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man with a family, working regularly as a movie producer. He helped raise his wife's daughter from a previous marriage whom he calls "a spectacular girl," with softness in his voice, and John Martinuzzi slipped into the past.

By changing his name, John didn't realize he was effectively cutting away one portion of his public persona. It didn't even cross his mind. Amazingly, he was totally unaware he even had a following. When the issue of the Stavros re-cast was brought up, John was surprised.

"I don't think the role was recast. Relatives were chosen. I don't think Stavros himself was recast." He hesitated. "Maybe I don't even know."

He didn't know. He was told Stavros was brought back in 2001 with Robert Kelker-Kelly in the part, and he asked pointedly, "Was Genie on the show?"

"Genie" referred to Genie Francis, the actress who originated the role of Laura Spencer, and went on to become half of Luke and Laura, one of the most famous soap couples of all times.

When informed that Genie was on the show at the time, John's response was short. "Genie would've opposed me coming on to do it."

This brings us to the real history between not only the charactersLaura and Stavrosbut also between the actorsGenie and John.

"I have not followed General Hospital," John explained. "I did not follow General Hospital when I was on it."

After only a slight hesitation, it was evident he had made a decision, a decision to tell his story. "I fell in love with Genie Francis and we lived together for several years." This explained the realism behind their electric onscreen chemistry. "We did some plays after our work [together] . . . had a good time. She was concerned about becoming a better actress . . . so we went to New Yorkshe wanted to study with my acting teacher. We went to New York; I was cast in some plays, she was studying . . . ."

He stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts, as if trying to decide how best to relate the next part of their shared drama.

"I was an alcoholic, I am an alcoholic, and I didn't really know it but she did. She had been exposed to alcoholism with her father, and she had had her own process with drugs and alcohol even though she was quite young. She understood a lot more about alcoholism and A.A. than I did, so I think that I was not a viable partner for her, really."

Anyone who's followed General Hospital's history has heard the rumors that Genie and her leading man at that time became an offscreen item. What happened to that romance, however, has been

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