I had a couple of days off early last week - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, to be exact - so I missed the first few days of the John Stamos extortion trial in U.S. District Court in Marquette.
In the days preceding my return to work Thursday, I was advised by my staff and others that the presence of the television and Broadway star was creating something of a stir in the city. I had no clue, however, just how big that stir was until I presented myself at Babycakes in downtown Marquette after that day's edition was out the door for my usual large house coffee, black of course, to go.
Two women - note I said women and not girls - were ahead of me in line there and I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
The one on the left said she had heard Stamos, who is, perhaps, best known for his portrayal of Uncle Jesse on the TV sitcom "Full House," was seen just the night before in a local bar, actually drinking and chatting it up with the locals.
Her friend was barely able to contain herself and breathlessly nodded that she was in receipt of the same report. She suggested that they should ask him out for a drink if they got the chance when he exited the federal courthouse following that morning's testimony.
They grabbed their coffees and muffins and headed across the street to stake the courthouse out, joining a fair number of like-minded Stamos watchers who were beginning to gather.
By all accounts, Stamos was exceedingly decent when he was in Marquette last week. Mobbed pretty much every time he stuck his head out, he apparently took it all in stride, giving local folks a great deal of access, joining them in local bars and restaurants plus on foot tours of the downtown.
It's important to note why he was here, I think. It wasn't a vacation, afterall. He was the victim, a federal jury found, of a scheme by a couple of Marquette residents who sought to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars out of him.
Although the plan on its face was harebrained - these kinds of outrageous capers almost always are - federal charges were authorized, arrests made, a trial held and guilty verdicts handed down.
I'll save my full commentary on the criminal aspect of this over-the-top situation until after the pair are sentenced in early October. For now, though, I'll simply say that I feel bad for their families who are, no doubt, good people just trying to get by like the rest of us.
But back to Stamos. As I said earlier, most folks immediately connect him to "Full House," the sitcom that ran in first production for eight seasons in the 1990s through the early part of this decade. But he's done other things, too. The list is fairly long, everything considered.
Since "Full House" died and went to the heaven that's called syndication, he's remained a familiar face on television, launching several new series plus appearing as a regular during the last three seasons of "ER."
He's been active on Broadway, too, appearing in a whole host of productions. He also occasionally tours with the Beach Boys and has played live with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame so, all in all, a pretty big dog in the entertainment business.
He was married for some years to supermodel and actress Rebecca Romijn, a union that ended in divorce in 2005. Since then, he's dated different women.
A nice guy, it seems. It is indeed regrettable that his one exposure to our community related to this bizarre blackmail plot.
Editor's note: Managing Editor Bud Sargent can be reached to 906-228-2500, ext. 244. His e-mail address is bsargent@miningjournal.net.
