From a Washington Post story by Ashley Fetters Maloy headlined “At Gay Talese’s book party, a glimpse of New York’s literary golden age”:

Somehow, every story about meeting Gay Talese — the famed reporter, New Journalism pioneer and fixture of uptown Manhattan — sounds too good to be true.

Tony Danza, the Brooklyn-born actor best known for “Who’s the Boss?” and “Taxi,” joked that he got invited to the annual Talese family Christmas party once, “and now he can’t get rid of me.” In truth, Danza can’t actually remember how he and Talese met, and neither can Talese. Both men explained their acquaintance simply by waving a hand toward their shared Italian heritage.