'The Corner' - Metropolitan and Washington Streets Roslindale
Looking south on Washington Street at the intersection of Metropolitan Av. Looking back on my early teens c1956 - On the southeast corner underneath the gray triple decker was the old 'variety store' (I think it was called 'The Little Store') run by a somewhat taciturn older man who sold penny candy, ciggs,, newspapers and a variety of small items (7-11 style). Most of all he was a 'numbers man' although I never quite understood this as a child. You could catch the trolley -later the bus- from in front of his store and while waiting for its appearance coming down the hill seek shelter within when it was snowing or extremely cold. There was an old seldom used booth inside to sit and eat something but he was never encouraging of us kids hanging around, other than waiting for the bus to Forest Hills.
Where we did congregate was in front of (never inside) the Hill Pharmacy and Drug Store (The Pet Store off to the left). Starting around age 12 (1956) myself, Johnny Dunn, Johnny Hawks, Dominic Guella (his little brother Richie was not allowed) lol, Glen Grant, Ray and Andy Spognadi, Jackie ? and some others whose names now elude me started hanging out in front of the drug store. There was an older group of -teens and young adults already established there who were getting ready to move into the world and give up 'the corner' to a limited extent to us 'kids.' Their names I can't recall other than 'Nookie' (Charlie Maloni - thanks Hank Maglia) a big burly, good hearted kid who rode a Harley hog with all the bells and whistles. Nookie drove a dump truck for a local construction company. A few years prior I was pedaling my bike across Washington Street and he was in the fully loaded dump truck coming down the hill, as a typical 10 year old I rode the bike directly across his path. I can still see the look on his face, the blaring horn and brakes as I barely cleared out of the way. Nookie and his friends had purchased together an old hearse from a local funeral home and would pile in to go to special occasions. One night Nookie was fueling up his hog across the street from 'The Little Store' at Tony Russo's Esso Station (where Ray Spognadi got his start as a mechanic) and left the hog unattended while gassing it up and it blew up into a 40' high ball of flame, saw it all - in awe. Before too long Nookie and the gang had moved on and just as quickly our little group started in the same direction, Johnny started dating and the rest of us followed suit, began serious part-time jobs and school and branching out into bigger circles.
From another poster:
By kvn on Tue, 12/16/2014 - 5:18pm.
"I had to look at Google . The original Roslindale Hardware was across the street, on the left side of that building close to the house. It's present location was the Laudramet and also Giant something or other sub shop , owned by Joe the Polish guy ( sub shop only ) . Before it was the sub shop , it was the greatest little bake shop , Agnes's. The gas station on the other side of Met ave was Tony Russo's Atlantic. Tony was a former Studerbaker mechanic from the dealer that was just past Roslindale Square, near the DD. That corner of Met ave is dedicated to George Gottwald Jr , who was Killed in Viet Nam In 1968 . His father , George , was a Boston Fire Lieut. died in 1970 in a Roxbury fire, having rescued 3 other firefighters."
'The Corner' - Metropolitan and Washington Streets Roslindale
Looking south on Washington Street at the intersection of Metropolitan Av. Looking back on my early teens c1956 - On the southeast corner underneath the gray triple decker was the old 'variety store' (I think it was called 'The Little Store') run by a somewhat taciturn older man who sold penny candy, ciggs,, newspapers and a variety of small items (7-11 style). Most of all he was a 'numbers man' although I never quite understood this as a child. You could catch the trolley -later the bus- from in front of his store and while waiting for its appearance coming down the hill seek shelter within when it was snowing or extremely cold. There was an old seldom used booth inside to sit and eat something but he was never encouraging of us kids hanging around, other than waiting for the bus to Forest Hills.
Where we did congregate was in front of (never inside) the Hill Pharmacy and Drug Store (The Pet Store off to the left). Starting around age 12 (1956) myself, Johnny Dunn, Johnny Hawks, Dominic Guella (his little brother Richie was not allowed) lol, Glen Grant, Ray and Andy Spognadi, Jackie ? and some others whose names now elude me started hanging out in front of the drug store. There was an older group of -teens and young adults already established there who were getting ready to move into the world and give up 'the corner' to a limited extent to us 'kids.' Their names I can't recall other than 'Nookie' (Charlie Maloni - thanks Hank Maglia) a big burly, good hearted kid who rode a Harley hog with all the bells and whistles. Nookie drove a dump truck for a local construction company. A few years prior I was pedaling my bike across Washington Street and he was in the fully loaded dump truck coming down the hill, as a typical 10 year old I rode the bike directly across his path. I can still see the look on his face, the blaring horn and brakes as I barely cleared out of the way. Nookie and his friends had purchased together an old hearse from a local funeral home and would pile in to go to special occasions. One night Nookie was fueling up his hog across the street from 'The Little Store' at Tony Russo's Esso Station (where Ray Spognadi got his start as a mechanic) and left the hog unattended while gassing it up and it blew up into a 40' high ball of flame, saw it all - in awe. Before too long Nookie and the gang had moved on and just as quickly our little group started in the same direction, Johnny started dating and the rest of us followed suit, began serious part-time jobs and school and branching out into bigger circles.
From another poster:
By kvn on Tue, 12/16/2014 - 5:18pm.
"I had to look at Google . The original Roslindale Hardware was across the street, on the left side of that building close to the house. It's present location was the Laudramet and also Giant something or other sub shop , owned by Joe the Polish guy ( sub shop only ) . Before it was the sub shop , it was the greatest little bake shop , Agnes's. The gas station on the other side of Met ave was Tony Russo's Atlantic. Tony was a former Studerbaker mechanic from the dealer that was just past Roslindale Square, near the DD. That corner of Met ave is dedicated to George Gottwald Jr , who was Killed in Viet Nam In 1968 . His father , George , was a Boston Fire Lieut. died in 1970 in a Roxbury fire, having rescued 3 other firefighters."