The 718

Jeff, Nick, Brian, and Steve were all born on June 21, 1962 in New York City, New York. They all grew up together and went to school together until graduating from high school in June 1980.

Jeff is the most physical of the group. He played football in high school as a defensive back and was being looked at by college scouts. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury during the first game of the season his senior year. He recovered from the knee injury, but still walks with a limp and had to stop playing football. He works at the pizza parlor that Nick’s father owns to help pay the bills at home. Jeff’s father was in the Army and served in Vietnam. He disappeared when the plane carrying him disappeared somewhere in the North Pacific in 1976. The plane was never recovered and Jeff does not know what happened to his father. Jeff has a girlfriend named Lisa. Jeff and Lisa have known each other since the first grade but have become especially close since Jeff’s father was reported missing.

Nick is third-generation Italian. His great grandfather came to the United States in 1901, arriving at Ellis Island in New York. Nick’s grandfather opened a pizza parlor in Brooklyn. His father is rumored to have connections to local organized crime, but nothing has ever been proven. He offered Jeff a job at the pizza parlor after Jeff’s father went missing. Nick also works at the pizza parlor.

Steve is the brains of the group. Both of Steve’s parents work at Miller Labs. Steve’s father is a scientist focusing on biochemical engineering and his mother is a research assistant. She is currently working on her PhD in electromechanical engineering at NYU. Steve has a full ride engineering scholarship to NYU and plans to start in the fall.

Brian is third-generation Irish. Similar to Nick’s great grandfather, Brian’s great grandfather arrived at Ellis Island in New York in 1901. Brian played football with Jeff and distinguished himself as one of the fastest wide receivers in the city. He finished out the season primarily due to his father’s insistence, but lost his passion for the sport after Jeff had to quit. His father is a police sergeant at the 84th precinct in Brooklyn. His mother is a middle school teacher. There is obvious tension and distrust between Brian’s father and Nick’s father. Brian’s father often stops in at the pizza parlor “just to check on the lads”.

The pizza parlor is the de facto hangout location for the group. They gather there frequently after school and on the weekends since Jeff and Nick both work there.

On Friday, June 20th, the 4 decided to go out to celebrate their 18th birthdays. As graduation gifts, the group were all given tickets to the premier of The Blues Brothers, playing at the Cinerama II theatre. Two of their friends couldn’t go out with them - Chris and Charlie. Nick tells the group that he heard about a guy named “Louie from Flatbush” who can get them fake ids so that they can hit the bars after the movie.

At one of the bars, they run into a girl named Chloe and her boyfriend Jimmy. Chloe had gone to a different school, but they knew her from various sporting and scholastic events. They knew she shared their same birthday.