The Seasons of Our Time

When we were kids we didn't realize it, but everything has it's season. Yes, it's baseball in the spring and summer and football in the fall. What about all the other activities we had? How about water pistol season? All of a sudden on warm day in the springtime and every one has a water pistol. The season just evolved but it came around every year. I remember one year Marty Gibbs got the best of me and I was going to get my revenge. Instead of putting water in my little gun I ran "up the house" and put vinegar in my trusty little water pistol. I thought Marty was going to kill me when he realized what I did.
How about oil cloth gun season?  Sure as spring, it came every year. Someone would throw out a big piece of linoleum, we called it oil cloth.The next thing you know everyone is making oil cloth guns. There was two pieces of wood nailed together, a barrel and a handle. You fashioned a release of sorts and the rear of the barrel and nailed a big rubber band at the front. A spring loaded clothes pin always made a good release.To make it work you pulled  the rubber band to the release and put a one inch square under half of the rubber band. Releasing the rubber band would send the square of oil cloth flying at your intended target. Some of the guys were pretty ingenious and made some pretty neat guns.
After we tired of the guns it was time for pea shooter season. All of a sudden the candy stores had a supply of pea shooters and we just had to go to war. What did the pea shooters shoot? Peas! Of course, dried peas. Brady's grocery, between 134th and 133rd sold bulk peas and you could by a days worth of ammunition for a dime. You'd put the pea shooter up your sleeve and the peas in your pocket. At lunch time, after we were released at the corner of 131st St. war would break out and a mouthful of peas got you passage home for lunch. The neighborhood was covered in dried peas, thousands of them.
Come summer time it was scooter time. All you needed was a milk crate, one skate, a two by four and two small pieces of one by two and you had the makings of a scooter. If you wanted a fancy scooter you would nail bottle caps in some elaborate or cryptic design on the front of your scooter. Storing the scooter was always a big problem as it did take up a bit of space. Some how the guys that had them always managed. Esposito's fruit market was a good source for the wood you needed. They always had all the vegetable crates. Two by fours came from the suppers in the neighborhood. They were always patching up the buildings and would have scraps left over. Milk crates were always falling off the milk trucks so you always knew where to find them.
Checkers had it's season too. No, not the red and black ones with the checker board, real checkers. The checker was a bottle cap with either a piece of orange peel and a good hunk of tar that you got off the road. When the weather got warm the tar in the road got nice and soft. Melted crayon made a good filler for the checker, too. The checker board was an arbitrary size of four or five feet square. It was either painted on the side walk or marked off in chalk or crayon. If I remember correctly there was thirteen boxes. 1, 2, 3, and 4 were in the corners, 5 and 6 were side by side as were 7 and 8 on the opposite side. On the other two sides in side by side boxes were 9 and 10 and 11 and 12. In the middle of the board was home with number 13 in the middle. There were very definite rule of how you started a game and what the rotation was. The object was  to get your checker into all twelve squares and then to win you had to get into the thirteenth square in the middle without getting "killed " by landing in the zone that was around the thirteenth square. We used to play for hours on end. Some of the "boards" were in the middle of the road because the blacktop made a smooth playing surface. It was not uncommon to stop traffic while a guy was shooting.
Roller skating also had it's season. We never heard of in line skates and even the wooden wheeled skates with the fancy shoes.  All that we knew was good old "Union Number 5's". They were good solid metal skates and they had ball bearing steel wheels. They just fit right over your shoes and tightened to your shoe with a skate key that you  would keep on a string tied around your neck. If your wheels wore out you could buy just new wheels. The neighborhood hardware stores were the source for the skates and the wheels.
Chinese hand ball had it's season too. It was amazing how many different games we had with the Spaulding. (Or was it spauldeen?) There was stickball, box ball, stoop ball. Someone always had a ball.
How about food?  It had it's seasons, too. Halloween always brought jelly apples and all the candy stores had them. I've never had a jelly apple as good as the ones we had when we were kids. Do you remember Charlotte Russes? They had a season too. I believe it was in the spring before it got too hot. A Charlotte Russe was a white cardboard tube about two inches round and three inches high. At the bottom was a little piece of white cake and the rest was this wonderful whipped cream. Now they were not kept refrigerated and so when the candy stores got them in they usually sold out pretty fast. I guess because there was no refrigeration there was a short season for them. Speaking of candy stores and refrigeration, how about bulk ice cream?  You could get a half pint, pint or quart. It was always debatable as to who packed the best ice cream. I can remember my Mother saying," if so and so is working there in Devlin's , go across the street to the drug store. You'll get more ice cream packed in the container".
In the fall we always had Chinese Apple season. No, we didn't call them pomegranates, all we ever knew was Chinese Apples. They were just as messy to eat then as they are now.
It was on Mother's Day that there would be a guy standing on the corner of 133rd and Amsterdam on the Northeast corner. He was selling carnations and there was a color you wore if your mother was alive, another color if she had passed and another if she was away. The guy was there every year only on Mother's Day and we always bought a carnation from him. He  knew how to position himself so he caught everyone going to Mass.
Marbles was another game we played. Normally we only played the gambling type. One guy had a cigar box that had cut outs in the front of it. The cut outs were just big enough to let a marble in. Over the holes a pay out was indicated. Usually, it was just one marble, if you got your marble in the hole you got two back, yours
and one for getting it in. If you didn't get a marble in the hole, you lost your marble to the guy who had the cigar box. The other way of playing marbles was on a dirt field. A circle was drawn in the dirt and a bunch of marbles was put in the center of the circle.I think you had a shooter marble and the object was to use your shooter to get as many marbles out of the circle. Father Mike Quealy was the "Parkee" one year, when he was still in the seminary. He taught us how to play the game in Annunciation park. The Daily News and the Daily Mirror ran Parks Department tournaments and when you won in your local park you won a tee shirt. I was determined to get a tee shirt and Fr. Mike helped me win it. Mike was the best "Parkee" we ever had. It was such a tragedy to loose him in Viet Nam.
Another seasonal opportunity that we had was "itchy balls". I guess they were some kind of seed pod that grew on the maple trees that were in all the parks. You'd get an itchy ball, break it up and take the stuff that came out of it and put down the back on someones shirt and then rub it in.  The stuff would make you very itchy. 
Do you remember spinning tops? A top looked like a small turnip. It was "wound up" with a string and then you threw it to the ground as hard as you could. With the string unraveling as you threw it, it started spinning. Most of the points on the tops looked like the end of a nail. One of the games we played with them was making someone put his top in the middle of a circle and then you would launch your top at the one laying in the circle. The object of the game was to split the top that was laying on the ground. As often as we played, I never saw a top split.
I think it was in the fall that we had yo-yo season. Duncan yo-yo's were the best and for some reason I think McCarthy's candy store, up by Vinegar Hill, had a lock on Duncan's If you wanted one, you had to buy it there. I do remember the Duncan rep showing up every week at McCarthy's  and he conducted contests and gave out prizes. (yo-yo's). You had to be able to walk the dog, rock the cradle, go around the world and then the really hard tricks began.
All of this that I just mentioned was all "guy" stuff. Girls had their own games and I just remember a few. There was one with the girl bouncing a spauldeen and reciting a limerick. " I won't go to Macy's  any more, more, more. There's a big fat policeman at the door, door, door. The limerick went on forever.  Then they had jump rope and double Dutch. Another game they excelled in was that paddle that had a small rubber ball attached to it with a rubber band, a paddle ball, I guess. That same little rubber ball was used in the game of Jacks.  We had our checkers painted on the ground and they had their "potsy". All of a sudden when the weather got nice and we all played outside all of the girls started speaking a different language. Was it "Ibe"? I never could figure it out. How did we all survive without all the electronic gadgets and toys that the kids have today. And I didn't go into all the sports teams that were in the neighborhoods, just the games we played. And speaking of sports, all that we has was basketball, football and softball. We had no soccer, roller hocky, la cross and we didn't have turf covered  fields to play baseball. We just had asphalt covered fields to play softball. But we did have a ball.
Next up I think I'll wander down 134th Street. I'm not to up on where everyone lived on the block but I do remember a ton of great families.
Thanks to John McKeveny, Pat Purcell, Billy Corcoran, Bernie Donahue and Noreen Cunningham Carberry for your help in identifying the guys that were in those two team pictures from my last blog. Here is the updated version:

Front row:  Jim Walsh, Billy Corcoran, Joe Coughlin, Timmy Bowe and Tommy Lynch.
Back row:  B. B. Blanco, Bernie Donavan, Bill Reagan, Ray Tully, Marty Chambers, John Donahue, John Padian and Coach Bareas.

Front Row: Tom Skihill, John McKeveny, Sonny Buonocore, Tony Diaz and Bill Monahan
Back Row:  Tommy Carr, Buddy Duncan, Joe Cavanaugh, Eddie McCabe, Sean Maloney, Bobby Cunningham, George Duke and Hugh Boylan

Bobby Duncan writes:
Re: Annunciation Basketball team. On the top row second from the right is George Duke who lived at 1512 Amsterdam Avenue. It's amazing that Jimmy Corcoran (or was it Billy) remembers all those people. He went to school with me. Those guys were 2 yrs. ahead of us. My mother had that photo for years but I never saw it after my brother died in 1960
People come and go and sometimes we never get to say goodbye. So I'll say it now: Miss You Barbara Musolino nee Blake and Anne Harkin. Barbara's husband was a doctor from Italy and a very charming man. I had heard that her daughter went to Italy and became a doctor like her father. Anne Harkin worked for years as a nurse and was about to retire when tragedy struck in the form of a brain tumor. I last saw her at my sister Florence's funeral in Yonkers several years ago.
Recently I've lost three of my former work buddies at young ages: Julio was 42. Robert was 57 - both died from cancer! Hilda died last Saturday - heart problems. She was 51 or 52 and very sassy. Must be that red hair!
So Tomy you render a valuable service in letting people know what's transpired since they left the neighborhood. Say hello to Harold for me. I hope Baby, Peter and Abigail Henriquez are all well. To Janet Fuentes "hi" if you're still with us. We lost Edgar Rodriguez but is his sister Dorsey alive and kicking!
I know one day we'll all meet in that other neighborhood and have a grand chuckle about the things we did while safely living in Vinegar Hill. They just don't make them like they used to - except for West 46th Street where I lived for 36 years.


Artie Lamarch writes:
Reading about the teams from the neighborhood made me go into the old editions of the Gazette. I remember we put out an edition in April, 2000 and the lead article was "Athletes Of Vinegar Hill". Thought I could help you name some of the players in the basketball photos as I have seen them ,in the past , and with captions.Unfortunately, we used one of the photos, but only captioned it with the year (1950). The article which was written by John Murray, (531 W 135th) who graduated Annunciation in 1936,was mainly about the teams and players of his period. The article did name neighborhood teams as well as Annunciation, High School, College and Professionals, who from the Hill played for them.
The little I can add to your recent blog is the team on west 136th St was the Mohawks, and their colors were red and gold. I remember this from John Mulrhane, as he used to wear a red baseball cap with a gold "M" for Mohawk. He once explained to this 5 or 6 year old that we were Mohawks and those kids on the other side of Amsterdam Ave were the Rebels. I believe I ran home thinking there was going to be a war on 136th Street.
When we were moving to Fl in 2008, I gave all the extra copies of the Gazette, and any photos I had, to Tom Sakel for safekeeping. You may want to contact him or Jim Cavanaugh if you need material. I can make you copies of the one set I kept, but they would be xerox copies. I also have two professional photos, one of Jasper Oval, 1920 and the other is a view from Convent Ave at 136th, looking toward Amsterdam, 1923. My wife bought them at a Street Fair on Sixth Ave. I may have showed them to you at our luncheon last year.
Billy Blake writes:
Hello Tom, how are you enjoying the warm weather in Fl. Just like to say you certainly are a world of knowledge about VH and enjoy reading all the things that I have forgotten but it all comes back once I read your e-mail's. Unfortunately, my Sister "Joan" who was married to "Bernie Owens" passed away on Jan.7th 2011 from Cancer. My Sister always loved life,but ever since her Twin "Barbara" passed away in 1999 she felt lonely and missed her very much. They use to do many things together living not too far from another in Fl. I live in Hilton Head, SC and would drive to the" New Port Richey " Fl often to see her and spend time since she was diagnosed with Cancer back in May of 2010. I have to say in all honesty spending "New Year's" with my Sister was better than any "New Year's I can remember. It felt so good to be there with her while she was feeling a bit elusive. The next day she went on morphine, rested and waited for "God" to call her. I miss her very much as I do my Sister Barbara, but so happy I was there before she closed her eyes and waited to be called.
On another note. Billy Bradley lived with his "Grandmother and Grandfather" in 1508 while his Father "Wes" lived in "Iwood" Hiram "Baby" Rivera Brother's name is "JOE" and he use to play the Gungas tall "Bongos" with "Tito Quenta" band. Well, God Bless and enjoy your time in Fl.

Mary Jane Heinrich writes:
Just reading the blog & figured I better send this while I remember the names. The Coogans lived in 1504 Amsterdam when I was little. The Rochford family lived there too! Ellen & Vincent(I believe) were the parents. I think I remember 3 kids then-Eddie, Tommy, and Linda. Then they moved to 136th St had another little boy and another girl. Can't remember their names-even though I was in their house a lot. Then they moved to Long Island and we lost touch with them. As for the Rochford's - May and Dennis, the parents-children- Thomas, Donald, Ann, Raymond, Sheila and Stephen. As for us, The Cavanagh's from 1508--Mary & James(parents) children-Betty, Jimmy, Mary Jane & Peggy. We moved when I was a sophomore @ St. Michael Academy on 33rd St(the diocese just closed it this past June.) We moved to 231st St in the Bronx. I went on to Hunter-Bellevue for Nursing. I married Bobby Heinrich from 504 W.136th St. His parents were Mary(Mazie Darcy) & Bill Heinrich, he has a sister, Eileen. His Aunt Maggie & Uncle John Lennon NYPD lived in that building also with their daughter Margaret Mary (Maggie). Maggie married Henry Espinosa from 1492? Amsterdam(same building as the Buonocors). Henry is a professor at CCNY for many years. They reside in Ravena, NY. It's a long commute.
Well enough for now- I am coveting that cruise,but so glad for you to get out of the snow! My sister Betty & her husband John (retired FBI) are permanent residents now of Stuart, Florida. Haven't been there yet, but there is talk of a cousins' reunion sometime this winter. It has been quite cold here in Arlington, TX & no NY teams in the Super bowl to cheer me up. Go Green Bay! This city will be rockin' in a couple of weeks!! Thanks for all the memories--Mary Jane Heinrich -Annunciation Class of 1962.

Noreen Cunningham Carberry writes:

Tom, I grew up in Vinegar Hill but moved while in high school. We lived on 135th St. - The Cunningham's, Mary, Eleanor, Robert and Noreen. Good friends with the Boylan family from 513. Recognized Hughie Boylan in the photo - he looks the same except for grey hair. His sister, Eileen, and I have remained friends through the years. My husband, Bill Carberry (University Ave) was a fireman in the Bronx, Ladder 27, and he recognized one of the fellas from  the basketball photo with Fr. McSherry. His name was Billy Regan (Standing) third fella in from the left of Fr. McSherry)  He was a Battalion Chief in the fire dept.  Hopefully, he is correct as he said he was a dead  ringer for him (same smile).  Also, Peggy Henry lives here in Goshen. Her father owned the candy store in the old neighborhood. Ran into her on a trip and not knowing her just saw a fireman's charm on her necklace and commented that my husband too was a fireman. Next thing we get talking and found out we had a lot more in common. Small world.   Glad to read about the old neighborhood. Enjoy Florida.  Noreen Cunningham Carberry

John McKeveny writes:
Tom, The picture that you have posted is the 1950 8th grade CYO team.
The names are as follows: (seated) Tom Skehill;John McKeveny; Sonny Buonocore; Anthony Diaz; Bill Monahan.
( standing ) Tom Carr; Buddy Duncan; Joe Cavanaugh; Eddie McCabe; Sean Maloney; Bob Cunningham; George Duke;
& Hugh Boylan
I hope that this helps you in your quest to ID the guys. This is the picture that I sent to John Scott 10 years ago when he was publishing the Vinegar Hill Newsletter.
Not bad for a 74 year old guy remembering the names of people whom I knew 61 years ago.
It was nice talking with you and reminiscing about the “OLD” neighborhood. I enjoyed reading the article about the various teams.. I was a member of the Bluejays and had a blue & white jersey.
Good luck with you endeavors !!!
All the best, John McKeveny

Anne Rochford writes:
Hi Tomy,
I really enjoyed your blog. Just wanted to let you know who lived in 1504 Amsterdam Ave. The Rochfords, Tommy, (my brother) Donald, Anne, Ray, Sheila and Stephen. The McCabes, Eddie, Mary, Pat,Bobby (Snoggy), Jane and Michael. The Coogans, Eddie, Tommy, Linda, Gail and a younger boy but I can't remember his name. The McGuckins, Catherine, Rosemary and Claire. The McClellands, Billy, Judy and Diane. The Conways or Conroys, there was Eleanor and that is the only one I remember. Of course you know about the Henriquezs, Abby and Peter who Tommy and Bobby McCabe hung around with. Tommy did tell Jane and I how Bobby got the name Snoggy but I can't remember the whole story. I will ask him and find out. I enjoyed reading Bobby Duncans memories, he was so good to us when his Sister Bernadette, Annie Harkin and I used to drive him crazy with our problems. Hope this helps with 1504 Amsterdam Avenue.
Anne Rochford

Bernie Donovan writes:
My name is John (Bernie) Donovan. I lived at 521 W. 135th Street and 622 W.136th Street. In 521 we lived next to the Callahans and below the Magners. A friend - Danny Doherty - who has lived in Virginia for many years, e-mailed me your latest publication partly because I'm in the picture of the 1947 basketball team.
I have tried to find John Scott's book "The Boys From Vinegar Hill" in a number of book stores, Barnes and Noble etc., They didn't have it and didn't have any record of it. My brothers Bill and Vince, and my sisters Evelyn and Geri would also like to read it. Vince hung around Tony's with John. Could you please tell me where I could purchase copies of it. I'd be grateful.
I have a picture of the guys I hung around with. It was taken around 1950 and includes Buddy Clancy. I'm sure Buddy and Jenny would enjoy seeing it. I'm not very bright about computers so I'll have to get my kids or grandkids to help in sending it. Would we somehow attach it to an e-mail to the above e-mail address or is there another way?
Thanks for your help.
and then in a reply Bernie writes:
TOMMY:
Thanks for the information on Amazon. I figured out how to order (Lord God another miracle), and today I received a notice that my order has been shipped. After I read it I'll pass it on to Bill, Vinny, Evy and Geraldine.
You asked if Danny Doherty was the redhead from 134th. No. Danny lived in the 600 block of 136th. He was part of a large family. One of his brothers - Buddy - was deaf. His sister Eileen married my brother Vinny. Sadly, she passed away in November of '07.
About the 1947 team. I still have an 8x11 glossy given to us by Fr. Mac, so I'm able to see the faces clearly. The guy kneeling by Fr. Mac is Joey Wall. I believe he lived on 136th between Amsterdam and Convent. The guy to the left of Timmy Bowe is Tommy Lynch, Pete's younger brother. I don't remember the name of the guy standing next to Fr. Mac. I believe the guy on my left is Billy Regan. I don't remember the name of the next guy. I believe we called him Whitey and he was from 138th street. The guy to the left of Marty Chambers is Johnny Donahue. And then Jackie Padian.
I found that picture I mentioned. I shows Paddy Magner, Billy Briody, Danny Doherty, me, Buddy Clancy, Gerry Magner and Pete Mugan sitting at a soda fountain in a place across the street from your parent's store.. I think we called it Pop's. One of my sons said he'll help me send it to you the next time he's in town. That should be soon.
It's great to be reminded of the guys, girls and places of the Hill.
Thanks again.
BERNIE DONOVAN
PS.: For the past 42 years I've lived in Milford, Connecticut



In the words of Porky Pig: "That's all, folks!"