First Job - age 10, 1954 The local Nationwide Grocery owned by the McDonalds - Washington St - Roslindale.
I post this story once in a while trying to find old friends.
Memories of growing up in Roslindale
By Joe Moscaritolo
I lived in Roslindale from the 1940’s till the mid 60’s and own the 2 family home my grandfather built in the1920’s. My grandparents had a large vegetable garden along with chickens and a grapevine. My elementary school teachers would walk our entire class from the Henry Abrams School to my house to see the chickens. My Nonni would talk to the children in her limited English way and always give them something to eat or drink. Everyone always enjoyed this field trip.
When I was old enough and able, my grandfather would have me go to Forest Hills Station to pick up his Italian newspaper named “Oggi”. I would ride my bicycle through the tunnel and go under the elevated line past Hatoffs Gasoline Station to get the newspaper. I would ride my bicycle right up to the newspaper counter in the station to buy the newspaper.
Jeffrey’s Bar (Gourmet Caterers) was across the street from the Toll Gate Bridge. I would walk to Jeffreys some warm evenings during the summer and sit outside with my friends. Every time a pizza would burn, the cook would give it to us to eat. Going down Arboretum Road on our way to Muddy’s Pond at the Arboretum we would stop at DeAngelis Blacksmith Shop (abandoned building) to say hi and watch the men working.
We would walk over the Toll Gate Bridge (next to the Toll Gate Cemetery where my father buried his dog when he was a young boy) to go to St. Andrews’s Church for Mass on Sunday. Catechism Class was on Thursday afternoon and Mr. and Mrs. Manning who lived on Archdale Road would walk us to Class at St. Andrews from the Henry Abrams School on Mahler Street. On Sunday morning my Grandmother would wait for a chartered bus that would stop at bus stops within the parish along Washington Street and take people to the 7 o’clock Mass at St. Andrews. They did not have to walk over the bridge.
Near my house was McClays oil business and ice house (The Ice Box). Whenever there was a power outage, there would be lines of people waiting to buy ice. Across Washington Street was and still is the Puritan Ice Cream Company. My uncle worked at the Puritan. Near the Ice House was Abie’s Store. It was a very tiny store and Abie and his father were always there. The building is now gone and the tiny lot is empty. I watched the Archdale Housing Projects (Development) being built and would sell soda to the laborers. Across from Aldwin Rd., where I lived was Larry’s Store (La Magia Barber Shop). Larry Luciano was a nice man and we would go in there each morning on the way to school to buy Hunt’s Potato Chips. Larry would take the potato chips out of a large bin and put them in a small brown bag and place them on a scale so that we would get 5 or 10 cents worth of chips. I remember a family story of when my Grandparents didn’t have a telephone, emergency calls would go to Larry at his store and he would leave the store and go to the house and tell them that they had an important telephone call. Sotir’s Store was at the corner of Claxton and Washington Street. The store was sold to Jack Darcey and it became Jack’s Store (Cibao Market). He was such a nice man. After I got married and moved away, while visiting my parents on Aldwin Road they would take my children to Jack’s to buy candy. On Lochdale Street near Larry’s was the button factory. This is where my mother and father met each other. Later it became the Marine Optical Company. We would go there to get old eyeglass frames and try them on. This is now a storage facility. On the next corner was Clapp’s Pharmacy. This was owned by Melvin Slater. I went to work there while in high school. Later Jack Miller bought the drugstore and renamed it Archdale Drug (Elite Body Works). I kept on working for Jack and Bertha Miller. Next to the drugstore was Rocky’s Diner (Elite Body Works). On Saturday my friends and I would go in there and have a meatball sandwich and French fries. Angela and Francis Faletra would be helping their Mother, Julia and Father, Rocco. Now Angela is married to Mayor Menino. After Mass on Sunday we would all gather on the drug store corner and everyone was accepted to mix. Other than Sunday, it depended upon which age bracket you were as to which corner you would stand on. The older group always got the mail box. There were always boys singing and keeping beat on the mailbox. I attended the Henry Abrams School and we always would play ball in the school yard. Some of the games were stick ball, skunk, half ball and handball using the sidewalk lines as our court. Next I attended the Francis Parkman School and one of my memories of the Parkman, was when we all went out on the sidewalk to watch President Eisenhower ride by in an open convertible during one of his campaigns. After the Parkman it was the Washington Irving Junior High School.
Along Washington Street was Lesher Variety, Aldo’s Barber Shop, (La Union Grocery) Jimmy’s Shirt Laundry and Ralph Pace Barber Shop (Luis Hair Style & Blow Fish Restaurant). Rex Cleaners (B-B-Q Town) was diagonally across from these businesses. Next along the way was the 4040 Lounge which is now a new multi family dwelling. That is where my Bachelor Party was held before my wedding in 1963. On the other corner was Barletta’s Construction Compound lot ((Ciura & Tambora Restaurant). Across from Healey’s Field was the 4 P’s. (4 Provinces) (Marino Building) and A & W Root Beer (Alfa Gas Station) drive in fast food restaurant. People would go in there for hamburgers and root beer while being served in their automobiles. Up a bit was Boschetto’s Bakery (Sugar Bakery) where my aunt worked for Andrew Boschetto. My aunt began working for Boschetto’s the day it opened. When walking by I would stop in to say hello and my aunt or any of the other women would give me and anyone I was with, a cookie. Then there was Pagliarullo’s Bakery and they had the greatest bread. Mrs. Pagliarullo would see us walking by and break off a chunk of Italian bread for us to eat. Up around the corner in the square was the Rialto Theater (Rialto Building) where we would go practically every Saturday afternoon. In the square my mother would order the greatest apricot pies from Diane’s Bakery. Each week I would go to Cummins Ladies Store (Travel Agency) and put a dollar or two on my mother’s account. I would walk in and say “9580” and give the lady the money and she would write out a receipt for me to take home. I worked for Angelo Rossi at Lodgen’s Market (Bank of America) in the square delivering groceries. Angelo Rossi had an old open Coca Cola truck and I would help load the truck. I would sit in the back with the groceries while he drove and then I would run to the houses with the bags. Another aunt worked at Witherel’s Candy shop (Wallpaper City) in the square so this was another stop for me and my friends. We would always get some candy. My friend Connie Sinopoli’s mother owned Venus Beauty Parlor (Jean’s Ultimate Performance Beauty Shop) so that was another stop for us. I worked at Joe Rubico’s bowling alley (below Vouros Greek Bakery) on the corner of Poplar and Washington Streets as a pin setter. We would also go into Joe Rubico’s pool hall and shoot pool on Friday nights. (Joe Rubico invented the automatic pin setting machine) I always bought my Easter clothes in Surman’s (Sullivan Drug) and had my hair cut at Sparky’s, (Nail Salon) next to the Spa. My favorite pizza place was John’s and always would have an ice cream sundae at the “Parkway Spa” on the corner of Corinth and Washington. There was a juke box at each table in the spa. My uncle owned Al’s Esso gasoline station across from Allen Furniture (Greek Church). The location of his station is now a little park with a statue of Alexander the Great.
Roslindale was such a great community to live in. I enjoy going back and even though all the people have changed I always manage to talk with the new folks in the neighborhood and share my memories. They will never know the wonderful people who lived in their houses many years prior to them. Some day they will be the wonderful people who once lived in these houses. The music coming from the back porches on a Sunday when I was growing up was Italian, while now it is Latino and from the Islands. What type of music will the next group take to this neighborhood? As I work around my yard on Aldwin Road, I daydream and can visualize the people who I knew and the way it was. I am so fortunate to have the magnificent memories of growing up in Roslindale and knowing so many wonderful people.
Joe Moscaritolo
joemosc@gmail.com
First Job - age 10, 1954 The local Nationwide Grocery owned by the McDonalds - Washington St - Roslindale.
I post this story once in a while trying to find old friends.
Memories of growing up in Roslindale
By Joe Moscaritolo
I lived in Roslindale from the 1940’s till the mid 60’s and own the 2 family home my grandfather built in the1920’s. My grandparents had a large vegetable garden along with chickens and a grapevine. My elementary school teachers would walk our entire class from the Henry Abrams School to my house to see the chickens. My Nonni would talk to the children in her limited English way and always give them something to eat or drink. Everyone always enjoyed this field trip.
When I was old enough and able, my grandfather would have me go to Forest Hills Station to pick up his Italian newspaper named “Oggi”. I would ride my bicycle through the tunnel and go under the elevated line past Hatoffs Gasoline Station to get the newspaper. I would ride my bicycle right up to the newspaper counter in the station to buy the newspaper.
Jeffrey’s Bar (Gourmet Caterers) was across the street from the Toll Gate Bridge. I would walk to Jeffreys some warm evenings during the summer and sit outside with my friends. Every time a pizza would burn, the cook would give it to us to eat. Going down Arboretum Road on our way to Muddy’s Pond at the Arboretum we would stop at DeAngelis Blacksmith Shop (abandoned building) to say hi and watch the men working.
We would walk over the Toll Gate Bridge (next to the Toll Gate Cemetery where my father buried his dog when he was a young boy) to go to St. Andrews’s Church for Mass on Sunday. Catechism Class was on Thursday afternoon and Mr. and Mrs. Manning who lived on Archdale Road would walk us to Class at St. Andrews from the Henry Abrams School on Mahler Street. On Sunday morning my Grandmother would wait for a chartered bus that would stop at bus stops within the parish along Washington Street and take people to the 7 o’clock Mass at St. Andrews. They did not have to walk over the bridge.
Near my house was McClays oil business and ice house (The Ice Box). Whenever there was a power outage, there would be lines of people waiting to buy ice. Across Washington Street was and still is the Puritan Ice Cream Company. My uncle worked at the Puritan. Near the Ice House was Abie’s Store. It was a very tiny store and Abie and his father were always there. The building is now gone and the tiny lot is empty. I watched the Archdale Housing Projects (Development) being built and would sell soda to the laborers. Across from Aldwin Rd., where I lived was Larry’s Store (La Magia Barber Shop). Larry Luciano was a nice man and we would go in there each morning on the way to school to buy Hunt’s Potato Chips. Larry would take the potato chips out of a large bin and put them in a small brown bag and place them on a scale so that we would get 5 or 10 cents worth of chips. I remember a family story of when my Grandparents didn’t have a telephone, emergency calls would go to Larry at his store and he would leave the store and go to the house and tell them that they had an important telephone call. Sotir’s Store was at the corner of Claxton and Washington Street. The store was sold to Jack Darcey and it became Jack’s Store (Cibao Market). He was such a nice man. After I got married and moved away, while visiting my parents on Aldwin Road they would take my children to Jack’s to buy candy. On Lochdale Street near Larry’s was the button factory. This is where my mother and father met each other. Later it became the Marine Optical Company. We would go there to get old eyeglass frames and try them on. This is now a storage facility. On the next corner was Clapp’s Pharmacy. This was owned by Melvin Slater. I went to work there while in high school. Later Jack Miller bought the drugstore and renamed it Archdale Drug (Elite Body Works). I kept on working for Jack and Bertha Miller. Next to the drugstore was Rocky’s Diner (Elite Body Works). On Saturday my friends and I would go in there and have a meatball sandwich and French fries. Angela and Francis Faletra would be helping their Mother, Julia and Father, Rocco. Now Angela is married to Mayor Menino. After Mass on Sunday we would all gather on the drug store corner and everyone was accepted to mix. Other than Sunday, it depended upon which age bracket you were as to which corner you would stand on. The older group always got the mail box. There were always boys singing and keeping beat on the mailbox. I attended the Henry Abrams School and we always would play ball in the school yard. Some of the games were stick ball, skunk, half ball and handball using the sidewalk lines as our court. Next I attended the Francis Parkman School and one of my memories of the Parkman, was when we all went out on the sidewalk to watch President Eisenhower ride by in an open convertible during one of his campaigns. After the Parkman it was the Washington Irving Junior High School.
Along Washington Street was Lesher Variety, Aldo’s Barber Shop, (La Union Grocery) Jimmy’s Shirt Laundry and Ralph Pace Barber Shop (Luis Hair Style & Blow Fish Restaurant). Rex Cleaners (B-B-Q Town) was diagonally across from these businesses. Next along the way was the 4040 Lounge which is now a new multi family dwelling. That is where my Bachelor Party was held before my wedding in 1963. On the other corner was Barletta’s Construction Compound lot ((Ciura & Tambora Restaurant). Across from Healey’s Field was the 4 P’s. (4 Provinces) (Marino Building) and A & W Root Beer (Alfa Gas Station) drive in fast food restaurant. People would go in there for hamburgers and root beer while being served in their automobiles. Up a bit was Boschetto’s Bakery (Sugar Bakery) where my aunt worked for Andrew Boschetto. My aunt began working for Boschetto’s the day it opened. When walking by I would stop in to say hello and my aunt or any of the other women would give me and anyone I was with, a cookie. Then there was Pagliarullo’s Bakery and they had the greatest bread. Mrs. Pagliarullo would see us walking by and break off a chunk of Italian bread for us to eat. Up around the corner in the square was the Rialto Theater (Rialto Building) where we would go practically every Saturday afternoon. In the square my mother would order the greatest apricot pies from Diane’s Bakery. Each week I would go to Cummins Ladies Store (Travel Agency) and put a dollar or two on my mother’s account. I would walk in and say “9580” and give the lady the money and she would write out a receipt for me to take home. I worked for Angelo Rossi at Lodgen’s Market (Bank of America) in the square delivering groceries. Angelo Rossi had an old open Coca Cola truck and I would help load the truck. I would sit in the back with the groceries while he drove and then I would run to the houses with the bags. Another aunt worked at Witherel’s Candy shop (Wallpaper City) in the square so this was another stop for me and my friends. We would always get some candy. My friend Connie Sinopoli’s mother owned Venus Beauty Parlor (Jean’s Ultimate Performance Beauty Shop) so that was another stop for us. I worked at Joe Rubico’s bowling alley (below Vouros Greek Bakery) on the corner of Poplar and Washington Streets as a pin setter. We would also go into Joe Rubico’s pool hall and shoot pool on Friday nights. (Joe Rubico invented the automatic pin setting machine) I always bought my Easter clothes in Surman’s (Sullivan Drug) and had my hair cut at Sparky’s, (Nail Salon) next to the Spa. My favorite pizza place was John’s and always would have an ice cream sundae at the “Parkway Spa” on the corner of Corinth and Washington. There was a juke box at each table in the spa. My uncle owned Al’s Esso gasoline station across from Allen Furniture (Greek Church). The location of his station is now a little park with a statue of Alexander the Great.
Roslindale was such a great community to live in. I enjoy going back and even though all the people have changed I always manage to talk with the new folks in the neighborhood and share my memories. They will never know the wonderful people who lived in their houses many years prior to them. Some day they will be the wonderful people who once lived in these houses. The music coming from the back porches on a Sunday when I was growing up was Italian, while now it is Latino and from the Islands. What type of music will the next group take to this neighborhood? As I work around my yard on Aldwin Road, I daydream and can visualize the people who I knew and the way it was. I am so fortunate to have the magnificent memories of growing up in Roslindale and knowing so many wonderful people.
Joe Moscaritolo
joemosc@gmail.com