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[Don D]

Neil's motto was "always keep the customer satisified", even if it meant that he had to provide personal service.

Don

[JohnTell]

Jimmy... thankfully Kevin Bourke's impact on the quality of service didn't carry over when he joined The Railroad...<;~)

But I don't seem to remember Albie working in Vinnie's...I thought after he left Hymie he went to work for Pioneer...

JohnT

[Jimmy Carolan]

John,

I think Albie, only made deliveries and it was for a short period of time.

Regarding Kevin and his committment to excellence, I understand the Pearl River illegal parking problem has really gotten out of hand.

Jimmy

[Kathleen]

Jimmy,

A funny story about Kevin Burke and the parking problem in Pearl River. I was up there visiting my family last year and was getting my hair cut. While I was sitting in the chair, the woman cutting my hair saw the meter man walking around outside the shop, checking whether there was any time left on the meters. She proceeded to say how tough he was and how he never gave anyone a break. Since I was getting my hair cut, I didn't have my glasses on. And as anyone who knows me can verify, I can see pretty much nothing without my glasses. But I was able to squint enough to see that it was our own Kevin Burke in front of the shop, giving out the tickets. I called out to him, he came into the shop, and we had a nice visit. I introduced him to my hairdresser and told him he better start being nice to her! You never know where you'll run into someone you know!!

[Les Sherwood]

It's interesting to see how many guys worked at Vinnies.
How about other jobs that young people could work at and make some Money?
As I did a lot of guys appeared to work at Auggie's Fish markewt, mostly delivering produce to Parchester.
How about A&P, Safeways, etc.?
My brother worked helping the milkman delivering which entailed getting up around 3 AM.
I am sure a lot had interesting jobs.
One other trivia question: how many restaurants did we have in the neighborhood where one could get a sitdown meal? some ground are in order: 1) have at least 5 tables; 2) have been opened 5 years during 1930-70. I can only recall onlya few like the Parkchester cafe on Wood Ave. Did Vinnies have 5 tables?
Also how many beauty parlors were in the confines of the neighborhood? Same ground rules.
If some find this interesting I have a few other trivia questions.
All the best.
Les

[Lydia58]

Jobs in the neighborhood. That's an interesting topic. I worked for about 2 weeks folding laundry at Carmella's laundromat on Archer St. I used to hang out there all the time because my boyfriend delivered laundry for them. He also shoveled coal for John who owned the laundry. John owned a few of the apartment building including the huge one on Beach Ave north of Guerlain. I wonder if they still have coal-burning furnaces. I can't imagine they've been upgraded since the late 70's. My sister Lori worked at Leonard's Bake Shop on White Plains Rd. for years. She was only 15 when she started. She was practically running the place. I can't believe she never learned the recipe for their pizza. It was the best.

[Jimmy Carolan]

Kathleen,

If you had to "squint " to see Kevin, I think you are legally blind.

A small world story, my brother Philip living around Saratoga springs and was recently at a funeral where he met a young woman from New York. While making small talk she mentioned working for the railroad. My brother asks "do you know Harry Kelly? She basically goes berserk saying "EVERYONE KNOWS HARRY". Unfortunately he can't remember her name.

Jimmy

[Kathleen]

Jimmy,

I think I am just kinder than you are. Because even when I squint, I usually can't see anything. But for some reason, I was able to recognize Kevin that day.

And it's true that everyone knows Harry. I am always telling people from down here to stop in Grand Central when they are up in NY and tell him hello from his sister. And to think that I always thought he would be the shy one of the family....when I look at old pictures of him wearing his glasses and fedora when he was about 6 years old!!

Take care and give my best to Pat & Mary.

[JohnTell]

Les... when Vinnies took over the Kosher butcher shop next door they did have more than 5 tables...

I can't think of any other restaurants within the confines of the neighborhood that had 5 tables, except if you want to count the Deli which did have 5 tables and did technically serve "food"...<:~)

JohnT

[Les Sherwood]

John
While I was out running tday I was thinking about that.
What about the Downing Diner?
It is on the th e north side of Tremont and White Plains, technically in the confines of the neighborhood.
How many late night/early morning meals of eggs, bacon, sougages,etc we had there?
i think they dreaded when our motely, boozed group arrived.
I don't rememberthe Kosher restaurant. What year was that?
Les

[JohnTell]

Les...I don't remember a diner on Tremont & White Plains Road...I do remember The Parkchester Food Shop where we hung out as teenagers, but that was on Tremont & Unionport not technically within the confines of "the neighborhood"...<:~)

The Kosher Butcher was the store between Vinnie's and Ellen's Beauty Parlor.... the butcher shop closed around 1967 allowing Neal to break through the wall and create a fine dining room...

JohnT

[Marion Farrell Cronin]

Les, was that little diner nestled in there by the railroad tracks? I have a vague memory. Car wash there now?

[Les Sherwood]

Marion
thank you.
FYI when a reply post is received it does not get updated till the next day, unless one goes to display posts at the bottom and click on 1day or 7 days and click go.
Also I was inthe processs of wrinting a long response and somehow hit "another tab" which sent it into the netherland. This is a fault of me and microsoft. I think I can type like I should have learned at Hayes (in which I was always studing for the next class) but it seems inevitably i hit an unexpected key. of course this drives me crazy esp with my slow typing. But then again I am retired and plan to be so for a long time unless of course th is market/economy wipes me out and drives me back to work
Oh welI, I have to get to practice my notes on micro soft word and th en copy the to posts.
I have a few interesting stories about the Diner and the coffee shop but now that will have to wait till later.
All the best
les

[Eddie Acunzo]

John and Les

I know Toy Sun's was on Unionport, which I guess technically was Parkchester, but regardless, I still considered Toy Sun's part of our neighborhood and claimed it as ours, not Parkchester's. Afterall, it was our side of Unionport. I am still willing to fight for this right.

Eddie

[Les Sherwood]

Eddie I hope you do not have to fight about and have the same results I had, unless of course you hve a good pair of jeans on nd your muscles were in better shape.
Note srory below
As I have a few stories about the Downing Diner and Coffee Shop on Union port and Tremont.

Besides being loud and obnoxious another thing that people did not like about our group was invariably one or two to skip on paying the bill. Some, Pat Healy, took this to the extreme. As I recall he said he was skipping out w/o paying by going through the men’s room window. This entailed squeezing though a small window above the toilet and then dropping about 10 feet on a hill strewn with garbage, rocks etc. Was it really worth it? I guess if you not have money and are really hungry I guess so.

Regarding my story about the coffee shop we went there one night after playing cards and drinking beer. A group of guys came in and started giving us a hard time. When I looked t one of them he said to me: “what are you looking at “bicycle eyes’” which I only let Vinnie Lacey who said it with out malice. Therefore I had to go into the phone booth and change my clothes. We went outside and starting fighting. This was 11Pm or so there were a fair number of people on the streets and the e bus stop was on the corner. After about 10 minutes I found that this guy was bigger and stronger than me and he started to do a job on me. But then he reached down and ripped my pants off, lucky I still had my briefs on. Eventually the fightt was broken off and I had to walk home w/o my pants. Arriving at home I got a blasting from my mother; ”what kind of son did we raise, figthing all the time…
The morale of this story was wear jeans if one was to fight I and should have done more weightlifting and did more pushups and pull-ups.
all the Best.
Les