Stanley Bard - This Ain't no Holiday Inn: Down and Out at the Chelsea Hotel 1980-1995 - page 160

Stanley said yes, which meant he was opening himself up to all kinds of
problems. I believe Carl Andre paid for the room—the full daily price as a hotel
room, which is high. He paid for it without telling anybody. It was a private act
of friendship and charity. So we were able to get Julian Pretto into the Chelsea
forhisfinaldays,thefinaldaysofsomeonewhohadalready livedninelivesand
knew the importance of the Chelsea.
PeoplewouldcomevisitPrettoashewasdyingattheChelsea.Iwouldcome
visithim.He'dbeupinhisroom,makingCampbell'ssoupandwatchingterrible
TV shows. It was kind of a sad final destination, one of these crappy Chelsea
rooms, totally depressing and overpriced. Nonetheless, it was a safe haven.
I remember Andre went down to the Capitol Fish & Tackle 92 store below the
Chelsea and bought this funny little piece of tackle. It was a metal box that had
these regularly spaced perforations in it, and it was so true as a Carl Andre. It
was like a ready-made Carl Andre that he gave to Pretto, like, “This is a Carl
Andre because I say it is.” And yet it was something he bought down at the fish-
ing store!
We had a party after my opening at Stark Gallery, and Pretto appeared in
a wheelchair at the party. He was this hollow-cheeked specter—he looked like
Dorian Gray.
People were saying, “Oh my God! Is that Julian Pretto?” because everyone
had known him as this beautiful, youthful, charismatic guy.