A Boy from the Bronx

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 My Youth

Of my youth, I can't say much as I don't remember much. The most prominent thought that comes to mind is that my mother died when I was in grammar school. She was a confirmed alcoholic, which may have been the cause of her early demise at age 36. As a small child, I seem to remember her cuddling me in her arms, smothering me in kisses. I remember she always smelled nice - sort of "perfumed"! Unfortunately, I can't recall her face! I seem to remember red hair and rosy cheeks but it's all very vague.

I do remember that she had an old Singer sewing machine that came with a removable wood lid - which, if turned upside down on the floor, would make a great make-believe boat. While mother was busy at her machine, I used to sit in the inverted top, rocking side to side, making believe I was at sea! Was I about four then?

I vaguely remember something about having pneumonia at a very early age, possibly five? I remember waking up in a very elegant bed in the home of a friend of my mother's. It seems to me it was 110th street & Central Park North. Apparently it was a very serious case because it left me with a severe curvature of the spine & ridges on my teeth. The woman's name was Nan Pourier! Was her husband a NYPD Police Captain? Strange how the memory works! That's all I remember!

Prior to starting at Holy Spirit grammar school, I had to have a physical. The doctor said that I had a severe curvature of the spine, probably the result of double pneumonia when I was younger. To correct the problem, my mother took me to the Ruptured & Cripples' Hospital on 42nd street in downtown Manhattan. There, I was taught to work out on a horizontal bar plus some other exercises. I went there two or three times a week for a couple of years. Ironically, when I took my army physical, they said I had good posture!

I seem to recollect that my mother used to iron a white shirt for me to wear to school each morning. Also, that she was very fussy about combing my hair with some goo called, "Staycomb". She wanted me to be the best looking boy in the school!

Breakfast frequently was a slice of toast sprinkled with sugar in warm milk. Many a dinner was Irish stew with rice or bread pudding for dessert. She used to send me to the butcher's to buy chicken feet from which she made chicken soup. We always had chicken soup!

Every fall, Uncle Joe, her unmarried brother took us up to Bear Mountain in his car. We would pick wild apples from which mother made apple pie and applesauce.

I also recall my mother had some relatives who lived in Bear Mountain, a tiny village outside of West Point, N.Y. I recall spending one summer with them & loving it! They used to tell me ghost stories about Headless Minnie & Peter the Eagle! Other than these little tidbits, my memories are not very pleasant due to mother's drinking problem.

Prior to starting at Holy Spirit grammar school, I had to have a physical. The doctor said that I had a severe curvature of the spine, probably the result of double pneumonia when I was younger. To correct the problem, my mother took me to the Ruptured & Cripples' Hospital on 42nd street in downtown Manhattan. There, I was taught to work out on a horizontal bar plus some other exercises. I went there two or three times a week for a couple of years. Ironically, when I took my army physical, they said I had good posture!

I seem to recollect that my mother used to iron a white shirt for me to wear to school each morning. Also, that she was very fussy about combing my hair with some goo called, "Staycomb". She wanted me to be the best looking boy in the school!

Breakfast frequently was a slice of toast sprinkled with sugar in warm milk. Many a dinner was Irish stew with rice or bread pudding for dessert. She used to send me to the butcher's to buy chicken feet from which she made chicken soup. We always had chicken soup!