Deja Vu ~ Feel Like I've Been Here Before

My Uncle Mickey, a true Yorkville son, died last October. Yesterday, I visited  my Aunt Barbara. We spent the afternoon talking, remembering, laughing and crying. Shitty memories are buried under a ton of love.

I believe there is a point and time when your career fate is sealed. Your life's path is chosen. It happened early for me, but took 49 years to figure it out.

I'm a mechanical idiot. My cousin, Jimmy, taught me,"lefty loosey, rightytighty," seven years ago. Before learning this helpful rhyme I stared at screws, helpless, bringing myself to tears not knowing which way to turn the screw driver. I did know, if I went the wrong way, too hard, I'd strip the screw hole and mess everything up.

Here, you see me making a bathroom decision at two years old. Even then, I needed something to read in there. Faced with a choice between the practical "Popular Science," and "True." I chose "True," the man's magazine loaded with high adventure, sports profiles and dramatic conflicts. At two, writing was ready for me, but I'm plodder and I wasn't ready to write. But I was thinking about it.

I wish I occasionally grabbed a "Popular Science." Come Monday, Jimmy, his son, Matt & I are painting my Aunt Barbara's apartment in Elmhurst. I expect to be used as a water boy and everyone is right with this choice. Painting an apartment brings back a complex memory.

In 1967, my parents decided to paint our new Sunnyside, Queens place, they asked me to help. My father gave me a gallon of white paint and told me to do the closet in my room. Somehow, I got the ladder, the paint and me into the small space. It was hard to breath in there.

About an hour into it, I left the closet and asked Dad for more paint. He looked me up and down, went to the closet, shook his head like a horse, turned, shook his head in a downward motion towards me, walked to my mother in another room and said something. Mom came back to the closet, looked in it, looked at the empty gallon of paint, then walked over to her handbag and pulled a bill out, then came back to me and said, "Tommy, throw your clothes away, take a shower, here's ten dollars, go into the city and stay with your grandmother for the weekend."

I fear paint, I fear Monday. May God have mercy on my soul.

Jimmy & Peter Ryan, Tommy & Rory ~ Sparkle Lake ~ 1961

Mickey Goes Five for Five and He's Playing Two!

Two nights ago, I joined Valerie & Betty on their live Centanni radio show from Giovanna's Restaurant on Lexington Avenue & 100th Street. The food is fantastic. We talked baseball, work, neighborhoods, and vendors selling rice balls & fireworks in the street. Thank you, Val & Betty for having me on. You can listen to that show by going to the Valerie & Betty Show archive and click on July 6th.

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

My first radio show is five days away.

Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts every Tuesday @ 9pm live from Giovanna's and also on your computer at this link:

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

One hour devoted to storytelling about neighborhood places, characters, and institutions with terrific guests & music. They'll be shows on the RKO 86th Street, Old Yankee Stadium, Carl Schurz Park, Clay Cole Show, and various Yorkville taverns & shops. Tune in, I'll take you back.


My first guest is Michael "Mickey" Fiorillo. Mickey was born on the 500 block on 84th Street in 1933. He currently works for the Mets at Citifield in customer service. During his rich long career, Mickey occupied a few stools in Kronks, Old Timers Tavern & Loftus Tavern, joined the Army, starred at bat & in the field for Yorkville tavern softball teams, iron worker at the Trade Center, off-Broadway & film actor, tavern keeper and Yorkville son his entire life. Mickey's ready, and he's playing two!