Martin Tanahey: World War I Draft Card

This must have been the son of the  park's namesake. He was born in 1899 and lived at 177 Cherry Street in 1918. He worked as a cigar checker, I think, at Pier 13. Maybe it had to do with custom's inspection. Our own Joe Bruno remembers him and said he was a real nice guy. If I recall the story Joe might have said he worked at the Journal American.

September 17, 1900: Second Annual Coaching Party Of The Martin Tanahey Association

The other week I received an anonymous comment criticizing my opinion about Martin Tanahey in a 2007 post.
Anonymous wrote:

How did the "blog author" come to the conclusion that a person who died in 1930 at a relatively young age did not contribute anything of value to his community or to those he served? He obviously was not available to have any influence over the naming of the Tanahey park in his honor.
    FYI he was a most honorable man who worked hard for his family and neighbors whom he represented.
    It seems petty for you to disparage him for your own purposes.

I replied

 I didn't mean to disparage Martin Tanahey. I'm sure he was an honorable man. However there were many honorable people who parks are not named after. I've not found any information that leads me to believe he did anything remarkable as compared to Joseph Coleman.

As a result I did more research to try and find out more about Martin Tanahey. More to come

Market Slip 1927

This would be replaced by Tanahey Park sometime around 1950

Tanahey Park: Now And Then

On Saturday when I passed Tanahey on Cherry and Market I couldn't help capturing the scene above to contrast it with the below taken 52 years ago (a repost from back in February)

From left to right:

Moms are Diana Miller, Anne Greenfield, Ann Lackow, Ida Schnieder, Sue Schumer, Mildred Cohen, Ethel Feigenbaum and daughter Linda. I think her grandmother is the last on the right. The little girl is Melanie Miller. Anne Greenfield called everyone mamaleh.

Photo courtesy of Mark Schummer. Photo id's courtesy of Paula Romm Sanders.

Shoe Models In Tanahey Park, November 1957

From left to right:

Moms are Diana Miller, Anne Greenfield, Ann Lackow, Ida Schnieder, Sue Schumer, Mildred Cohen, Ethel Feigenbaum and daughter Linda. I think her grandmother is the last on the right. The little girl is Melanie Miller. Anne Greenfield called everyone mamaleh.

Photo courtesy of Mark Schummer. Photo id's courtesy of Paula Romm Sanders.

Jose Torres In Tanahey Park And Pete's Heroes

The Godfather told me about an article by Phil Mushnick about Jose Torres in the nypost that mentioned Pete's Heroes and Tanahey. (The Godfather is still under the impression that the post is a real newspaper)
Here's a link to the full article:

The choice part:
On the way into the cafeteria, I ran into Torres, who was on his way out. He'd made for me a glorious, career-sustaining day.
The other: During lunch or after work we'd play basketball in the playground behind The Post. Sometimes Torres would play. You could tell he didn't grow up playing basketball. But his hands were so fast and strong, his aim so accurate, that on defense, when he swatted at the ball he almost always hit it, and flush, knocking it away.
Dom Marrano and Peter Tocco, citysiders - 35 years later, we remain friends - one day took a break from the game to walk around the corner to buy a soda at Pete the Hero King's. They returned with this:
They'd just run into a young neighborhood wise guy who asked, "Is that Jose Torres?" motioning toward the basketball court. "Yeah," they replied.
"Can he play?"
"Not really," said Marrano, "but he's got very fast hands."
"Yeah?" said the wise guy, lifting his shirt to reveal a pistol in his waistband. "Is he faster than this?"
Remember it like it was yesterday. phil.mushnick@nypost.com

coming soon, plenty of KV chatter on Jose Torres

KV Hockey At Tanahey Park

Featuring a line change. The rink is named after Reverend Joseph Moffo
Godfather II Trivia:

The statue carried during the Festa is of St. Rocco and is currently located at St. Joseph Church in New York City. The priest in the Festa is Rev. Joseph Moffo, who was the pastor of St. Joseph at the time of the filming. In addition, the altarboys and men carrying the canopy were also from St. Joseph.

about Tanahey Park

Located between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, this playground was named for local civic and political leader Martin F. Tanahey (1874-1930). Born and raised in this Lower East Side neighborhood, Tanahey held various public offices over 22 years. He served as chief clerk in the Labor Department of the State of New York and later became assistant appraiser of the Port of New York, the busiest port in the world for the first half of the 20th century. He also was an assistant government appraiser in President Woodrow Wilson's administration. In 1922, Tanahey was elected to the Board of Alderman from District 1, which includes the Lower East Side, and remained an alderman the rest of his life. Tanahey was a chief lieutenant of Democratic Party leader Thomas F. Foley (1852-1925), a saloonkeeper and politician associated with Tammany Hall for whom nearby Foley Square is named. Martin F. Tanahey died of pneumonia at his home at 177 Cherry Street in 1930.
The land occupied by this playground was acquired by condemnation for park purposes on October 17, 1949. The park opened on October 11, 1952, and was named Martin F. Tanahey Playground by local law. When built, the playground was divided into separate sections. The sides facing Market and Catherine Slips were originally constructed as sitting areas with chess and checker tables, while the center section was reserved for active recreation, with spaces for basketball, volleyball, paddle tennis, shuffle board, and horseshoe pitching.
Since its original construction this playground has gone through several changes and renovations. A 1972 local law transferred a 10-foot wide strip of parkland on the south side of Tanahey Playground from Parks to the Manhattan Borough President’s office to provide for the widening and improvement of Water Street. A 1975 renovation added a roller hockey rink, bocci courts, benches, and a basketball court to the park, and removed an old comfort station. The park maintains three distinct sections. The side near Market Slip is still a sitting area with benches, game tables, and picnic tables. The other end of the park features play equipment for children and black iron art work of swordfish, lobsters, eels, and fish along the gate. Three basketball courts and Rev. Joseph Moffo Rink occupy the middle of the park. New play equipment was added throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and a $433,000 reconstruction of a portion of the playground along Catherine Slip was completed in March 1998

Nok Hockey In Coleman Oval Park, 1950's

from Sarah:

I think that's Stuie Schumer behind the Park's Dept woman and Susanne Pelly crouched with her back towards the camera.

from Susanne:

Sorry, I looked at Sarah's photo of nok-hokey and I really can't tell if it's me or not with my back to the camera.  The hair is certainly right, but it looks like I am wearing sandals, and I am not sure my parents ever let me wear them.  Lots of kids have Ashkenazi hair!  Did Lasky's (?) the shoe store ever sell them?  My parents made me wear horrible orthopedic shoes. 

Sunday In The Park With KV

Photo courtesy of Sarah Wenig, I would guess it's around 1956-7. Notice the good humor man and the "wood" paneled station wagon. Can't make out what the store on the corner is called. Larry's Fabrics?

Tanahey Park: Then And Now

The top segment was taken from Murray Schefflin's window in June of 1967

Tanahey Park: Summer Basketball

Part of the South Street Seaport Basketball League. Well played, well coached, well officiated. I told one of the coaches that almost 50 years ago Cal Ramsey pounded these same courts. He was impressed.

Before There Was Tanahey Park

Cherry and Catherine Streets looking SE in 1934. The two story buildings with the pitched roofs to the left of the big tenement on the corner have an architectural style (Federal?) that dates back to the 1820's.