My Brooklyn

Dave Salvo

While I am only 14 years old, I spent the first 12 years, which will probably be the best years, of my life.

I grew up on East 17th Street between Ditmas Ave. and Newkirk Ave. Midwood had the best areas to play sports, and I loved playing wiffle ball (home runs were the D Train tracks), roller hockey, touch football and basketball of the signposts.

I love Brooklyn with all my heart, and I know that when I am older, I will go back to live there and hopefully regain my thick accent which was lost when I moved down here to the suburbs of Philly. By the way, Philly is nothing compared to good old Brooklyn!

PGAMBLE

I'm searching for information about a small ceramic beer stein with the following quotation molded into it:
Compliments of Diefrich Tafji
174 Onderdonk Ave. Brooklyn N.Y.

Who was he, how long ago and what does Onderdonk Ave. look like then and now?

Deirdra

Crown Heights was my Brooklyn. To be exact, 1254 Union Street between Nostrand Ave. and N.Y. Ave. I have such wonderful memories of this neighborhood.

I went to P.S. 161, Lefferts Junior High and graduated from Wingate H.S. in Jan. 1965.

I remember The Embassy Ice Cream Parlor on Nostrand and Eastern Parkway. We used to sit there for hours nursing a coke. Bushes Ice Cream Parlor Nostrand Ave. and Union St. They had the best ice cream. I remember having a big click of friends. We used to hang out on Eastern Parkway right across from the Cameo Theatre. What great times we used to have. Oh, and let me not forget Dave's Luncheonette on Union St. and Nostrand Ave. I remember Dave, the owner telling my mother every little thing I used to do. I remember always hiding from him so he wouldn't see me. He used to get me in so much trouble with my mother.

Some of the people I hung out with were Roger Reinlieb, Pat Ward, Yvonne Martucci, Linda Peller, Jimmy (the Greek) Kontzamanis, Karen Donahue, Howard Marcey (Mousey), Tommy and Bobby Chiodo, Bobby Burns, Helen Macalear, Paul Frasier, Franny Shannon, Pete Costane and many more. These were great people.

If anyone remembers my Brooklyn and my friends, I'd love to hear from you. These were the best times of my life.

Gene "Tito" Roman

My Brooklyn is my childhood home of Williamsburg.

There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be the person I am today, personally and professionally, without the experience of having grown up in Brooklyn.

We were one of the first Puerto Rican families to move into what was then called Block #1 of the Williamsburg houses.

I watched my parents develop friendships with our Italian, Irish and German-American neighbors. That example made a deep impression on my as young person. My parents showed me by example that its not what you take out of a community—it's what you CONTRIBUTE that makes the biggest difference. I learned there is a powerful connection between public service and personal/professional satisfaction and contentment.

I live in Boston, but my heart and soul are still in Brooklyn!

Readers' reports continue . . .

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