NEW YORK, May 25, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Today marks the 50th anniversary of The Delaware River Bridge. To celebrate this momentous occasion, at 1 PM (EST) Michael Katen (AKA: 'Mr. First') will re-enact the crossing of the Bridge connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Michael Katen and his younger brother, Omero, were the first to cross the bridge when it opened in 1956. On this historic day, the 93-year-old Katen will drive his Dodge Neon adorned with the U.S. flag and the Pennsylvania state flag to pay the half-century toll.
"I'm happy to be living to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Delaware Bridge," said Michael Katen. "And I look forward to seeing some of the same people I met when I celebrated the original opening."
Katen, and his brother have been credited with upwards of 600 'firsts' over the last 70 years. They began their quest during the explosive growth of New York City in the 1930s. Battling The Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt instituted The New Deal; enlisting thousands of men to build government bridges, dams, ships and tunnels in a massive investment in the nation's infrastructure. This building boom fostered the brothers' passion for attending openings and being first to participate.
A former air conditioning and electronics repairman in the Bronx, New York, Katen labored as a small business owner for 35 years. His expertise with gadgetry and circuits flourished when he was a mechanic and flight engineer for Trans World Airlines (TWA) in the 1940s. At age 93, Michael lives in Florida and continues to be first to visit and utilize new landmarks and bridge openings throughout the United States.
Over the years, the Bronx-born brothers' adventures have been widely documented. Currently, Fountainhead Films is developing a feature-film based on the lives of Omero and his brother Michael titled: Mr. First.
"We're really excited about telling the Katen brother's' story," said Fredric King, producer, Fountainhead. "The movie is a romantic comedy that follows two brothers who write themselves into history by becoming the very first to experience NYC institutions and landmarks during the 30s, 40s, and 50s."
Mr. First is part of a series of features led by producer Fredric King of Fountainhead Films. King presents Mr. First as one of a series of intimate portraits on New York City's subcultures both past and present.
Award-winning Fountainhead Films is headquartered in New York City.
For more information, please visit: www.fountainhead.com