New school shoes from Thom McCan.

LOL Mike. I bought a new pair of shoes from Thom McCann every September, to begin school. Aside from that ritual, another we started while I was in JHS 123 was buying a new supply of pens. The cadillac of pens at that time (1957-60) was, of course, the Parker T-Ball Jotter. I proudly had my new pen displayed in my shirt pocket, with the distinct clip on the pen clearly visible for all of my pals to see. Looking back, I'm amazed that we took such pride in a pen. But then again, the T-Ball Jotter WAS a status symbol...lmao

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McWatt:
New school shoes from Thom McCan.

Thom McCan - on Westchester between Manor and Stratford.

Thats the Thom McCann I used to go to. Where did you live Red???

[/QUOTE] Thom McCan - on Westchester between Manor and Stratford.[/QUOTE]

I used to hit the one on Fordham Road.

crawford shoes on 34th street in the empire state building. later on bostonian shoes at fordham and the concourse.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rebbezvi,

School supplies from Joy Stationary with the owner, Teddy, limping behind kids to see that nobody is stealing.

LOL red. Yes, stealing WAS a problem in Joy, but the place that theft was a REAL temptation was in "Jack the Candy King", I believe on the corner of Elder and Westchester, just under the ELder Ave stop on the 6. What a fantasy world for a kid....and entire store devoted to candy!!

I attended school with Jack's daughter, Vicky.

...sorry, that should nave been LOL Flatfoot..

quote:

Originally posted by uh_da_bronx:
Thats the Thom McCann I used to go to. Where did you live Red???

1154 Ward Avenue across from the side of the Ward Theater.

I remember Teddy/Joy very well. I used to buy model airplanes and ships from him. I went to the music school (West Manor) upstairs. Does any one remember the owners name? I think it was Phil Kirsh or Kirshbown but I'm not sure. My parents bought my trumpet from him in 1952 and I still have it along with all of the sheet music I bought there over the years.

There was a small stationary/card/toy store on Ward just off of Westchester. The owner was women named Wilma - she also lived in 1154 Ward and was a friend of my mother. We would get my school supplies from her.

I didnt get my trumpet there, although I knew that place well. I took my trumpet lessons from my music teacher first at PS 93, later at 123, Al Kahn. He lived on Boynton and Watson, the first building on the northeast side. My trumpet was a Conn Victor which was purchased at Bronen's, which I believe is somewhere in the Southern Boulevard area. I think it cost $225. Of course, I never used the "Stock" mouthpiece, I went for Bach 7C and a 10 1/2 C.
Do you remember where the All-Boro Band rehearsed on Saturdays? I vaguely remember it was a junior high school somewhere near Allerton Ave.

Do you remember Monroe Billiards (NOT Stratford Billiards) on Westchester between Evergreen and Wheeler? My father, Joey and his brother , Nat owned the place. He taught his two sons well; I spent many "rewarding" afternoons there when I hit 17 that made me what I considered to be pretty well off, for a 17 year-old.........nine-ball was the game...lol

The guy who owned the music store was named Kirschenbaum. I also shopped at Wilma's and if my failing memory hasn't totally failed, I remember a woman with short wavy graying hair who wore a smock in the store. I wasn't a musician but I went to Monroe with a couple of guys who were big in the music business. One of them wound up owning the Steven scott Orchestras and the other formed Dwight Howard Entertainment.

FF here'sa REAL good story,

Are you familiar with the movie "Sweet Lorraine"? It stars Maureen Stapleton, who portrays the owner of a Catskills Hotel about to go out of business. Her granddaughter works there the final summer and tries to talk the grandmother into staying open. This of course takes place during the time that the hotels in the Catskill were closing at a wholesale rate.

In the closing scene, there is a end-of-summer party, and you hear a dance band in the background. The camera slowly zooms into the band, and as it does, the singer is looking more and more familiar. Finally, my God, it's HIM!! To be sure, I glance at the bass drum, and YEP, it's him. The group leader was Donnie Moore, from 172nd Street near Evergreen. We went to school together. He was a wonderful person, very personable, talented, a great tenor sax player. So, here it is, some 40 years later, and I instantly identify him.

Did you know Donnie? By the way, he was one of the VERY FEW African Americans in the neighborhood and Monroe Band. I thing he had a brother a year or two older (I graduated Monroe in 1964).

quote:

Originally posted by flatfoot:
The guy who owned the music store was named Kirschenbaum. I also shopped at Wilma's and if my failing memory hasn't totally failed, I remember a woman with short wavy graying hair who wore a smock in the store. I wasn't a musician but I went to Monroe with a couple of guys who were big in the music business. One of them wound up owning the Steven scott Orchestras and the other formed Dwight Howard Entertainment.

I remember the smock. Where did you live?

quote:

Originally posted by redwrangle:

quote:

Originally posted by flatfoot:
The guy who owned the music store was named Kirschenbaum. I also shopped at Wilma's and if my failing memory hasn't totally failed, I remember a woman with short wavy graying hair who wore a smock in the store. I wasn't a musician but I went to Monroe with a couple of guys who were big in the music business. One of them wound up owning the Steven scott Orchestras and the other formed Dwight Howard Entertainment.

I remember the smock. Where did you live?

When did you go to Monroe?

What were the names of those two guys, if I may ask?? If they were into music, there's a good chance that I know them.

Did either of you know Billy Badala (sp.?). He was a GREAT trumpet player, and gave me my start in Wedding Bands and VFW dances etc. He came to Monroe in about 63 as a transfer student from a Catholic School in Parkchester (it seems that alot of kids transferred to Monroe between 62 and 64).

I was told by one that tuition was up, and their parents coundn't afford the tuition hike. Monroe was still a pretty good school in those years, and the sentiment around was that most of the transferees thought Monroe was pretty good school.

On the topic of music - did any of you know a guy named Ira Abrams? He was in the music classes at PS 77 and JHS 123 and lived on Stratford near the Young Israel. He went to Music and Art. He was a great trumpet player - his skill was far ahead of his age. I remember a sort of impromtu dueling trumpets between him and our music teacher in PS 77 when we were about 11 years old. He would have graduated HS in 1960. I had heard from another person on this board that he was heavy into drugs and didn't know if he is still alive.

Joe Mileti was president of the steven scott operation. Bob Shusterman runs Dwight Howard music.