Both my parents were born and raised in
Newark and both their families started in the city when they came
from Europe. Mom in the Iron Bound section (Ukrainians) and Dad
(Irish) in the city itself. Grandpa used to tell me stories about
the city as it was when he was a boy. My Great Grandpa Lalor had
a saloon in Newark called the Eureka Cafe. He seemed to do alright
for an immigrant, he had a big house with live-in help on Summer
Avenue. They had a men's club at the cafe and we still have the
banner/flag that Grandpa, his father and 7 brothers used to parade
with on Holy Name Day in Newark wearing top hats and tails.
From all the stories Grandpa told me it sounded like an exciting
life back then. He went to parochial school and used to have to
miss lunch because his Dad would have him run to the saloon and
pick up the men's bets, then run them to a department store where
the bookmaker worked as a floor man. By the time Grandpa would get
back to school he would be late and in trouble with the nuns. My
Dad's first cousin Mike Lalor is currently the chief of the Newark
Fire Department but I have never met him that I can recall. (Maybe
as a little kid I did.)
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