What started all the wheels turning was
the article by Sanford Weissman. The first thought it brought back
was taking my young daughters to the Weequahic Park race track in
the late 50s to see and meet Saul and Paul Josloff, who I knew from
the High St. YMHA, and from their "glass" store on Prince
Street. The adults were totally ignored because they got to MEET
and PET, PABLITO, their race [?] horse. Now, 50 years later, the
name Pablito and the image still pops up.
Go back in time to 1938, at the park to Millmans and Sabins, at
the outdoor "jukeboxes". Crowds of "Jitterbugs"
dancing to the records of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw,
Vaughn Monroe, and the Dorseys. I remember it well because I went
to pick up my graduation day date, at her home, and I was told to
meet her at Millmans, where the dancing was going full blast. If
not at Millmans, the dancing continued, the Jewish jitterbugs at
the "Sugar Bowl" on Clinton Avenue and the Italian dancers
at the "Park Bench" in the North Ward [Bloomfield Ave?].
They came "here" and we went "there" and "THOSE
WERE THE DAYS MY FRIEND", when we were all about 16 or 17 and
there was Peace on Earth.
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