Recently, because of Old Newark, an old
friend Emailed me out of the blue after, perhaps, 50 years. He was
Dr. Charles Coniaris, an Optometrist on West Market Street across
from the Court Theater and the Rotondo Funeral Home. It was a pleasant
surprise after all these years and we shared many fond memories.
He had moved to Dover, New Jersey over 25 years ago after having
moved his office to South Orange Avenue in the Vailsburg Section,
just down from Sanford Avenue. We exchanged Emails for a few enjoyable
months until one morning, after checking the Death Notices as I
usually do each day, I noticed that Charlie had passed away. I just
sat there stunned. After all those years and then for only a few
months and then suddenly it was all over.
Another old friend found my memories on Old Newark. Mike Bravette
, lived over on Hoyt Street which was just below Lock Street and
ran into Warren Street. Warren Street school was on the corner of
Lock Street and where I started my education in Kindergarten in
1933. Among the stores on Warren were Laudadio's Drug store, Lemnos
Bakery and Ace's Pool Parlor.
But the main point of the story was that I had found an old photo
showing my dad, Charles J. Rotondo, marching in a parade along Hoyt
Street as President of the St. Anthony of Padua's Society of St.
Philip Neri's Church down on Court House Place. There were many
people on the side walk and when I Emailed the picture to Mike,
he was thrilled to see his mother, relatives and old neighbors watching
the parade. Mike now lives in Milford Pa. and we share many memories
and jokes thanks to Old Newark.
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