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

Is Fifty Years A Long Time?

Is fifty years a long time? Depends, on your memory and how enjoyable or painful that memory is.

The top picture is 50 years ago in Putnam County in July, me, Uncle Mickey & Aunt Barbara. The second picture is me, Vito D'Amico & Uncle Mickey this past July after our first radio show together at Giovanna's Restaurant in East Harlem. Mickey passed away three month later in October 2010.

This week, the Super Bowl in Dallas involving the Green Bay Packers brings back a strong Mickey memory.

Around noon, December 31, 1967, Mickey and Barbara came into our 83rd Street apartment, Barbara stayed in the kitchen with her sister, Mom, and Mickey walked into my bedroom where I was alone writing down the lineups for the game.

"Go get your father's black polish and shoe brush." Mickey said.

"Huh?" I said.

"Do it!" He ordered.

He's nuts and usually a lot of fun so I go get Dad's shoe box. On the way back to my room Mom gave me a look.

"Shine my shoes." Mickey ordered.

I looked at him like he is nuts.

"And here's a little something for your trouble."

He handed me a crisp ten dollar bill.

I tried to figure out something to say or ask but he beat me to it.

"I won two bets last week and picked up this morning, don't tell Barbara."

I was 13, thrilled for the bill and happy Mickey was over the house, he was an on and off actor and had 100 voices. For Christmas, Dad bought me my first reel-to-reel Tanberg tape recorder and I was taping all the songs off the radio but I needed a partner in crime to use the new gray microphone. Rory didn't like sports and Mickey was a perfect choice to do pre-game with me. Even though Ray Scott, Jack Buck and Frank Gifford were CBS announcers that day, Mickey decided to take it another way.

"This is Chris Schenkel live from Lambeau Field in frozen Green Bay where today, Tom Landry's Cowboys face off against the NFL World Champion Green Bay Packers. The Dallas team is looking for revenge for last year's defeat. I'm here with New York Giant Golden Boy, Number 16, Frank Gifford, say hi, Frank."

"Hi." I did as told.

"This is the coldest assignment I've had since I covered the bobsled championship in Saint Moritz, Switzerland in 1952. It is thirteen degrees below zero, I had to take off my glove to itch my nose, and my finger turned into a twig. What do you think Frank?"

"It's going to be tough on the players, but these are two great teams."

"Well said, Gif!"

"Thank you, Chris."

And the idiocy went on for seven or eight minutes, I never had that much fun on a microphone again until Mickey and I did the two radio shows together this past July. I still have the tape from 1967. I hope I find it, if I do I will put it up on the blog. Picture below is the microphone from that first tape player.

That day Bart Starr followed Jerry Kramer into the end zone on a sneak with sixteen seconds left to seal the Packers victory in the Ice Bowl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVEAx0PtGrU&feature=related

ps Chuck Mercein, a former New York Giant Baby Bull, caught a pass and ran 19 yards on the final Packer drive, then Mercein carried the ball eight yards to the three to set up Starr's sneak. That was my personal highlight for the game, outside the Cowboys losing.

pss 20 years ago this week, "No good! Wide right!" Giants 20 Bills 19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV5s1w4Q6FE

The Mick ~ Yorkville Boy

I was an uncool boy. Two men in my life made me feel near cool when I was around them. One was my Dad, and the other was my Uncle Mickey. Mickey was one of Yorkville's best ball players ever, an actor, iron worker, Korean War veteran, bar keep, coach, and Shea Stadium usher. Mick worked his last Met game four weeks ago. He died peacefully yesterday at 77 years old.

When I was young, Mickey sang The Blues in The Night in German. I thought, "Boy, that Mickey he knows languages, too." Then I saw Sid Caesar on TV and figured out that Mickey was making the German up. Mickey made me laugh more than anybody in my life, and anytime I saw Mickey, I knew he was glad to see me, kids know that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Uakf7Fjek

Mickey's younger brother, Robert, told a story tonight at the wake. He and Richard, Mick's other younger brother, were 10 years old up their railroad apartment at 514 East 84th Street. Mickey, home from the Army, came up the house with his friends Allie and Gene. The three men in their mid 20s' and the two young boys played a one hour hide and seek game in the dark, followed by a full contact football game where the front room was one end zone and the rear room was the other end zone. Then Mickey taught the two young boys how to repair lampshades and how to glue broken knick-knacks back together before Mom got home.

Three months ago, Mickey rode the subway from Elmhurst to East Harlem to guest on my first two radio shows in July. Tomorrow's radio show is dedicated to Mickey, it's going to be a spooky one, we're celebrating Halloween. My guest, Amanda Thorpe, a terrific songwriter, musician and artist and I are going into attic to see what lurks.

You can listen to tomorrow's show live @Tuesday @9pm on the Centanni link below, or listen to Mickey's show or tomorrow's show at the archive on the second link below.

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/id56.html

Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts ~ They Can Lock Us Up and Lose The Key

"Yorkville Stoops to Nuts," maiden voyage burst out of port with a joyous rendition of "Prisoners of Love," from the best comedy ever, "The Producers. Mel Brooks classic 1968 film. Lose your job? Miss your wife? House burn down? Watch this movie, it helps.

Mickey Fiorillo, my first guest & I revisited the Yorkville neighborhood of Mickey's youth, the 1930's, 1940's & 1950's. He and I still have a lot to talk about. Mickey's coming back next week to finish our conversation. I'm bringing my copy of the 1939 WPA Guide to New York City with me, we are going to dive into the Yorkville neighborhood section and see what we can find out about the place 71 years ago. They'll be music, too!

Closed the show with Dion's cover of Tom Waits, "Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night." My Aunt Barbara former Kronk's patron was pleased.

Davino, Giovanna's owner is a terrific chef and host. Come down to 1567 Lexington Avenue @ 100th Street and try it out. Thank you, Luis and Anna for taking care of us so well last night. Thank you to my friends for being there and supporting me.

Please visit Giovanna's any Tuesday @ 9pm for "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts" ~ the radio show.

If you want to listen to last night's show go to the Centanni link

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

and find the line below.

Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts 7/13/2010 with host Tommy Pryor-and Guest Mickey Fiorillo

be well, Tommy

Yorkville on the Radio Tonight!

"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts," on internet radio tonight!

Tune in @ 9pm on the Centanni Broadcasting Network

Our first show will explore this group photo taken on August 30, 1942. It's a Service Flag Dedication ceremony nine months after the U.S. entry into WWII. We'll look at the Yorkville neighborhood and what people were doing at a heightened time of shortages, stress and anxiety.

Two of the people in the crowd are my father, Bob Pryor, and my uncle Mickey Fiorillo, 13 & 9 years old. Mickey is my guest tonight. 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 career, Mickey occupied a few stools in Kronks, the Old Timers & Loftus Tavern, joined the Army, starred at bat & in the field for Yorkville softball teams, iron worker at the Trade Center, off-Broadway & film actor, bar keep and Yorkville son his entire life. Mickey's ready, and he's playing two!


The show is live from Giovanna's Restaurant on Lexington Ave & 100th St. Come to the show, have dinner, a glass of wine, or tune in 

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, Losers Lounge, Clay Cole Show, Cornelia Street Cafe, and various Yorkville taverns & shops. Tune in, I'll take you back.

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!