Rotari played an integral role in two of the more significant chapters of cultural life here. He took care of the details of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in for peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in May 1969 and their recording of Give Peace a Chance. He was also credited with helping launch Céline Dion by signing her to a CBS record deal.
But Rotari rarely talked about his own accomplishments. He was far more interested in talking up baseball. A diehard Expos fan, Rotari, who played in the Braves organization, was devastated when the team left town. A fixture behind home plate at almost every game at the Big O, he would implore friends to buy season tickets to stave off the team’s departure, and many of us did. Sadly, to no avail.
