I lived on Baldwin Street, between Morton
& West Kinney Streets. Quitman Alley ended there. This was my
area, my section.
My Mother was one of the ward leaders and at election time we would
go door to door getting out the vote. She was also the cafeteria
manager for Morton Street School.
I saw shootings, stabbings and rape during my childhood there.
Turf wars were common but Baldwin Street had a mix of all ethnic
groups, so it became the U.N. of the Ward.
I worked at a store on West Kinney Street from the time I was 12.
The owner was a man named Werner who came from Germany and I always
though he was part of the POW program in Bridgeton NJ. I sold food
sliced cold cuts and also delivered food all over the area.
People in the area were of all cultures from Ukrainian, Italian,
Jewish, Irish, Scottish, & Black. Every time I delivered something,
the people would make me sit down and eat. I learned to love all
kinds of food.
I used to wait outside the Bergondo flat on Wednesday when she
cooked stuffed cabbage and she made me the official taster.
I attended St. Mary's and St. Benedicts and walked everyday down
High Street. Just writing this, the memories are flooding back along
with the smells of the food and you cannot dismiss the stables at
Broome and Howard Streets.
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