I have many memories of Newark. Some of
the most memorable of them concern a particular section where the
Newark Armory or the Sussex Avenue Armory was located. Across from
the Armory was St. Augustine Church and directly in back of the
church was the St. Augustine elementary school where I, my sister,
and all my cousins graduated from, studiously taught by the Sisters
of Christian Charity. While the memories are many and wonderful
I want to recall the Armory. Attending the school right across from
it gave us the opportunity to enjoy all the facilities, activities
it offered.
One fun one was the big brick wall where we use to meet after
school and weekends to play many games of handball. Another opportunity
was the chance to see many soldiers who passed through during the
turbulent years of WWII and beyond. AH but the two most treasured
memories that I hope my memory cells won’t let me forget was
when the Ringling Bros. Circus came to town and a most famous New
Jersey celebrity came to entertain.
When the circus came right after school we would be there seeing
first hand the wonderful animals, especially the lions and elephants.
When they could the caretakers would let us feed them. And the shows
my memories allow me to remember I know there aren’t any today
the way they were then, grandiose, exciting, colorful, and dangerous.
Ah, but then there was the day, a misty, rainy day. Luckily my
mother had bought us bright new yellow and red raincoats that fall
and luckily she had a young teenaged sister who quite “hip”
for the times. The crooner, the suave, the handsome, the young and
probably the most famous singer of all time,
Frank Sinatra. Frank was appearing at the Sussex Avenue Armory.
Filmmakers from the newspapers were there, people 4 &5 rows
deep at the fence were there, and in the first row closest there
we were in our bright raincoats. If you ever get a chance to see
news film clips in the archives, look close, you can’t miss
us in those bright raincoats. Exciting, you better believe! Even
though I later got to see Frank in performance at that other place,
you know where. For me that performance was not as exciting as that
day when I glimpsed Frank Sinatra around the corner from my childhood
home.
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