Ward of the State: Larry Giordano's Life as a Foster Kid

In the early morning of May 8, 1945, a baby boy was abandoned in a hotel room and discovered by a shocked manager. The authorities were called and the child became a ward of the state, labeled #32590A (a.k.a Larry Gagnon). Larry grew up as a foster child on the raucous streets of Everett, Massachusetts. He and his friends ran their local park like a rogue nation, lighting kerosene fires, goading police officers, and refusing to back down from a fight. Larry's foster mother, Helen Giordano, was his steadfast guardian angel during those turbulent early years. While he lived in Helen's house, she and her family did everything they could to help the boy feel safe and secure despite scarce financial resources and some disapproving neighbors who were quick to label Larry as the “state ward” and an outsider. Follow Larry's story as his struggle for identity culminates in outbursts of violence, an early enlistment in the military, and a passion for martial arts tournament fighting that would help define his life. This is the story of how the foster child, Larry Gagnon, became the man, Larry Giordano. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to support The Foster Kids of the Merrimack Valley, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to serving the needs of foster children in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts, including all of Greater Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, and North Andover.