August 22, 1981. My father and I made the pilgrimage to Sullivan Stadium to watch a preseason game between the Patriots and the defending Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders. The Patriots won, 23-21, then my father and I headed down to Raynham to visit relatives.
My cousin and I walked down their street towards these woods, when we passed by this house along the way. My cousin says “Hey, guess who lives there?”
I said I didn’t know.
“Gil Santos! That’s where Gil Santos lives!”
All these years, and my aunt, uncle and cousins never bothered to tell me that they were neighbors of the great radio voice of the Patriots.