Frank Bianco
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Many "Star Wars" fans have been lining up for the past few weeks; however, few have shown the tenacity of Frank Bianco. This 28-year-old Staten Island resident has made the trek to the Ziegfeld Theater and logged more than 100 hours since the line formed May 1. What makes this astounding is that Bianco saw "The Phantom Menace" at a press screening May 8, and he continues to show up faithfully to the NYLine.
"I couldn't leave you guys without having seen it with you," Bianco says. "When everybody sees it, there's going to be cheering."
Bianco wasn't always the first kid on the block to have seen "Star Wars," though. While he read the novelization of "The Empire Strikes Back" shortly after its release, he didn't see the film until much later.
"Everybody saw it before I did," Bianco says. "But for 'Jedi,' I was there the first day."
Even though he attended one of the first showings of "Return of the Jedi," Bianco says he did not believe his interest in the films (and the toys they spawned) was anything beyond the ordinary.
"I never really felt like I was overly infatuated with 'Star Wars,'" Bianco says. "Most of my friends really loved the film too."
The realization that his interest in the "Star Wars" saga surpassed that of the normal fan came around the same time as the release of the Special Edition. Bianco had decided it was time for him to get a tattoo. When he had to decide which artwork would permanently adorn his body, Bianco says, "it just seemed an obvious choice what my first one would be."
That tattoo, on his left shoulder, is the Imperial insignia. A second tattoo soon appeared on his right forearm – the Mandalorian insignia from Boba Fett's armor.
Not surprisingly, Boba Fett is Bianco's favorite character in the "Star Wars" saga; Fett's ship, the Slave I, is the prized possession in his collection of "Star Wars" related toys. If you go to Bianco's house, though, don't expect to see the ship in its original packaging or in a display case.
"Nothing's left in the box," Bianco says. "Everything's been played with."
Bianco says he finds it troubling that many kids don't remove their toys from their wrappings for fear it will damage their value as collectibles. Die-hard collectors might blanch when they hear that most of Bianco's action figures from the late '70s and early '80s have long since been crushed, broken or burned.
"The point of getting the toys is playing with them," Bianco says. "Especially if you're six or seven years old."
Aside from the occasional lightsaber battle, though, Bianco hasn't had much time to enjoy his new "Episode I" toys. He's been too busy spending his time in front of the Ziegfeld Theatre. While he is excited about seeing "The Phantom Menace" for a second time, the real reason he keeps coming back is the socializing.
"How many people have I met because of this line?" Bianco asks. "More than in the past year going out to clubs."
Because he has enjoyed the company of his fellow line members, Bianco says he's already planning to sign up for the NYLine when Lucas releases his follow-up to "The Phantom Menace."
"If this is going to go on for 'Episode II,' I'll be here," Bianco says. "I can't promise I'll put in as many hours, though."