That summer had been hugely successful, but only Bruce, Mongo and John Hubbard were at Cornell.  The re-formed Bravados were joined by Rochester Cornellian, John DeWitt on bass and when Hubbard left school into that fall semester, Ithaca College’s Joe Mooney on drums – now a trim four instead of five-piece group.

In addition to the usual compliment of fraternity parties, including a number at Lambda Chi Alpha (125 Edgemoor Lane)-from which a precious reel to reel recording of two appearances has been preserved-

Top: At Lambda Chi Alpha, Cornell, from left to right: Mongo Booth, Joe Mooney (hidden), John DeWitt, and Bruce Bergman. Bottom: External view of Lambda Chi Alpha, Cornell.

– and a dance at the Risley Hall Dorm, the group garnered the direction of Bobby Comstock’s manager, John Perialas of the Valex Agency, who was the leading entertainment booker in the region.  

Top: Bravados on the job at Risley Hall, Cornell, from left to right: John DeWitt, Mongo Booth, Bruce Bergman and Joe Mooney. Bottom: External view of Risley Hall, Cornell.

’64-’65 Bravados pose at Risley Hall, from left to right: John DeWitt, Bruce Bergman, Mongo Booth, and Joe Mooney.

That led to – among others – many more bar gigs in Ithaca, as well as The Dahlia in Elmira, The Hollywood in Cortland, and one on the west side of Route 96B which stood approximately where the John Thomas Steakhouse opposite Ithaca College had been for many years. (This relationship also opened the door for Bruce to become Perialas’ liaison to Cornell to book the Animals for IFC Weekend and the Beach Boys for Spring Weekend in 1966.)

On Friday, January 15, 1965, they appeared at the Elks in Ithaca at the corner of Corn and Green Streets from 9:00 – 1:00 and as the ad in the Cornell Daily Sun of that date observed: “Tonight, be there…things shall swing.”  And so they did, evidenced by their return to the Elks on Friday, February 19,1965 when the mention in the Sun was: “Tonight 10:00 – 1:00, boss sounds abound.”

At AEPi, Cornell, from left to right: Mongo Booth, Joe Mooney, Bruce Bergman and John DeWitt

Playing at AEPi, Cornell, wild revelers almost obscuring Bravados to the left.

Meaningfully, the Bravados were also the band at the Ithaca College “Farewell Ithaca” dance on May 21, 1965.