The View From St. Joseph's

There was one view you could have gotten from St. Joseph, i.e. a KV mom au naturale, if you were looking south on Monroe Street towards building L. The other view is one of growing up going to school there. Some more memories from Pat and the memories it rekindled with Bob and Al. I love it! (If this were some pseudo blog it would be called synergy):

Marty (Militante) was the counter man "short order cook" at the Ref luncheonette on Catherine Street next to Rocco's Meat Market which was next to Bessie's fruit store.
Melisande's bakery and Ruggiero's bakery were separate. Militante was related to Pete's King hero was also a Militante. That's where they got their bread.
Ruggiero bakery was across the street from Dave's Dry Cleaner's which was in K.V. I went to St. Joseph School. I did not play much organized ball. I did a short stint with Transfiguration only because I was born and raised in the 6th Ward but had many friend's in both 4Th & 6Th..I remember playing ringelevio in the basement of K.V. and always being chased by the guards. Joe Blow was one and Joe Lapi was the other. The Jewish Deli was a store front on Market Street -2or 3 steps down. It was directly across the street from Harry Lociscero's Insurance "Ring a Bell". I did play ball for St. Joseph on the B team, wasn't good enough to make the A team. There too many good player's to beat out. Does anyone remember Henry, he played for Mariners Temple. We nicknamed him old man. He was also a pretty good pitcher. As far as the Pizzeria on Madison St. the only memory I have is it was at the basement level and not very clean and was owned by woman, eventually her name will come to me. Getting back to Marty Missouri, he worked as a short order cook for many years at the Luncheonette we called the Ref's. Marty's last name was Urban. He lived in my bldg. 54 Catherine St. The Ref. was a famous place to have lunch because the lunches at school were pretty bad. The special was Tuna on toast, french fries and a coke for 50 cents. How about the Club Lunch on East Bway & Catherine St. We would spend hr's there eating french fries until they had enough of us and then they kicked us out.

Patsy

The Jewish deli was owned by Stewie Brokowsky's uncle--one of his daughters was named Lynn. I ate lunch there about once a week--a frank, knish and Dr. Brown's soda cost 48 cents! Remember our parents telling us about what things cost "in the old days"? Jim Jims also sold old comic books for a nickle--had I kept some of them, I'd be rich. I also remember the little place that made pizza on Madison, but for some reason only went there once or twice. Anyone remember when the Italian bread bakery on Monroe St. also made pizza?--great sauce! And for a year or 2, there was a restaurant pizzeria across from the A&P that had great pizza--didn't sell slices, only whole pies as I recall.

Bob

I can still smell the baked bread that that Monroe street bakery (next to Kremo) made. I used to buy a hot baked roll there for 7 cents. Good stuff

Al

Yes, great smell. I'd sometimes cross the street and walk to 177 on that side of Monroe just to capture the smell a bit better. And when they baked pizza and you caught the tomato sauce scent blended with the crusty bread...heaven!

Bob

A couple of responses to Pat--Marty Missouri had a son, Michael Urban, who was a pretty good athlete, lean, fast, and crazy as I recall. He may have become a police officer, or went to jail. One or the other. Henry, who played for Mariner's Temple (coached by Mr. Sumpter), was a great player. They also had a tough Spanish guy named Julius who pitched for them--he was supposed to be under 12, but was about 20. I recall he had the reputation of being a gang leader in the Smith Houses, I hit my only career homer off of him, and for weeks after I was afraid to go outside, especially near Catherine St.

Bob