The "Grandfather of Phones" Al Bernay dead at 71

According to reports received by REC Networks, Al Diamond, known in the telephone entertainment and phone phreak world as "Al Bernay" has passed away yesterday in Thousand Oaks, CA. He is believed to be 71.

Al has been well known for his previous business where he sold maps to the stars homes in the Hollywood area as well as the phone line that supported that business called "The Maps To Stars Homes Educational Tapes". Al was also a school teacher in which he spent many years teaching at various private schools.

Al introduced many people to the phone world and various methods of circumventing the telephone network back in the days before many of the digital systems of today.

Al was known for his various euphonisms such as his constant use of the word "niner" instead of "nine" as well as his use of the words "good bye" while hanging up the phone at the same time where the person on the other end will hear "good buh" and then the click of the phone hanging up.

In many ways, Al inspired many of the very early aspects of REC Networks where it came to the operation of the telephone entertainment lines back in the 1980's and was the inspiration of many other lines in the past during the so-called "golden days of phones".

Al will be remembered as the true telephone pioneer.