NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The man has lived next door to me in Sugar Mill for three years. We probably haven’t said 50 words to each other in that time.
There really was no reason to. We don’t share many of the same friends or activities. He, like me, is not a big chit-chatter and like many artists, musicians, writers and creative people, he is rather quiet, a little unassuming in non-working environments and perceived by some as being a little aloof. Aren’t we all?
I really didn’t know him and in those 50 words that we did speak to each other, he didn’t spend a lot of time talking about himself. I knew he was an author, still writing a little, but just kind of living a “laid back life and playing a little golf” -- not seriously, however.
My curiosity finally got the best of me, especially when he stopped me at the clubhouse and made reference to my blog, "Living the Good Life," and how he liked my writing style. I don’t know why, but I decided that I wanted to talk with him about his career.
I knew he was somehow involved in the medical and health care industries, of which I have some interest and experience, but I didn’t know what to expect. What I did know was that he would be a little different and a good interview. What follows is what I learned about Dennis L. Breo, my next door neighbor and I want to pass it on to you. I do have a point.
This is not a celebrity article. It is an impression of life and the people around us. Until you ask, you never know who your next door neighbor is, or was.
Courtesy photo / Dennis Breo, shown at left, isa New Smyrnsa Beach resident and noted journalist-author.
Who is this man? Dennis Breo is a graduate of the prestigious Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. His writing awards include two Howard Blakeslee Awards from the American Heart Association for “Distinguished Reporting on Cardiovascular Disease” and nine Peter Lisagor Awards for exemplary journalism from the Chicago Headline Club.
Breo was selected by NASA as one of the 100 finalists for the “Journalist in Space” competition. He was also a contributing editor to the Chicago Tribune's “Sunday Magazine” and a former freelance writer for People Magazine.
He spent his journalism career (and retired from the position) as the national correspondent for the two major publications of the American Medical Association: the American Medical News and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Breo’s two major journalistic successes are “ “Extraordinary Care” published by the Chicago Review Press in 1986 and by Ivy Books in 1989 and “The Crime of the Century”, co-Authored with William J. Martin about the brutal murder of 8 nurses by Richard Speck. Martin was the prosecutor in the Speck trial.
Extraordinary Care
I'm going to quote from an article written in the Post-Tribune by Mark Taylor on June 18, 1987. The article is entitled "Extraordinary Care, Rich, famous become remarkably human in the hands of Editor Dennis Breo.”
Taylor states, “Dennis Breo has scooped Time magazine, Newsweek magazine and other national news publications with the stories he's written for the American Medical Association News. Dennis is to medical reporters what Sam Donaldson is to the Washington press corps: He’s the guy the competition chases.”
For many years, Breo followed national and international stories, often scoring exclusive interviews with physicians who refused to speak with anyone else from the press.
“Extraordinary Care” is an anthology based on 10 years of investigative journalism for the American Medical Association by Dennis.
According to Taylor, “It would be tempting to call the book "The Medical Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." In the hands of special assignments editor Breo, the famous and their physicians are robbed of their pedestals and are portrayed as remarkably human.
The book provides an inside look at some of the most celebrated medical cases of contemporary history told in the words of the celebrities’ personal physicians.
Quoting from a review by Clarence Peterson in the Chicago Tribune dated November 12, 1989, "Because he is a highly respected reporter for the AMA and American Medical News, author Dennis Breo has extraordinary access to doctors, who often will sit for an interview with him when they'll say little or absolutely nothing to anyone else. Breo's medical beat has whisked him around the world in pursuit of headline stories. He visited Rome when the Pope was shot and Washington after John Hinckley's assassination attempt on President Reagan. He interviewed the team doctors at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and flew to Wiesbaden, West Germany when the hostages returned from Iran.”
The first 10 medical case histories in the book include interviews with the physicians who cared for Adolf Hitler, Elvis Pressley and Howard Hughes, as well as those who performed surgery on Barney Clark and Baby Fae, saved the lives of President Reagan and Pope John Paul II, and those who tried in vain to save the Shah of Iran.
The Crime of the Century
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On July 14, 1966, Richard Franklin Speck, shown here, was the subject of the book "Thre Crime of the Century," written by Dennis Breo and Wiliam J. Martin.
Here is a description of the book: (Speck) murdered eight student nurses in their quiet Chicago town house. He broke in as his helpless victims slept, bound them one by one, and then stabbed, assaulted, and strangled all eight in a sadistic sexual frenzy. By morning only one young nurse had miraculously survived. The barbarity of the attack shocked a nation and opened a new chapter in the history of American crime: mass murder.
Breo's book “Crime of the Century” is described as the true, never-before told story of Richard Speck, the most shocking mass murderer in American history.
In "Crime of the Century," Breo teams with William J. Martin, the prosecuting attorney. The book was published by Bantam Books in 1993. Forest Park's Circle Theatre of Chicago presented a play of the same name written by Rebecca Gilman and directed by Greg Kolack in 1999.
In "Crime of the Century," Breo teams with William J. Martin, the prosecuting attorney. The book was published by Bantam Books in 1993. Forest Park's Circle Theatre of Chicago presented a play of the same name written by Rebecca Gilman and directed by Greg Kolack in 1999.
Breo tells me there is some hope for a motion picture deal.
Breo also interviewed the physicians who treated Muhammad Ali and Jonestown cult figure Jim Jones and he personally interviewed Dr. Jeffery MacDonald, the US Army Medical officer convicted of killing his wife and children.
The life and medical practice of transsexual, Renée Richards, among others, are detailed accounts of medical decisions and conflicts.
"For me, the fun is in chasing the stories," says Breo, and writing about doctors is challenging. They are unusual people, very bright and in control.”
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Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, the US Army officer convicted of killing his family and Renne Richards, the transsexual tennis player, are among Dennis Breo's famous interviews.
Breo did acknowledge, however, that "Writing for the American Medical Association opens a lot of doors that would otherwise have been closed to me as a reporter."
He continues, "The obvious thing is my calls are returned quicker."
There is an implied credibility because the AMA organization has an international reputation on reporting the “news” of each story and not the tabloid interest related to the story.
Despite his success, obtaining permission for an interview was not always easy for Breo. He readily admits that there is a lot of personal salesmanship involved in convincing reluctant physicians to tell their stories.
Breo explains, "I tell them I’ll give them a fair shot and a chance to make their contribution to history."
Breo explains, "I tell them I’ll give them a fair shot and a chance to make their contribution to history."
The way we often judge the success of a man or woman today is how many hits they have on the Internet. I suggest you type in “Dennis Breo” on Google. That will validate all you have read above.
Let your talent speak for you. I have found that those who have had the most success in their careers and lives are those who talk about themselves the least.
My dad told me when I was a kid, “Let your talent speak for you, not your mouth.” Dad got so smart as I got older.
I guarantee that Breo’s golf partners have no idea the celebrity and credibility he enjoys in his industry. We all have “A Wall of Fame.”Breo’s is impressive.
The interesting part of this article is that there are hundreds of folks just like him in our community. That also impresses me and I don’t impress easily.
You just don’t know who lives next door. Tell your friends about our new blog, "Superstars of Volusia County right here on Headline Surfer (HeadlineSurfer.com) and please stay in touch.