Born in Brooklyn into a family of Jewish immigrants, Leon dropped out of high school and hitchhiked to Florida, the Catskills, and California. He joined the U.S. Merchant Marine and shipped out to Hawaii, almost missing the return trip just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor.Everything changed when Leon survived two deadly U-Boat torpedo attacks in the Caribbean. Inspired to become a ship’s officer, he set out on a whirlwind of travel and adventure, with dalliances at every por...