Dear Pat Cooper: What happened to my father Pasquale Caputo?

I found Michael Caputo's website and this book purely by chance. I have Cerebral Palsy and from ages 3-5 I was the poster child for United Cerebral Palsy for the state of Connecticut. At a benefit show in 1977, I met Pat Cooper, it was a night that would become a negative memory for me for the next 38 years. His words and actions were rude and hurtful. Until I found Michael's website and read his story, I had always wondered what I did to make Pat Cooper treat me the way he did. As I read the story, I realized that he couldn't possibly care about or understand the struggles of a girl with Cerebral Palsy when he chose to abandon his own biological children. The story here is multi-faceted. First, we see it as a sad story of a son searching for acceptance of his absent father. Second, we see the power and strength of the two amazing women in Michael's life (mother and grandmother) who taught him to overcome the emptiness and hurt and not let it shape who he would become. Third, We see Michael as a grown man, living his life on his terms, not in the shadow of an absent father. This is a story of courage and strength. A son longing for the acceptance he would never receive but becoming a caring, compassionate man who is respected and is an inspiration to all who know him. I own this book in paperback and Kindle versions so when ever I have a bad day, I can look at the book and remember that our struggles don't have to shape who we are. Pat Cooper, it's your loss, you have missed out on an amazing gift. Your son has so much love to give and you tossed it away. Michael, my life changed the day I connected with you and you inspire me every day to be the best that I can be. Thank you for sharing your story and helping me find closure after 38 years. I will love and respect you always.

i read the book in three hours it was well written and told a story with love and heart it was so apparent how much michael loved and respected his grandmother i walked away wishing she was my grandma too having seen pat coopers shows and not liking them and of corse liking him for what he did to my friend michael's sister i am glad michael wrote a book telling the truth about a man who has no idea what love is or how to be a father i recommend this book i will be telling all my friends to go out and buy it thank u michael for a great book to add to my collection and hoping there will be many more books to come in the future i enjoyed your writing

Dear Mike,I am from your neighborhood, and remember you and your sister. When we were growing up, everyone knew that you had a famous father, a comedian, Pat Cooper. When I walked past your house, which was nearly everyday, I used to wonder what it would be like to have a famous father. We all thought that Pat Cooper was simply your father's show business name, and that we has away a lot earning thousands of dollars by doing stand up comedy on television and night clubs. This book certainly set the record straight. Yet, still, your book is full of love, insight, and maturity. Your descriptions of the neighborhood were 'spot on.' If anyone wants to know what it was like to grow up in a primarily, white, working class neighborhood in Brooklyn, then this is the book for you. I left this neighborhood nearly 45 years ago, but Mike's descriptions erased all sense of time for me. This is such a good read. five stars, easy.

I read this book several months ago, and it had such an impact on me that I have re-read parts of it over and over again. Michael's writing is so engrossing and heartfelt that you feel as though you are present during every moment he writes about. I simply could not put this book down!! All of the emotions one goes through while reading this book will remain with you forever!! I laughed, I cried, I felt anger and disgust, I felt love and compassion.If you grew up listening to Pat Cooper and seeing his routines on television, you will see a side of this man that will seem unbelievable. The longing and desire that Michael had to get his father to be a part of his life will leave you feeling heartbroken. Michael NEVER gave up trying to win his father's love and attention. It took him years to finally write this book and release himself from trying to win over a man that, for whatever reason, has many problems.One thing is for sure, one is left wondering how a parent can abandon two children with the breakup of a marriage, and then blame those children for not showing respect, love, attention and approval.Pat Cooper could never see that he was the disappointment in his children's lives. He thought that paying child support (sometimes forced by the court system) was all he was obligated to do as a father. It appears he never realized that being a father meant more than paying child support. He could never see the sadness that poured out of Michael for the attention he craved so badly. Pat Cooper lost out. Michael became a wonderful man, full of understanding, compassion and love. He was there to comfort his grandmother in the end...something her own son could never reconcile.In writing this book, he writes a love letter to his wonderful grandmother and mother who made sure that Michael and his sister were loved every day of their lives. Thank God for Italian Grandmothers, who so unselfishly give everything they can to make sure their grandchildren know stability and love. Michael's grandmother was the rock that provided the guidance and discipline that made Michael the man he is.So, this book is really a tribute to the two women that were always there for Michael and his sister.Although some may think this is a criticism of Michael's father, I ask you to put aside your prejudice. Michael spent years trying to reconcile the fact that Pat Cooper was unable to love, and is an angry, sad man. I'm glad Michael wrote this book and is able to get past the feelings that he struggled with for years. He was never to blame for his dad's unhappiness with life, because his dad was responsible for that all on his own. I hope Michael can rejoice in the fact that he is free from trying to win over a bitter, angry man who used his family for his comedic material, and duped many of us into believing that he lived in an Italian family filled with love and harmony.

As soon as my book was delivered to my home, I started reading it and couldn't put it down!! It was an emotional roller coaster! I was heart broken, for the way Michael's father treated him and his family! I laughed at the crazy antics Involving his Grandmother! And what an amazing woman she must have been! I cried when she became ill and eventually passed away! I'd give this book 10 stars if I could, because it was so well written! And I'm proud to say that I am fb friends with Michael today! You are a strong person Michael! And regardless of your fathers lack of involvement, or interest in your life, you have strong family values and are an amazing human being!