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Neal Russo, a character equal to any sports legend that he covered for the Post-Dispatch, died early Wednesday (March 6, 1996) of congestive heart failure.
Mr. Russo left quietly in his sleep. That was in blunt opposition to the colorful, sleep-scorned life he led with a happy vengeance for 75 years.
"When he makes his way to heaven, God will be amused," said Lou Brock, a Cardinals Hall of Famer. "`He won't be bored with Neal. But of all the antics he went through, he was a darned good writer."
Red Schoendienst, another Redbirds Hall of Famer, said, "He was very creative. I liked the way he took his notes. If you looked at them, you wouldn't know what they were, but he did."
Generations of St. Louisans knew him from his Cardinals and boxing st ories in the Post-Dispatch, where he spent 43 eventful years.
P-D sports staffers Stephan and Jim Thomas grew up reading Mr. Russo.
Stephan Thomas, 44, said, "When I started at the P-D, I told him, `Neal, you more or less taught me and my brother how to read. When we came home from school when we were 6 or 7, the first thing we did was tear open the sports section and read your game story about the Cardinals.' "
Generations of athletes knew him by his gruff voice and gentle touch at the keyboard.
"He was...