Hi, are you really Fiorella Dorotea Gentile if you are then I must thank you with all my heart. I'm 22/m, you took a picture when John Lennon died of a man holding his son in front of the doorway while he put a flower in it.   Well that man is my father and that boy is me.
I never thought I would come across it. My father told me that people took pictures of that day, but we never ever thought that we could see it with our own 2 eye's.
I've been a Beatles and Lennon fan for 10 years thanks to my dad and seeing that picture made my day.
Please write back if you can.

Nicola Derespina karmatized@hotmail.com

I would like to thank you very much. The picture of the man holding the child at the gate of the Dakota is a picture of my son and I.
My son understood that his father was very  upset and emotional. He also was familiar with the music his father played all the time. That night I had worked and when I heard that John Lennon was definitely dead I called my wife from work and told her that I would not be coming home, but would instead be going to the Dakota. She said she'd meet you after work, with the kids, and we'd all go.
 When I got there I got a rose and carried my son up to the gate to place it in with the other flowers. While at the gate I heard hundreds of shutters click. I guess that distracted my son because he turned around. But in the ensuing days, with all the photos taken, I thought that it might have been a great shot that would have made the papers. And, if so, It would prove the perfect keepsake. I never found a copy of that photo. But about 5 years ago when my son started making the annual memorials (I have made it to almost all of them) I told him the story of the "Photo" that I believe existed. It made him feel very much a part of the whole Lennon Memorial thing that we do. And, he started searching the net for it. I knew he would find it eventually. Finally he has. I have to thank you for being in that place, at that time, to take that picture because it is something that links my son and myself, and the music of John Lennon to both of us. Thank you so much.

Richard J. Derespina rosieonmychest@nyc.rr.com