28 Tuesday Aug 2018
Posted in Blog, Container Diaries
I don’t have time to worry about who doesn’t like me. I’m too busy loving the people who love me.
Sorry, I apologize. I’m not sure of the original author on the above statement.
Think about it for a moment – who gives a shit what they say about you? What they think about you and so on… It doesn’t mean a thing. Let them hate all they want.
Live you life. Love the people who love you. Keep doing your thing.
17 Tuesday Oct 2017
Posted in Basketball, Blog, Glenn Thomas, Holy Name, Limelight, New York Basketball
Tags
For the next few days I will be paying tribute to people I have known for a long time. People from the neighborhood that meant a lot to me growing up. These people made a huge impact on me. From friends to teachers to coaches. I’ll even mention a couple of priests and nuns.
Glenn Thomas:
My best friend – we talk often, even text on a daily basis.
Growing up as kids Glenn and I played lots of ball together. Holy Name schoolyard. P.S. 154’s, East 5th street and Manhattan Beach.
Despite being a year older than me, Glenn and I hung out often. We played together on the basketball team at Holy Name. We also played pick-up ball everywhere there was a court.
We’d hop on our Mongoose mountain bikes and ride to Manhattan. Over the Brooklyn Bridge up 6th avenue to West 4th street, Central Park, the Lower East Side; we covered a lot of ground.
“Hey Kid, you know how to ride a bike?”
When it was time to step out at night, we hung out in dance clubs all over the city. We danced, drank and met so many good people.
“YO FRANKIE!”
A classic line on the dance floor at the Limelight. Or maybe it was Xenon?
Cat Club. Studio 54. Peppermint Lounge. Danceteria. Boy-O-Boy, so many clubs…
“Do I know you?”
Glenn and I worked together as messengers down on Wall Street with our boy T-Bone. A few years later we both worked the door at Planet Hollywood.
“Any advice for a struggling actor from Queens?”
“Yo Lance. Blue Fish…Blue Fish…”
One weekend we made a road trip York College in PA, it was a memorable one.
We played ball on Saturday afternoon against their players and went to a cool club later that night.
“You can’t get those Lima beans up that high…”
Knicks games at the Garden, Mets games at Shea and most important, spending time down his basement on Sherman Street listening to records.
The night Bernard King scored 60 points against the Nets we were both in the house. My guy Sugar dropped 36 that night for New Jersey leading the Nets to the win.
Glenn’s parents were gems; his mom treated me like a son. His dad was aces.
Speaking of aces, how about Frankie the Ace? We played so much ball down 154’s; basketball and stick-ball. We called it Swift.
Remember that bowling ball bag the Ace carried.
“Hey Jerry, there’s no tomorrow…”
Last but not least one day in August we were walking the boardwalk at Coney Island. All of a sudden we see Gerard Grayson on the sand, naked. Cops were hauling him off.
“YO FINAMORE, THEY TOOK MY CLOTHES!”
Hundreds of people on the boardwalk and he sees me…
SMH
To conclude, I miss those days of hanging out with Glenn. We had so much fun and learned a lot about friendships.
Yo Glenn, hope all is well.
Your friend,
Steve
21 Sunday May 2017
Posted in Blog, Container Diaries
21 Friday Oct 2016
Posted in Blog, Holy Name Foundation
Tags
The 10th annual dinner-dance at Gargiulo’s Restaurant is all set for Thursday night, November 10th, 2016.
The action begins at 6:30.
I was part of this wonderful night back in 2010. Had a blast catching up with so many people from the neighborhood. Food, music, dancing. Good times…
Check me out pictured below. I’m in front, squatting down with the glasses.
This year they will be honoring Rev. Kevin F. McBrien and Pete Gillen. Tony Butler, Colleen Martin-O’Donnell and Sharon Smith will also be honored. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Holy Name Ensemble.
You remember Pete Gillen? He taught at HNS. Decent basketball coach at the collegiate level. Now does some TV work for CBS. Love his style. Have met him a few times out in the streets; don’t think he gets our connection.
For more information on this wonderful night and how you can purchase tickets contact:
Holy Name Rectory, (917) 974-8782.
07 Wednesday Sep 2016
Posted in Container Diaries, Suicide, Windsor Terrace
Took this off Facebook. A friend posted:
So suicide is the number one silent killer of good people!
So if it’s a killer, it should be a big concern.
But it’s not!
September is Suicide Prevention month.
May I ask my family and friends wherever you might be, to kindly copy and paste this status for one hour to give a moment of support to all of those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just needs to know that someone cares?
Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune. I hope to see this on the walls of all my family and friends just for moral support. I know some will!!! I did it for a friend and you can too.
Suicide is no joke. I don’t know why we keep it a secret? Last year at our high school we had two young ladies take their lives. What a tragedy. It happened just one month apart. A freshman and a senior. I know people who have had a family member take their life. You probably do too. We need to come together and help each other. I don’t even know where to start. Oh wait, here’s a good place to start; let’s start being nice to each other. And most of all, reach out to someone. Call a friend. E-mail, or even send them a text message.
You never know who you can help…
-Red
Hoops135@hotmail.com
27 Wednesday Jul 2016
30 Saturday Apr 2016
Posted in Blog, Windsor Place
What’s all this laughter on the 22nd floor?
It’s just some friends of mine and they’re busting down the door…
-Red
Hoops135@hotmail.com
14 Sunday Feb 2016
Happy Valentine’s Day…
28 Thursday Jan 2016
Posted in Blog, James "Jocko" Noftell
Tags
Received a bit of sad news this morning.
Jocko passed away after an illness that he was being treated for for many months.
He was 68 years old.
Jocko’s family had a service the last couple of days.
Then the family bought a nice home and property in upstate New York; they were living well.
Condolences to the entire family.
RIP Jocko. May God rest your soul…
-Red
Hoops135@hotmail.com
27 Wednesday Jan 2016
