FOUND:HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS IN RINGO´S MYSTERY PICTURE

• Bob Toth, 66, who still lives in New Jersey, has stepped forward as the passenger in the car full of teens snapped by Ringo Starr
• Best friend, inventor Gary Van Deursen, 67, who now lives in Connecticut, was at the wheel
• Toth was suspended for three days for cutting class to see the Beatles
• Four decades later the principal admitted what they did that day was 'a good idea'
• Starr had appealed for the youngsters to come forward after publishing the photograph in a new book
• Chance meeting took place on a New York highway in 1964 after the group had skipped school to see the band at JFK before being turned away

The teenagers captured in a remarkable photo by Ringo Starr in 1964 were suspended as soon as they got back to High School.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline Bob Toth,66, shown in the passenger seat of the car said: ‘The principal certainly suspended me for three days as soon as we got back to school.

'The story didn’t even make it into the yearbook because he didn’t want to look like he was encouraging kids to cut school.’

Caught: Bob Toth (front passenger seat, left), Gary Van Deursen, (next to him) Suzanne Rayot, Arlene Norbe Ressler and Charlie Schwartz pictured by Ringo Starr on the day they cut class to see their idols The Beatles

Forty years later he met his former principal at church: ‘He said to me, “You know, in retrospect what you did that day was a very good idea."'

The search for the friends who skipped classes that day began after Ringo Starr, 73, wrote in his new book, 'Photograph' how much he would like to know who the teenagers were.

 

'It's just a great shot,' he wrote. 'They're looking at us, and I'm photographing them.'

It has now emerged that they were, from left, Bob Toth, Gary Van Deursen, Suzanne Rayot, Arlene Norbe Ressler, Charlie Scwartz and Matt Blender.

And Mr Toth admitted that he had no idea the photograph even existed until today. He said: ‘It’s kind of nice to have something legitimise the story we’ve all told on and off over the years.’

The way they were: Bob Toth,66, today pointing to himself in the Ringo Starr picture that has become a sensation. He was in the front of the car next to best friend Gary Van Deursen, 67

Gary Van Deursen at his home in Connecticut holding a copy of the picture (he is circled) caught by Ringo on February 7 1964

The car belonged to Mr Toth's best friend, Gary Van Deursen, 67, who today revealed himself to be the driver in the photograph.

He told MailOnline that none of his friends had believed his story until now.

The chance meeting took place on February 7, 1964 when The Beatles were to arrive at JFK, two days before their first appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.

Van Deursen explained: 'I took my Chevy convertible – it was white with a red interior. We cut school and decided we'd try to see The Beatles. It was so hyped so of course we got to the airport and it was mobbed.

'We went up to the top of the international building I believe it was. There was a crowd on the roof and reporters and one of my friends, Matt Blender, put on a British accent.

'A reporter overheard him and interviewed him life on the local radio. I was laughing so hard I had to move away.'

Van Deursen, pictured left in his yearbook, asked some of his friends if they wanted to miss class to see the band and they jumped into his car. They were also joined by Robert Toth, right

Charlie Schwartz (left) has also recounted the excitment of meeting Starr - but how no one believed them. He said that his closest friend from the group, Matt Blender (right) has since died

Suzanne Rayot pictured in her yearbook in 1965, the year after that unforgettable day

He continued: 'As we were driving home, back across George Washington bridge a limousine passed us, then another, then another, then another and we realised it was The Beatles each in a separate limo.'I crossed over lanes and overtook so they would all pass us again. The last one had Ringo Starr in it and the reporter from TIME magazine – though we didn't know that then.'

According to Mr Toth until then the friends had actually left JFK disappointed: ‘It was such a mad scene at JFK that we left disappointed because we just thought there was no way we’d get close to the band. 'Then we saw all these limousines as we were driving home and pretty soon realised it wasn’t a funeral it was the Beatles.’

Ringo said, was ‘the friendly one,' who leaned out of the window and spoke over the screams of the two female passengers who, Toth laughed, could not contain their excitement.
He said: ‘Suzanne was behind me, screaming her lungs out. It was crazy.’

Mr Van Deursen continued: 'Ringo gestured to us to wind down the window so we did. He asked where we were from and one of the kids in the car held up his jacket with the school name on it because it was hard to hear Fair Lawn.

'We didn't have tickets to the show which was sold out and we asked Ringo if he could get us any. He said he was sorry he couldn't help.'

Arlene Norbe, circled, also joined the group in skipping school in an attempt to see the band

Norbe is circled again. She is now believed to be living with her husband in New Jersey

Today the friends who drove to JFK that day are scattered across the country, but Mr Toth still lives in New Jersey where he works as a Senior Sales Engineer for an Air conditioning and Heating firm and lives with wife Nanci, 49.

Mr Van Deursen runs his own company as an inventor and designer. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Alison, with whom he has a son and daughter. His career as an industrial designer and inventor has seen him live in Europe as Vice President and Head of Design for Black & Decker as well as Head of Design for General Electric and Coleman Outdoor Camping Equipment.

Principal Daniel A Rothermel: At the time he took a firm line on the teens'excursion. Years later he admitted, 'it was a good idea'

But however successful his career and life since that day on George Washington bridge he said: ‘It was the highlight of our lives really. Though I should say it was reported in TIME that I lost control of the car – I never did. Still we were glad when that piece came out.

'We had gone back to school and told everyone the story about how we had seen the Beatles and spoken to Ringo Starr and nobody believed us. They thought it was just some crazy story we were all making up.'

Schwartz has also spoken out about the once-in-a-life experience.

'We were hardcore rock-and-rollers,' Schwartz told the New Jersey Record. 'It was all about the music.'

Schwartz, then 17, had just arrived at the school student lounge when Van Deursen said he had a car and was going to drive to see the musicians.

Schwartz said: 'He said, "Are you in or are you out?" I said, "I'm in".'

They skipped class and headed to Queens.

But when they arrived it was madness so they were forced to turn the car around for the direction of home, they came across the group.

He recounted how they pulled up alongside Ringo's car and that the musician began snapping away at them.

He said he is no longer in touch with the others in the car and said that Blender - his closest friend - has since passed away, NewJersey.com reported.

Ringo's team has not yet contacted him, but the media has been knocking, he said.

Ringo stands beside the image at Genesis Publications unveiling of the book on Wednesday

'The whole thing seems quite surreal, but it’s a gas,' he said. 'It's a lot of fun. I've talked to people I haven't talked to for quite a while. I’ve gotten calls from all around the country.'
The Beatle had put out an appeal for the group, hoping that someone would recognize them.
The picture is being published for the first time in Starr’s new book Photograph, along with over 200 never-before-seen shots.
The Beatles formed in Liverpool in the late 1950s with their most famous line-up being John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

The group’s first big hit in the States was I Want To Hold Your Hand, which sold 1.5 million copies in less than three weeks.

A crowd of thousands greeted them at the airport in New York when they arrived for their tour and one radio station even aired a running commentary on the event.

Their first gig in America took place in Washington DC and their first US TV appearance – on the Ed Sullivan Show - attracted around 70 million viewers.

There are just 2,500 copies of Photograph for sale. Each one is signed by the author and is available from www.RingoPhotoBook.com.