Guestbook

Date: Thu 07/3/08 8:36PM From: Jack Donato Email: jackmdonato@yahoo.com Message: Hello Everyone, My name is Jose Jimenez, Naa, just joking, it is Jack Donato, Fat Kato, The FatMan, EL Gordo de Oro. This is a tremendous guest page is memory jogging, brings back the good ole days, it is a feel good site. There are some bad memories of E N Y, but they are far and few. I moved to ENY in 1962 lived in and out until 1981 or 82. The names I remember I will list but bare with me if I don't spelled it right, I went to FK Lane and Berriman JHS my major was running away from the Principal. Just kidding! Let me try to digest the posts here, because I read so many and want to answer so many , but its impossible I have a life also. Check out Myspace.com/fatkato. I am trying to organize a pre 1970's alumni list for both schools. Since I lived across the street from 64, I hold the record for being late the most times. I figured let me do this before its too late. Look me up send me pictures and I will put in on my page or the Alumni Page if there is an interest. I am not trying to take anything away from this fabulous site. But just share with more persons. We are getting older by the minute and its wonderful to remember the Separandeo Brothers's Social Club on Linwood Street, 75th Pct. on Miller and Liberty, Liberty Beverages on Schenk and Belmont. The Fish Market on Belmont and Stone Avenues. The Court house on Liberty & Pennsylvania (later a PAL). Piels Beer Factory on Liberty & Alabama. A & P on Pitkin and Atkins, the housewares across the street from the Kinema, Moe's Knishes is how I remember the place. Now on Pitkin Ave. the Cleaners on Shepherd and two newsstands, one of them was Ernie. The Liquor store off the corner. There was Gertz girdles also there I think Mary owed it. Sorry guys as not being Catholic I don't have the knowledge of the churches I played Baseball for St Gabriels CYO allowed to non-Catholic per team. but I do remember a big store on Pitkin between Shepherd and Ess**, on the corner of Ess** & Pitkin (Sex Street) to those who lived there, the guys would block off the ES. Was a Italian grocery store(Harry's), Kay's, a Mens store, later a (Botanica) a store on the other corner which became a (Dry Cleaner's). The Pet Shop on Pitkin and Warwick, The Banner Almonds Jordan Candy factory on Liberty and Ess**, LaMaestras Funeral Home on Liberty and Ashford. Please bear with me I got what many call >>Old timers<< I forget everything but what I eat. The fruit stand next to Kay's, then I forget what the other stores were but RALPH owned the building the later Nick who was the butcher across the street, next to the Cooper Shoe Store "opened a Car Service". Then a was a grocery store where huge cheeses were hanging from every open part of the ceiling. Then was a Bakery. It seems to me there was a Bakery, Grocery or Deli, and Bar on every other street. Opposite the side I mentioned Nick the Butcher, Cooper Shoes, George's Deli (His son still around) I believe the name was Beitzingner. Then a Flower Shop (Liberty Florist), Let just name the places. Shoe Store on Linwood and Pitkin with Mostoff's Hardware after them. My friend Raymond "Lil Ray" worked for them many years. The Monument Place at Logan and Liberty. Hammer Beverages on Logan and Atlantic. The Drug Store On the corner which became Camacho's Grocery. How about funeral home on Van Siclen and Liberty. The Bar on Elton and Pitkin was mentioned. Paladino Ices. Talk about the bakery on Glenmore and Linwood, every Sunday I would pa** there going to church. Sal Abbraciamento Berriman and Liberty. I remember a "recycling Junk shop on Glenmore from Ess** to Shepherd we use to bring the papers, aluminum, and soda bottles to, the a toy factory there also. My "first love" any way the girl I had a crush on was a girl whose father owed a Spanish Bodega/Candy Store on Berriman and Sutter. I completely forgot her name but that beautiful face never leaves my mind. Her brother rode with a motorcycle in a club on Ess** and Sutter. St Paul's AME Church on Belmont and Ess**. Bennet's Pharmacy on Shepherd & Belmont. The Blake Avenue Push Carts and the Lee's Store on Cleveland and Blake. By the time I moved to Pitkin and Ess** there was a surge in the neighborhood of Hispanics. There Anglo-Saxon surnames I remember: Esposito, Donato, Desoto Stabile, Pantella, La Rosa, Annunciata, Rinaldi, Pincus, Barrano, Smith, Brower, Lombardi, Di Pinto, Panzarella, Susco, Mirto, Bonnano whose son died of Leukemia, Graciano, [[how I wish I had the 65 Berriman Year Book or the 71 FK Lane Year Book]] Brugmann, Miner, Kittay, Gingola, If I missed a few names please forgive me. It 40 years later. The Non-Anglo names that I remember: Riquelme, Rodriguez, Cardona, Espinoza, Gonalez, Torres, Morales, Caban, Diaz, Feliciano, Ortiz, Donato, Sierra, Garcia, Mercado, Figueroa, Erazo, Vasquez, Lane, Johnson, Diaz, Bermudez, Galshaw, Orefice and Gomez. Forgive me if I left some names out. Here are some Nicknames, first name (sorry last name don't come to mind or I can't even spell it), clubs and team names: my "second love" Milagros, Mary Ann and Sandy, Ess** United, Linwood Boys, Sherref, The St Michael Rams, Colt 45's, Tip Tops, Nappo, Nino, Ba**o, Scar, Scarface, I am a going to close for now because I know many of my people mentioned are not with us any longer. I would love to hear from anyone. Most of my picture were lost between two freak water accidents in my apartments, a fire bombing at a disco I worked in, and three marriages as some of you know, how that goes. Take Care Every One. Thank You for your time to read this. PS I forgot to mention the Time Square Store on Linden Blvd and Euclid , Bennett also open a store on Linden Blvd., and The Premier theater at 505 Sutter Avenue.