This is the ongoing story of Maury Fogel, my former dental patient, and his quest to attain stardom in his chosen profession, stand-up comedy.

Let me refresh my readers' memories of Maury.

"Maury spoke so slowly and carefully that you wanted to pinch him or stick him with a sharp object to make him finish the seemingly never-ending sentence. He made perfect sense if you had the patience to listen until he ended his thought, and placed a long-awaited period on the aforementioned sentence. Maury was a turtle in a hare-brained society."

Maury's mother worried constantly about her son, who didn't seek employment, just locked himself in his room and wrote comedy routines. Obviously, Maury had chosen the wrong profession.

Let me pick up the Maury story!

A simple letter with an invitation from a comedy club appeared in our mailbox. It was from Caroline's, the number one comedy and improvisation club in New York City. I knew it was sent by Maury because, honestly, I don't know that many comedians. Maury was moving up in his field. His previous invitation two years ago came from a second or third-rate club in Bayside, Queens. This was fabulous! This was Caroline's.

Caroline's on 49th Street and Broadway was where Robert Klein, the Bronx-born dean of stand-ups, performed.

The neurotic Richard Lewis also was a headliner here, dressed in his all-black outfit an an equally all-black outlook on life.

It was a sure thing. Lorraine and I were going to Caroline's to support Maury! We asked our friends Roberta and Burt Burd to join us. Only people with an offbeat sense of humor and sense of adventure need apply.

Caroline's was a cavernous, below-the-street nightclub. We descended into the subterranean depths like we were entering a Manhattan subway station. The comedy room was suitably dark. The cover charge was $10 and there was a two-drink minimum - a small price to pay for our adopted son, Maury Fogel.

We ordered our drinks and we all surveyed the room. I guessed that we were 30 years older than the other patrons. Roberta would later state, "We were only 25 years more mature than the college crowd."

The mistress of ceremonies (about 29 years old) was adorable. Lorraine and Roberta wanted to adopt her instantaneously, but Burt and I restrained the women. The emcee bantered with the audience as she introduced the acts. She said that this performance was being taped so the comedians could use the video for future job prospects.

One after another they jumped onstage. The opening lines hooked the audience. "I'm Angela, and I turn men gay," was one example of an opening foray. The next comedian was a Chinese-Puerto Rican who mined that family combination for a series of one-liners. A blonde girl with a guitar did a Jack Benny-type routine, alternating jokes with her guitar-playing.

The routines flew at us from so many sources, situations and angles. We four just marveled at the variety. Two women from Chicago told of their New York City exeriences. Funny!

But where was Maury?

We want Maury!

We want our laconic and taciturn, slow-talking Maury!

Could it be?

Was Maury the headliner? Was Maury the closing act? Yes! Yes!

He was the star!

Maury stepped onto the stage with a bright pink sport jacket and a newly-grown moustache and goatee. He was much better looking than I remembered. I hadn't seen him in almost two years.

Would his newly-found good looks work against him in his self-deprecating line of comedy?

It didn't! Maury killed. He was fabulous! He had added juggling and harmonica solos into the act. Tell a joke, juggle, tell a joke, play the harmonica, tell a joke, make fun of Maury. He even handled the hecklers with ease. His act ended to wild applause from the audience and much footstomping and whistling.

We went backstage to congratulate him.

He said to Lorraine and me in his slow delivery of speech, "I-knew-you-would-come."

"Maury, you were the best. Clean, honest humor," I said.

"You towered over everyone. We are very proud of you."

In his usual, modest, halting speech, he thanked us for coming, kissed Lorraine and Roberta, and shook Burt's and my hand, firmly.

We all agreed. Maury is on his way up.