MILWAUKEE — Over the past 70 years, presidents have come and gone, the economy has boomed and busted, and Milwaukee doesn't look the same. But one thing hasn't changed.
Since the 1950s and early 60s, a group of Milwaukee men have maintained their friendship through decades of life's biggest moments. Now, all around 80 years old, they continue to gather regularly for lunch and celebrations.
"They mean the world to me, you know, I trust them. I confide in them," Richard Alaniz said.
The group includes Richard, along with Tony, Tommy, Bobby and several other south siders who recently met for lunch at the restaurant Final Approach near Milwaukee's airport.
"I'm sure that if you needed any kind of a hand, especially my buddy Kenny, there he'd be right there, you know, to help you out one way or another," Tommy Morisse said.
Milwaukee south siders maintain 70-year friendship, gathering regularly despite being 80 years old and facing life's challenges together.
Watch the story to see how these friends interact with each other after 70 years...
Their friendship has endured through homecomings, heartbreaks, weddings, births, and funerals. The men say their bond remains as strong as ever.
"To watch each other, I can't say grow up because we never have we're still kids at heart," Bobby Miller said.
Their lunch conversations mirror those of teenagers, though they now discuss joint pain and remember friends who have passed away.
"Then we play the game of guess who died," Alaniz said. "It's good to have friends, and there's a lot of them that I really miss, too."
Time doesn't stop. Death is part of life. That's what makes moments like these even more meaningful. To have the same friends for seven decades is one of the greatest treasures.
“It’s pretty damn cool," Morisse said.
That’s worthy of a celebration.
“We like to have our beers together too ,once in a whil,e we like to indulge on occasion," Miller said.
And why not? Life is short. And friends are precious.
“They’re like brothers. We’re all like brothers," Miller said.
I think a toast is called for.
“Got all our friends. Here’s to friendship," Miller said as he raised a glass to the table.
Simple yet perfect.
This story was reported on-air by James Groh and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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