CELEBRATING BAYONNE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Life o n th e Peninsula Spring / Summer 2019
Bayonne Big Shots On the Waterfront Mom-and-Pop to Big Box Good Neighbors Ever Green
WHOLE BODY CRYOTHERAPY Whole body cryotherapy is a process of cooling the skin to about 32 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 2-3 minutes. Cryotherapy tricks the body into “fight or flight mode” triggering the release of epinephrine, endorphins and anti-inflammatory proteins. Benefits include: Easing the pain associated with chronic inflammation conditions, faster athletic recovery time, increasing metabolism & energy.
ANTI-AGING & WELLNESS SPA
HALO THERAPY
CRYO T-SHOCK Cryo T- Shock is a 30 minute to one hour massage technique that uses heat and cold to destroy fat cells, increase collagen, help with micro circulation. Results are usually visible within a week of the first session.
Negatively charged ions in the salt particles are inhaled and absorbed into the skin to expel mucus and push out toxins. Salt therapy or Halotherapy is safe, non-invasive and is also very much relaxing. Halo-therapy is known to be beneficial for skin health, the respiratory system and also helps in treating various issues like stress, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, lethargy and also depression issues.
INFRARED SAUNA Infrared Sauna lights penetrate cells and heat the body at the core penetrating human tissue. Unlike traditional saunas that heat the air creating a moist breeding ground for bacteria to grow and multiply. Infrared saunas help your body release a number of toxins, including heavy metals like mercury and lead, and environmental chemicals. They are also an effective tool for natural healing and prevention.
LOCAL CRYOTHERAPY Local cryotherapy uses a smaller unit with an attached handheld device which applies cold air at -240F to the troubled areas of one’s body. Benefits include: promoting healing, reducing pain, swelling, bruising, and revitalizing the skin, reducing the signs of aging, stimulaing collagen production and combats issues like wrinkles, fine lines, and blemishes.
Come Chill with Us! GO HOLISTIC
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2 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
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CONTENTS BLP
22
COVER PHOTO BY Victor M. Rodriguez FEATURES 18
Changing Bayonne
22
Bayonne Big Shots
42
Industries
52
Mom & Pop to Big Box
64
BCB Bank
68
Transportation
74
Health & Wellness
82
Parks & Recreation
86
Military
18
DEPARTMENTS 5
LETTER FROM THE MAYOR
10
DATES
11
EDITOR’S LETTER
34
ON THE WATERFRONT
58
HELPING HANDS
42 52
72, 96, 98 THEN & NOW 78
HOW WE LVE
92
EATERY AND WATERING HOLE
78
86 82 4 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
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Letter from the Mayor March 2019 Dear Friends and Neighbors:
O
n behalf of our municipal government, I would like to send greetings to all readers on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the City of Bayonne. We are rightly proud of the contributions that our community and our residents have made to the world since 1869. In our early days, Bayonne was known for its resort hotels, boating, farming, and fishing. Later, Bayonne became the home to oil refineries and factories, and was called the Peninsula of industry. We helped provide the industrial production needed for American forces in World Wars I and II. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Bayonne’s industrial sector produced petroleum products, chemicals, pickles, castor oil, intimate apparel, parachutes, mayonnaise, dolls, boats, diners, cable, cardboard boxes, barrels, boilers, and windows, among many others. In more recent years, Bayonne has become a residential community for thousands of commuters, due to our convenient location in the heart of the metropolitan area. Bayonne is undergoing a great, new period of growth in the 21st century. No matter what changes lie ahead, we will strive to remain a great hometown for thousands of families for the next 150 years and beyond.
Sincerely:
Mayor James M. Davis
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Life on the Peninsula PUBLISHER Perry Corsetti EDITOR IN CHIEF Kate Rounds MANAGING EDITOR Gene Ritchings EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Delfin Ganapin
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6 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Bayonne Life on the Peninsula is published by Newspaper Media Group, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002 (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email bayonnemag@hudsonreporter.com. --Subscriptions are $10 per year, $25 for overseas, single copies are $7.50 each, multiple copy discounts are available. VISA/MC/AMEX accepted. Subscription information should be sent to BLP Magazine Subscriptions, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2019, Newspaper Media Group All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
Bayonne – Life on the Peninsula is a publication of Newspaper Media Group 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07030 phone 201.798.7800 • fax 201.798.0018
CONGRATULATIONS to the
CITY
OF
BAYONNE
in celebration of its
150TH ANNIVERSARY
Hudson County Executive
TOM DEGISE BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
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what’s doin’... Want your event listed? Please email us at bcneditorial@hudsonreporter.com and put “Bayonne Magazine calendar listings” in the subject line.
ongoing Bayonne Farmers Market, Fitzpatrick Park, Avenue C and 27th Street, Tuesdays, 2-7 p.m., through October. The Hudson Toastmasters Club, Bayonne Public Library, 697 Avenue C, first and third Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Toastmasters International encourages the art of public speaking and develops leadership skills. Guests are welcome. Visit Our New Location This Spring! 676-678 Broadway
22nd Street
MeAt MArKet Serving Bayonne for 55 yearS
Happy Anniversary
and Thank You Bayonne for your Patronage.
Stop in for all your BBQ delicacieS all typeS of SteaKS: • FILET MIGNON • SKIRT • SIRLOIN STRIP • RIB & T-BONE - Custom Cut to any thiCkness
483 AVE. C (betw. 21st & 22nd) BAYONNE, NJ 07002 WE DELIVER • 201.437.0188 Min. Order $10 • Delivery Charge $2 OPEN: MON. - FRI. 8 AM - 6 PM • SAT. until 5:30 PM MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
10 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Book Worms Wanted, Senior Center, Avenue B and 56th Street, every Thursday, 1-2:30 p.m. Do you like to read? Do you enjoy discussing books? We read a variety of books which the library gets for us. You do not have to be a senior to join. Give us a try; new members are always welcome. For information, call Ralph at (201) 437-9608. Kings Knight Chess McCafe, McDonalds, 25th Street, Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. Kings Knight Chess will provide chess instruction for youth, adults, and seniors. Free meals for youth. see page 14
Burnishing our Image
EDITOR’S LETTER BLP
P
lease join me in thanking the photographers and artists who helped make this 150th Anniversary issue a vision to behold. For the romance and reality of history, we thank Gerard Nowicki of the Bayonne Historical Society. He lovingly preserved thousands of prints and agreed to share many of them with us. The same goes for JP Porcaro of the Free Public Library and Cultural Center of Bayonne, who generously opened the library’s pictorial archives. Our shutterbugs were out in force including Pat Bonner, Tim Matus, Rory Pasquariello, Victor M. Rodriguez, Max Ryazansky, Al Sullivan, Chris Taylor and Tbishphoto. Those responsible for the beautiful layouts and ads? Our graphics staff of Lisa M. Cuthbert, Terri Saulino Bish, and Alyssa Bredin Quiros. These artists have brought to life the words of our wonderful writers: Marilyn Baer, Pat Bonner, Mike Montemarano, Rory Pasquariello, Tara Ryazansky, and Al Sullivan. We are grateful to the City of Bayonne and the residents of this great town for making it such a great place to live and work. Here’s to 150 more wonderful years!
Photo by Marie Papp
to the entire Bayonne community on your very special 150th anniversary
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Bayonne’s Business District is thriving!
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from page 10 The Bayonne Women’s Club, Grace Lutheran Church, 826 Avenue C, first Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. For more information, please like us on Facebook at Bayonne Women’s Club. Chair Yoga for Seniors with the Division of Recreation, 56th Street Senior Center. Every Wednesday 10-11 a.m. For information, contact the 56th Street Senior Center at (201) 437-5996. Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation is looking for volunteers and foster homes for pets. If you would like to help, please contact Kathy at (201) 823-2363. Hudson County Animal League Adoptions, every Saturday from 12-4 p.m. at Petvalu, 307 Bayonne Crossing Way, Bayonne. For information, call Charlene, (201) 8950952 or Kathleen, (201) 895-3874.
Serving Bayonne for 27 Years! FACIALS, MASSAGES, HAIR, NAILS, WAXING & MORE
201.339.8800
www.SpaofBayonne.com
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Joyce-Herbert V.F.W. Post 226 Museum seeks military history, military memorabilia and military paraphernalia, and donations to support the growing military museum. All items are either donated or loaned to our museum. The contact persons for donations are Commander Glen J. Flora and Director and Senior Vice Commander Joseph Kennedy. The museum at 16 W. Ninth St. is open Saturdays, 12-4 p.m. see page 38
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY OF BAYONNE ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF INCORPORATION
At the time of Bayonne’s 125th Anniversary, the City Administration consisted of Mayor Leonard P. Kiczek and City Council Members Joseph L. Makowski, President, Dorothy Harrington, Vincent LoRe Jr., John Halecky and Robert Burroughs With a New Spirit of purpose, from 1994 to 1998 our team ushered in a New Era of progress as evidenced by significant accomplishments such as: Adopted Bayonne’s first Master Plan in 25 years, which completely revised the Planning and Zoning Codes, paving the way for development on Route 169 (now Route 440) and the city’s first multiplex movie theater; Worked with NJ Transit to move the proposed Light Rail Station from the former EFKA Plastics plant at North Street & Avenue A to the historic location at Eight Street & Avenue C; Prevented the Port Authority of NY/NJ from acquiring the 473-acre MOT, which would have allowed them to pay no property taxes, and enticed a major cruise line to establish a berth; Upgraded technology at City Hall by installing more than 150 computer workstations across all departments, particularly Police, Fire, Health and Public Works, to improve services to the public; Negotiated the reacquisition of the 80-acre former city landfill then owned by PSE&G and intended for a nuclear power plant, and initiated total remediation of the site, leading to the development of the Bayonne Golf Course.
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Congratulations to the
City of Bayonne on its
150th Anniversary! CONGRESSMAN ALBIO SIRES Serving the 8th District of New Jersey
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Newark Bay circa early 1900s
Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
The Changing Bayonne By Pat Bonner
I
realized that Bayonne was changing in the late 1980s when I represented a barge that had an oil spill at Exxon. I was surprised that so many residents of Bayonne, grandchildren of Standard Oil retirees, were upset about the pollution. Growing up in the 1950s, I knew both bays and the Kill were polluted and assumed they would always be. But now, residents will not stand for it. They want cleaner industries so they can enjoy Bayonne’s natural resources. With older equipment and higher wages, some factories could no longer compete with plants elsewhere. These and other factors changed Bayonne. Companies that could adapt did well. New businesses, meanwhile, replaced heavy industry, taking advantage of Bayonne’s assets. The desire to enjoy our waterfront led to new housing and more public spaces on the shoreline.
Bridging the Gap One company that did adapt is International–Matex Tank Terminals, better known as IMTT. Founded by James Coleman in 1939 in Avondale, Louisiana, IMTT
18 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Bayonne Golf Club
Photo by Pat Bonner
handles and stores bulk liquid products. It purchased the Exxon operations in 1993 after having purchased the Tidewater facilities in 1983. In 1997 IMTT purchased the Constable and Powell Duffryn Terminals and in 2004, the Coastal terminals at Bergen Point and Fifth Street. Today, IMTT has 620 oil tanks in Bayonne with a capacity of 16 million barrels and is the largest industrial property owner in the city. Much of the tug, barge, and tanker traffic on our waterways is going to or leaving from one of IMTT’s 21 docks. IMTT runs an efficient, clean operation that employs 370 workers, the largest private employer in the city. However, this number is a fraction of the people employed by Standard, Tidewater, and Texaco in their heyday. Most Bayonne residents no longer work or look for work on our waterfront.
Hauling and Holidays
Aerial shot of industrial Bayonne
Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
However, there still are a lot of people (593,423 to be exact) going to our waterfront for another reason: vacation. That’s the number of cruise passengers who debarked from Bayonne in 2017. Three cruise lines operate from the Cape Liberty Cruise port that was part of the old MOTBY: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and TUI Cruises, a Hamburg-based company. The companies will offer about 90 cruises from Bayonne in 2019 so these days, instead of sailors, we can expect to see a lot of tourists coming from that section of town. In the 1950s, a trucking company executive had an idea that revolutionized the transportation industry. Malcolm McLean thought that if you could load the box that carried all of a truck’s cargo onto a ship, have the ship carry that box somewhere and load it back onto a truck or a rail car, you would save a lot of time and
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IMTT
Photo by J. Krempa
PT Boat Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
La Tourette Hotel - Bergen Point circa 1800s Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
Global Container Terminal Photo by Nick Souza
handling. This was the birth of containerized shipping. For this system to work, the terminal must be readily accessible by road and rail and have space to hold thousands of containers. Piers in Manhattan and Brooklyn were not big enough, but Bayonne was ideal for containers. We had deep water in New York Bay and were close to the turnpike and the Greenville Rail Yards. We also had a wild, undeveloped section on the east side, south of the city line called the “Long Docks.” It had been known primarily for cattails, called punks that kids dried and smoked; they looked like cigars. Two of my uncles once found a dead body there in this vacant marshland. Taking advantage of its location, Global Terminal began to set up a container port there in 1972. Today, Global Container Terminal consists of 167 acres with a 2,700-foot dock and eight huge gantry cranes. It’s a highly mechanized, automated operation employing around 500 people working on the “boxships.” It handles around 650,000 containers or similar lifts a year and can load100 containers onto a ship in an hour. With a water depth of 50 feet next to the pier, it can handle the largest container ships afloat.
On Firm Ground Being in the center of the Eastern seaboard with easy rail, truck and, ship access, Bayonne has become a distribution center for many companies. The Baron Herzog group has two subsidiaries here. Royal Wine, the largest distributer of kosher wines in the world, is on LeFante Way. The grapes for Kedem wine are grown elsewhere, but the wine is bottled in Bayonne and sent around the world. Its sister company, Kayko, is the largest distributer of Kosher foods in the country, handling 150 brands. It stores 5,000 different frozen, grocery, and perishable products in its new stateof-the-art, 300,000-square-foot warehouse on New Hook Road. Among the many brands it distributes are Knorr Soup, Similac Formula, Lay’s Potato Chips and Lipton Tea.
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Building Bayonne
Teardrop Memorial
The first areas to be developed as part of Bayonne’s building boom were the old industrial sites. The 32-acre Elco site, where hundreds of PT boats were built, turned into Boat Works in 2004. There are now 160 townhouses costing in the $400,000-range on the site. In 2009, Maidenform became Silk Lofts consisting of 85 studio and one- and two-bedroom units. The first residential units at MOTBY were opened in 2009. There are currently 554 residential units at Harbor Pointe with many more to come. Throughout the city many other sites are being developed as people who want to live by the water and be close to New York City are lured here.
The Other Kind of Green The Bayonne Golf Club may be the LaTourette Hotel of today. With a reported initiation fee as high as $150,000, it would appear to be designed for the very wealthy rather than the average Bayonne resident. Built on a former landfill, it has spectacular views of New York Bay and the lower Manhattan skyline. Viewed on a cold blustery January day, it is deserted, and it seems to some that this piece of Bayonne geography may be too valuable for an exclusive golf course. Amid the building boom, the public has demanded that more areas of the shoreline be left undeveloped and open to the public. We all want to enjoy the views that Pierre DuPont had more than 150 years ago. The city has responded. There are nature trails at Rutkowski Park adjacent to Steven Gregg Park. AhernVeteran’s Park and DiDomenico-16th Street Park have been expanded. Dennis Collins Park has been improved and now takes up most of First Street. On the East side, the Hudson River Walkway Conservancy has plans for an 18.5 mile, 30-foot-wide path along the water from the George Washington Bridge to the tip of Bayonne. Much of the area in Bayonne is still privately owned though current plans include a walkway from the Teardrop Memorial, around the Golf Course almost to IMTT, a length of almost three miles. The area completed passes the spot where Henry Hudson and the Half Moon visited on September 11, 1609. Looking ahead one could envision more private/public cooperation to extend this path through industrial areas, giving Bayonne residents even more access to the waters that surround them. Driven by its geography, Bayonne will continue to change and probably in ways no one can predict in 2019.—BLP
Walkway Conservancy Photo by Pat Bonner
Anthem of the Seas
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
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Right Here in Bayonne! Home to the famous, the fabled and maybe even the mythic
ULYSSES S. GRANT
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
SANDRA DEE
By Al Sullivan Photos by Max Ryazansky, Al Sullivan, courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Socety, the Bayonne Public Library, and Shutterstock.com
R
onald Reagan didn’t plan to stop off in Bayonne during his 1980 campaign for president. But his friend, Bayonne resident Ray Donovan, suggested that he meet “real people.” “So one night he took me over to Barrett’s Tavern,” Reagan recalled. “And I’ll have to admit it was one of the more memorable moments of the campaign. We not only couldn’t get in on the floor of the barroom, they were standing on the bar. Finally, it was so
UNCLE MILTY’S
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EDDIE “ELVIS” O’ROURKE
THE DE WITT THEATER
FRANK LANGELLA AS “DRACULA”
BARNEY FRANK
CHUCK WEPNER
jammed there that we had to go out on the steps and speak to the people outside. But it was a wonderful evening.” Reagan was not the first president who came to Bayonne. Ulysses S. Grant spent time here when Bayonne was known for its yacht clubs and upscale hotels. Other historic figures came as well, and some Bayonne natives have made it big.
Action! Bayonne, which has been featured in several hundred movies, TV shows, and commercials, played a key role in the history of filmmaking. Most significant was Centaur film studios, which later became part of Universal Studios. Many of Centaurs films were processed at its Avenue E plant. Arguably the most notorious moment in Bayonne film history occurred when Mae West attempted to stage a show called “Sex” for which she was arrested in Jersey City on orders of legendary Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague.
MAYOR DENNIS COLLINS
BAYONNE -- Life Life on on the the Peninsula Peninsula -- SPRING SPRING // SUMMER SUMMER 2019 2019 •• 23 23 BAYONNE
FRANK VINCENT
MICKEY ROURKE FILMING “THE WRESTLER”
Before going onto Hollywood in 1917, Stan Laurel made seven silent films in BaySISTER MIRIAM TERESA onne. Brian Keith, who would become famous for his role in the 1960s television show “Family Affair,” was born in Bayonne and started out as a child star in silent films. “A Beautiful Mind” was filmed in Bayonne. So was Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds,” starring Tom Cruise. Bayonne was also featured in the original 1939 Halloween radio broadcast of Orson Welles’s “War of the Worlds.” Bruce Willis made several appearances in Bayonne, and Bayonne High School has appeared in dozens of films, including the 1997 film “Grosse Pointe Blank,” starring John Cusack who was filmed in front of the school talking to the actor who played his former teacher. Sandra Dee, best known as “Gidget,” is from Bayonne. Dee performed “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” in the St. Patrick’s Day program at her local school and went onto international stardom. She was so popular that Bayonne put on a parade for her when she returned for a visit in 1960. Elvis impersonator Eddie O’Rourke, another Bayonne legend, met Dee at a Hollywood restaurant where she spoke nostalgically about growing up in Bayonne.
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LYCEUM THEATER
THE BRIDGEMEN
MARY TYLER MOORE & FORMER BCN EDITOR LYNNE RAFAEL (L)
BILL CLINTON
Mary Tyler Moore came to Bayonne in 1989 to film her follow-up to the very successful “Mary Tyler Moore Show.” She met with local dignitaries, including then-mayor Dennis Collins, and visited some local places such as Brady’s Dock, the former ferry slip and popular fishing spot, and the Barney Stock store on Broadway. Actor Tammy Blanchard, who has appeared in scores of films with a number of prominent actors, including Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, and Meryl Streep, grew up in Bayonne, following Sandra Dee’s path to success. “When I was eight or 10, I sang solo ‘Over the Rainbow,’ and people liked me,” Blanchard recalled. “I knew I was going to perform the rest of my life.” Frank Langella, who attended elementary and high school in Bayonne, went on to a VLADIMR PUTIN stellar acting career on stage and screen playing Richard Nixon, Dracula, King Lear, and many other starring roles. Bayonne produced fictional mobsters such as Frank Vincent, a star on “The Sopranos” and several other gangster flicks including “Goodfellas,” “Gotti,” and “Witness to the Mob.” This was only fitting, since Bayonne also had its share of real mobsters.
TAMMY BLANCHARD
ED McMAHON
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BRIAN KEITH
ARTIST BILLY ZYBLET
“CAKE BOSS” BUDDY VALASTRO
Wanna go to a Flick? Bayonne seemed to be in love with movies. At one time, it had five movie theatres, four on Broadway: the Strand, the DeWitt, the Lyceum, and the Plaza. The Opera House on Avenue C was later renamed The Victory when it began showing movies as well. All the theaters eventually closed. Though there was an effort to build another on Broadway in the 1990s, Bayonne remained without a theater until the Frank Family opened Frank Theatres on Lafante Way in 2005. Bayonne also produced its own entertainment. Uncle Milty’s Amusement Park or “Miltyville” on First Street was a kid’s dream destination. The park, in Bergen Point on the Kill Van Kull, was named for Milton Tone, the man who operated it. Thousands of people enjoyed the attraction until the park’s property was sold to the city in 1969 and later became what is now Dennis P. Collins Park.
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NARROWBRIDGE FEATURES
THE HI HAT
“YODA” MURAL
GEORGE LAKOFF
BRUCE WILLIS
Photo by Mikethelinguist Own work
Music Memories “SNOOKIE”
George Crimmins of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show still lives in Bayonne. Less well-known is the fact that, Clem Burke drummer for Blondie, grew up here. Burke got his start as a drummer with Bayonne’s legendary and beloved Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps, which created a memorable moment when it gathered outside the home of former Mayor Dennis Collins and played “Danny Boy” for him just before his death in 2010. O’Rourke, a well-known Elvis impersonator, remodeled his Bergen Point home to resemble Graceland. Few realized how important O’Rourke had become until his death when Elvis’s daughter attended his funeral. O’Rourke’s home would later become the site of the Bridge Gallery art studio, founded by Cheryl and Christopher Mack, who named the gallery after the Bayonne Bridge. Although Frank Sinatra is forever associated with Hoboken, according to former Bayonne Mayor Richard Ratkowski, whose family owned the legendary Hi Hat Club, Sinatra was a frequent performer there.
HENRY SANCHEZ (L) & STEVEN SPIELBERG
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TOM CRUISE FILMING “WAR OF THE WORLDS”
Scribblers
EDDIE “ELVIS” O’ROURKE’S HOME NOW BRIDGE ART GALLERY
Bayonne produced some very famous writers of its own including George R.R. Martin, author of “Game of Thrones,” the book that gave rise to the blockbuster series. Although Martin’s grandfather constructed Brady’s Dock on First Street, Martin spent the 1950s living in a public housing project in Bayonne. Steven V. Roberts, who published books about growing up in Bayonne, started out as a copy editor for a Bayonne newspaper and went on to cover Washington D.C. for The New York Times. He is married to well-known pundit Cokie Roberts. During a visit to Bayonne, Roberts recounted highlights of his childhood, recalling some of the famous people who played at Bayonne’s historic Hi-Hat night club. They included Rodney Dangerfield and Jackie Gleason. Roberts recalled a gag from Gleason’s show, “The Honeymooners,” in which Gleason threatened to send his wife, Alice, to the moon, and his best friend, Norton, to Bayonne.
Grab Bag of Big Shots Bayonne Boxer Chuck Wepner went from working on a beer truck to a championship bout with Muhammad Ali. His story became the model for the first “Rocky” film starring Sylvester Stallone. Liev Schreiber played Wepner in the 2016 movie, “Chuck.” Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s sidekick for more than 30 years, grew up in Bayonne. He lived near First Street and Kelly Parkway. His father owned one of the amusements at Uncle Milty’s. As a boy, McMahon
28 28 •• BAYONNE BAYONNE--Life Lifeon onthe thePeninsula Peninsula-- SPRING SPRING // SUMMER SUMMER 2019 2019
STATUES ON BROADWAY
CLEM BURKE
PHOTO BY SHIVER_SHIV
https://www.flickr.com/ photos/shiver
RONALD REAGAN
sold newspapers on street corners and was one of the first boys from Bayonne to cross the Bayonne Bridge when it first opened in 1931. In 1903, Carrie Nation was reportedly arrested in Bayonne for disturbing the peace. There have been sightings of Snooki, Robin Williams, and Joe Torre; Paris Hilton was spotted on a Bayonne stoop, stroking a dog.
Politics and Piety President Bill Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin were on hand to dedicate the 9/11Teardrop Memorial in 2006. Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of the U.S. House of Representatives, related in his autobiography how he worked at his father’s truck stop in Jersey City. “It helped because, by the time I was ready to enter the job world, I had had a pretty broad exposure to a wide range of people,” he said in an interview. George Lakoff, who was raised in Bayonne, has become one of the most premier linguists in contemporary times, widely seen and heard on broadcast media. Sister Miriam Teresa, who was born in Bayonne, decided at an early age to dedicate her life to God. She is poised to become Bayonne’s only saint. Bayonne is a city of religious institutions. St. Vincent de Paul features stained glass by famed Irish artist Harry Clarke, and new houses of worship with new ethnic con-
gregations have emerged. Bayonne Muslims are seeking to build A Muslim Community Center, and a Coptic church was constructed on the site of Barrett’s Tavern where President Ronald Reagan made his memorable appearance in 1980. Talk about full circle. —BLP
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32 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
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La Tourette Hotel - Bergen Point circa 1800s Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
U.S. Coast Guard Station
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
The
Peninsula City
Function follows form By Pat Bonner
B
ayonne has changed over the past 150 years, but there has been one constant—its geography, surrounded by water on three sides, a few miles from New York City and right in the middle of the Eastern seaboard. These factors have shaped Bayonne and will continue to in the future. It may be hard for us to imagine now, but Newark Bay, New York Bay, and the Kill Van Kull once were picturesque bodies of water teeming with aquatic life. In the years following the Civil War, Bayonne was a center of the oyster industry. The shallow
34 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Overlooking the Bayonne Golf Club and GCT Bayonne Photo by Pat Bonner
Shad Fishing in Newark Bay circa 1800s
Courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
shores of the two bays were ideal spawning grounds. Other areas in New York harbor were either too deep or the currents too strong to foster the growth of oysters. At the time of the Civil War, five percent of Bayonne’s residents were listed as “oystermen.” This number expanded after the war. Bayonne became a leading source of seed oysters (smaller oysters that can be transplanted to other waters) for the entire country. In 1886, the Ellsworth family at the foot of East 35th Street shipped 30,000 bushels of seed oysters to California. A second big producer was the Vreeland family of West 25th. For some unknown reason, the older oysters liked New York Bay better than Newark Bay, so the Vreelands transported the oysters across town to New York Bay for fattening up.
More than Mollusks The scenic waters of Bayonne were a draw for the wealthy who wanted to remain close to New York City. Following the French Revolution, Pierre Dupont bought property on West 1st Street and named the house “Bon Secours” or “Good Stay.” When Pierre went to France with Thomas Jefferson to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, his son Victor moved in. Victor reportedly
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
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Remains of the Central Railroad of New Jersey trestle
Photo by Tim Matus
Robbins Reef Yact Club circa 1900s
Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
enjoyed Bayonne’s “abundant fishing and hunting.” The DuPonts moved to Delaware in 1802 to pursue other endeavors, but their house continued to play a big part in the development of the city. “Bon Secours” was purchased by Captain David La Tourette in 1845. He greatly expanded it and renamed it the La Tourette Hotel. At one time it was said to be the largest hotel in New Jersey with 200 rooms and occupying 17 acres. La Tourette advertised that there were 60 connections a day—train and ferry—to New York City. For 50 years, the hotel and Bergen Point were the center of the social whirl of high society; the Hamptons of their day. Regular guests were the Vanderbilts, President Grant, and other celebrities including General Sherman, Mark Twain, and the Emperor of Brazil.
Yachting anyone? The waters around Bayonne were ideal for yacht racing; Bayonne became a yachting center with clubs, yacht builders, and suppliers. This was a sport for the wealthy as well as the growing middle class. The biggest clubs—Pavonia, Robbins Reef, Atlas, and Bayswater—were located in the Pamrapo (Algonquin for rocks) section of the city on New York Bay from 40th to 50th Street and were quite swanky. They sponsored a whole range of balls, dances, and other social activities. Many residents built yachts and provided accessories for the sport. It was such a big part of life in Bayonne that the official seal of the city features a sailing vessel. The geography that drew the wealthy to Bayonne to vacation
36 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Atlas Boat Club Photo by Al Sullivan
Industrial Bayonne circa 1900s
Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
soon attracted industry. In 1877, John D. Rockefeller bought a small refinery in Constable Hook. He started a trend that would turn a small, sleepy town of 4,000 people into an industrial powerhouse.—BLP
Congratulations to the City of Bayonne on 150 years of innovation and growth!
www.mysuezwater.com BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
37
from page 14
The Township of WEEHAWKEN congratulates The City of BAYONNE on it’s
150
TH ANNIVERSARY
Young at Heart Seniors meet on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at 12:30 p.m. at the Senior Center at West 4th Street. Musical Mondays at the Museum, 229 Broadway, every second Monday of the month. Doors open at 6 p.m. and entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m.
april 6 The Pulaski Parade Committee Sashing Brunch, the Chandelier Restaurant, 1081 Broadway, 11:30 a.m. The brunch will honor the 2019 Bayonne Contingent Marshal, Kamilla Domanski. Tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for students. For information, call Ann Dworzanski at (201) 436-2244. The Sunny Spring Matinee Tricky Tray, The Heart of Jesus Polish Catholic Church, 290 Avenue E, 2:30-6:30 p.m. Hosted by the Hudson County Animal League. Admission is $12 plus a can of Friskies cat food for our homeless cats. If you can, please bring an item for the Bayonne Food Bank. Admission includes a sheet of raffle tickets, dessert, coffee, tea, and goodies on the table. Water and soft drinks will be available for purchase. There will be door prizes too. For tickets, call (201) 736-7560 or email hcalnj@ gmail.com.
13
Richard F. Turner David J.Curtis
Mayor
Councilman at Large
TOWN COUNCIL
Rosemary J. Lavagnino Second Ward Councilwoman
Giovanni D. Ahmad Township Manager
Trinity Parish Bus Ride to Tropicana Casino, 9:30 a.m. The cost is
Carmela Silvestri-Ehret First Ward Councilwoman
Raul I. Gonzalez Third Ward Councilman
38 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
see page 41
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
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The Bayonne Chapter of UNICO National Celebrating 70 years of “Service Above Self”
We are proud of the support for the past seven decades as we strive to meet the needs of an ever changing and diverse community. Thank you to the major sponsors who have made our efforts possible • • • • •
BCB Community Bank Ken’s Marine Service Charles Fiumefreddo Inserrra Supermarket Group Control Demolition
With the support of these and many other community members, we have raised and expended over $1,000,000.00 on behalf of the Bayonne community, including: • Over 40,000 meals paid for & prepared for Bayonne’s soup kitchens and food pantries • Donated Christmas gifts to families in need • Youth Sponsorships - Boy Scouts, LIttle League, BYSA Soccer Teams, PAL, Special Needs Programs
• Provided funding for the construction of a life skills room in the Bayonne Public Schools for children with disabilities, and a grant to the Bayonne YMCA for renovation of their daycare facility. • $250,000.00 awarded in scholarships.
• Contributions to hundreds of non-profit organizations, including Cooley’s Anemia, Madeline Fiadine Lore Foundation, Community Cancer Support, The Simpson Baber Foundation for the Autistic and United Cerebral Palsy • Currently sponsoring a Service Dog for our veterans
While primarily an Italian-American organization, today’s members acknowledge the vision and hard work of the founding members. The organization was built with a desire to give back to the community. We continue to draw strength from the example set by our ancestors; for the most part immigrants seeking justice, peace, and prosperity for themselves and families in the new world. We pledge our effort to the Bayonne community for another 70 years of Service Above Self. We hope we can count on your continued support of our efforts to serve the community and be a shining example of tolerance and resilience; which makes Bayonne a unique and diverse community.
40 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
DENTISTRY with Monique
HAPPY 150TH ANNIVERSARY!
And Thank You Bayonne. FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. Monique Dardzinski is best known for connecting with her patients and making them feel comfortable. She puts special emphasis in making sure patients get all their questions answered and have their treatment tailored to their special needs. She, along with her friendly and knowledgeable staff, will provide you with the highest quality, most up-dated care available in a clean, comfortable environment.
from page 38 $35 with slot play of the day. Bus departs from the church parking lot of 5th Street off of Broadway. For information or tickets, call Judy at (201) 437-0464.
New Patient Special *LIMITED TIME ONLY*
$89.00 Cleaning, Exam, & X-Rays (orig. $250)
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475 Avenue C Bayonne, NJ 07002
201-339-2142 Visit us at www.dentistrywithmonique.com
(orig. $1,500) Free consultation available! Insurance Restrictions Apply
28 Phyllis & Adelaide are running a fun filled bus ride to the Sands Bethlehem PA, 10:30 a.m. Cost is $36 per person with a $35 Slot Play (no food coupon). Bus leaves from East 35th Street. There will be refreshments and raffles. For information or to purchase tickets, call Phyllis at (201) 339-4517. Please purchase tickets in advance – all proceeds will benefit various charities in Bayonne.
may 3 Mary J. Donohoe’s Annual Tricky Tray, Villa Maria, 417 Broadway, 6 p.m. The ticket cost is $40 which includes a buffet dinner, dessert, coffee, tea and soda. There will also be a cash bar. For information, email mjdpta@optimum.net.
4
Buddy Baseball Opening Day, Bayonne Community Museum, 229 Broadway, 9 a.m. Festivities will be-
and The City of Bayonne
Kenneth Woolley Sales Representative Office - 201.339.8282 Cell - 201.850.3739 kwoolley@weichert.com Bayonne Office . 151B LeFante Way South Cove Commons
NJAR Circle of Excellence Bronze Sales Award Weichert Million Dollar Sales Club National Association of Realtors Member
LIST WITH ME!
see page 66
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
41
BaYoNNE MAKES, the WORLD takes By Pat Bonner
W
hen John D. Rockefeller purchased Prentice Oil, it had 20 employees and produced up to 600 barrels of oil a day. Over the next 40 years, the Bayonne Refinery of Standard Oil became the largest refinery in the world with 13 piers spread over 650 acres, employing 5,500 people and processing 77,000 barrels of oil daily. By 1914, more than half of the city’s wage earners worked at Standard. It seemed everyone had at least one family member working there. My family was no different; both my grandfathers and three uncles retired from Standard after many years of working at “The Hook.” Standard needed workers; many flocked to Bayonne from nearby Ellis Island. The population soared from 4,000 in 1870 to 70,000 in 1920. Originally, these workers were mostly German and Irish immigrants. Due to an active hiring clerk, Standard was jokingly called O’Donnell’s Oil Works in Donegal, Ireland, by those moving to Bayonne. But by 1915, the foremen were second generation German and Irish but the laborers were mainly newly arrived Slovaks, Italians, and Polish. Roughly 30 percent of the employees could not read, write, or speak English. The company tried to hinder labor organizing by mixing the various nationalities in labor crews. Average annual earnings were $818 while the company seemed to
be prospering greatly. The low wages and substandard working conditions led to a series of strikes in 1915 and 1916 that tore apart the city and left 14 workers dead. The mayor at the time, Pierre Garven, was also a lawyer for Standard, taking a procompany stance throughout the days of violence. Following the strike, Standard began to move some refining operations to Bayway, a newer and more efficient refinery.
Black Gold However, Standard’s wax-making production increased, making the Bayonne plant the largest wax producer in the world, accounting for 20 percent of the wax produced in the country. When the new hospital was built in 1927 at the then staggering cost of $600,000, Standard and its employees contributed $72,000; John D. Rockefeller contributed $75,000 ($1.04 million today). Standard’s success in Bayonne lured other oil companies, such as Tidewater, Gulf, Asiatic, and Texaco; hence Bayonne’s nickname, “The Oil City.” Tidewater arrived in 1878 and built a 288-mile pipeline from Bayonne to Pennsylvania. For many years Tidewater was the second largest taxpayer in the city and the employer of 2,100 workers, mostly Bayonne residents. The company had ongoing labor, tax and efficiency issues through the 1930s and ‘40s; it
42 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
left Bayonne in 1953, leaving 1,200 employees out of work.
Making Stuff Being on the water and close to major population centers made Bayonne attractive to companies that manufactured everything from cable and wire to PT boats, mayonnaise, and bras. In 1896, Safety Wire and Cable Company set up a plant on the Kill van Kull near Avenue A. In 1927 it merged with a number of companies to become General Cable. Much of the wiring and cable used by the military in the two world wars was produced in Bayonne. By the end of World War II, the company employed more than 800 here and shipped most of the cable from its own pier on the Kill. As a result of a large fire in 1969, many employees were laid off or moved elsewhere. In 1900, Elco opened a large shipyard on Avenue A. A few years after opening, it built 120 mine planters for the U.S. Navy in just 120 days. During World War I,
Best Foods made Shinola shoe polish.
the company constructed a large number of submarine chasers for the British Navy. It switched to pleasure and commercial craft during the years between the wars but made its greatest contribution during World War II. The plant ran 24 hours a day, constructing 399 PT boats, including PT 109, captained by President John F. Kennedy. At the same time, its sister company, Electro Dynamics on North Street, made electric motors for naval vessels.
Food and Foundation Garments Nuccia Margarine opened in Bayonne in 1906 at 99 Avenue A. In 1916 it became Best Foods, opening its first laboratory/kitchen in 1927. It started making Hellman’s Mayonnaise in 1934 and by the 1960s, was also making Mazola Margarine, Skippy Peanut Butter, Bosco, Karo, and Shinola shoe polish. The 500 Bayonne employees primarily made Hellmann’s and Mazola. With a home economist on staff, a product like Mazola was said to undergo 100 quality- control checks before being packaged. Best was acquired by the British/Dutch conglomerate Unilever, closing its Bayonne facility in 2003; 100 people lost jobs. In 1905, 18-year-old Ida Cohen came to the U.S. and set up a dressmaking shop in Hoboken. She married William Rosenthal, her childhood sweetheart from Russia, and opened a fancier shop on 57th Street in Manhattan. She began making undergarments called brassieres to make her dresses hang better on her customers. A brassiere would be given free with each dress purchased. They became so popular
Photo by J. Krempa
that she began mass producing her “bras.” Her husband joined her in the business; they farmed out some of the production to her sister in law who had a shop here on Broadway and 19th Street. By 1928, they had 18 machines making bras. In 1930, they merged all their shops and moved to a building on Avenue E and 18th Street. By 1984, Maidenform had sold more than 2 million bras and had factories around the world. The Rosenthal family has been closely affiliated with the Boy Scouts in Bayonne. In 1938, William Rosenthal donated 24 acres in northwest New Jersey to the Bayonne Council of Boy Scouts. The site was named Camp Lewis in honor of their son Lewis, a
Columbia University student who had recently died due to pneumonia and meningitis. Since that time, thousands of Bayonne scouts (including me) have enjoyed camping at Camp Lewis.
Is This the Party to Whom I am Speaking? Following the war, various industries in Bayonne suspended war production and were hiring fewer people. The slack was taken up by Western Electric in Kearny. In those days, no one owned their own phones; they leased them from
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
43
A T & T, which owned all the equipment including phones, switchboards, and devices connected to its system. This equipment was made by an A T & T subsidiary, Western Electric, which held a monopoly. Western was the largest employer in Hudson County for a time and employed about 4,000 people in its Kearny plant. In the 1950s and ‘60s, a representative from Bayonne High would come to each of the city’s Catholic schools to see how many eighth graders would be attending Bayonne High the next year. So many Bayonne residents worked for Western that the joke was that a Western representative would come to Bayonne High each spring to learn how many Bayonne graduates Western would hire that year. Western closed the Kearny plant in 1983. Working at Western may have been the start of a larger trend, continued to today, of workers living here and commuting to their jobs outside the city.
Former factories and oil tanks
On the Waterfront In the late 1930s, Bayonne voters approved a bond to develop the waterfront on New York Bay between Constable Hook and the Long Docks area. Work was done and then World War II erupted. This site was ideal for the U.S. Navy and then Mayor James Donovan lobbied the Navy to use the site. The Navy bought 396 acres and agreed to develop a naval supply center and ship-repair facility. The “Base” hummed with activity during the war. An average of more than a dozen ships called each day. The drydock, the largest on the East Coast, handled aircraft
ts worked at the Western
den Thousands of Bayonne resi
Electric plant in Kearny.
44 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
in downtown Bayonne
carriers and battleships damaged in combat. At its height, the Base employed 2,500 civilians along with thousands of Navy personnel. It was very common to see sailors in whites walking the streets of the city. Even through the ‘70s, two ships home-ported here, the USS Great Sitkin (AE-8) and the USS Mauna Loa (AE-17). Bayonne was considered good duty, so good in fact that when I was a newly commissioned ensign I requested on my “dream sheet” to be stationed on an auxiliary ship out of Bayonne. Alas, the Navy sent me instead to an auxiliary ship based as far away as possible from Bayonne, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I never complained to anyone about this. The Base was renamed MOTBY and taken over by the U.S. Army in 1967. It remained a vast supply center for the military. The drydock was reactivated in 1975 to repair commercial vessels, and continues in operation today. The Queen Elizabeth II had a 17-day facelift in the drydock in 1977. However, with the end of the Cold War the base was closed in 1999; the city took over the site in 2001. The closing of MOTBY was another big step in the transformation of Bayonne and its waterfront from heavy industry to a mixed-use mélange of transportation, residential, retail, and recreation.—BLP
Life on the Peninsula
Then & Now Top: The original Central Railroad of New Jersey Train Station at Eighth Street Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
Right: The Eighth Street Light Rail Station at the same location as the original Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
Animal Clinic of Bayonne
926 Broadway (corner of 44th Street) Bayonne, NJ 07002
201.437.6666
www.animalclinicofbayonne.com
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45
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46 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
BAYONNE OTW
Rapha Wellness Center offers cutting edge and traditional wellness therapy choices under one convenient roof: PHYSICAL & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
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Adults & Pediatrics Wellness Center CALL NOW OR COME IN FOR A FREE INITIAL SESSION
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
47
Generations of Dedication to Bayonne’s Children
48 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Today’s PAL What Summer Camp is All About!
STAFF
We Know our Kids Names and their Needs Year Round Adult Certified Staff who are First Aid & CPR Certified
CLASSES
Divided by Gender and Age • Carefully blended co-ed play & learning experience for 4, 5 & 6 year olds • Boys & Girls Groups – 7 & 8 years old – 9 & 10 Years old – 11 and 12 years old
ACTIVITIES
• Swimming 3 days per week 16th St. Pool (Mon., Wed., Friday- Weather permitting) * 4, 5 & 6 year olds in wading pool only (10:30 – 12:30) • Arts & Crafts with a full time art teacher • Cooking Classes • Controlled sports program (basketball, softball, hockey, volleyball & more) • PlayStation and X Box Game Rooms • Annual Summer Play – See Your Child Become a Star! • Weekly Prize Contests – HopScotch, Jump Rope, Football Throw, Big Prize Bingo, Talent Show • Field Trips – Bowling, Movies, Seaside & Jenkinson Arcade (no beaches), Pump it Up, Reboundez, Museum of Natural History
MEALS
Breakfast, Lunch and a Snack Every Day Fresh cooked, nutritious meals prepared on site Not delivered in containers • Breakfast Samples – Cereal, Bagel or Baked Goods with Fruit • Lunch Samples – Pasta & Meatballs, Hot Turkey & Mashed Potatoes, Tacos, Sloppy Joe, Hot Dogs & Beans. 2 Vegetables and Fruit are served with every lunch • Milk & Orange Juice everyday
Free Popcorn for Friday Afternoon Movies A variety of payment options are available, including Urban League FREE Transportation is Available for Pick-Up and Drop-Off
OPEN LONGER HOURS 7:30 am to 5:30 pm BAYONNE PAL | 550 Avenue A | 201.437.6427 or 201.858.6966 Entrance on West 23rd Street Door #7
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
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Bayonne Medical Center
Strong Roots for a
Healthier Community
The people of Bayonne have been our number one concern for more than 130 years—we’ve always been neighbors taking care of neighbors. Today, at Bayonne Medical Center, we remain dedicated to caring for you, your family, and our community by staying on the forefront of medical technology. This allows us to bring you advanced, award-winning, coordinated care. It is our honor to be Bayonne’s full-service hospital and to provide the people of Hudson County with: • • • •
•
Comprehensive Heart Care and an outstanding cardiology team, ready when you need them A Primary Stroke Center staffed by nurses and doctors specially trained to treat acute strokes A brilliant Emergency Room team backed by a full-service hospital to care for you Specialty Medicine for adult behavioral health, wound care, transitional care, radiation oncology, and dialysis, as well as a sleep center and surgical specialties A state-of-the-art Non-Invasive Cardiology and Cardiac catheterization lab serving the community for all urgent cardiovascular emergencies
50 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Your Very Own Concierge Free and easy to set up, our CarePlus Concierge service provides you with personalized attention, appointment scheduling, and much more. Sign up today at careplushealth.org, call (201) 884-5329, or email concierge@carepointhealth.org
Sign up to receive our healthcare blog at carepointhealth.org
Connect with us through social media
/CarePointHealth
@CarePointHealth
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
51
Mom-and-Pop
to Big Box
How we shop
Women lined up outside Barney Stock to get nylon stockings after World War Two. Photo courtesy of Mel Stock
52 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
By Tara Ryazansky
M
any longtime locals recall the days of shopping Broadway for all of life’s necessities, including a break for lunch. While online sources and big box stores play a big role in modern commerce, family businesses, and new shops off the beaten track draw enthusiastic shoppers. The Broadway Diner at 53rd Street and the Broadway Diner & 8th Street Bistro have been in owner Rocky Coviello’s family since his great grandmother started the business. The 53rd street location features holiday
Photo courtesy of Michael Bologh, owner, of Jerry’s Drug and Surgical sell things like dungarees and potbellied stoves,” he says. “In order to stay in business you have to adapt. All of these new buildings attract younger people, so we stock items to adapt to apartment owners.” Resnick says that he’s noticed more foot traffic and bike riders along Broadway recently.
Grocery store and butcher at 125 Prospect Ave., c. 1910. Courtesy of Mary Rose Onacilla buffets and private events in the adjoining venue, The Chandelier. The Bistro location is known for specialty Italian fare. Hudacko’s Pharmacy started as a soda fountain more than 70 years ago in a location that would later become Joe’s Pizza. Peter Halecky, along with his brother-in-law, Brian Host, are the current owners. Hudacko’s, currently at 861 Broadway, now offers brands like American Greeting Cards, Yankee Candles, and Melissa and Doug. The pharmacy provides vaccines and also does special dosing and formulations of medications made on site to meet the unique needs of patients, such as children who don’t weigh much or can’t swallow a pill. The pharmacy has a state-of-the art robot and a work flow system that frees up hu-
mans so they can answer customer questions. “People are making us a destination for holiday shopping,” Halecki says. One popular item has been the Bayonne Historical Society Christmas ornament. Last year the ornament featured historic Hudacko’s Pharmacy. Resnick’s Hardware has been at 800 Broadway since 2016, but its history in Bayonne dates back to 1912. The business was at 957 Broadway for almost 100 years. That location is currently the construction site of a 10-story condo building. “Now we’re more centrally located in town,” says owner, Larry Resnick. “We outgrew the other place.” The store also includes a party-rental business. Resnick, who works with his wife and son, is the fourth generation of his family to run the business. “They used to
Jerry’s Drug and Surgical Supply has been in Bayonne for more than 100 years. For around 70 years it has been at its current location at 455 Broadway. Ira Bologh has been the owner since 1982. His son, owner Michael Bologh, came into the business in 1990. The store, which has thrived because of its customer service, is open seven days a week. “These days you have to embrace technology,” Bologh says. “That makes it more convenient for our customers.” You can refill prescriptions via Smartphone app or 24-hour phone line. Jerry’s delivers, too. “Even on Christmas Day,” Bologh adds. “People need their medications.” The business also includes medical equipment sales, rentals, and repairs including hospital beds and wheelchairs. You don’t need an appointment for vaccinations, and there’s no wait time. Jerry’s also provides free vitamins to children ages 2-12, even if their parents aren’t customers. “We want to help people, help the community, and help families,” Bologh says. Al Richard’s has made sweets for Bayonne since 1981 when brothers, Alfred and Richard Stancampiano,
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here by 8 a.m. to open.” The store still gets the freshest products from meat wholesalers. In the mood for a great steak? Try Hendrickson’s Corner, 671 Broadway, established in 1884. The building has stained glass windows and an old-world style. Legend has it that the basement was once used as the town jail. The business was owned by the Hendrickson family for 80 years. They then sold it to the Czaplicki family who owned it from 1967 to 1981. The Capriola family then owned the business for 33 years before selling it to the O’Neill family in 2014.
Otaiko Habachi and Sushi Lounge. Photo by Terri Saulino Bish opened their store at 1052 Avenue C in the building that is now Robert’s Cafe. Business was slow at first, but they soon built the loyal fan base they have today. “Small mom-and-pop shops that make their own specialty will always survive if their product is exceptional, their pricing is fair, and their service is good,” Alfred says. “If you’re selling the same brands as Walmart or Amazon, you’re never going to be able to compete.” The chocolate-dipped fruit and weekly specials can’t be found anywhere else in Bayonne. The shop is at 851 Broadway, but you can indulge your sweet tooth from anywhere in the U.S. with their shipping services. Down the street at 763 Broadway, Judicke’s Bakery, famous for its sprinkle donuts, has been bringing sweets to Bayonne since 1924. At 468 Broadway, Herbert’s Army & Navy has been in Bayonne since 1928. It sells rugged brands like Carhartt and Timberland and is also an authorized dealer of school uniforms. Abramson’s Jeweler’s at 449 Broadway got its start in 1925 in the building that currently houses Pompei Pizza. The business was sold by the original owners to Frank Anderson in the 1950s. In 1988 Anderson’s sonin-law, Jerry Rooth, became the owner. In 2005 the business moved to its current location at 449 Broadway. The shop does repairs and sells fine
modern jewelry alongside beautiful estate pieces. Barney Stock Hosiery Shop is another classic Bayonne store. It has been in business for more than 95 years. The store is now owned by Barney’s son, Mel Stock. High-end cosmetics and handbags as well as undergarments are available. “Customers love our selection of famous brands at discount prices,” Stock says. The sign of a woman’s leg towering over Broadway at 23rd Street is legendary. Long-shuttered stores have left their mark with vintage signs that lend character to the streets. One is the Hyman Shoe Store mural on the corner of Avenue C and 21st Street. The business stood at that location from 1946 until it closed. Around the corner is the 22nd Street Meat Market. The store was opened in 1955 by Anthony Margagliano in a shop across the street. After a 1963 fire, it moved to the current location. The market is currently owned and managed by Mark Margagliano, the founder’s son, along with his partner and brother-in-law, Louis Pellicia. “My father-in-law opened the store with the idea of providing premium quality meats at an affordable price,” Pellicia told The Hudson Reporter’s Al Sullivan in a 2012 interview. “He used to start every morning at 4 to go to Ninth Avenue in New York to get fresh meat for the store and be back
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Another business that has stood the test of time is Migliaccio Funeral Home & Cremation Services. “This November we will be celebrating 100 years,” says Manager Kevin Stapleton who works with his brother, director, Peter J. Stapleton. The business was founded by their great grandfather Ferdinand Migliaccio. Stapleton says that lately he has business coming in from other towns. As funeral homes in Hudson County close to make way for development, people come to Bayonne. “We’re getting a lot of clientele from Jersey City,” he says. “Jersey City lost three funeral homes last year.” Migliaccio is a nondenominational funeral home. Dillin Tire Co was founded in 1957 by Neil Dillin. The business has been at 492 Kennedy Blvd. since 1962. “I have people who came to my father that still come here and wouldn’t go to anybody else,” says Bruce Dillin, who took over the family business in 1986. The shop, which features a waiting room loaded with Chuck Wepner memorabilia, offers complete tire car care, wheel alignment, motor vehicle inspections, and licensed repair for cars that have failed inspection. Bruce Dillin’s son, Christian Dillin, who is slated to be the third generation to run the shop, is currently training in tractor-trailer repair which will be added to the list of services. “I’m concerned with all of the franchises and big businesses moving in and taking the mom & pop experience out of the equation,” Bruce Dillin says, adding that trusted advice and community involvement are part of what sets Dillin Tire apart. Dillin is a member of the MARES charity committee that runs a yearly charity fishing tournament.
If you’re shopping for appliances in Bayonne, check out Triangle TV & Appliance. This business has been in Bayonne since 1940 when it was founded by Robert Demonaco along with two partners. After having locations at 193 and later 607 Broadway, the store moved to its current location, 702 Broadway. Dave Demonaco, son of the original owner, took over in 1984. Triangle sells all major appliances including washers, dryers, stoves, kitchen needs, electronics, and air conditioning units. It also handles repairs, installation, and removal. “Customer service is priority one,” says Demonaco, adding that Triangle is the oldest and longest-running appliance store left in Bayonne. Cafes like Perk Up and Cafe Talya have developed a loyal following. These new spots aim to attract residents young and old who are looking for a boutique experience. Among these specialty shops are Reese’s Hair Pieces, which sells bows and children’s accessories, Classic Skate Shop, Manifest Comics, and the Little BOHO Bookshop. All of their owners cite community involvement as a part of the business plan. BOHO owner Sandra Dear runs a
book club. Manifest owner Michael Chen hosts Free Comic Book Day and donates to local Parent Teacher Committee groups. Gary Iannitelli, of Classic Skate Shop, helped revamp the local skate park where he runs a summer camp for kids. “A big brand name is not helping your local community,” says Carrissa Golomb of Reese’s Hair Pieces, who revived the Bayonne Hometown Fair. “When we give back and you shop with us you are building up your town’s economic resources.”
big businesses like Dunkin’ Donuts work alongside each other. Costco opened in March. “Development is sometimes looked at as a negative,” Alessi says, “One huge public benefit is we’ve created an opportunity for a waterfront river walk. The goal is to connect South Cove with the Military Ocean Terminal.” The park-like setting is ideal for outdoor recreation near the shopping area. —BLP
Across Route 440, South Cove Commons is home to stores like Stop & Shop, TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Houlihan’s. In the early 2000s, brothers, Francesco and Vincent Alessi, developed the area with the Alessi Organization. “I think they offer convenience and a safe and welcoming place to shop without the hassle of parking,” said Francesco Alessi. He says that when Staples closed the space remained empty for some time while they waited for the right tenant. “We try to find a balance.” He says that this means small business franchises like Massage Envy Spa, independent restaurants like Otaiko Hibachi and Sushi Lounge and
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56 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
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Alex Petisco Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
Margaret Abrams Photo by Maxim Ryazansky
Lean on Us No one is better than Bayonne residents at helping their neighbors in times of crisis By Rory Pasquariello
W
hen 42-year-old Ruvee Yao lost her life in a June fire that tore through her home at 793 Broadway, destroying a pizzeria and a learning center she ran, the Bayonne community came together to host a softball tournament fundraiser to support the family. The Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation and the neighboring FFP Wealth Management sponsored a mini-festival called the “Take Me Home Fundraiser” that included live music, food and drinks that raised thousands of dollars for the fire victims. “Bayonne neighbors are always there to help,” said Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver at the time. “It’s a positive that comes out of a negative situation. It’s amazing, the power of the community. Everybody here steps up to the plate.” That was good for Bayonne residents to hear. Too often, praise is heaped on those with the most to give. But Oprah doesn’t donate her clothes when a Bayonne resident loses her home and all her possessions in a fire. Bill Gates doesn’t donate his furniture when Superstorm Sandy floods the living room. Warren Buffet isn’t on hand to help pay that outrageous medical bill when a kid has a brain tumor.
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Captain Bayonne Photo courtesy of Captain Bayonne
HELPING When families lose homes in fires, Judickie’s Bakery is always there to donate their famed donuts to all involved. CTown, a supermarket on 36th Street and Broadway, also donates food in times of crisis.
Alex’s Story When Alex Petisco, a second-grader at Henry Harris School, was diagnosed with a serious illness, Henry Harris got into gear. Alex’s mother, Margaret Weimmer relates, “Before Alex left for surgery, his teacher Mrs. Senerchia sent out a letter to the students to take a collection to buy him a huge bag of gifts: two Lego sets, a Lego blanket, stuffed animals, pajamas.” Some of the kids showed their compassion, not just by donating gifts but by writing letters to their friend. Mrs. Senerchia bought tickets to a Devil’s game for Alex and his family, a great gift for Alex, who’s a hockey and Lego fan. These second graders will definitely carry on the tradition of their elders.
The O’Donnell Family Tim, Pam, Ali and Bridget Photo courtesy of the O’Donnell Family
Pam O’Donnell, with daughter Ali and dog Peanut Photo by Maxim Ryazansky
Aye-Aye Captain A guy who ran marathons in a wrestler costume and now calls himself Captain Bayonne helps as much as he can, facilitating toy and food drives. “I meet so many nice people who share my values, sense of humor and love for Bayonne,” said Captain Bayonne, who considers fellow local do-gooders his heroes. “You are always stronger as a city if you support and encourage one another in good times and bad. It is a great honor to know so many people in Bayonne are very willing to get involved and help others in need, or to just do a good deed and brighten someone’s day. I always feel it is vital to create more positive experiences and eliminate the negative altogether.” His advice for others who want to help? “I think the thing a community member should honestly ask is ‘What are the issues that bother me personally the most?’ Once you answer those questions, it will put you on to the path of being actively involved and passionate about working toward a positive change. It won’t seem like work, and the reward is helping to make a difference for all.” Locals have answered Captain Bayonne’s question by proposing protections for feral cats, planting more trees, and advocating for affordable homes.
L-R: Jason Sellers, Mary Kay Masters Sellers and Gary Iannitelli Photo by Maxim Ryazansky
Neighborhood Nation Others have answered Captain Bayonne’s question by getting involved in issues that have worldwide significance. Every month, the Bayonne Nature Club, led by Patricia Hilliard and her husband, Mike Ruscigno, organize shoreline cleanups to mitigate environmental pollution, create a cleaner city, and help the wildlife that also calls Bayonne home. “We know how much the plastics harm the wildlife and in the course of cleaning up, we’ve learned a lot more about the
Tyler Sellers Photo by Maxim Ryazansky
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Bayonne Nature Club shoreline cleanup. Photos courtesy of the Bayonne Nature Club habitats,” said Hilliard. “So, it’s been a learning process as well as trying to do good.” She and Ruscigno counted 1,600 bags of plastic removed from the shorelines since starting the club when they retired. “When we were working it was much trickier to do this,” Ruscigno said. “When people have one or two days off a week, they have to take care of these other problems.” You could say they’re setting an example for youth, but Bayonne teens hardly need it. A group of Bayonne High School students has lobbied the city council to adopt greater environmental protections. Immigration may be the most important issue that filters down from the global and national scene.
A coalition of local religious leaders, including those from Bayonne, has come together in recent years to advocate for immigrant rights when foreign-born people were dying in detention at Hudson County jail. They also came together to fight back against efforts to prevent the local Muslim community from converting an abandoned warehouse into a place of worship.
Group Charity Sometimes it’s organizations, not individuals, helping those in need. Nonprofit organizations such as the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation, Hunger-Free Bayonne, the
Bayonne Elks Club Members
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HELPING Knights of Columbus, and the Elks provide vital services to residents, including housing and utility assistance, delivering meals to the elderly, donating to social welfare charities, helping homeless vets, and raising drug awareness. There are many more, some started by residents who experience a tragedy and want to help others. One of those is Pam O’Donnell’s
THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST WILL TRANSFORM YOU
“As a communty, Bayonne
has always been unique.”
— Mayor James Davis
Catch You Later Foundation. She founded it after her husband and daughter, Bridgett, died in a car crash in 2017. The foundation raises awareness about aggressive driving. In the aftermath of this horrendous crisis, O’Donnell said, “I cannot thank the Bayonne community enough. There has been so much support and generosity sent our way that it
joins in celebrating
BAYONNE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY “O
ur Mission is to make cancer prevention programs available to the community we serve. Our focus is to grant access to the test and/or screenings necessary to those individuals who may otherwise be denied. Our hope is to enrich the life of every individual in need, one at a time.”
Please reach out to us if you, or someone you know, is in need of life saving cancer screenings.
O
ur partners are Jersey City Medical Center/ RWJBarnabas Health, CarePoint Health: Bayonne Medical Center, Hoboken University Medical Center and Christ Hospital, Metropolitan Family Health Network in Jersey City, Hudson River Radiology and Bayonne Dermatology Group. Visit us at www.mflfoundation.com or call 201.437.9100
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TEMPLE BETH AM A Reform Synagogue
“Coming in the door feels like home.” • First year membership free • High Holiday Services/no fee • Bar/Bat Mitzvah/Confirmation • Religious School • Interfaith and LGBTQ inclusive • Adult Education Classes • Room rental • Life Cycle events
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CALL
• Near public transportation
201.858.2020 for membership information.
• Handicapped accessible
“Friendly atmosphere.”
Ample Street Parking
111 AVENUE B, BAYONNE, NJ
HELPING boggles the mind. It is simply amazing what Bayonne can do during a time of crisis.” Margaret Abrams launched “Remember Me” after her son, John “Jack” Santopietro died at age 21 when he was hit by a minivan while riding his motorcycle. “Remember Me” is a nonprofit that promotes motorcycle awareness. The organization awards a yearly scholarship to fire science majors at NJCU. Santopietro had planned to enter that program. It also offers scholarships to kids who want to attend Boy Scout camp. A driving school offered by “Remember Me” helps survivors of domestic violence. In 2015, Tyler Sellers was killed on Route 440 by a speeding motorist. His passion was skateboarding. A skate park in Bayonne that had fallen into disrepair was renovated. Mayor James Davis dedicated the entire park to Tyler. “As a community, Bayonne has always been unique,” Davis says. “When something happens to our children, we come together.” He says that the families should “be commended for moving from their personal losses to positive activities that can improve or save the lives of others.”–BLP
Welcome to Our School We support infants, toddlers and preschoolers, as well as kindergarten children. Conveniently located in Port Liberte, Jersey City NJ, we serve families from Jersey City, Bayonne, NJ, Society Hill, etc. Our programs support the development of children and prepare them for life success. Research studies have proven the positive impact early education can have on a child’s future, and we invite you to discover how Liberty Montessori: The Place for Learning in Jersey City, New Jersey, can partner with you in preparing for your child’s future.
Liberty Montessori THe PLaCe fOR LeaRNiNg
Our Team
Why Choose Us
The staff at Liberty Montessori work as a team to provide a positive environment and a high-quality educational experience for every student. We are happy to discuss any concerns you may have to address individual needs. Please contact any member of our team; we’d love to get to know you better.
8 Chapel avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07305
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You may call us The Place for Learning, or Liberty Montessori. But regardless, if you are looking for excellence in childcare and early childhood education, we are the place to be!
201.985.8745 OffiCe@THePLaCefORLeaRNiNg.ORg
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Luxury Rental Units Fitness Center Onsite Elevator NJ Transit and Hudson Light Rail Washer/Dryer in Unit Garage Parking Central A/C Outdoor Terrace and Rooftop Garden
201-437-0239 info@PeninsulaTerrace.com. BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
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It’s a Wonderful Bank
Cooperation over corporation By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Rory Pasquariello
A
t Bayonne Community Bank the line moves swiftly. Bank tellers greet customers by name and dole out lollipops to kids. A large media board promotes local events and Mom & Pop shops as a complimentary service for business checkingaccount holders. The scene is much the same at all six Bayonne branches; BCB has a hometown vibe. BCB started out with only one branch in 2000. The first branch was at 860 Broadway at the site of a former Buick dealership. The bank was created because big corporations were replacing local banks, and someone took notice. “The concept came about because
New York Community Bank came in and took over a local bank called First Savings and Loan of Bayonne,” says Tom Coughlin, founder, president, and chief executive officer of BCB. Coughlin thought that New York Community Bank wasn’t serving Bayonne the same way that the smaller, local bank had been. “We wanted to keep the community spirit,” he says. Senior citizens were hit hard by the change. They used to come into the community bank to get their social security posted to a passbook and get their interest paid out monthly. The New York Bank switched the pay period from monthly to quarterly.
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This change was a problem for older people who lived on a fixed income and relied on those monthly payments. “They were going to shrink down the size of the passbook,” Coughlin says, noting that older customers also struggled to read the tiny numbers in the new books.
IF YOU BUILD A BANK … Coughlin, along with other founders, decided to form BCB to again give Bayonne a community bank. The original founders were local business people including Mark Hogan, H. Mickey McCabe, Gary
Maita, Ken Poesl, Donald Cymbor, Phyllis Garelick, Robert Doria, Donald Mindiak, John Cherchio, Al Pasiechnik, Robert Ballance, Joseph Lyga, Judith Bielan, Joseph Brogan, James Collins, August Pellegrini, and the late Joseph Tagliareni. “In order to start the bank we needed to raise six million dollars,” Coughlin says. “We started with a road show.” This was a reception in town where the founders shared their idea. “We got a tremendous response. We raised it all with local senior citizens and business people.” BCB went from being a great idea to a bank with 3,000 shareholders. “The bank was so successful from the start,” Coughlin says. “We were so busy we couldn’t input the new ac-
“We built a three-story building and made that our corporate headquarters,” Coughlin says. “We grew quite rapidly after that, and we had to open a midtown office.” A third branch opened at 23rd Street after that. BCB had opened three branches in Bayonne within three years. As the bank grew, it raised more capital locally, and within a few more years it went to the stock market to raise more.
count openings while the customer was in front of us.” They had to input the information overnight to keep up with the long lines of new customers. “The original business plan was to be $75 million in five years, and we were $80 million in five months,” Coughlin says. After a successful first year with one branch, BCB considered expanding to serve more of Bayonne’s population. The bank bought a piece of property at 104 Avenue C, formerly the old Shop Rite.
ing back to the community by supporting many charitable organizations,” says Pamela Sclafane, vice president and head of marketing. Many BCB employees sit on nonprofit boards and volunteer locally. The company works with the recreation department, public arts, the special-needs community, and the group that it aimed to help from the very beginning: senior citizens. “We’re passionate about our veterans and our seniors,” Sclafane says. “BCB supports various veteran
BAYONNE BOOSTERS Hiring locally was a boon. The company started with 14 employees; it now has around 420. Many are Bayonne residents. BCB, meanwhile, was spreading goodwill. “For BCB it’s all about giv-
organizations such as Rebuilding Warriors, which places a service dog with a soldier suffering from PTSD or physical injuries. BCB has proudly sponsored several dogs.” It helps seniors with educational seminars about mobile banking, senior checking advantages, and IRA information. “Community banking is a more personal way of banking,” Sclafane says, “We are more flexible when it comes to rates and fees, and we know our customers and their families.” “BCB started with a dream and grew into a $2.7 billion-dollar institution,” Sclafane says. “This is all due to Tom Coughlin at the helm. Tom, let’s call him a visionary, he has always been one step ahead of
the banking game. Tom’s philosophy for success is to read and read some more, absorb as much knowledge as you can, don’t be afraid of change, treat your employees well, and always remain humble.” Coughlin’s philosophy seems to be serving BCB well. “As other community banks are closing their doors, BCB is expanding its footprint,” Sclafane says. “Three new branches are scheduled to open in 2019.”—BLP
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from page 41
g our
ratin Celeb
ear! nnial Y
gin at the museum and then move to the 11th Street Field.
Cente
18
2019 – 9 1 19
Food Truck Festival for Bayonne’s 150th Anniversary, Avenue E - 22nd Street area, 12-7 p.m.
19
851 Kennedy Blvd. (at 33rd St.) Bayonne, NJ 07002
(201) 436-5500
EMAIL: MigliaccioFH@gmail.com www.MigliaccioFuneralHome.com Kevin Stapleton Manager – NJ lic.# 5009
DILLIN
Tire & Car Service
Work Done While You Wait
Phyllis & Adelaide are running a fun filled bus ride to the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, 10:30 a.m. Cost is $36 per person with a $25 Slot Play and $5 food coupon. Bus leaves from East 35th Street. There will be refreshments and raffles. For information or to purchase tickets, call Phyllis at (201) 339-4517. Please purchase tickets in advance – all proceeds will benefit various charities in Bayonne.
Proudly Serving Bayonne Since 1957 MOTOR VEHICLE SPECIALIST Wheel Service Alignment
COMPLETE & GuARANTEED Tire Repair Service
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm Sat: 8am-1pm
402 Kennedy Blvd, Bayonne (Near 18th St.)
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june 23
4th Street and Broadway. If you’re interested, call Loretta at (201) 339-3956.
26-27
22
Phyllis & Adelaide are running a fun filled bus ride to the Sands Bethlehem PA, 10:30 a.m. Cost is $36 per person with a $35 Slot Play. Bus leaves from East 35th Street. There will be refreshments and raffles. For information or to purchase tickets, call Phyllis at (201) 339-4517. Please purchase tickets in advance – all proceeds will benefit various charities in Bayonne.
ACI (Italian Society) Fundraise Trick Tray Dinner, Villa Maria, 417 Broadway, 1 p.m. The dinner will benefit St. John Paul II Church. Tickets are $30. If you’re interested, call Rachel Della Rosa at (201) 310-6607.
Golden Ages of Bayonne Overnight Trip to Lancaster, PA, 9 a.m. We will watch two shows: “Will Roger’s Follies” at the Dutch Apple Theater on September 26 and “Ovation” at the American Music Theater on September 27. Night accommodations at the Fulton Steamboat Inn. Trip includes transportation, two shows, dinner and breakfast. For information, call Loretta at (201) 3393956.
27 Golden Ages of Bayonne Trip to the Westchester Theater, 9 a.m. We will watch “On Your Feet,” a musical play. Trip includes transportation, lunch, and show. Bus leaves from 4th Street and Broadway. If you’re interested, call Loretta at (201) 339-3956.
september 12 Golden Ages of Bayonne Trip to the Westchester Theater, 9 a.m. We will watch “Mambo Italiano,” a Broadway musical play. Trip includes transportation, lunch, and show. Bus leaves from
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Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
Photo by Rory Pasquariello
Traveling over the Bayonne Bridge
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
You Can Get There from Here Boats, buses, bikes, and more By Rory Pasquariello
B
ayonne, a vacation spot for Manhattan’s landed elite until the 1800s, and later an industrial hotspot for the likes of Standard Oil and the U.S. military, has been a commuter community since the 1990s. Incoming residents most often commute to Manhattan, Jersey City, and Newark, where jobs have been concentrated in recent decades. To accommodate the masses of commuters, New Jersey constructed the Hudson Bergen Light Rail in the early 2000s and later made improvements to the Bayonne Bridge, the Turnpike Extension Bridge, and the Exit 14A Interchange. Now, a ferry terminal is planned for the southern shore of the former Military Ocean Terminal Base that will transport commuters to and from Manhattan, and possibly the Jersey Shore on the weekends.
Bayonne is blessed with ample transit options. But this is still New Jersey, and true to its reputation, commuters are constantly frustrated by delays. Drivers have it especially hard. The state has invested very little in transit infrastructure, as commuters flock to New Jersey’s urban areas and Manhattan; highways are more congested than ever. Bayonne remains an attractive place to live. New residents are moving here to gain greater public-transit access and to take advantage of a walkable lifestyle.
Walking and Biking While the busy thoroughfares of Avenue C, Kennedy Boulevard, and Route 440 can be hazardous,most of the city is generally safe for cyclists and pedestrians. Thousands of kids walk to
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14A
BAYONNE
Route 440
Photo by Rory Pasquariello
Bayonne City Bike Share
Photo by Rory Pasquariello
school and to the light rail stations, and crossing guards are on hand for many of the busiest intersections. While many ride bikes, the city has yet to invest in cycling infrastructure. Bayonne has no bike lanes, only a few signs along major routes that alert drivers that there may be a cyclist nearby. A bikeshare program, administered by the same company that installed Hoboken’s bikeshare program, was introduced in 2018. Some residents have been using the service, but more infrastructure is likely needed to take Bayonne down that path.
Highways and Byways Completed in May of 2018 at a cost of $310 million, the 14A Turnpike Interchange project increased the number of lanes from 11 to 13. The improvements were as much for truckers as commuters. Truckers used to take Avenue E into the East Side neighborhood via a bridge over Route 440 to reach Port Jersey Boulevard, Constable Hook, and the former Military Ocean Terminal Base. That route resulted in noise, air pollution, and parking issues. Industrial traffic along that route has decreased since the project’s completion. Parking in the city, meanwhile, continues to grow scarcer as the population grows. But high-density apartment buildings
Entrance to NJ Turnpike
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
with dedicated parking garages should alleviate the problem; Bayonne hopes to avoid the parking nightmares experienced by Hoboken and Jersey City. The Bayonne Bridge, which was recently raised by more than 200 feet to accommodate larger cargo ships en route to New Jer-
Bayonne is blessed with ample transit options. sey ports, has finally reached the lane capacity forfeited when construction began in 2013. Four lanes on each side officially opened in February. Most Bayonne Bridge commuters travel north over the bridge to reach a light rail station in Bayonne, with connecting transportation to Manhattan. Some Bayonne residents cross the bridge in the other direction to work or shop in Staten Island.
Catching a Bus The Hudson Bergen Light Rail and the NJ Transit bus system are much used and much in need of investment. The number 10 and 119 buses run along Kennedy Boulevard. The number 10 ends at Journal Square for transfers to other buses or the PATH train. NJCU students use this line. The 119 takes New York com-
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Former Military Ocean Terminal Base where a ferry terminal is planned.
Old trolley tracks circa 1920s
Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
Photo by Rory Pasquariello
muters through Journal Square, into Jersey City Heights, Union City, Weehawken, through the Lincoln Tunnel, ending at Port Authority. The buses are rarely on time. An audit report of NJ Transit
released in October of 2018 showed that operating costs increased by nearly 30 percent in the last decade, while the state cut subsidies for the agency in 2015 by $33 million. As a result, buses are expensive to replace, and parts are hard to come by.
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201.858.9123 70 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Horse drawn carriages circa 1920s
Broadway Bus circa 1940s
Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
Riding the Rails Light rail trains are usually on time but spotty during off-peak hours. The digital signage inside and outside the trains is often wrong or miscoded. Luckily, the light rail is all above ground, so riders familiar with county geography can simply look out the window to see where they are.
Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
Future plans call for the Bayonne Bridge to accommodate the light rail, and the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation has unveiled a plan for a gondola to cross the Kill Van Kull. Urban dwellers in the country’s most densely populated state are demanding great public transportation and environmentally-friendly options. –BLP
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Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
Life on the Peninsula
Then & Now
Top: The Newark Bay rail accident occurred on September 15, 1958. A Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) morning commuter train ran through a stop signal, derailed, and slid off the Newark Bay lift bridge, which was open. Both diesel locomotives and the first two coaches plunged into the bay and sank immediately, killing 48 people and injuring the same number. A third coach hung precariously off the bridge for two hours before it also toppled into the water. The locomotive crew was killed; the cause of the accident was never determined and was never reinvestigated.
Photo courtesy of Todd Plitt
Left: Historic water tower demolished to make way for industrial warehousing on MOTBY
72 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Congratulations on your 150TH Anniversary Bayonne! WE ARE A PROUD PART O F T H E H I STO RY O F T H I S G R E AT C I T Y Bayonne Pulaski Parade Memorial Committee, Inc. Established 1937
Richard M. Romelczyk, Chairman Bayonne Polish American Citizens Club, Inc. Established 1912
Carol S. Grasz, Ed.D., President Bayonne Polish American Home, Inc. Established 1926
Marek Wykowski, President
New Polish Community Circle of Bayonne Established 1951
Teresa Kalinowski, President Bayonne Polish American Community Center, Inc. Established 1975
Richard P. Dworzanski, President
Wladyslaw Reymont Polish Supplementary School Established 1992
Kamilla Domanski, Principal Polish Cultural Society of Bayonne High School Established 2000
Filip Milkowski, President
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for
BAYONNE By Marilyn Baer
I
t’s doubtful that when the cornerstone of Bayonne’s first hospital was being laid in August of 1889 that any of the city’s estimated 19,033 residents could have foreseen the advancements in medicine and medical care that would come to the city 130 years later. Today, Bayonne is home to not only an award-winning hospital but emergency medical centers and smaller specialized practices, including physical therapists and nontraditional wellness centers, acupuncturists, and cryotherapy centers.
A Hospital for all Reasons In March of 1890, The Bayonne Hospital and Dispensary opened on East 30th Street after the Bayonne Hospital Association incorporated it in 1888. The two youngest daughters of First Ward
Rufus Story
Photos courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
Rufus Story Memorial Hospital Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
74 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Abby Story Marshall
CarePoint Health Bayonne Medical Center Photo by Al Sullivan
RWJ Barnabas Health Alice Story Rowland
Stanlaw Fitness
Councilman Rufus Story, Alice Story Rowland and Abbey Story Marshall, donated a new hospital building after his death on October 6, 1887. The daughters purchased three lots adjoining the city-owned property to erect the building that would become the Rufus Story Memorial Hospital. It had accommodations for 40 patients; there were no age, gender, race, or religious restrictions.
Dr. Noah DeKoyer of the Family Chiropractic Center teamed up with Dr. Michael Ancafora to found the Health Coaching Academy.
Bayonne Hospital Ambulance - 1929 Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
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RWJBarnabas Health at Bayonne provides emergency services. Staffed with board-certified emergency room physicians, specially trained nurses, technicians and health care professionals, it provides emergency care for patients needing immediate and specialized medical attention for most illnesses or conditions.
A Pain in the Neck
Bayonne Hospital Operating Room - 1929 Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society After 130 years, the site is still a hospital and can now accommodate more than 250 patients. Bayonne Medical Center is an award winning hospital, owned by Carepoint Health. It’s a primary stroke center that provides comprehensive heart care, an emergency room backed by a full service hospital as well as specialty medicine, child and adult behavioral health, wound care, transitional care, radiation oncology, dialysis, surgical specialties, and more.
A variety of wellness operations offer relief from the aches and pains of everyday life. Those in need of physical therapy can check out the advanced treatments and techniques at Ignite Physical Therapy. Its treatments include manual therapy, joint mobilization, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, dry needling, ASTYM, kinesiotaping, functional strengthening, and much more. Back and neck pain are a scourge of modern life. Enter New Jersey Spine and Pain Institute, founded by Dr. Joseph Ibrahim.
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He specializes in minimally invasive techniques to treat spine, disc, and musculoskeletal disorders. The institute provides treatment for neck pain, sciatica, myofascial pain syndrome, failed back syndrome and many other conditions. Augustin Orthopedics, owned by board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Augustin, provides treatments for musculoskeletal issues including physical therapy and a wide range of procedures for everything from a torn ACL to joint replacements.
What’s the Alternative? Bayonne has also become a hospitable home for all types of alternative therapies for those who wish to try new treatments. The Wellness Institute run by Dr. Michael Acanfora and Dr. Noah De Koyer focuses on holistic and alternative medicine to help restore the body to its highest levels of wellbeing. They do this by providing a variety of treat-
Arctic Cryotherapy
ments for the whole person including physical therapy, acupuncture, and yoga. Archtic Cryotherapy Bayonne is another resource, which offers a cryo sauna which exposes the body to sub-zero temperatures. The practitioners claim that cryothera-
Rapha Wellness Center
py creates a reaction in the body that can freeze fat, burn calories, tighten skin, heal pain, speed recovery, and boost energy. The treatment, they say, boosts metabolism, stimulates circulation, and is the choice of elite athletes and other top-level performers. – BLP
601 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002 Bayonne Community Mental Health Center Extends Our Congratulations to the City of Bayonne on its 150th Anniversary
We are proud to be a part of the Bayonne community for the past 48 years. Our mission is to address the mental health care needs of the individuals, families and institutions of the City of Bayonne and surrounding communities.
For information about our services, please call (201)339-9200 Williamson Street Campus 225 Williamson Street Elizabeth, NJ 07207 New Point Campus 655 East Jersey Street Elizabeth, NJ 07207
Eric Bentolila, M.D., FACOG Obestetrics & Gynecology Schedule your appointment at our new Bayonne location.
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BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019 •
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Van Buskirk Farm.
Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
Salter House.
Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
h o w we
LIVE
Bergen Point Mansion Courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
Then and Now By Pat Bonner
T
he first known residents of Bayonne were a tribe of the Lenni-Lenape Indians called the Hackensacks. They had camps at present-day Constable Hook, Fifth, Eighth and Twenty Second streets and grew maize in the Jersey City Heights. They were different from the Western Indians shown in movies. They did not live in tepees but in bowl-shaped structures made with bent saplings and chestnut bark, covered with skins. They had no horses, and from the mounds of shells found, they ate oysters—lots of oysters. Following the arrival of Henry Hudson, off Bayonne in 1609, they deeded their lands to the Dutch. In 1646, the Dutch East India Company rewarded a gunner named Jacob Roy by giving him a large portion of what would become Bayonne. In Dutch, the word for “gunner” is “konstapel,” thus, Constable Hook. By the mid nineteenth century, Bayonne was mostly farmland. The large landowners built their manor houses on the
New York Bay shore—the Vreelands on 46th Street, the Cadmus family on 41st Street; their properties extended to Newark Bay. David Salter bought part of the Vreeland estate, and for a time this area was known as Salterville. For many years, his home stood on Plank Road and 50th Street. For two centuries the Van Buskirk family had a large home and orchard on 35th Street facing the Hook. It was said to yield thousands of barrels of fruit each year. The Van Buskirks were a prominent family; Major Hiram Van Buskirk was a hero in the Civil War. In 1890, Edward Van Buskirk claimed he could gather 40 to 50 crates of tomatoes a day from the orchard. Tanks now stand on this site.
Hamlet to City In the space of about 40 years, Bayonne changed from small hamlet to a city of 70,000. This building boom ended with the Depression in 1929. With the large influx of workers, many
78 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Renovated Single Family Home Condos
immigrants, it is not surprising that in 1934, only 14 percent of the 20,000 dwellings were considered single-family homes. Many are still standing, in use, or being renovated today. About 35 percent of units then were two-family homes with the remainder, about 50 percent, larger structures. They were primarily wood frame, mostly heated by coal. For the 70 percent or so of the population that rented, rents averaged less than $40 a month. Parking was not an issue because there were only 4,414 cars registered; there was private garage space for 4,773 cars. Not built for cars, many still housed horses or old carriages. By this time, only 10 percent of the units lacked hot water and 98 percent had private indoor toilets. Eleven percent of the housing stock lacked a tub or a shower; the residents of 66 units still used outhouses.
Post-War Boom The next boom was after World War II when veterans returned, married, and wanted to move out of their parents’ homes. There was available land on First Street where 14 three-story buildings were built each having six families per floor. Sea View and Island View Court were soon teeming with children from these 252 young families. There were also projects on Lexington between First and
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Brownstones
Bayonne Boxes
Second Streets and on Avenue C between First and Second. Three grammar schools below 8th Street were all jammed with children. St. Andrews, for example, had three classes in each grade with 50 students per grade. Apartments became crowded, and veterans wanted cars, so they began to move out. Many grandparents expanded or redid their homes, welcoming their grown children with their families. This spurred the development of the “Bayonne Box.” Thousands of Bayonne boxes were built, or existing houses converted to boxes throughout the city: put as much house as you can on the existing lot, raise the first story, so you can have a carport, and you can house two or three generations of a family on different floors. It may not be pretty or an efficient use of the land, but it worked. Grandparents were happy to have their families nearby, and their children could drive or commute to their jobs knowing that their children would have a babysitter after school. You could even have a little green space in the backyard.
Space Race From the 1950s until recently, there was never enough land in Bayonne to give the younger generations what they wanted. After the war, they wanted more space to have a lawn, swing set, a separate bedroom for each child, and a place to park their cars. There were efforts in the 1960s and ‘70s to make
more space by filling in the bay. Today Sunset Trailer Park has about 100 trailers on West 24th Street. The desire for more space coupled with the loss of some industries led many to question the future of the city. The younger generation and baby boomers now value time, convenience, and proximity to employment more than a lawn that must be mowed every Saturday or hunting for a parking space every night.
Warehouses to Rentals In the town’s third building boom, the first areas to be developed were the old industrial sites. The 32-acre Elco site, where hundreds of PT boats were built, turned into Boat Works in 2004. There are now 160 townhouses costing in the $400,000-range on the site. In 2009, Maidenform became Silk Lofts, consisting of 85 studio and one- and two-bedroom units. The first residential units at MOTBY were opened in 2009. There are currently 554 residential units at Harbor Pointe with many more to come. Others followed, including Boulevard East with knockout views of Newark Bay and the park and 19 East on 19th Street. Huge cranes soar above the skyline at the Resnick site on 46th and Broadway, on 22d and Avenue E, and the biggest, two 22-story towers going up on North Street. Renovations of existing one- and two-family homes are ongoing. Air conditioners, computers, and hairdryers required upgraded electricity, and clothes- flush tenants required bigger closets than in the past.
Future Fantasies How will we live in the future? What will Bayonne look like in 50 to 100 years? No doubt two centuries ago, the Van
80 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Boatworks
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
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Exceptional Buskirks envisioned larger family farms growing more fruit and cucumbers. One hundred years ago, John Rockefeller may have thought we would have huge factories, fueled by oil surrounded by workers’ housing. It did not turn out that way. So Bayonne may not turn into a place with many tall residential buildings and commercial space on the ground floor, but something entirely different. How about a drone center for deliveries of groceries and other goods throughout the region? Or something retro—an oyster farming community? Who knows?—BLP
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Ever Green A CENTURY OF OPEN SPACE
The biggest park in Bayonne, Stephen R. Gregg Park, sits uptown along Newark Bay. Photo by Al Sullivan.
BY MIKE MONTEMARANO
B
ayonne’s parks have ridden a wave of countywide revitalization initiatives in which millions in grant funds from the state and county have been combined with local bond issues. The town is becoming ever greener with waterfront walkways, open fields, wildlife preserves, and sports facilities.
BAY HAVENS
Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez
82 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Along Newark Bay, walkways and wetlands offer captivating views with water fowl, piers, fishing boats, and huge container ships plying the waters of the bay. Stephen R. Gregg Park is the biggest in town, with more than 100 acres of soccer and baseball fields, a track, walking paths, and ample spots for fishing. Established by the county in 1916, Gregg abuts Richard Rutkowski Park, a 40-acre wetlands preserve in the shadow of Newark Bay Bridge. A narrow, zig-zagging boardwalk crosses marshlands and tributaries, perfect for birding, with sightings of herons, egrets, and other local birds. Farther south is 16th Street Park, formally known as the G. Thomas DiDomenico Park,
Dennis P. Collins Park along the Kill Van Kull was recently updated. Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez.
well-known for its annual summer concert series run by the city. It’s also the site of a youth rugby tournament, “Pirate-Palooza,” organized by the Bayonne Bombers Rugby Club and the city recreation department.
DENNIS P. COLLINS PARK Dennis P. Collins Park, along the Kill Van Kull, is one of Bayonne’s athletic centers, recently upgraded with tennis courts, volleyball courts, baseball diamonds, and bocce courts, all with excellent views of the Kill. New facilities also include an agility course similar to those in dog shows, where dogs scale obstacles and scurry through tunnels. The skate park at Collins Park draws the countywide skate community, which would otherwise be exiled to the streets. The monolithic concrete construction, which features quarter pipes, rails, and jumps, was widely celebrated by locals after the closure of “The Bridge,” an indoor skate park.
EAST SIDE Green space is an important consideration with the advent of major housing developments on the former MOTBY site.
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9/11 Harbor View Memorial Park, site of the Tear Drop Memorial. Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez.
James J. Donovan Park, dedicated in 2015 to the former mayor who lobbied for Bayonne’s military terminal, and the 9/11 Harbor View Memorial Park mark the beginnings of green space development on modern MOTBY. Parks will be a major draw with the proliferation of residential buildings, retail establishments, and new job markets, such as those created by e-commerce and logistics warehouses.
BATTING CLEANUP Once a month, members and friends of the Bayonne Nature Club pick up hundreds of bags of trash that get washed up on land from the waters that surround the peninsula. These efforts, bolstered by a citywide park cleanup on Earth Day, help keep litter from turning Bayonne’s parks into an eyesore. The group is the recipient of the NJ Clean Communities Award. Everyone is encouraged to lend a hand. Contact the group at bayonnenatureclub.org. It’s dirty work, so volunteers are advised to dress accordingly. The Bayonne Nature Club also invites enthusiasts to tag along on one of its near-weekly bird walks along one of the dozens of walkways throughout the city. Each season brings new species; the club has reported some rare sights, including snowy owls, bald eagles, falcons, not to mention gray seals, basking in the sun on rocks and old pilings.— BLP
84 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - SPRING / SUMMER 2019
Recreational activities are available in all Bayonne Parks, from sports to events. Top left: Teens enjoy the skate park in Collins Park. Top right: A soccer game in DiDomenico Park (16th Street). Bottom Left: Sounds of the City concert in DiDomenico Park. Bottom Right: Volleyball in Collins Park.
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Parades, Preservation—Pride A tradition of service and sacrifice
From 1942 to 1945, several hundred POWs were housed at the terminal. Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
Commander Glen J. Flora Sr. speaks to students visiting the Joyce-Herbert Post 226 Museum.
By Mike Montemorano
B
ayonne takes pride in its service to our country, from the world wars up to and including our current conflicts. In the late 1930s Mayor James Donovan lobbied for a military base in Bayonne. What would become the Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) boasted the largest dry dock on the eastern seaboard. By 1942, it could repair several battleships at once; it is still in use today. The PT boat was widely used dur-
ing World War II. Armed with torpedoes, it was designed to destroy small infantry boats and was valued by the navy for its maneuverability and speed. Most PT boats, including the one that John F. Kennedy commanded in 1943, were manufactured in Bayonne by Elco Navy Division. After World War II, MOTBY was used as a port for the Naval Reserve Fleet, often dubbed the “Mothball Fleet.” Ships were kept in working condition so they could be immediately deployed in an emergency. Navy Training programs were relo-
A group of staff officers from the 21st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry pose for the camera, identified as (top L-R); Dr. Daniel McNeil, regimental surgeon, and Andrew Van Buskirk, adjutant; (bottom L-R) Col. Gillian Van Houten, Lt. Col. Issac S. Mettler, and Major Hiram Van Buskirk. Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
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cated to MOTBY from New York City in 1946. At a training base near where the 9/11 Tear Drop memorial stands today, classes of salvage divers were trained in underwater welding, emergency boat repair, and retrieving bodies and important items from shipwrecks. A U.S. Army base was established at MOTBY in 1967 for shipping oversize cargo, munitions, and vehicles. After serving that same purpose in the Gulf War, MOTBY was decommissioned in 1995. At the time, a few failed bids were made to berth the USS New Jersey there, but it was retired at the Home Port Alliance in Camden.
Bayonne Dry Dock
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
Protecting the Past
POWs on our Shores During World War II, thousands of POWs were held in areas throughout New York and New Jersey. The former Port Johnson Terminal was once shared by a U.S. Army supply depot and a POW camp housing hundreds of Italians who fought for the Axis. After Italy surrendered
The uniform of Bayonne vet Susan Sokolowski, an Army specialist. Photo courtesy of the Joyce-Herbert Post 226 Museum
and joined Allied forces, the prisoners were reclassified by their American captors as volunteer “Italian Service Units,” ordered into noncombatant roles at Port Johnson until the war ended. Bayonne’s Italian residents frequently visited the prisoners with home-cooked meals, and POWs were taken on sightseeing trips to New York City as a reward for participation. The POWs helped free up U.S. soldiers from unskilled labor, so they could take on more specialized tasks. While many POWs were repatriated after the war, a significant number were allowed to take up residence in town.
The legacy of service in Bayonne has been preserved by residents’ volunteer efforts, especially those of local veterans, at the Joyce-Herbert VFW Post 226. Commander Glen Flora Sr., a Vietnam War vet, founded the
U.S. Navy old diving suit.
Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
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The Vietnam War exhibit includes Viet Cong artifacts. Courtesy of the Joyce-Herbert Post 226 Museum
Vehicles awaiting shipment on the GTS Callaghan at the Military Ocean Terminal (MOTBY).
Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Public Library
After World War II, MOTBY was used as a port for the Naval Reserve Fleet, often dubbed the “Mothball Fleet.” post’s military museum in 2006 along with curator, Senior Vice Commander Joseph Kennedy. On Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., visitors may view uniforms, weaponry, equipment, awards, and documents cataloging Bayonne’s role in military conflicts from the Civil War to the present. Each artifact has an unspoken story that Flora Aircraft carrier Courtesy of the and others are eager to Bayonne Public Library share. The museum hosts field trips for schools across the county. “We rely entirely on the community, and the donations they’ve made,” Flora said. “Some of this stuff was going to be thrown out. Everything is an authentic artifact. The only replicas are models of boats and planes.” Donations and inquiries for the museum can be made in person at 16-18 W. 9th Street, by calling 201-8581416, or by emailing vfwpost226@ yahoo.com
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Highest Honors Bayonne has three Medal of Honor recipients; Post 226 is currently lobbying for a fourth, Angelo Scorteri. An Italian-American combat medic in Germany, his World War II uniform is displayed in the museum. “Scorteri was shot seven times while dragging wounded soldiers into a barn,” Flora said. “Back then, many people who were shot or killed in action received only the next-highest distinguished service awards solely because of their ethnic background. Scorteri’s record is still being processed.” In recent years, dozens of veterans have received the Medal of Honor after being denied it on the basis of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Many recipients didn’t live to see the honor bestowed.
U.S.S. Intrepid
Photo by Al Sullivan
Guard tower at the former Port Johnson Terminal which housed POWs.
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
Post 226 was also involved in William Simmons’s Medal of Honor, awarded for his valor in World War I. His heroism had been unsung because he was Jewish.
Modern MOTBY While MOTBY lives on as prime real estate for development—projects are in the works for thousands of residential units, a ferry service, and a Hilton hotel—it bustles with activity. Cape Liberty Cruise Port remains a major boon to Bayonne’s local economy after the Voyager of the Seas made its inaugural departure in 2004. A Coast Guard base still stands at the site. This station is part of the Coast Guard sector that has jurisdiction over New York Harbor, the Hudson River, the East River, Long Island Sound, the Staten Island Kills, and ocean waters, where the Coast Guard oversees marine defense, civilian safety, and environmental protections. Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair Corp. continues to service military vessels and cargo ships. GCT Bayonne, also on the site, is a major container port, which loads and unloads cargo from massive container ships. Amid all this nautical hardware is the 9/11Tear Drop memorial. The metal teardrop glistens in the sun and can be seen from the harbor. —BLP
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a l i u g El A
Dorada Left to Right: Marisol, Israel, and Irma Romero.
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BY MARILYN BAER PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN QUIROS
F
rom a small storefront 12 years ago to two bustling locations, El Aguila Dorada (the Golden Eagle) has become a Bayonne institution for anyone who wants authentic and delicious Mexican food. The family-owned restaurant is run by Israel and Irma Romero with the help of their daughter Marisol. Late last year, they opened their new location a few blocks from their first to meet the growing demand and to share with new customers the food they love. There are no vestiges of the old Big Apple Sports Palace and Restaurant; the new façade transports you to Puebla, Mexico, where Israel is from. A golden eagle soars above the heavy wooden doors. We are greeted by smiling staff and a warm and welcoming ambience with gentle lighting, exposed brick, and brightly colored murals featuring some of Mexico’s most famous artists including Frida Kahlo and Pedro Infante. Visitors can choose a stool at the wooden bar or high tables to watch the game or to sip specialty margaritas in every flavor imaginable. They are made with fresh fruit, and the rim of the glass sweet, salty, or spicy. If you have a sweet tooth I recommend the strawberry margarita. The sugared rim and naturally-sweet strawberries nicely balance the bite of the tequila.
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Tables accommodate any sized party; comfortable red booths are also available. On a weekday afternoon, the place is bustling with the friendly wait staff serving elegant dishes with ingredients imported from Mexico. It’s tempting to fill up on homemade salsa and chips, but pace yourself. We began with calamari and Spanish chorizo sautéed with onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes, served in the restaurant’s famous red sauce and accompanied by homemade rosemary bread. The large helping was more than enough for photographer Alyssa and me to share. The chorizo and calamari paired beautifully, and the homemade sauce had a spicy kick, perfect for soaking up with bread. Next came the largest lobster tail I’d ever seen, the surf portion of a surf-and-turf extravaganza with an herbs-marinated eight-ounce filet mignon, served with crab-and-potato hash, sautéed mixed vegetables, and potato straws. Chicken enchiladas in a homemade green tomatillo sauce came next. If you’ve eaten only the canned version, this sauce will be an eye-opener. Corn tortillas come with a variety of sauces and fillings including shredded chicken, cecina, Oaxaca cheese, veggie,
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grilled steak, shrimp, lobster, or lump crabmeat. Sauces include red sauce made with guajillo and pulla peppers; mole; poblanas, which is a roasted Anaheim pepper in a creamy sauce; and suizas, a charred plum tomato creamy garlic sauce with Swiss cheese. A lively sizzle announced the arrival of an enormous plate of fajitas served with five warm flour tortillas. You can stuff your tortilla with whatever filling you like. Options include veggies, chicken, New York steak, shrimp, fish, or a mix. We decided on the mix and were not disappointed. One dish I can’t stop thinking about is the seafood soup, Caldo de Mariscos, a mélange of clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, and soft-shell crab. The seafood was so fresh I felt like it jumped out of the ocean and into my bowl, but the secret was the homemade red stew broth, which you could order mild or spicy. I went for the heat, which warms you up on a cold day. A staff member claimed it was the best hangover cure ever. We left, takeout bags in hand, knowing we would come back and tell our friends about this truly golden experience.—BLP
EL AGUILA DORADA 412 Broadway (201) 331-9100 aguiladoradarestaurant.com
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Life on the Peninsula
Then & Now
Parade along Broadway circa 1900
Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Historical Society
2018 - Bayonne Hometown Fair Photo by Rory Pasquariello
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Happy
150
th
Anniversary
ds Gift Caarble Avail
Bayonne
yisushigo.com
266 Broadway | Bayonne 201.823.2011 201 823.2011 | 201.823.2122 Pickup | Delivery | Online
PARTY TRAYS AVAILABLE • WE ALSO SERVE THE SHOP RITE SUSHI BAR
THE DELI SPOT Kosher Style Delicatessen
oPen for Breakfast, luncH & Dinner Huge selection of catering Platters for all occasions: Hebrew National Cold Cuts, Salads, Sandwiches, Hero’s, Fish, Fruit and Vegetables Platters. All cooking and preparations done on premises.
82 Avenue C Bayonne
Please place your catering orders early.
V
ER
YTHI
SAN VITO
N
RESTAURANT
G
E
201.339.7768
Bagels
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FOR 40 YEARS
P
LI
O
D
E
406 BROADWAY
• B AGEL
SH
Happy 150th Anniversary & Thank You Bayonne SERVING AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD
FREE DELIVERY
Villa Maria
201-858-2448
BANQUET HALL
Bagels • Spreads
417 BROADWAY
Breakfast Sandwiches • Omelettes
YOUR DINING CHOICES ARE MADE TO ORDER
Egg Platters • Breakfast Wraps Pancakes • French Toast Classic Sandwiches • Gourmet Wraps Salads • Baked Goods
CaTErinG availaBlE
Call 201.620.9535 Open 7 Days
AVAILABLE FOR: • ENGAGEMENT PARTIES • BRIDAL / BABY SHOWER • REHEARSAL DINNER • BIRTHDAY PARTY • ANNIVERSARY • REPASTS
91 E 22nd St. Bayonne NJ
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Life on the Peninsula
Then & Now
This crane was used by Elco Boat Works to lift PT Boats from land and lower them into Newark Bay. It was moved to Rutkowski Park in 2003. Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
Bayonne’s 250-foot wind turbine off East Fifth Street started spinning in June of 2012. It boasts an energy saving of $300,000 a year. Photo byAl Sullivan
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CAR LO’S
H A I R S P OT
A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE IN ONE SHOP!
Professional Service in all Men’s Hairstyles For Appointments, Please Call
201.437.0067
Voted by Yelp as one of the Top 20 Barber Shops in New Jersey!
WALK-INS WELCOMED
1021 Broadway, Bayonne Right on the Corner of 50th and Broadway
MONDAY-FRI: 7:30AM-7PM SATURDAY: 7:30AM-6PM
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Building a Great Community The City of Bayonne Mayor James M. Davis THE BAYONNE CITY COUNCIL Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski Council Member At-Large Juan M. Perez First Ward Council Member Neil Carroll III Second Ward Council Member Sal Gullace Third Ward Council Member Gary La Pelusa, Sr.
for
150 Years