer] Paul, can you tell me what you wanted to be when you were a child?

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Do you remember?

- You know, it's odd because I never really had an ambition as a child to be anything.

Now, I went to all private schools.

I was valedictorian of my high school, although they wouldn't let me speak, because in those days, gay boys could not speak.

But I got a full scholarship to college, and I still didn't know what I really wanted to do.

However, my inclinations were always to the art and culture, so I was always dancing.

In fact, I started performing when I was eight years old in my Catholic schoolyard.

It was a show on television called "The Roaring 20s" with Dorothy Provine, Warner Brothers put it out.

It was a a weekly TV show, and I loved it.

\, and I would just start dancing the Charleston, like a nut in the middle of a huge schoolyard, and I would work it so that at the end of the Charleston, with no music, I would kick my shoe off.

And whoever caught it felt lucky.

And so I started at a very young age, performing and singing, and that eventually when I was in college, much to my parent's chagrin, rather than being a dentist, which is what I had originally started out, just to make them happy, and wound up with a psychology degree.

Then I went into my theater work, but I never really had, never had a, "I have to be an actor.

I have to be," it was never, it was more about just being happy.

[uptempo cheery music] - [Steve] This is Paul DeLuca.

We first interviewed Paul in 2019 for another episode.

At the time, he suggested that we should do an episode entirely about him.

He had been a dancer, dance instructor, and choreographer, but now he was a metaphysical counselor.

A colorologist a numerologist.

He could define things about you that most people take for granted.

He could advise you on how to navigate your year, your life, your wardrobe, even.

But what I found to be more interesting about Paul DeLuca was not how he pointed out other people's personal details to explain who they are, but how his attention to detail, his own and beauty explained who he was.

- And yes, so everything I believe has a story.

But are you a good storyteller?

That's the trick.

- [Steve] Some people are passionate, obsessive even to tell you all about what they love, because it tells you about who they are.

- Steve, I fooled you again, I'm fine.

- This is Paul DeLuca lost and loving it in a garden state of his mind.

- I look good, don't I today?

- [Steve] You don't look like you were up until four o'clock in the morning.

- Well, vampires, you know how we are.

- [Steve] Oh yeah, and Paul, also happens to be the most persistent subject we've ever had on the show.

[answering machine beeping] - [Paul] Hey Steve, it's Paul DeLuca.

How are you?

It's almost a year since we filmed our film on the roof.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about you.

I hope you're doing well.

And I did wanna give you a news update.

I've made a decision, and I'm giving up my apartment of 43 years, and I'm gonna be moving to New Jersey.

I will be living there as of October 1st permanently.

I'm about 95% moved out of the apartment now.

It's been a wonderful transition.

And that's the scoop.

[answering machine beeping] Hey Steve, it's Paul DeLuca.

It's Monday evening around 07:17.

Hey Steven, it's Paul.

Hey Steve, it's Paul.

Hi Steve.

It's Paul.

Hey Steve.

It's Paul again.

You know, I've never told you, but your voicemail is very tricky.

Hey Steve, it's Paul again.

Just following up on my call yesterday.

Hi Steve, it's Paul, it's Sunday morning.

Who knows where you are?

Maybe you're at church.

Happy New Year, Steve.

It's your all time favorite person in New Jersey.

How are you?

Hey Steve, it's Paul DeLuca.

It's Monday, June 27th.

I am going to email you an attachment, which will have sort of a life bio of me.

I'm not doing it to impress you.

I couldn't care at the least about that.

But there are many things about my life that you may not know, stuff that I've done, and whatever, which being an astute filmmaker might be good for you to read, to just get a little bit more insight, so you can ask some of those very interesting questions that you always ask when we actually do the filming only.

Yes, I know, I went on and on with that message, and it clicked off.

But what I was finishing to say is, what would be very joyful for me is if when you do this film and you present it, I think if you could do something with the kind of work that I do and you would present it, whether it's the colors or my approach to theater, and blah, blah, blah, blah, it would be, again, presenting to the New Jersey audience from PBS Land.

You'd be presenting something that's very current, and yet unusual, and on the cutting edge.

And it would be like, oh, that's Steve Rogers, he's always one step ahead of everything on finding interesting things to put out before the public.

So anyway, long-winded.

There you go, but yes, I have loads of stuff, and hopefully we'll talk soon.

All right, bye-bye.

- [Steve] Well, we did go out for a visit and subsequent ones to find out more about Paul, about what makes him tick, what makes him interesting, what makes him who he is.

- And this was me last week.

- Wow.

- Yeah, I can tell.

- Right.

- And also, by the way, to find out all about this secret location he was promising to reveal to us.

- So are we ready to go to our special location?

That secret wonderful place- - Like I said, with some people, it's more about what they show than tell.

- Steve, come on now, Steve, you're talking to a pro here.

Kind of tricked me, it's a magical place.

- Okay, I'm ready.

- Are you?

I just will see how ready you really are.

- You sure you can't tell me?

- No.

- [Steve] Okay, let's go.

[door unlatching] - Starting already?

- [Steve] Paul DeLuca, this is your life.

- [laughs] how are you?

Paul DeLuca is a very special person [uptempo jaunty music] because Paul DeLuca is a person who sees everyone and kind of understands who people are when I see them.

And I've always been, or Paul DeLuca is always a constant in so many people's lives.

Over 71 years old now.

So Paul DeLuca is a constant in many, many people's live,.

and he has been there through so many ups and downs of his friends' lives, and whatever, his family lives.

And he's always been there.

And people always turn to Paul DeLuca for sort of guidance.

Paul DeLuca's a spiritual guide, have been my whole life and a teacher.

Greetings, welcome to 22 Meadow Wood Court.

Listen, come on in and let's have some fun.

I'll show you around, got fun stuff inside.

I think you're going to enjoy it, and wait till we get to my garden.

I like engaging with other human beings.

It's what I do best, and I think that's who Paul DeLuca is.

People feel very free, and comfortable to talk with me.

And I know a lot of secrets about a lot of people, but I'll never tell.

So today's Little House tour, I'd like you to consider it a blast to the past.

And what I mean by that is that this tour of the house is sort of a nostalgic but contemporary, but futuristic approach to living.

And this is what I'm doing now here in New Jersey, and this is my home, which I inherited from my mother who had lived here first in this gated community.

[uptempo jaunty music continues] Right, are you gonna, will you be asking me questions throughout here and there?

- Yeah.

- Cause I didn't- - [Steve] Oh yeah, and the other thing about Paul, besides being a former dancer, dance instructor, choreographer, he also wants to be a director.

Don't do the whole thing.

In the house, we shouldn't be wearing this.

Well, I would probably say greetings.

Is it filming?

No.

- Oh, you know I was going to ask you, because I'm doing this.

- Yeah.

- Do I get a dressing room, like outside in one of those vans?

I do have a few stills when I'm talking, and I say in the spring that I'd like you to show like when the white flowers wrinkle, you can just show the photograph quickly.

You can get it this way, so you're getting that as the view for the audience.

- Oh, look at that.

Oh, this is just, this is, oh, I don't like that.

Take that off a minute.

- Okay.

- Yeah, are you filming?

Yeah.

Are you filming all this stuff now?

- [Steve] Yeah, of course, I'm always filming.

- Are you really recording?

- Well, I am, but I'll stop.

- Yeah.

You filming again.

You know, because this is about my garden and home.

So people wanna see the garden.

But I think if I had to describe myself, I'm a jack of all trades and a master of all.

[uptempo jaunty music continues] - [Steve] A master of all.

- A jack of all trades and a master of all.

[uptempo jaunty music ends] So these are some photographs of my life, which I think might be interesting.

[projector whirring] [slow dramatic music] - [Steve] What kind of kid were you growing up?

- Extremely religious, very studious.

Of all of my cousins, I had 20 cousins between both sides of my Italian family.

I was the only one who went to all parochial grammar school, private prep, Catholic school, St. John's Prep, and St. John's University.

As a kid I was very, I wasn't a quiet kid, but a very well mannered child.

But believe it or not, in my neighborhood, I was often ostracized and picked on.

- [Steve] Why do you think?

- I think it was because I could look at people and know them even as a young child, and I would say things even to adults that would kind of say, Hmm.

And perhaps because I was the adopted child on the block, so I was always perceived as a little different.

I was raised as an only child, but as a child .I was.

I think different.

Different.

So yes, I was an only child and I still have.

All of my, see my little baby shoes.

My mother saved everything.

So all my nice little fun baby stuff.

Cute.

Even have my original hair.

You see it?

- [Steve] What, the hair.

See here it is.

Could you imagine?

[slow relaxing music] Of course, my family being Italian, I grew up with loads of people all around me, lots of family.

So my home life was filled with people, and parties, and entertaining, and then as I got older and did all my theater work, even on the high school level and college level, I was very popular.

Friends always came to my, everybody.

If you wanted a good time, you always went to Dean's house.

And there was always a party.

My father, we had a built-in pool.

My father had built, actually, he built me the built-in pool, because the other kids in the neighborhood at times would not let me play in their above ground pools.

So my father, who was a contractor and a builder said, "Well, I'll build you a pool bigger and better than any."

So he did, and it was in the shape of a baby Grand piano was in our yard, and it was quite wonderful.

But typical me, I immediately invited all my friends anyway, because I don't really hold grudges, it's not my nature.

But yeah.

And my mother said that the delivery man said to my mother, Mrs. Marinelli, would you please open the box, so I could see the bear that you bought?

Because he knew it was a teddy bear.

And my mother said, "Well, why?"

He said, Well, I'd like to see what kind of bear cost 75.

Teddy bear cost seven.

Because in those days, 1951, $75 was a lot of money for a teddy bear.

So anyway, that's Sandy.

He used to have the other butterfly wing, which is long gone and he lost his nose, but he's cute.

And what you most remember besides Pinocchio, I'm sure a lot of people out there had a Pinocchio, whose nose came out.

I always like to keep the long one, because it, it pays to to be naughty, right?

- Sometimes.

- Yes.

- But what you most remember is to life.

- [Steve] It haunts me.

- It haunts me, Clowny.

Now my grandmother made this doll, she worked in a doll factory, and me and all my cousins got a doll from grandma.

But usually when guests stay over, I'll always, as I close the guest bedroom door, I'll say, Well, I'm going to keep little Clowny there just so when you wake up, you could have something friendly to look at.

- [Steve] And what's the reaction most of the time.

- Exactly your reaction?

- Fear.

- Fear and terror.

- And you lived in New York City for how, long?

- 42 years.

- Yeah, I had in my duplex apartment on West 46th Street.

- [Steve] And how did you find your way here to Columbus, New Jersey?

- Because when my mother sold our beautiful home in Elmont Long Island in 1986, she decided she wanted tomove.

And this was a new development at the time, a 55 plus community.

And so my aunt and uncle, my mother's brother and sister-in-law were moving from their home in Bayside, Queens.

And my mother was close with them.

So out of the blue, my mother said to me, I'm selling the house, we're moving.

So this is why this house came to me.

And when she passed away, and I'm an only child.

So when she passed away in 2009, I kept the home and was going back and forth between here and Manhattan, because I entertain here, I entertain in Manhattan, and then I decided two years ago to keep this more as a full-time residence.

[slow dramatic music] - Did you get that?

- I did.

- So this room, because I recently gave up my apartment in the city, in Manhattan, that I had for 42 years.

And I had to bring all the different stuff about my life, as you know, I'm a director choreographer for theater, have been since I was 16 years old.

So I had all my theater stuff.

I'm also a historian, especially genealogy, my family and whatnot.

So I had all these photograph albums, which mean a lot to me because I'm a good storyteller and everybody that I know has stories.

And I like to capture not only the stories but their images and pictures.

So on this wall, everything on this wall is photograph albums from people, family members, traveling, whatnot.

All of my diaries are here from, I've been keeping a day, a day account of my life since 1963.

So every book, everything is there today.

Today, will be recorded in a, in a book too.

The very first entry, let's see, well now we're going back to 1963.

Let's see what it says.

January 1st went to the lamp with my family, 'cause it was New Year's.

God, their ink is so old with Uncle George.

we had dear neighbors, they were like family to us, and they had a relative named Uncle George.

So Uncle George, we all went to restaurant with doc, he was a doctor, Dr. George, came home, talked and I sang "Adeste Fideles" on tape.

Wish I still had that tape, ate, and went to bed.

Well, I mean now if we get to the juicier parts of the diary when I was older, then we could.

- [Steve] That could be a whole other episode.

- Well like Mae West always said, I like to keep a diary because someday it could keep me.

- [Steve] Let me ask you something, Paul.

Are you ever bored?

- No.

- Why?

- Just because everything in life interests me.

Not everything, I just have a lot of interests, and I see the connection of everything.

So I'm part of everything.

So everything is a part of me.

So you take an interest in, remember I was raised as an only child, but only children learn how to be with themselves.

The only time any of us are truly a child is our entire life.

[slow relaxing music] Maybe that's why people say I always look the same.

I can be dead serious, believe me, and I have had life issues that are more challenging than most people would ever want to face.

But I always say thank you for everything.

My philosophy is thank you to whomever, whatever for everything.

Because everything I've manifested, it's my life.

But everything has been an experience to help me grow.

Because everything in everybody's life has a story.

And the thing is, everything is connected.

So everything is a story, everything is connected, and the more people realize how connected we are to everything, the happier you become and your life flows.

You see the synchronicity, you see the ebb and flow, and like a willow tree, you go with the flow.

Nothing's forever.

[chimes chiming] It isn't.

- So when something goes wrong, you are able to dismiss it like that.

- But usually you have to see if it went wrong.

It could be that there's another reason.

It's leading you to something else.

Getting you to change your thinking about something, or letting go of something which is healthy.

You have to be like a willow tree, you gotta flow.

Whatever happens, you go with the flow and try to see, well what's this really all about?

I think I fit in wherever I go 'cause I'm me.

I just do, I don't, because I feel connected here.

Some of my most wonderful memories are being in a deserted parking lot filled with litter, because you can see the decay or the abandonment, but yet you still feel the peacefulness and quietness.

See at heart, I'm basically serene.

Now, yes, I love Dixie land, and I can be, you have video, you may have the videos of me dancing.

I can be wild, and crazy, and do, I have a lot of energy.

But the core of me is basically, I'm not gonna say a priest, but a mystic.

That's really my whole outlook on life.

To me, it's all about the connection.

I see all the connection between everything, and it's fascinating when you, especially when you collect older things, and you go back, and you have all the memories involved with it, who gave it to you, who enjoyed it, why you liked it at the time, and maybe you don't like it anymore.

It's just part of being a memory chip.

'Cause we're all memory chips.

- [Steve] Do you ever think about what will become of them in the future, like in the far distant future?

- Yes.

- What do you think about them?

- Well it's only things, but who's going to get all this stuff, and who will appreciate it?

- [Steve] Is that the key?

Like knowing who will appreciate it to decide who would get it.

- Probably.

- [Steve] Where are you taking us to see this beautiful location?

You want to tell us now, or could you tell us?

- Well, it's a very special place, but it's fun, and whimsical, and yet, very grounded, and higher consciousness.

[slow relaxing music] - [Steve] Why is it important to you to show beautiful things to other people?

- Because I think beauty is what heals.

Now,, I've said this before, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but when things are in harmony and they flow properly, there is an innate sense of beauty and integration, and that just uplifts the spirit, just gives people a boost.

- [Steve] And you feel somehow responsible to do that for people?

- And for myself too.

[slow relaxing music] - [Steve] So Paul, where are we?

- Well, we're at that special place I promised I would take you, or I take a lot of people.

This place is Mandir, Hindu House of Worship.

[water flowing] - [Steve] And why do you come here?

Why do you bring everybody here?

- Well, because it's part of what I do all the time.

I'm always taking people on journeys to very special, magical places.

Whether it's my family homes, whether it's the shows I've done, the theater or whether it's very special, unique places that bring a lot of people to experience, and uplift their hearts and spirits.

So Mandir is absolutely a gem of beauty.

And you'll see it once we go inside.

And I think I just love bringing people here, because I love watching their reactions.

All kinds of people, theater people I brought here, regular folk, they just have wonderful, uplifted experiences.

- Shall we go in?

- I think we should.

[slow relaxing music continues] You cannot create beauty if you don't first recognize beauty, 'cause that's what, that's really what we're supposed to be doing.

As human beings, it's all about beauty.

What survives, we don't care about what somebody paid for bread in Rome, but we do care about the statues that were preserved or the jewelry.

Now you could say, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is true.

It is, everybody has their sense of beauty.

For instance, people could be watching this right now, and say, well gee, I wouldn't want a house with a chandelier like that, or a gold guilted mirror in the background.

I want something more simplistic line and whatnot.

It's not my, they might say, it's not my aesthetic.

So everyone has their own aesthetic, but within that, there are degrees where you could say, "This aesthetic absolutely makes people feel good and it gets people to be more and feel more connected to what they are within and to everything around them.

So when I say I love to create beauty or I love beauty, it could be anything, I love contemporary art.

I love early American French, I love Indian art, native Ameri, anything.

There is a beauty, and that is the connectedness of everything.

so whatever you have, if it's what I would say tasteful in good taste, and it says something That.

Just makes you wanna sail and fly, that to me is a life worth living.

[uptempo dramatic music] [uptempo cheery music] ♪ We are exactly what you see.

♪ Bruised and scraped up knees ♪ Still we find our way ♪ Sometimes, as quickly as they go.

♪ - [Participant] Hey Steven, try harder!