Telly Savalas
An American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on the Television crime drama series Kojak (1973–1978)...

1) Savalas graduated from Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, New York in 1940. A renowned swimmer, he worked as a beach lifeguard after graduation from high school. However, on one occasion, he was unsuccessful in saving a father from drowning.

2) Telly determinedly tried resuscitation, the man's two children stood nearby crying for their father to wake up. This affected Telly so much that he spent the rest of his life constantly promoting water safety, and later made all six of his children take swimming lessons.

3) In 1941, Telly was drafted into the US Army. From 1941-1943, Telly served in Company C, 12th Medical Training Battalion, 4th Medical Training Regiment at Camp Pickett, Virginia. In 1943, he was discharged with the rank of corporal after being severely injured in a car accident

4) After the World War II, Telly worked for the U.S. State Department as host of the "Your Voice of America" series, then at ABC News. In 1959, Savalas hosted a radio show called "The Coffeehouse in New York City".

5) Telly began as an executive director and then as senior director of the news special events at ABC. He then became an executive producer for the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, where he gave Howard Cosell his first job in television in fall 1959.

6) This point in time, in the mid 1950's, is where Telly Savalas had a very special night. Having the life guard incident, the Army incident and then the State Department job which would lead to his rise on radio and TV, this next incident would last with Telly all his life.. .

7) The story begins at 2:00 a.m. mid-1950's, after Telly drops off a date and begins his trek homeward to Long Island. Telly 8runs out of gas and is now stuck a distance from the highway. As he is contemplating crossing a small wooded area that would lead to the highway...

8) ... He hears a high pitched voice behind him saying, "I'll give you a ride". He turns around and observes a man wearing a white suit in a black Cadillac. He is driven to the gas station while carrying on a conversation with the man. When they arrive at the gas station...

9) Upon arriving at the gas station Telly realizes he does not have money. The driver offers to give him a dollar (which in the 1950s equals to about $10 nowadays). Telly is working for the Department of State and asked the man for his contact information so he can pay him back.

10) When the gas can and gas were purchase, the driver takes him back to his car then helps him push start his car. He thanks the man and both drive off and Telly thinks to himself that it was a nice experience to have.

11) The next morning he goes to work and remembers the paper with the man's name and phone number. He calls the number in order to coordinate a time where he can pay the man back the dollar he borrowed the night before.

12) He dials the number on the paper and the phone rings and a man answers and says, "Jimmy's bar can I help you?" Telly asked for "James Cullen". The phone is placed down and a woman comes to the phone and asks who Telly was looking for? When he repeats "Mr. Cullen"..

13) The woman says, "Listen you SOB my husband has been dead for 2 years now!" and abruptly hung up the phone.

He was stunned!

But he would not let it go...she had to be mistaken??? He finally convinces the woman its not a joke and wants to show her the note Cullen left him.

14) The woman travels from Boston in order to meet Telly in New York. She brought with her a letter Mr. Cullen had sent her while he was in the army. The message was signed "James" and the letter was signed "Jimmy" but the handwriting and the signatures were the same...

15) Telly mentions the man's high pitch voice and the woman corrects him and says, "... no his voice was deep like yours". Then explains Mr. Cullen committed suicide by shooting himself in the throat.
She confirms he was buried in an all white suit. Cadillac was confirmed also..

16) Creepy right?
Imagine realizing that your nice experience was riding in a car with a ghost of a person who had been dead for 2 yrs!
This would be enough for anyone for an entire lifetime to experience, but unfortunately he had one more in counter with the high pitched ghost.

17) After the state department Telly was able to secure a job working at ABC network, and even manage to give Howard cosell his 1st break into television and sports casting! Telly would then go on to TV and eventually several successful films in 1960s and playing Kojak on TV...

18) It was November of 1963 when he was playing golf with two friends in California by the name of El Caballero Golf course and country club. They were enjoying the sun and were on the 6th hole. To the right was a small hill and he did not notice a man standing on the hill...

19) The man called out to him and immediately he began to shake because he remembered the voice. It was the voice of the man in the Cadillac, the ghost of the dead husband, now standing here in the California Sun was the same voice coming from the same man...

20) The man was some distance and yelled to Telly did you hear about what happened in Dallas? He turned to one of his friends to confirm what he had heard and seen. The friend confirmed he saw the man but did not quite understand what he had said. Shaken, he continued playing...

21) They continued to play the 7th, 8th, and 9th hole which took them about an hour and a 1/2. They decided to break for lunch and headed back to the clubhouse to order drinks and food. He never told them the story from New York and remained silent at the bar..

22) As they are waiting on their food and discussing the game of golf The televisions that were playing in the background were interrupted by a station message of importance. When he turned to the TV he saw Walter Cronkite on the television who was distraught on the TV...

23) Walter Cronkite was shaken, because he was reporting the assassination of JFK in Dallas earlier that morning....

24) Does the story end here?

No, according to Telly himself. He confirmed that he, "wished to God that it ended there, this is only half the story..."

Unfortunately, Telly would die in January 22, 1994, just two months after relaying his amazing paranormal experiences...