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By Stephanie Nolasco

When Joe DiMaggio walked into Dr. Rock Positano’s New York City clinic in1990 to seek help for an old heel spur injury, the physician had no idea hewould develop a friendship with the iconic baseball player that would lastfor 10 years.

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“The most important thing was to cure him and to get him well, which iswhat we did,” the foot and ankle specialist told Fox News.

He has recently published a book about his unlikely relationship with the

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A portrait of Marilyn Monroe sitting with her husband Joe DiMaggio at El Morocco in New York City. (Getty)

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Yankee Clipper, titled “Dinner with DiMaggio.”

“Once our doctor-patient relationship was over, I never thought that I wouldhear from him again,” said Positano, who was 32 at the time when he metthe centerfield, who was 40 years his senior. “And then a few months later,he literally shows up at the office and goes, ‘Hey kid, do you want to grab acup of coffee?’ That’s pretty much how [our friendship] happened.”

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While the sports champ was notoriously private, Positano said he quicklybecame a part of DiMaggio’s “Bat Pack,” a handful of friends allowed in hisinner circle. Over dinners in restaurants throughout New York City in themid-‘90s, DiMaggio would share his most intimate thoughts during the finalyears of his life, including those involving his ex-wife Marilyn Monroe,Positano claims.

“The most important thing that he always told the group was that she wasan amazingly intelligent, talented, gifted actress and he had a problem withpeople seeing her as this dumb blonde,” explained Positano. “He made itclear to our group that she was anything, but a dumb blonde… She canlearn scripts faster than most people could. And he always found that to bean amazing part of her make-up. Going way beyond her physical beauty, hefelt that she was a smart professional.”

DiMaggio married the Hollywood star in 1954, but they would split just ninemonths later. Their romance was one filled with passion, Positano said.

“He made an allusion to the fact that when they would get together [in thebedroom] it was like the gods were fighting,” said Positano. “There wasthunder and bolts of lightning. Of course, he never got graphic because let’sface it, Joe was a gentleman. He wasn’t going to discuss certain things withour group or anybody else for that matter. So I think he was just speakingas one man to a group of men that were listening to him.”

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Positano added that no one questioned him for more details on the iconicsex symbol.

“We never, ever, ever brought up Marilyn Monroe at the dinner table,” hestressed. “If he brought her up, he brought her up… and of course, no onedared ask a follow-up question.”

DiMaggio’s love for Monroe endured even after her death at age 36 in 1962from an apparent overdose, but he did have some issues with the star,according to Positano. DiMaggio reportedly complained that she “wouldn’ttake a bath for days” and that their marriage may have ended due to herinability to have children.

Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller after her breakup with DiMaggio.That marriage would last from 1956 until the pair divorced in 1961.

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Positano also believed that fame played a role in DiMaggio and Monroe'ssplit.

“I think the biggest reason why, from what we gathered in our conversationswith him, was that you had two iconic people,” he said. “He was the mostfamous American sports star... She was the most famous iconic Hollywoodactress. And let’s face it, there’s always competition that goes on betweentwo people like that, regardless of how much they love each other or evencare about each other.

"We felt that their careers may have led to the issues that they had… butJoe had a tremendous amount of love, respect and concern for her. And Ithink at the end of the day, Joe was more concerned about making surethat she was in a good place and good position. That she was cared for andloved. That was really his biggest concern.”

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Still, Monroe and DiMaggio remained friends until the end. When Monroedied, it was DiMaggio who claimed her body and took over funeralarrangements. And for 20 years, DiMaggio had roses delivered to Monroe’scrypt three times a week. For years, rumors have long spread that if Monroedidn’t pass away, the former lovers would have remarried.

Positano isn’t so sure.

“He clearly did not mention to any of us during any of those dinnerconversations that there was ever anything in the works about areconciliation,” he said. “It’s hard to say what could have happened. Did hecare about her up until the day she died? Well, yes. He clearly did. But it’shard to say if there was ever going to be a reconciliation, a remarriage oranything like that.”

DiMaggio never remarried.

“He had a crush on [model] Elle Macpherson,” Positano claimed. “He alsohad a crush on [TV journalist] Elizabeth Vargas. Joe liked intelligent, active,pretty women."

Positano also added that women were just as intrigued by the mysteriousDiMaggio.

"Let’s face it, even into his 70s and 80s, Joe was a very attractive guy," hesaid. "A lot of women found him to be irresistably charming and handsome.He had that effect on people. He definitely thought Elle Macpherson wasbeautiful and stunning. He always found her to be very sweet and verykind.”

However, DiMaggio preferred to dedicate his time to a cause that was dearto him.

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“He loved children,” said Positano. “That was the most important thing inhis life, his commitment to children. Forget about his winning streak — hisbiggest legacy was getting the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital off theground in Florida because he was always concerned that kids who didn’thave parents with means were not able to get the best healthcare. Hiswhole legacy was really based on his ability to make sure that kids inAmerica, no matter their circumstances, would always be well taken careof.”

DiMaggio died at age 84 in 1999, nearly five months after undergoing

surgery for lung cancer. Positano hopes his book will reintroduce DiMaggioto a new generation of readers.

“I think the problem that we’re finding is America’s youth... Kids do notknow who Joe DiMaggio is or was. I think this is a way to reintroduceAmericans, especially American kids, to Joe DiMaggio, who’s really our lastAmerican hero.”

When asked how DiMaggio, who spent his life guarding his privacy, wouldhave responded to the book, Positano said he felt that the star “would havebeen OK with it.”

“The things that we discussed, for the most part, were discussed in thepresence of other people,” he explained. “He wasn’t guarded in thatrespect. Of course, there were certain things that he did discuss with usthat would not be for public consumption ever.”

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