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This photo was taken in 1930. You are witnessing the birth of the Bayonne Bridge. When I began to drive to Port Richmond HS I used to park right alongside the bridge in the Cichon Post parking lot.
This was the temporary site of the first branch of the Staten Island Savings Bank. The time was 1961. This building is now known to us as the Victory Diner
Gregg Ponciano, Ronnie & Tommy Mondello the morning of Ronnies wedding. This was taken in 1988 at Ronnie's brother Greg's house. Also if you look to the left resting on the couch... that's a snapshot that was taken the morning after our prom in 1979. We were sitting on the trunk of my car on the Garden State Parkway. It was converted into a poster. Top left is Gregg Ponce... Top middle is Joey Marsh... Top right is Greg Perosi... Bottom left is Jeff Perosi... Bottom middle is Ronnie... and i'm on the right but you can't see me. Pretty cool huh?
1964 Mid Island All-stars
In1964 Mid Island Little League won the Little League World series. They were the best team in the whole world.... just think about that for a second. See if you recognize any of the names on that team.
John Currado Willam Ebnre
Edward Godnig, Jr. Francis Higgins
Gregory Klee Robert Klee
Gary Kresge Robert Nugent
Jeffery Paul John Porcell, Jr.
Dominic Quattrochi William Rogers
Richard Smiechowski Michael Troiano, Jr.
Michael Wicinski Daniel Yaccarino
Dave Intartaglio
Now look at this photo. This is unbelievable. Here we have the July 4th parade back in 1976 walking passed Port Richmond high school and the Bridge Tavern on their way to Cichon Post. That's my wife Lynn Mondello at age 12 holding up the Elm Park banner. She's the one over the word PARK. What a cutie! The girl on the left end is her sister Donna. Next is her cousin Patty. And on the right is Lynn's aunt Theresa. Now here's the unbelievable part. You see that bench on the right at the bus stop? Well that's the bench that me, Ronnie Gallo & John Newman sat on as we drank soda's that were bought at the Bridge Tavern just 19 days after this parade took place on the night that we went to see Jethro Tull at Shea Stadium. Look at the date on my ticket stub! We had no clue that either of us even existed. I didn't meet Lynn until after I got out of the service in 1986 and look how close our paths were to crossing. And now we're married for 13 years! How cool is that!
These 3 photo's are of that same July 4th parade back in 1976. Only now they are walking passed The Elm Park Inn and Bella Mama's restaurant on Morningstar Road. Do you see P.S.21 on that top photo? Also, all of that grass is now gone and there is a parking lot in it's place across from the restaurant. There's Lynn again in the blue shirt holding up the Elm Park banner. I know you're saying to yourself.... why is a girl from South Beach walking in an Elm Park parade. Lynn's grandmother used to live in the house across from Ralph's Ices, right behind what used to be Miss Camille's Dance Studio on Richmond Ave. So she was in the neighborhood all the time.
