The Rat Cop - Summer Camp

“Dickie, you’re getting in too much trouble. I’ve spoken to Representative George DiLorenzo and he’s helping me get you in overnight camp for the last two weeks in August. At least you’ll be out of my hair for a little while.”
“What’s summer camp, Mom?”
“It’s where naughty boys who don’t obey their Mother’s go.”
“Is it like in Pinocchio; where all the kids turn into Donkeys?”
“Something like that if you don’t behave but if you good; your ears won’t grow.”
As the parting day approaches Mom is excitedly buying clothes for Dick’s two weeks away. She’s so happy it’s like she’s going on a vacation. After almost drowning in the Harbor, ruining his clothes and losing a shoe, taunting his little sister at the Movies and falling into the mud, she thinks it’s time she had a break.
“You’ll have lots of fun camping out with other kids your own age; you’ll learn how to swim and go fishing, hiking, boating, learn crafts and shoot a bow and arrow. Won’t that be fun?”
“What about you, Mom; where will you sleep?”
“Oh no dear, this is just for kids.”
“I’m afraid; I don’t want to be without you.”
“Don’t worry darling, I’ll be close bye in case you need me.”
On the day of departure Mom and Dick take the MTA to North Station in Boston; home of the Boston Garden where the Big Bad Bruins and the Boston Celtics play also where the train will take the kids to the Westford Depot. A truck will take the kids to their different campsites; Ciello Cleste for 5-9 year old boys and girls, Walkie Cantina for girls 9-12 and Nashoba for boys 9-12. The East Boston Camp site funded by the Hymes Foundation is located in Westford, Massachusetts on Lake Discovery.
The summer experience for the inner city kids is immense but not for little Dicky.
The platform at North Station is buzzing with anxious kids excited about returning to camp. Little Dicky is frightened to tears. He’s never been away from home, overnight. His one frightful night at the Naval base was at least with family.
“Mommy please don’t make me go, I miss you.”
“You haven’t even gone anywhere yet; stop crying.”
“Sob, sob, you know I get sick on trains, Mom.”
“This is different, the ride will be comfortable and you’ll get there in no time.”
“I’ll run away.”
“You do that and next year they’ll take you all summer as a punishment.”
“But Ma,”
“Hush, don’t you dare cause a scene and embarrass me here.”
Softly whimpering, Dick swallows his resistance; he realizes it will only lead to a licking in a darkened corner. As the Boston and Maine Railroad train screeches to a stop all the kids and their parents let out a “whoopee” cheer. All the suitcases go on a cart and are whisked away into a baggage car and the kids now pile in to the train. Dick sits near a window and as he watches his Mother on the platform he scratches at the glass now sobbing uncontrollably. A female Counselor sits beside him and tries to comfort the distraught little guy.
“My name is Butchie Ferullo, isn’t that a fun name for a girl?”
“I, sob, just, sob want, to get off this stupid, sob, train. I want my Mommie.”
The train slowly pulls out of the station. “Watch this Magic trick,” Butch shows Dick a card and quickly it changes into a completely different card.
“I don’t know how to play cards,” Dick softly whimpers.
“Let’s play War, O.K.?”
“I don’t know how; what’s War.”
“You take half the deck and just lay a card down on the seat; like this. That’s it, wow you win; your card is higher. The high card wins the pack; the person with all the packs at the end; wins the game.”
“That’s easy; Ha, I win again.”
“Oh, oh no one wins we have the same cards.”
“Well what do we do now?”
“It’s War,” shouts Butch. “Every time we put the same card down; we both then put down five cards; face down like this. Do it.”
Dick places one card on top of the other until the fifth card.
“Now, turn the last card over; no not the cards in your hand, the card on the board. Ha, I win the first war. Let’s see what cards I took from you.”
“You can’t take my cards; then I won’t have any.”
“Sure you will; you’ll probably win the next battle. Let’s see.”
Keeping occupied helps Dick stay focused and for the first time since he can remember he doesn’t get sick. The train blows off a lot of steam as it pulls into the Station. Dick gets lost in the confusion and gets thrown on the wrong truck. He ends up in the back of the big boys truck; thrown on top of bags and suit cases.
“Hey, look we got a peepsqueek; let’s throw him off at the Ciello camp sign.”
The tear ducts open immediately frightened by the idle threats. “I want to go home.”
“Aww, leave the kid alone you meat heads; can’t you see he frightened. It’s probably his first time away from home.”
The older boys back off as the truck bumps, throwing the kids helter, skelter ; someone grabs Dick as he is about to go off the back.
“Come here little guy,” says the big kid who just protected him from further teasing. Things get straightened out and the truck driver takes Dick back down the road.
“My name is Jackie and I’ll see you from time to time. If it rains we go to a movie in the back of the truck, we also have an ice cream run on one of the really hot nights. I’ll be looking for you, little guy. Don’t worry every thing will be all right.”
“I hate it; I want to go home.”
Finally getting into his assigned cabin; his troubles just begin. All the kids are from the same neighborhood and they start to torment little Dicky.”
“Hey, it’s the cry baby from the train.”
“What’s the matter baby, did you lose your mommy?”
“Cry baby, cry baby, stick your finger in your eye; tell your mommy I did it, I did it,” they all sing in unison.
“I’m getting out of here,” he cries as he runs out the cabin door. Dick runs right into the arms of his new friend Butchie, who takes him into the lodge.
“Mrs. Sudack as the camp Nurse we are not so proud to inform you; you have another patient who needs a Magic pill.”
“Thanks Butch, come here cutie. What’s your name? What color lollipop would you like?”
Things calm down as the Camp now assembles to walk to the main mess hall for supper. The place is a buzz with chatter, its maddening listen to all the noise. Supper goes fine until a Counselor walking out of the kitchen, falls or gets knocked to the floor. A deafening crash resounds throughout the mess hall and the whole room becomes silent. Everyone breaks out into thunderous laughter as the Councilor, Slim does this trick every year. He takes all the broken cups and chipped dishes and purposely falls; we all find out later.
Well it doesn’t help Dick much because he’s just waiting for the next step towards home. Finally dessert is severed, delicious Chocolate pudding. Everyone is happily involved when the kids Camp Director, Mr. Materia sees Dick not eating; playing with the food.
“No babies here at camp,” he remarks. “We men don’t waste food. Eat your dessert, little guy.”
“I don’t like chocolate pudding.”
“Nonsense, everyone loves Chocolate pudding; eat up or you’ll have to be isolated.”
Not knowing what isolation is; Dick nervously forces down the mouth full of blubber being force feed by the bald headed director.
“Arrggg, cough, cough,” Dick starts heaving all over the table.
Kids go running in all directions as the little guy continues to vomit. The Director proved his point; he got the kid to eat and spoiled everyone else’s dinner as a result. Now the other kids had something else to use to pick on the outcast.
“You’re disgusting, we don’t want you eating with us, you pig. You make us sick.”
The rest of the week the little guy had to eat at the Director’s table with the Camp Nurse.
The evening’s activities were free wheeling, jungle bars, slides, swings and kids playing tag. All the other kids came from the same areas of Eastie; Dicky didn’t know anyone so his sadness continued. He entertained himself on the bunk bed in the cabin, alone. He had a baseball card collection that was enormous; the Boston Braves were his favorite team. Sibby Siste, Earl Torgorsen, Bob Elloit, Sam Jethro and the two pitching Masters Warren Sphan and Johnny Sain; the newspapers reported all we needed in the World Series was Sphan and Sain and a day of rain. The Red Sox collection included Johnny Pesky, Maurry McDermott, Bobby Doer, Ted Williams who unfortunately was serving his country as a flyer, Jim Perisall, Zeke Zarilla, Dom Dimaggio and his Dad’s friend Eddie Pelligrini.
When the whistle blew for assembly all the kids came together for flag lowering. We all, Pledged Our Allegiance to the Flag and one of the Popieo kids from Jeffries Point played Taps.
“Day is Done, Gone the Sun, From the Trees, From the Seas, From the Skies, Rest in Peace, Solders Brave, God is Neigh.”
There were four cabins , two girls and two boys, they were broken up by age groups, five and six year old girls were called the Willows; bigger girls the sevens and eights were called the For Get Me Knots. The young boys Cabin, was the Spiders and the older kids, the Buccaneers; Dickie was in the Spiders.
All the Councilors were woman. Rena Lopilato was the Camp Director and Dick found out she lived just around the corner from him near the Gem Theater so he had found a new friend.
Returning to the Cabin he was again traumatized as the other kids raced in first. They discovered Dick’s baseball collection on his bed and started throwing the cards against the screen, playing slider; a game where the person who gets the card closet to the wall wins the other cards. They were uncontrollable throwing cards every where. One bigger kid was tormenting him holding out one of his treasures; playing ‘Keep Away’ and then when Dick attempted to take it; the kid held it high over his head out of the crying babies reach. His whole life’s work was now being trashed.
“Please don’t bend the cards”, he cried. “Give them back,” as he raced around the room collecting his treasures.
Some of the guys pulled them back out of his hands and flung them in the air, stepping on them as they fell to the floor. Dick was hysterical.
Mary Popieo walked in and thought they were playing a game. She didn’t realize at first that they were all Dickie’s cards because all kids had collections.
She took control and collected the cards admonishing the kids; telling them, “You must respect each other by first respecting yourselves; how would you like it if someone did that to your most precious possessions?”
They just acted sorry smirking while pretending to be sorry. Behind her back they were making faces, sticking out their tongues and pulling their ears; making believe crying, wiping tears and crossing their eyes; further causing the little trauma. They were all from the Cottage and Maverick Street section. Vito and Mike Samarco, Mike and Sammy Vederico, Jerry Palestrone, Richie and George Gravelese; they all knew each other and had a comfort zone in friendship.
Sobbing uncontrollably Dick did not realizing; the worst was yet to come.
Getting into bed on a top bunk was scary. Then the Monsters of the night entered the cabin. The squirming, coughing and occasional cries for Mommie were the human sounds causing tremors but the crickets, the willows, the blowing leaves and other unidentified sounds sent visions of ugly Monsters through the little guy.
These were all strange new sounds never heard before in the projects.
Suddenly a crunching, chewing sound bellowed through the air; it sounded like something was eating the side of the cabin, right where the little guy was sleeping.
Everyone started yelling and Rena came rushing in; “What’s going on in here, quiet down; you’re waking the whole camp; they can here you across the lake.”
Mary said, “A Raccoon or Beaver is under the cabin and is chewing on the wood. The sound is frightening and is scaring all the kids.”
“I’ll take care of it, now go to sleep, everyone.”
“May I ask, what you’re going to do, in case I’m ever in charge I certainly want your expertise, Rena?”
“I found out one time while a nest of squirrel’s was in my chimney; the sweep told me if you dose a rag with Ammonia it drives them away and they don’t come back to that spot.”
“That’s amazing, thanks Rena.”
Now with the covers over his head Dick sobs himself to sleep.
Breakfast is served in the lodge and after learning how to make your own bed with Hospital corners, folding all your clothes in a cubby box and setting your toiletries in a cubby hole; we go outside and police up around the cabin.
Assembled in the Grove area we are told, every day we’ll have a cabin inspection for neatness and cleanliness and the winning cabin at the end of the week will win a special prize. We were learning to work together toward an eventual goal, Teamwork and a Reward.
The first day was orientation, selecting morning activities, Arts n Crafts, Pioneering, Playground, Sports and Hiking. Meeting new people was fun and playing games while socializing helped Dick to sort out some likeable friends. A comfort zone was being created. Swimming instruction gave us confidence in the water overcoming fears.
Dinnertime was at the Boys camp and the excitement of the mess hall was interesting as the constant buzz of activity was infectious. In the afternoon you went to your cabin and rested for an hour and this became a horrendous time for Dick.
The gang of friends tormented him every day until one day during a practice for parents, visiting day, a skit was formulated and “Oh, My Darling Clementine”, was the theme.
The head of the troopers was a muscular kid, Bobby Bounapane. No one wanted to play the part of te girl, Clementine so the little guy became an appointed volunteer. Once they placed the wig on little Dicky a transformation came over Bobby, much like the scene from “Stalag 17”; when Animal while drinking sees Betty Grable’s image in his Prisoner of War ally with the wig on.
Bobby goes into a trance and says, “Baby doll, if you were ever a woman, I’d marry you”. Bobby became little Dicky’s protector for the rest of their childhood lives.
The rest period was another travesty as Mary was at council meetings and a Junior Councilor was in charge, she could not control the kids. She screamed constantly but it didn’t help.
After rest period we went for a free swim and then afternoon activities. We changed from the morning program so we were allowed to win badges in four different activities; at the end of the two weeks.
During nap time, Post Cards were written and every day I cried on the card to take me out of this Hell Hole. Allie Sherman wrote a song a few years later that described the experience to a T. It was entitled “Camp Granada”. It spoke of the crying, lonely, breaking away period of Hell; to a more relaxed enjoyable experience after the initial period of adjustment. It certainly cleared up the mystery of, “Why me, Lord”; to at least let us know it happens to everyone.
My goal forever after as I worked my way up to Waterfront Director and Executive Director was to change the baptism of fire and try to make as many kids comfortable on their first experience away from home.
I forever Championed the under dogs, the little guys and especially; the sissies.

Fire
The Rat Cop - Fright Night

“Hey, Buddy, make sure you guys come back and visit us before we leave?”
“O.K. ya swabbies,” was Brian’s reply as we came out of the mess hall to exit the Naval Base on Sumner Street, East Boston.
Suddenly we all froze as we watched the Boston Fire Department leaning out Mom’s second floor window in the Public Housing Projects across the cobblestoned street from the base.
‘Smash, crash, crumble,” as the scorched mattress and the burnt remains of the Master bed came flying out the window, the mattress burst into flames, to the courtyard below.
It all started when Dick woke up in the middle of the night to continuous coughing.
”Cough, cough, cough.”
“What’s the matter Brian, are you sick, I can’t see you.”
“Cough, cough, I don’t know, I can’t breath; I think there is smoke in the room”.
‘Click, click’ someone is trying to turn on the wall light.
“Dad, there’s no light bulb, Brian’s sick.”
“Johnny, you grab the kid coughing; come here little guy we’re getting you out of here.”
Hands reach in the bed and scoop Dick up in the air. “Cough, cough,” Dick is now coughing and can not see the face of the man holding him; the smoke is so thick. “Where we going, what’s going on,” the young boy is dazed and confused in his coughing spasms’. Being carried through the maze and not being able to see the face of his father, Dick is rushed out into the hallway where smoke now pours out the apartment door. “Your not Dad”, as Dick now sees his rescuer. It’s one of his pals from the next building, a sailor. Down the stairs, outside the hall door, into the cool fresh March night air; Dick sees the rest of the family with blankets over them.
“That’s it; he’s the last of the children, we can’t thank you enough. The U.S. Navy to the rescue” says Aunt Mamie who was, baby sitting the family while Mom was having baby number five at the Boston City hospital. It was 1943 and the War was still on. We had a Navy Base across the street and sailors were even living in the projects building next to us. Brian and I would go in the apartments and become balloons as the guys would throw us all around the room, playing catch the kid as we would tumble onto the top bunk beds. We always left with a pocketful of Baby Ruth candy bars. Our favorite game was to bring little Francis, the prettiest baby you ever saw across the street. The sailors would lean out the fenced in Barracks’ window and throw candy bars to Frank; Brian and I would stash the loot so Mom wouldn’t know we were begging. She used to go nuts.
“Let’s get the kids off the street, it’s chilly out here,” shouts someone.
“Where are we taking them,” says the Swabie holding me. [Slang for cleaning or swabbing the decks]
“We’ll bring the family in the Base and put them up in the Cadre Building”, says someone in charge. This adventure was becoming more and more exciting. We were now crossing the Forbidden Government Property Gate; guarded by Special Police and electronically controlled. The family was taken to a barrack building and brought to the second floor. Brian and I started running around the barren room except for two double bunk beds. ‘Slow down you guys, it’s not play time; it’s two o’clock in the morning,” said Aunt Mame. My Dad was very quiet; he had apparently stopped for a few cocktails to celebrate the birth his newest son, Dominic; later that evening, exhausted he fell asleep with a lit cigarette and burnt the mattress.
“Dicky, come with me, you’re my brave little Sailor so you are going to be treated extra special. You’re going to sleep in the officers room, that means you’re the captain.”
Now feeling like the boss Dick jumps on the single bed while everyone else is stuck on the double bunks. The lights are on and he’s eating up all this Royal Treatment.
“Good night, my brave little sailor.” Mary kisses him good night as she tucks him in and shuts out the light.
“Arggg, what are you doing?”He whispers to himself. I can’t let Aunt Mary know I’m not her big brave sailor.
Monsters come from every area of the darkness. Having just recently overcome his own room’s dark shadowy ghosts’ he now is thrown in with new lions, tigers and bears now alone in this strange place, it’s overwhelming. ‘Sob, sob,’ he quietly covers his head as he blocks out the shadows. He finally cries himself to sleep, muffling his cries not wanting to lose the captain’s Hero title.
“Cadence, cadence, cadence count.”
“Hup, one, hup, two, hup three,”
“One.”
Loud screaming awakens the frightened little boy.
“What’s going on,” he’s thinking.
“Hup one, hup two, hup three.”
“Four.” He hears.
Dick crawls out of bed and sneaks to the window and peeks over the edge. It is still dark and he has no idea of time. As the yelling continues Dick spies a glorious scene that will burn forever in his mind. It was the woman’s division of the Navy, the Waves. They had just finished jogging and were now doing calisthenics; all wet and wild. It was his first wet T shirt contest and they were all winners. Not wanting to be selfish, he rushes out to wake Brian.
“Bri.”
“Snort, snizzle, arggg.”
“Bri, shhhh.”
“Whadoyawan?”
“Shhhh, wake up; come mere.”
“I’m tired.”
“You can sleep later, hurry before they go.”
Both boys sneak back to the window and peer over the edge.
“Wow, This must be a dream. Are we in Heaven?’
“Boys, Come on it’s breakfast time. We’ve been invited to the mess hall.”
“We’re not hungry for mess.” Brian answers and they both enjoy the beautiful scene until the girls jog away. Aunty Mame drags the reluctant boys to the chow line. The adoring attention the boy’s receive burns a special place in their hearts for the Navy. The excitement of the clatter of trays, dishes and chatter make the experience even more memorable.
The fantastic journey ends abruptly as the family is leaving the base and sees the chard ruins of the nights destructive beginning; the master bed crashing to the pavement.
At a later time at the movies, the news reels flashed across the screen, U.S. ships being torpedoed by enemy submarines; we cried for our beautiful Navy buddies who rescued us on Fright Night and became ‘Our Heroes’, forever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

THE Rat Cop
Happy Birthday

“Come on, Dickie hurry up; we need to get to the Ferry, it’s your special day. Your God Mother Dorothea is taking you to a movie in Boston for your Birthday. Aren’t you excited?” ‘Yes, Mommie, what’s a Ferry?” “It’s the boat that takes cars and people from East Boston where Logan Airport is, to Boston across the Boston Harbor. We could also go through the Sumner Tunnel if we had a car or use the MTA at Maverick Station. Dotty works at the Coast Guard Building near the Ferry so you get a special treat and it only cost a penny. Cars have to pay ten cents. Sailing across the Harbor to Boston was very exciting for a five year old. “Ma, look we can see our house and the candy factory.” “You see all those big ships, that’s the Charlestown Navy Yard where your father works. Now see those ships behind us, that’s Bethlehem Steel where you Dad used to work.” “how come Dad’s not in the Navy like Tommy and Johnnies Father’s.” “When your Father was little, like you, his Dad was entertaining the kids on the fourth of July. He was lighting off little firecrackers and the kids loved it. When one didn’t explode his older brothers would run to I bring it back to Grandpa. It became a contest. Your Dad pushed both boys to win the prize dud. As he held it up to claim victory; the slow wick was still smoldering and exploded in his left eye. He has a partial sight problem and it kept him out of the war. That’s why you must never trust fireworks.” “Look Ma, we’re going to crash.” The huge ferry slows, turns in place and is now backing in between the pylons. “Come on Mom, hurry, hurry.” “Slow down dear, we can’t get off until the gates open.” Up the cobble stoned street and around the corner we go spotting the Flags outside the Navel Building. We walk into the busy office and see my beautiful Aunt. “Oh my God Mary, he’s beautiful. Come here darling, give me a kiss.” Dick flies into her arms as the entire office girls clamor around. “He’s so cute,” says one girl. “Let me hold him,” says another. “Come here,” says Ruthie Dottie’s best friend; “I have something for you, sweetie.” “All right, settle down girls, there’s a war on you know,” says someone in charge. “Give me a kiss,” says Mom; I have to get home to the kids. I know you’ll have a beautiful day with your Aunt. Thanks Dot, have a great day. See you later, honey.” The twenty minutes seems forever as Dick amuses himself with paper and pencil with a few crayons. The peppy walk up town is exciting after all the “Good byes’ and “Have fun’ and wishes to “Please come back another day, cutie”. Downtown Boston was a trip in it self back then, there were no Malls and everyone and his brother came in town to shop. People here and there, people every where, it was magic squeezing through the throngs of bodies. “Here we are, the beautiful Metropolitan Theater,” announces Dotty; are you excited?” Certainly a question she didn’t need to ask. “Look at all the kids,” said Dick “What’s going on?” “oh I didn’t tell you, the surprise is Walt Disney’s newest arrival, Pinocchio.” “Thank you, thank you Dotty; all my friends are talking about it.” “Lets see, we’ll get some popcorn, a drink and what kind of candy is your favorite Darling?” “Baby Ruth,” shouts Dick in all his excitement. Hustling down the aisle we get a seat before the mobs of kids pour in. Not able to reach the floor his feet dangle and he starts kicking them in the air, rubbing his thighs together, a form of male masturbation. Suddenly all the noisy chatter dies down as the lights dim and the screen lights up with Previews of Coming Attractions. A loud simultaneous cheer strikes the walls of the beautifully adorned theater more elaborate than any of our shows back in Eastie. Following the previews is a News Reel and shock and terror strike little Dicks’ heart. All the excitement ends as the propaganda on the screen shows a huge German tank, rumbling over a small baby crawling in the road. The little boy is traumatized for life. Screaming and sobbing uncontrollably, Dotty tries to console the child but the ugly scene will not go away. “Come on, we’ll go out in the lobby for a few minutes.” “Sob, sob, I want to go home. I want my Mommy,” cries the little boy. Watching all the excited lucky late arrivals serves to calm Dick, somewhat. He is still whimpering. “How about some ice cream?” suggests Dotty, I’m sure the Pinocchio movie is going to make you forget the news, don’t you think?” “I want to go home,” Dick sobs. “Oh Honey we probably won’t get another opportunity to celebrate your birthday because I’m so busy with the holidays. Let’s give it a big boy try?” “OK, I’ll try.” We walk back in as the credits are musically orchestrated in fantasy and fable. Dick settles in and enjoys the little bug, ‘Jimney Cricket”
Things go smoothly until the evil Stromboli kidnaps the wooden headed mannequin and enslaves him to perform against his wishes. All the puppet wants to do; is return to Geppetto his creator. As the wagon rumbles in the smashing, crashing violent storm; the red and yellow lightening flashes cause minor brain seizures throughout the children in the theater. Years later in an article in the New York Times it was reported that 600 Japanese children viewing a movie were affected by the red flashes across the screen.
Still twenty years later than the news article; while assisting in a child care program in Canada; two of the children were again affected by Stromboli’s flash scene. Both children were already being clinically treated for Autism. At the time of the red flash, both children would start screaming; throwing things and just carrying on.
I think with this resulting information over the years; the impact could very well have caused me permanent trauma. Added to the baby crushing incident; it was a very ‘RED’ letter birthday.

CHILD LABOR

CHILD LABOR

Red Birthdays seemed to start a continuation of happenings in my life. Having been born on December 26, it was always Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday on my gifts. Except for one; my Fairy God Mother always treated me special.
On my fifth Birthday Dorothea presented me with the most beautiful gift ever; it was a Fleetwood wagon with wooden side gates. Billy, Rose and I had more fun pulling and pushing each other; tipping over and just wasting away the hours in my wagon Train. Pretending to be in a covered wagon being attacked by Indians; searching for Gold in the Pan handle as we cashed bottles for candy at the store and collecting junk on Rubbish days; the trusty wagon served to be ‘Old Reliable’.
The greatest purpose for my wagon happened on a Saturday morning. I used to look forward to going shopping with Mom; spending some quality time and assisting with the heavy bundles. Mom suggested I bring my Wagon as she pulled me for a ride to the store and after loading it with bags; the side rails were perfect, pulling and pushing was much easier than lugging the heavy bags. I was in my glory; making life just a little easier for Mom.
One Saturday as we were leaving the store; this elderly woman approached Mom and asked her if I could come back and help her. She told Mom she would give me a nickel, for my time. Mom said sure after my pleading and carrying on about the money I could make. I used to make at least a dollar carrying bundles until several older boys with wagons showed up. They queered my business because they would bully me out of position. I had some regular customers who would only let me take their orders so I always made at least fifty cents for the morning.
Everything was fine until one day this new kid showed up in our building. He was visiting an Aunt on the third floor. I was a very friendly kid who tried to make friends with everyone. To be friends with other kids you had to allow them the run of the show; you know ‘be boss’. Well this kid insisted I go to the square with him. I wasn’t allowed away from the house but he kept calling me Baby and Chicken. I ended up following him to the First National Store where my Saturday delivery service was. Entering the store we walked up and down the aisles; as I continued to question him on the reason we were here; he stopped. We were in front of the cake and desert section. He took a small bottle of chocolate jimmies used for cake decorating and put it in his pocket then he handed me a bottle of sugar coated jimmies. “Quick, put this in your pocket; before the Manager comes.”
“What am I going to do with it?” I dumbly asked.
“Just take it and follow me.”
He walked fast and as he exited out a side door, marked “For Employees Only”; a buzzer sounded trapping me outside an inside door. I was dead meat. Alarms sounded, workers came rushing from all over the store. The Manager grabbed me and said, “Empty your pockets.” Just then two Police cars screeched to a halt outside the window. Guns drawn they rushed into the store.
I was frightened to death. A crowd had now gathered and this caused me more trauma. I pulled the loot out of my pocket, just as Mike Pascrella was being pulled back through the door by an employee.
“Get your hands off of me; I didn’t do noting.”
“He threw this, just as I grabbed him.” The clerk presented the tiny bottle of Jimmies.
“You are both barred from the store and the Police will take it from here.”
“Oh God, my mother will kill me. Not only for stealing but now how can I help her and get more special time?”
The short two block ride home; was to be the longest ride of my life. Everyone has heard the story of the Good Cop/Bad Cop? Well it was true. My emotions that day flipped so many times I thought I was a kaleidoscope.
“Let’s lock them both up.” Said the dark complcted Officer.
I immediately burst into tears, pleading, “Please don’t, please, I’ll never do it again.”
Mike must have been a habitual offender; he just started telling the Cops, “You can’t lock us up we’re just kids.”
“Oh, a wise guy, huh?”
“You know who this kid is, don’t you Joe?”
“Don’t tell me; this isn’t Pudgies kid is it?”
“You got it, can’t you tell? In a minute he’ll be taking the fifth.”
“If we lock them in the padded cell down in the cellar, we teach them a lesson?”
I started to wet my pants, “Please, please, I promise never to do it again.”
“Arrr Common Joe, this other kids scared shitless, let’s let them go home.”
“I guess your right ; it’s not fair to the other kid. Plus we’ll see the other rat next week in a scrape.”
“You better let us go right now or I’m calling my father.”
I started to relax and stopped sobbing when, “On second thought; this little bastard needs a good lesson. I’m going to lock them up and throw away the key.”
Again the tear ducts start to overflow; I cannot believe what I got myself into; for a stupid bottle of sprinkles?
“Which buildings do you kids live in, anyway?”
“Number 66 Sumner St.”, I sob.
“And what about you, tiger,” says Joe as he is now known to me.
“Number 66.”
“You’re lying, you don’t live here, Pascrella?”
“I’m staying with my Aunt for a few days.”
They drive us near the building, “Now screw you little creep and kid,” pointing to me; “You better choose some new friends or you’ll end up in jail.”
As they drive away, Mikey raises his fist to his mouth and blows a raz fart through his clenched fist and yells at the car now out of hearing range; “What’s a penny made out of?”
Without waiting for anyone to reply he answers himself, “Dirty Copper, Flatfoot.”
I never saw Mikey again until years later when he had severed a couple of stretches in prison. He was carrying two guns and everyone called him, “Crazy Mikey.” Those Cops had him pegged to a ‘T’.

The Mummy's Curse

The Rat Cop – The Mummy’s’ Curse

“Hey Dick, What are you doing?”
“Nothing, why?”
“Come on, Richie Forrestal is taking us on an adventure.”
“But my Mother told me to stay right out back or I’ll get another licking.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not going far,” says Richie, Dick’s brother Brians’ friend.
“You can trust Richie, he’ll watch out for us,” says Tom ‘Blondie’ Carroll.
The boys head toward Central Square where their mother’s shop at Kennedy's butter and egg store and turn right past the Sumner Tunnel and the famous Pizza House, Santarpio’s.
“We’re are we? This is past the square and now I’m realy going to get killed.”
“Don’t worry when your Mother sees all the great stuff we bring home: she’ll Love you.”
Down the back of this large factory building, Richie takes the younger kids. They squeeze through a twisted broken gate marked, No Trespassing, Police Take Notice.
“Come here Dippy, look what’s in these barrels.”
“Wow, look at all the Christmas lights; are we at the North Pole?”
“It’s the General Electric Company,” says Richie. “These lights are all rubbish and you can take as many as you can carry. See if you can find a bag or a box?”
“Here’s some boxes, this will be great; we can have lots of lights on the tree this year.”
"Pop, pop, pop".
"What are you doing," asks Dick?
"Doesn't it sound like machine gun bullets," says Richie smashing bulbs on the wall?
Filling boxes to the brim the gang now slips through the fence again. Caught up in the adventure, Dick loses track of time.
“Wow, what’s this? Are those airplanes?” Shouts Dick excitedly.
“This is Logan Airport,” he is told. The little boy looks in amazement as he sees a long flat one-story building with a small steeple in the center with a red light on the tip. All across the vast field are passenger planes while over in a corner are fighter planes. Dick has seen those planes in the movies. He starts to wander off in a trance, imagining he’s now in the movies.
‘Chinese Little Devils’ when the American fighter planes are shot down and the Chinese kids hide the flyers from the Japanese soldiers. His favorite scene is where an American flyer, who had parachuted from his burning fighter; is now tangled in a tree. The kids are trying to cut him out and the Japs start shouting at the kids. Probably saying, “Get the hell away from him; we’ll take care of him”.One of the Jap leaders yells, “Banzai” as they charge the flyer. Suddenly out of the tall grass jumps several Chinese little kids yelling, “Banzai, yourself”. They have blazing machine guns, killing all the soldiers. Wow, kids at war.
“Come on, Blondie run; let’s go hide on the baby.”
Nervous and afraid he might get stranded he starts yelling; “Hey guys wait up. Where did you go? I’m scared.”
Searching the area he cannot find the boys they ran to a maze of things piled on top of one another. “Come on, where are you.”
Suddenly Rich peeks over the top of one pile of these cork mountains. “Climb up here and see our club house.”
The little guy climbs up one pile and as he slips over the top; he is amazed to see the mountain is built with Life Boats. They had cork sides and bottoms and someone had ripped out a hole in the center so you could climb down into different levels. On the side of each raft were several compartments. Each compartment held a different selection of emergency rations used in rescue missions. There were cans of food, gum and candy, cans of water, bandages, flares, flashlights and candles; we could run away from home and survive forever in this wonderland of adventure. Of course we now get sticks and play war.
“Come on, Dippy now we are going to see who’s the bravest soldier.”
“What do you mean?”
“See that water over there? Well to get to it we have to cross quicksand. The mud is dry and caked hard so you can walk on it. Our test of courage is to see who can walk the closet to the water without sinking.”
Richie starts walking near the edge, “See, like this.”
Blondie goes two steps beyond Richie.
Not to be out done Dippy runs half way to the water four or five steps beyond Blondie and screams; “Help me I’m sinking.” As Dick struggles he is sucked in deeper. In a flash his waist is covered and struggling he goes deeper; now up to his chest.
“Help, help,” he screams. The other boys are frozen in fear; “How can we go out that far without sinking ourselves,”
Richie now mumbles under his breath. "Stupid friggen Baby." Finally he realizes if he doesn’t act immediately, he will be responsible for the little kid’s death.
“Come on Blondie, follow me.”
“Wait we can’t leave him; he’ll drown.”
“We’re not leaving him I need help with one of these cork rafts. We’ll slide it across the mud and hopefully it won’t sink. Come on lift, tug, pull; that’s it; we’re getting it.”
Rushing to the area the boys slide the raft while lying on their bellies. Closer and closer until it touches Dick’s head; Rich jumps in and reaches over the side in time as Dick grabs his arms in desperation. The harder he pulls the tougher it gets as the suction creates a vacuum that continues to hold the little body deep inside the mud. Blondie helps as the front of the raft now sinks deeper into the mud.
“Please help me,” Dick cries. He is now thinking, ‘The guys are going to go down with me if I hold on. If I let go my mother is going to get a wicked 'time out.’
Swoosh, He is released from the suction cup so fast everyone tumbles backward to safety in the raft.
“Follow me and stay on your belly so we don’t sink, again.’ Richie commands.
Once back on solid ground the boys crack open a bottle of rationed water to celebrate their comradeship. Crying and sobbing the walk back home is extremely uncomfortable for Dickie as the hot summer sun starts to dry the mud-covered body. To get back home the boys climb the Orleans Street Bridge; which passes over the freight yards. At the top of the bridge a new peril needs to be overcome, the Orleans Street Gang. They are led by notorious tough guy Joe Delasandro; all of nine years old.
“Where do you think you guys are going?”
“We’re trying to get this kid hometo the projects; he was drowning in the mud at the airport.”
"Project Rats huh, iIthought so.: says Joe.
“Holy shit, look at that little bastard; he looks like a Mummy from the Movies at the Rat House. Hey kid, you’re in a cement cast.” Says one of the gang.
Everyone in the gang laughs but Joe.
“You may get bye today without a beating today but you have to take an oath against God to get past us.”
“What do you mean,” says Richie?
“Johnny bring the Bible over here,” commands Joe D.
“Now you, big man put your hand on the bible and swear against God.”
Rich puts his hand on the book and utters his blasphemy against God; Tommy follows, as does the man of clay.
“Go ahead, screw and if we catch you here again you’ll all get croaked,” yells Joe.
Rich and Tom break out in a dash as Clay man waddles as fast as he can without tipping over. Down on the other side feeling safe Richie starts yelling back at the gang.
“Screw you assholes, I never put my hand down on the book, I just pretended.”
“So did I,” Tommy lies.
“I put my hand on the book, what does it mean?” asks Dick.
“You’re automatically out of the church, excommunicated they call it?” Richie tells Dick.
“But I haven’t received my first Communion, yet.”
“It doesn’t matter, you swore against God.”
The boys get back to the Projects without further incident until back in front of Dick’s building he spies his mother standing at the courtyard with a group of anxious neighbors.
"There he is, Mrs. Dailey."
“Oh my God, Look at you. Where have you been?” Richie and Blondie have disappeared.
“Oh you little brat, didn’t I tell you not to leave the yard?”
“But Mom, look I have this big bag of Christmas lights for you.”
“Where did you steal those from? Get your dirty little body up those stairs.”
Inside the hallway now after thanking the group of concerned friends, Whack, whack, whack.
“Oww, what the heck.” Mom shakes her hand in surprise pain; the caked mud is now dry and like cement. The Mummies, Mommy is now cursed.

The Treasure Hunt

The Rat Treasure Hunt

“Now Dickie, You stay out front, out of the dirt and I’ll be down to take you with me into Boston”

“Yes Mommy.”

Dressed in his Sunday best, looking like Buster Brown in his black vested suit jacket, black short pants, high white stockings and pattern leather shoes the little guy goes down the flight of stairs from the second floor in the newly built, East Boston Housing projects. Being one of the first families in the early forties to reside here the family was joined in the next building by the U.S. Navy. The over flow of sailors from the Navel base across the street were billeted in #74 Sumner St., Dick and his family lived in #66, apartment #347. Each building had twelve apartments four on each floor. The Navel Headquarters on Sumner St. was situated on the Boston Harbor across the street. We watched daily as the sailors and waves marched up the cobblestoned street. The newly built projects had beautiful court yards and fenced off garden areas. The brilliant red brick entrances on the street side also had trees and benches, we were fortunate enough to experience the clean brilliance of the proud undertaking of the City of Boston. As little Dickie walked out onto the courtyard he could see the start of unappreciated tenants, renters’ who did not take pride in their turf. He noticed a sand box play area calling to him. Some of the kids found if they dug up a couple of bricks, there was sand underneath. Removing several bricks then opened a sand box. Mom would have beaten him silly if she ever thought he would do something like that. The sand now afforded a place for the stray dogs and cats to urinate and as the kids continued to play they started to get sick. Ignoring, not thinking about the warning “to stay clean” because the sand box was more appealing, Dick sat down to entertain himself. A boy came out of the building and Dick became uneasy. He remembered this boy and his brother chasing Dick and his older brother Brian as they were trying to help mother by going to the store for her, when they moved in a couple of months ago. Nothing ever came of the situation but because Brian had continued to tell Dick “If they catch us we’re going to get a beating”, now seeing Tommy Carrol, little Dickie froze. Although they were both the same age, Tom was much taller and appeared to be older so when he commanded Dick to come with him on a treasure hunt, the little guy became intimidated.

“Come on kid were going on a treasure hunt.”

“My mommy told me not to leave the front of the house or I’ll get a licking, we have to go on the train”.

Tom reached down and selected a nice full red brick, “If you don’t come with me, I’m going to smash you over the head with this brick. We’ll be right back, she won’t even know and when we come back from finding treasure, shell be very happy with you. If you don’t come you’ll have a broken head and no treasure”.

Dick obediently responded, he had considered the options and thought a red bottom would hurt less than a red head, split with the brick.

“Follow me where going to play Follow the Leader.”

“Wait, I can’t go across the street, alone?”

“You can’t what”, Tommy screams as he raises the brick again.

“I’m sorry but my mother’s going to be mad.”

“I told you when we bring home the treasure she’ll be happy.”

Across the cobblestoned street Dick followed, down to the end at New Street where the two boys squeezed through the stretched opening at the bottom of the fence marked, Government Property, No Trespassing and Police Take Notice; down around the broken pavement under the rotted piers.

“I can’t go under there’, Dick cried. “My Mother will kill me if I get dirty and its all grease and green seaweed; what about the water rats”?

“Just shut up and follow me”, Tommy said as he raised the brick menacingly over his head.

Stumbling after the bigger boy, Dick kept slipping on the grease left by the harbor ships sewerage and spillage prominent at low tide. He now started sobbing as he slipped and fell forward following his tormentor.

“I want to go home; I’m scared, my mommies going to kill me”.

“Shut up you baby, go ahead, go home your a pan in the neck, anyway. You’ll be sad when I find the treasure, alone and keep it all for myself”. This was an option Dickie hadn't considered. Curiosity got the best of the confused little boy. "What if?"

Tommy must have seen or heard of the movie ‘Treasure Island’, where the treasure washes ashore. There was no end in sight, just a continuation of rotted piers, grease and trash.

“Wow, look at this tennis ball, it means we’re getting closer to the treasure.”

Tom started collecting crappy rubber balls covered with grease and throwing them back at Dick. Fumbling and stumbling, slipping and falling into grease covered rocks; Dick started to become filthy, now the fear of Mom’s upset caused him to stutter and stammer while crying and drooling spittle all over himself.

“Shut the hell up you fraidy cat, cry baby”, Tom screamed. “’The Treasure is just around the next pier”.

Dickie noticed the water was now getting closer and thought about the perilous near drowning incident with the rat in his face last week. His fears now mounted.

“We’re going to drown and the giant water rats are going to get us; I know they had me last week but I got away”.

“You’re lying”, Tom screamed. “Get moving; there’s no water rats and you never came here before”.

The next step was the final blow as Dick’s foot wedged between two greasy rocks: panicking now he pulled and pulled wedging it in tighter.

He started screaming, “Help me, help me, I’m going to drown”.

Tommy put down the brick and tried pulling under the little guy’s arms but the harder they tried the tighter the wedge became.

“Come on pull your dam foot you’re your not helping?”

Finally in fear for his own safety, Tom abandoned the situation.

“I’m leaving; I’m not going to drown because a stupid cry baby doesn’t know how to hunt treasure”.

“Please don’t leave me; I don’t know what to do”.

“The hell with you, I’m going”.

“Help me, don’t leave me, please.”

Now struggling and screaming in total panic Dick slips on the greasy bottom and as he falls his foot slides out of the shoe.

“Oh heck, oww.”

Free at last he limps after the fleeing captor.

“Wait, Unhuh, unhuh,” he sobs. “I lost my shoe my mommies going to kill me.”

He is at least grateful that he may not drown. His next step is the bad icing on an already terrible cake.

“Aaarrgghh, I cut my foot; I’m bleeding.”

Dick steps on a broken bottle under the seaweed and slices his foot open. He cries out in pain and goes into shock over the gushing blood now covering the grease.

“Oww, I can’t walk, I’m bleeding”, he cries.

“Then crawl, you stupid crybaby; the end is just around the corner. I’ve been here with my older brother and we found more treasure than today. You’re a jinx; you’ll never come with me again”.

Tom hastens towards the bend under the piers.

“Please wait; don’t leave me, I’ll drown.” Little Dickie raises and sloshes after him not wanting to be left behind.

“Ha, ha, ha, you’ve got to be kidding.”

Suddenly the boys hear laughter; a Party or Wedding group has now spilled out onto the dock. A woman peers over the rail and sees the two dirty little greasy rats scurrying as they stumble and fall, trying to get to the pier.

She laughs and tells her friends, “Look at those rag muffins; that’s what you call a real ‘grease ball’.

She screams, “Oh my God that little guy is in a puddle of blood”.

“Come here you two.”

A couple of men have climbed down the ladders with blankets and carry the two boys into the kitchen of the club.

“Bring them some cokes and cookies, Joe”, says one man trying to calm the little boys’ sob’s?

“Where do you kids live,” asks Joe.

Tommy says, “The Housing Projects”.

“Where”, shouts Joe?

“Sumner Street in the projects”, answers Tom.

“You’ve got to be shitting me, that’s almost a half mile away. You must have been wandering for hours? Call the Cops, Charlie, their parents must be going nuts.”

“What the fuck, arr, excuse me, what the hell were you doing all this time”?

“Uhh, uhh,” Dick is still sobbing trying to catch a breath while Tommy proudly announces, “We were hunting for treasure”.

“Dese fricking kids are nuts”, another member says.

"Charlie, you know first aid; what can we do with this kids greasy bloody foot?" Charlie ties a bandage from a medical kit on the wall around the wounded foot but the blood still shows through.

The Boston Police arrive at the Jefferies Point Yacht Club.

“Who's going to do time for this big crime you folks called us for today?” As they joke about the severity of the situation, today.

“Hey Dianne, how you doing; grab us a couple of high balls, will you.”

They laugh and joke with the woman while being handed the drinks in the back room.

“Wait till these little bastards get home; dare going to get their asses kicked. Da fricken parents have been on the phone going nuts all afternoon”, one cop remarks.

“The little guys still bleeding”, says Charlie from the club. “We put a type B tourniquet on to temporarily to stop the bleeding. We didn’t want to shut off the little guy’s circulation plus it looks like a butterfly bandage may do the trick.”

“What are you Charlie, a fricken medic,” asks one of the cops?

“Why don’t you guys stop screwing around with the ladies and get them kids home”?

“What are you a freakin wise guy or someding”?

“No, I’m Charlie Welch, BPD and I work in the Area D in West Roxbury where we have real crime” as Charlie flashes his tin. "Now take the kids home; the parents are nervous wrecks by now.”

“Come on you little grease balls, get in the car and don’t get your dirty little asses on the cushions.”

The boys climb into the back seat Tommy excited about riding in a Police Car and Dickie now thinking about the reception committee at home starts to whimper, again. They both sit on the towels given them by the yachtsmen. They push forward so as not to get the seats dirty and get yelled at again.

“You little bastards caused us a lot of fricken aggravation; we could have picked up a couple of broads and got laid. Have you boys broken your cherries yet?”

“We ate cherries at my house, the other day,” said Tommy.

“Ya, that’s it; eating cherries kid, aren’t they delicious? Don’t you just love eating cherries, sucking the juice”?

“Carl, cut the shit these kids are just babies; what the hell are you talking about?”

“Aww fuck it, they have to learn some time. Hey, you little shit are you getting that seat dirty?”

Tom and Dickie bolt back, up straight as they started to relax and slouch. The cruiser pulls up to #66 Sumner St. and the cop called Carl tells Dick to get out, “Your bleeding all over the friggen car. Get the hell upstairs and tell your Mudder and Fadder your home, we’ll be up in a minute.”

Dick hops out of the car and limps across the court yard, up the front stairs and enters the first floor hallway; leaving his bloody footprint as a trail. Walking into the hallway from the darkness he notices someone has burned their initials with matches on the beautiful white ceilings. Climbing the stairway, happy to finally be out of the stressful events of the day; still quietly sobbing he stops in front of apartment #347 and as he reaches for the doorknob; he freezes.

“I can’t go in looking like this; my mother will kill me. Sob, sob.”

He turns and sees the bloody footprints leading to the door. He hops on his clean shoe to the window over the roof shed, climbs up on the sill and slips down in the corner; shielding himself from the Police car below.

“Come on Carl finish that report upstairs; we need to get back to the Club. You saw that broad Dianne didn’t you? Well she slipped me her number with the drinks.”

“You whoremaster, how come I didn’t catch that move?”

Dickie watches as the Police now approach the front stairs beneath the roof shed and out of sight. He tries to scrunch his body into a cocoon; to be as small as he can be, trying to be invisible. He hears the Police banging on his door.

“Who is it,” he hears his Dad call out as Dick is just beneath the parlor window.

“It’s the Police where’s your son?”

“What are you talking about? You found our boy? Where is he? Is he safe?” Dad is rattling off as many excited questions as he can spill out not realizing Dick’s safe.

“We sent the kid upstairs. Look his footprints lead right to the door.”

Dad looks down and sees the bloody little trail and says, “I think I know where he is.” He walks to the open window, leans out and sees his beautiful son, whimpering, filthy and bloody.

“Come here, Dick.”

He reaches down with his strong hands rough from all the metal cuts in his job as a ‘tin knocker’. dads a Sheet Metal worker at the Charlestown Navel Shipyard. He pulls his baby in and crushes him to his strong hairy chest and breathes a sigh of relief. Under his breath he says, “Thank you lord.”

“If that were my kid he’d get the licking of his life; running away and sneaking out on the roof like that.” Officer Carl interjects.

“Well it’s not your kid and we’re happy to have him home safe and alive. Thank you for bringing him home. Bye the way, where did you guys find the boys”?

“At the Jefferies Point Yacht Club, can you believe that?”

A few years later a little boy from the projects wandered away into the ‘No Trespassing' area and was found crushed to death between the dock and a tanker.

“Now calm down Honey; he’s O.K. He’s just a little ruffled.”

“Oh my God; look at you? You’ll be the death of me yet?”

“Sob, sob, I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“Where’s your shoe? What happened to your beautiful clothes?”

“I don’t know? I lost them. I fell down. I’m sob, sob, sorry, Mommie.”

After being stripped and cleaned up in the tub; little Dickie still traumatized climbed into bed. He was shivering and still sobbing as he fell asleep. His dreams were violent; bricks, rats, blood, grease, drowning, lickings; he was withering and shaking when a beautiful peaceful calmness eased over his entire being. It was soothing and felt like he was floating on clouds of feathers. He stopped sobbing and the shakes were quelled. He was quietly awakened by a soft pleasurable feeling on his fanny. His peepee was pulsating. He was startled when he realized his brother Brian was rubbing a soft hair brush across his butt. Brian had Dick’s pinus in his mouth. Groggily Dickie wonders what is going on.

“What are you doing Brian?”

“Shhhh, doesn’t it feel nice?”

“Yes but what are you doing that for?”

“Because it makes you feel real good, doesn’t it?”

“Why are you rubbing the hair brush on my fanny?”

“Shhh don’t let Mommie know you feel good. Nice, doesn’t it feel great? Now do it to me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m your big brother and I made you feel good so don’t you think it’s fair that you should do it to me? Watch”

Soft brush bristles across my buttocks.

“That feels great, right? Now try doing it to me. That’s it, now put it in your mouth; you know like a lollipop.”

“It’s yechey, I don’t like it.”

“Oh it feels soo good, Thank you Dickie; you’re a great brother.”

“O.K. then I’ll try it again. It feels better this time, nice and soft but I’m tired and I’m falling asleep, good night Brian.”

“Good night Dick.”

The Rat House

THE RAT HOUSE

Sitting in the burnt out movie theater the two 12 year olds were reminiscing about old times in the ‘Rat House’, the Gem Theater. Ashcan and Dippy were swapping stories ‘Back in the good old daze’. The year was 1953 and the Boston Braves National League baseball team had decided to leave Boston, Ash and I were members of the Knothole Gang. We paid a dollar for a Membership card and got into all games free.

“Hey Ash, did you see the paper? The Braves are leaving Boston? No more Sphan and Sain and a day of rain?”

“Yea, Warren Sphan and Johnny Sain were quite a pair but I think ‘I’ll really miss Sam Jethrow getting hit off the head with ball even more”, says Paul.

“I heard black guys have harder skulls; that’s why you can’t knock em out? Maybe if he puts the glove on his head he’ll catch em all. That is until the lumps get in the way”.

“He, he, you friggen Dippy, your nuts. This wine is great how did you get the key?”

“I tolja, I’m an Alter boy and I work at the church so I know the whole layout.”

“It scared the shit outta me when Fadder Mac showed up, I thought we wuz gonna get excommunicated?”

“Naw, I heard he was an Alchey and they wuz gonna farm him out. You know where they send Priests who are screw ups? I really believe he knew exactly what we wuz doing. He must have been in quite a few Jackpots himself so he let us slide.”

“He seems like an asshole?”

“He’s the only priest my father ever liked maybe because my Dad’s a drinker too?”

“Ya like us, brothers in da bottle? We’re really gonna miss the Rat House, a lot of good times, for dimes.”

“Yep, you couldn’t beat nine cents for the movies. When my mother couldn’t afford the money, I used to cash a couple of tonic bottles, a nickel a piece.”

“It was great when you were a little short and the kids would pass the pennies back so other kids could get in”, Paul recalled.

“Really I don’t remember that I always got screwed. I had to bring my baby sister and she always cried for candy.”

“Is that why she was so fat? She looks great today.”

“I thought it was sweets but she was sick with some strange disease, my Aunt saved her life with a blood transfusion.”

The wine was causing the boys to mellow out as Dick drifted into the candy for his sister_ _ _ _ “Oh my God, what was that?” The women whispered as something brushed her leg under the seat. “Pull your legs up kids, this place gives me the creeps; put them on the seat in front of you, like this.”

In the darkness of the old Gem Theater, I’m crawling under the seats trying to reach for another treasure, a dropped piece of candy for the ransom. My day started as most every other day preparing to run myself ragged with the gang. After a wild morning of aggressive running and wrestling; I rush home for lunch. It’s Saturday and we’re all going to the movies.

“Ma, you said I could go the movies this afternoon. The kids are waiting for me.”

“Now Dickie Darling, I need you to do me a favor.”

‘Oh no, not again,’ I’m thinking.

“I want you to take your little sister, Honey to the show?”

“Ma, its not fair; where’s Billy? I took her the last two weeks and she cries all the time.”

“She better not cry and you better not tease her again; or you know what?”

“What”, I stupidly ask trying to get her angry enough to think, my brother will take better care of her?

“You’ll get the licking of your life and you’ll never go to the movies again.”

“You said that last week; isn’t it Billy’s turn?”

“We don’t take turns in this house; we do what’s asked of us because we love each other, right?”

Dejectedly now I respond, “Yes Mommie.” I know I love my baby sister and I need to help you taking care of her because she’s sick. Fat is more like it.

“Here’s twenty five cents, the movie cost nine cents each; that will give you seven cents for candy, that’s enough for the two of you.”

‘She’s right,’ I’m thinking if I bought my favorite; Bonomo’s Chocolate Drops I could have thirty five pieces. Honey always cries for mint juleps’ and you only get three to a pack; that’s only twenty one pieces. As soon as we get outside I start teasing, “I’m taking you to the movies and you better sit still; don’t move unless I tell you, you understand?”

“You’re not the boss; Mommy’s the boss.”

“Mommy said I’m baby sitting you; that means I’m the boss.” Dick now runs ahead and yells back, “See you at the movie’s, you can be your own boss, brat.” He darts behind one of the two huge elm trees in the middle of the playground and hides not responding to his sisters’ cries.

“Dickie where are you; I’m telling mommy?”

Silence.

“Dickie”, now Honey’s starting to panic, the little rolly, polly, waddles faster; “I know you’re behind the tree.” As she walks behind, I keep circling ahead of her just out of sight. Round and round we go, churning the butter when finally she believes I’ve run away on her; she starts crying again.

“He, he, he,” I’m snickering, suppressing my glee.

“I’m telling mommy you ran away from me.”

“Haa Rah, here I am, I was just fooling around.” I jump out feeling my tease is working; a little at a time. She’s going to pay for my prison sentence. We’re too close to home; leaving me no choice. We haven’t left the interior of the projects, yet; she knows where she is and can see her way home. Wait till we cut through the Project building onto Maverick St.; all the buildings look the same and the maze will confuse her. Now on Maverick St. we pass the Holy Redeemer Church, I dart down the stairs to the lower sanctuary, Honey has no idea where I’ve gone and I watch her squirm and fidget trying to pretend; she’s not afraid.

“Dickie, where are you?” she cries, “You better stop or I’m telling Mommy.”

“He,he, he,” go ahead tubby, you look like little Lulu from the newspaper cartoons. “I’m over here; I tripped and I can’t get up.” As she tries to engineer the stairs I run along a high stone wall near the convent trying to circle around and get in front of her. Some one yells from a closed screened in porch; it’s a woman’s voice, “What are you children doing there? You’re not allowed back here; you’ll get hurt.” Stopped dead in my tracks I’m looking but I can’t see anyone. Honey starts crying, “I can’t find my brother, he’s supposed to be babysitting me and he keeps running away.”

“Shhh, shhh, here I am.” I jump out from behind the bushes. “ I was right here all the time. I wouldn’t leave you. I was only kidding; what’s the matter can’t you take a joke.”

Suddenly there’s a huge Penguin standing in front of me. I jump back, startled. “Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you getting married or something?” I remembered seeing some guys in a wedding with all black and white suits with bow ties something like see was wearing but she was strange; her head was caged.

“I’m Sister Mary Joseph and you are very observant. I am getting married. I’m marrying God. I am called a Nun. Our order is the Sisters of Notre Dame. We girls live in this house called a convent and we are all preparing to marry God when we die.”

“None of what,” I ask innocently?

“What’s your name little boy and is this cutie your sister?”

“I’m Dickie Dailey,”

“You mean Richard, don’t you?”

“Well Mommy calls me, Dickie.”

“Are you William’s brother?”

“Ya, how did you know that?”

“You mean yes, don’t you?”

“Ya, I mean yes; how do you know I was Williams brother; are you a physic like Nostradamus or something?”

She lets that one slide; to deep for his boots. “William is in the first grade and I’m his teacher. What’s your sister’s name?”

“Dotty, we call her Honey.”

“You mean, Dorothy, don’t you, Richard?”

Richard, that sounds funny, no one ever calls me Richard. Why is she asking so many questions doesn’t she know we’ll be late for the movies. “Can we go now we’re going to be late?”

“Where are you children going?”

“To the movies,” Honey responds.

“Well what brings you back here; I thought you came to Church with your Mother.”

Oh, oh now I’m in big trouble; my mother told me not to talk to strangers. I’m now getting nervous; “We gotta go.” Mom will surly know now, all grownups tattletale.

“Well Richard since you are such a big boy. I can tell you are a good boy. I just know you were not teasing your sister to make her cry; were you?”

Here it comes, the lie factory; oh well I’ll never see her again; she’ll be going back to the North Pole soon.

“Oh no, I love my little sister, don’t I Honey? Come on let’s run, where going to be late, bye lady Joseph.”

I’m now thinking, I never saw any hair, why would a girl have a man’s name, Joseph? Was she a man in a girl’s suit? Well she was nice anyway. Crossing the street we pass Sam’s variety store on the corner of Havre Street. Billy and I had to hide here when being chased by the gang when we first moved into the projects. We pass Martino’s meat market and go around the corner to Paris Street. There is a Chinese laundry on the corner.

“Honey I want you to do what I do when we pass this Laundry, watch? Show your teeth, with a big smile; bigger, good. Now take your finger and make believe you have tooth paste on it, like this.” I rub my clenched teeth rapidly with my extended finger. “That’s it, now as we pass the store, do it in the window so the people can see you.”

“Why?”

“Because sometimes when they see clean teeth on kids; they give us candy,”

“Really Dickie,” Honey now lights up. The thought of Candy always gets kids excited.

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” We both stick our faces in the window and rub our teeth until I see the Chinaman coming to kill us for making fun of their jutting teeth. “Run Honey, run,” as I dash towards the movies.

“Wait,” says tubby, “where are you going? I thought we were going to get some candy from the China man?”

“Aaa, he must have been a Commie, their different. Billy told me Chinese are O.K. but Commies are mean.” The Gem Theater is just ahead of us. As we pass the Post Office I get another brainstorm. “Honey let me have the nickel Mommy gave you.”

“No, then I won’t have any money to spend.”

“You don’t understand, I’m going to show you how to do a magic Trick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well how would you like to have more money to spend?”

“O.K.”

“Give me the nickel.” Grudgingly she hands it to me but squeezes it real tight.

“You promise to give it back?”

“Honest to God, Cross my heart and hope to die; you’ll be surprised at how BIG it grows.” She lets her death grip relax and I bolt out into the street in front of Station 7, the East Boston Police Headquarters. I place the nickel in the street car track, deeply grooved as the trolley comes out of the underground tunnel at the Maverick, MTA Station.

“Dickie, what are you doing? Look out here come’s the street car.” CRUNCH, the trolley rumbles over the nickel and comes to a stop; right on top of the coin. As the train continues toward Revere Beach, I run out to re-claim the larger than life token, the flattened nickel. Amazed at the odd new shape; I hand it to Honey, bragging about my magic, “See, bigger, wider, flatter; now we can buy more candy.”

“Aggg,” she starts sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the street, screaming at the top of her chubby cheeks. “It’s crushed, I’m going home; I’m telling Mommy on you.”

‘Go ahead Brat you don’t even know where home is,’ I’m again thinking.

Now I’m wondering if the coin is one of those mis-prints Uncle Reggie showed me. His coin collection had odd coins worth a lot of money and this one certainly is odd enough?

“Wait, Honey stop crying people are looking.” Now I’m acting just like my Mom worrying about people knowing my….. our family travesty. I need to act fast or I’ll be known throughout the city as, the rotten rat brother. I can’t have that.

“Wait, Honey wait; I promise to make it up to you I’ll feed you candy all afternoon.” Whoops now you did it big mouth; how in the world are you gonna keep that promise. Sounds like Dad promising to take us to the Park, coming home ‘three sheets to the wind’ so he always ends up with a coincidental ailment?

“I’ll give you my two pennies, here and after we get in the show I’ll keep my promise to give you candy all afternoon.”

Now crawling under the seats, I’m in a gold mine, no lights and using brail to locate people droppings. Here’s a penny, a piece of fudge, good there’s only a little bite, this ones for her. Whoa what’s this? It looks like a locket; I’ll check it later. Wow, my favorite Bonomo Chocolate’s; I love Bonomo’ Chocolates!”

* Filthy Goodies

An article printed in the Time magazine December 26, 1938 entitled, ‘Filthy Goodies’. Little boys are supposedly made of snaps & snails & puppy dogs tails. Worse were the ingredients found by the Federal inspectors in cheap candy made at the Brooklyn factory of Victor A. Bonomo and sold at goody counters to stores in New England?

Judge Grover M. Moscowitz, father of four Moscowitzes, glared indignantly from his bench as he heard the chemist’s report on the contents of Bonomo’s candy: rodent’s hairs, rodents excreta, larvae, fragments of human hair, bits of paper, bits of mouse pelts and fragments of glass. Sample pieces contained as high as 205 insect fragments, 204 mouse hairs. The Moscowitz sentence: $600 fine [legal maximum] and three years on probation for the filth purveyor.

Next treat in my extortion bag are mint juleps “Oh yuck, what did I stick my hand in. It’s a spit out nigger baby?” They were black sugar covered licorice tasting mummies. “I need to wash my sticky, yucky hands. I think this is enough for now.” Crawling cautiously so as to not brush against anymore legs I was feeling pretty confident about my journey until I got back to my seat and saw this bald headed man sitting next to my sister. She was white as a Ghost. I didn’t know what to do. How do you tell a grown up to get away from your sister, without getting into trouble? You must never speak disrespectful to an adult. You would be considered rude.

“Hummmm, That’s it; thanks God?” An idea, pops into my head.

“Hey Mister, that’s my seat next to my sister.” I yelled hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. Everyone turned around staring at the man; all thinking different thoughts about what he was doing in this kid movie, alone? The staring, glaring eyes did it. They were all casting stones at the pervert. He raises and mumbles some soft excuse for the intrusion into the seat pattern, “Oh I’m sorry; my seat is the next row. I couldn’t tell in the dark.” He quietly apologizes and slithers away. I believe the snake slithered right down the stairs and out the door. A few weeks earlier while at the movies with my friends; I happened to actually be watching a movie. Without realizing it; all my friends got kicked out. I was so engrossed I hadn’t seen the bald headed guy sit down next to me. Again I paid no attention still captivated by the naked titties on the natives running around in Africa. Suddenly his trench coat accidently fell partially in my lap. Glued to the screen; I flipped it back. Again it flops over I figured it was too big for his seat so I ignored it. I felt a wonderful twinge on my thigh; like the night I thought I was in heaven with my brother. The wondrous feeling immediately subsided so back to Africa I go. I jumped three feet in the air the next hand was firm and warm as hell. It felt great as it slid down between my legs.

“Whoa, what the heck.”

Baldy leans over and whispers with dragon breath, “How’d you like to earn a quarter;” as he rubs his hand around my peepee. I’m withering in ecstasy.

“A quarter,” wow that’s a lot of candy; I’m now thinking. I’m getting scared but don’t have anyone to tell; my friends are all gone. I start wiggling my legs like I’m going to pee my pants. “Mister I have to go to the bathroom.”

Whispering again he says, “Me too, I’ll come with you. I’m not going to hurt you sonny; I’m a school teacher.” He grabs more firmly but relaxes immediately giving me a feeling of restraint, additional fear and instant relaxation. Frightened by this ghoulish fiend; I start to whimper, “Mr. Teacher I really have to go do number one, I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Don’t tell anyone about the quarter and when you come back I’ll give you this,” He’s waving a whole dollar in my face. I really had to think about that one. “Humm, when’s the last time I had a dollar? I think it was Aunt Nancy whose husband was arrested in the Brink’s Robbery?”

“You promise to come right back?” He asks.

“Honest to God, cross my Heart and hope to die.” With my fingers crossed behind my back; I jump up, run around the candy counter and slip down stairs. I don’t think I ever ran as fast as I did that day. The Ghost of Bald Mountain was following me every step of the way. If I only had been edumacated; the Police Station was directly across the street and Mack the Bubble was dressed in a Cop suit. We never thought he could actually do anything other than throw kids out. Shame on our High Society, ‘Children should be seen and not heard’; what group of eminent psychologist thought that one up? If you tried to tell some one; no one was listening anyway. I will say this; those meatheads were ions ahead of their time, show me a kid today who can be seen at any event at the home? They’re all TVewing or stuck on the Computer. Today they are certainly seen but are too educated to have any parent hear them or even barely understand the lingo of the kids. When the situation occurred with my sister Honey; I was better prepared having experienced it earlier. After he left I changed our seats and sat Honey next to an older woman while I paid the ransom and went back to the dark coal mines for the rest of the extortion money. When ever I was forced to take my sister after that; I’d make sure I sat her next to a Mother with kids or at least an older girl. The Movie ended, Plumpy, Dumpy was still chomping away. Papino the little Mouse was filthy and as we got caught in the overwhelming rush down the stairs to daylight, I overheard several voices talking about brushes against their legs and softly whispering, “Rats”. The Gem Theater was forever known as the Rat House.