For the past 40 years, Gary DeSantis read and wrote extensively on 20th century American history. Two years ago, Gary — who is corporate secretary for distributor DeSantis Solutions in Meadville, Pennsylvania — turned his avocation into a tangible product when he published a book called “The 6th Floor.”

The book is about a fictional FBI agent who finds himself in the middle of one of the turning points of U.S. history — the assignation of President John F. Kennedy.

“There are a million words written about the assassination,” says Gary. “This book is different because of the character development of the protagonist. It details his life during childhood, the Great Depression, World War II and ultimately during his job with the FBI when he worked on a shadowy presidential protection assignment.”

Gary named the book for the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas, where a sniper’s nest and rifle were found following the assassination. The floor is now a museum that chronicles the assassination and legacy
of Kennedy.

The book project spanned eight years. With the 50th anniversary of the assassination occurring in 2013, Gary wanted to write something historical related to Kennedy.
 
“I decided to write about a fictional FBI agent who was a native of my hometown,” he says. “I wrote three to four pages each day. I was possessed. ‘The 6th Floor’ absolutely captivated me, and I grew to love the central character, who developed a life of his own. I couldn’t quit writing. I had to tell his story.”

For his research, Gary sourced information from a variety of places, including the Warren Report, officially known as “The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy.” Many scenes and segments in the book are factual, and more than half of the characters are real people.

“Sometimes we forget that real people actually live through historical events,” says Gary.

When he started the book, Gary knew how he wanted it to begin and end. What surprised him was how the character and events developed in the middle.

“The hardest thing was editing,” says Gary. “I churned the pages out, and that was the easy part. My daughters helped me with the editing. Shannon, the COO of our company, read the book and edited it six times.”

Gary writes guest columns for two Pennsylvania newspapers, the Meadville Tribune and the Erie Times. He has also started writing his next book, tentatively titled “The Midnight of Genius.”

“It addresses what we would do if we actually came up with the absolutely perfect medication, and then discover that it might lead to premature death or illness,” says Gary.

Gary was inspired to pursue this topic while visiting his daughter, a research biochemist. He hopes to get it published, as well as other works in the future.

“I like writing, and sharing my thoughts, my hopes and my aspirations,” he says. “I especially like to introduce people to thoughts they might have had, but probably never expressed. It’s nice if people agree with me, but if they don’t go along with my point of view, at least they know where I stand.”

Gretchen Roufs, a 25-year janitorial supply industry veteran, owns a marketing and public relations company in San Antonio. To suggest someone you think should be featured in “Freetime,” contact her at Gretchen@GretchenRoufs.com.




POSTED ON: 6/17/2015