On Thursday, October 4, 2007, John C. Ashley walked into the Giordano and Giordano Law Office in Downtown Alexandria and committed one of the most heinous and senseless crimes in our city’s history. During the workday, Alexandria’s population balloons to approximately 155,000 people, but on Thursday, Alexandria was a small town with a singular focus.
Thousands of people swarmed The Town Talk‘s forums– some with pertinent updates, some with prayers, and others who simply wanted the latest news on their friends and family members. Thousands more remained glued to their television sets for nearly ten hours, anxiously watching a stand-off that ended tragically a little after midnight. By then, most of us knew what to expect: three people were dead, including the gunman, and three more remained in the hospital after being shot and injured by John Ashley.
On Thursday, Alexandria lost two exceptional citizens– Marty Thiels and Joey Giordano.
I met Marty Thiels a year ago at Tunks Cypress Inn. He was playing with his band, Southern Breeze, and a group of friends and I sat directly to his right. One of my friends kept requesting songs, and even though I am certain it had to be slightly annoying, Marty Thiels played nearly every single song my friend requested, never breaking his smile. He was a real musician, someone who could play multiple instruments, a man with a rolodex of musical knowledge.
I am not sure if I ever met Joey Giordano, but I saw him at least once a week. He was one of my neighbors, and he spent a lot of time outside with his family. He was a young man who had just been appointed as an assistant district attorney.
Both Marty Thiels and Joey Giordano leave behind children. Giordano’s wife gave birth to a baby girl only three months ago. They also have a young son. Thiels has three children, including a son at Alexandria Senior High and a daughter at Brame Junior High. Red River Bank has established accounts for the Thiels and Giordano families. From The Town Talk:
Donations that go into the accounts will be used to help the families with miscellaneous expenses such as the education of their children.
For more information about the special accounts set up for the Giordano and Thiels families, call Red River Bank at (318) 561-5800.
Red River Bank has locations at: 1412 Centre Court off Jackson Street Extension, 3422 North Blvd. behind Alexandria Mall, 600 Jackson St. in downtown Alexandria, 5631 Coliseum Blvd. (La. Highway 28 West) in Alexandria, 3120 La. Highway 28 East in Pineville, 4425 Monroe Highway (U.S. Highway 165) in Ball, 4292 La. Highway 112 in Forest Hill and 1210 Wall St. in Lecompte.
More later.
CenLamar 