This is me in the Army fatigue cap, May of 1964 with my uncle Eddie Picorillo, aunt Jerry Cahill, my sister Patricia and cousin ? This is a special photo because my uncle was in the army and it seemed like years that he promised me an army uniform and he came through. Thanks uncle Eddie.
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Aunt Lee, Mom, Aunt Madona, cousin Marion, sister Patricia and cousin Camille
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This is me at our apartment on McDonald Ave by Church St. in Brooklyn NY, July 1960.
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Aunt Diane, Marion and Anthony
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Me, cousin Donna, Duckie and Patricia and her doll.
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My aunt Theresa Caruso and cousin Donna. Below is my aunt Marie Victoria.
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Part of my fathers crew. Bobby Doll, Joe Saverese My father in the middle, Willie and Uncle Philip Maxie Caruso. My father said our neighborhood was so tough that they use to raffle off police cars... with the cops still in them...
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Aunt Madona, and cousin Madona, Camile and ??
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The pool at 52nd St where GIJoe on his sea sled rescued the space capsul. This is at our house on 52nd St. in Brooklyn. During the 1960's there was a severe water shortage and no one could fill their pools. Someone called the cops on us because our pool was full. My father had a receipt that he purschased the water... In the garage was a juke box that I would play, Hang On Sloopy, I Hear a Symphony and Wooly Bully over and over and over again...
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This is my 3rd grade class at PS 121 in 1966 in Brooklyn, NY. At this point we lived on 52nd St between 19th & 20th? I use to play GI Joes with my next door neighbor,
Frank Lupo. I was an alter boy at Holy Ghost church and attended school there for a short time. At Holy Ghost I kissed a girl for the first time. Her name was Karen. Karen had a twin sister named Gloria. I have not seen them in 40+ years.
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Camile Lupo, Me, Patricia and little Duckie. Why am I holding Camiles hand? I remember liking her but I dont remember her like me... not that she didnt like me either... Camilles brother Frank and I played GIJoes together.
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This is me and my baby brother Donald Jr., (Duckie) at our house on 52nd St. in brooklyn.
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We moved from brooklyn via the Verrezanno Narrows Bridge to Staten Island in 1968?
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In 1968? we moved to Staten island NYC. This was our house on 4 Guillard Ave. The Manning family, Harold, Vera, Gail, Janet and Darleen lived next door. I had a party at this house in which 350 kids came to...no lie.
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Grandma, Aunt Theresa, Aunt Marie, Duckie and me
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The RIDE is comming! yea!
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Brother Duckie with Janet Manning. I dont remember Janet being that big?
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Brother Donnie with Darleen Manning
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My first helicopter ride while on vacation in Florida. While in florida, my father needed $$ so he robbed a bank...no lie. He went to jail for it and even wrote a book about it.
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Father Brennan and I as an alter boy
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My friend Diane Novia. From Jr. high school till I dont know when... in my imagination, this was the girl I thought I would marry. I was too shy even to ask her out. Her father was a great inspiration to me and had a big part of me not taking the path of my own father and doing my best in walking the straight and narrow.
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This is me, on the right, with my BOZO type flaming red hair and my grandfather Dominic DeSimone, sister Patricia DeSimone, Duckie DeSimone Jr. and Donnie DeSimone 3rd.
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This is me with my first drum set my grandfather Dominic DeSimone gave me. This is in my basement. I painted those swords on the wall and for the life of me cant remember why... I do remember that I worked on it all day long. Check out the GI Joe snake wraped around the symbol stand in front of me.
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This in me lifting weirgts in my room. My mon paid someone to paint a peace sign on my ceiling. Check out the playboy magazine and record collections on the shelvs. How about that leapord wallpaper?
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Me in my room. I painted the DOORS on my closet doors. The groups the Doors, Zepplin and others were what I listened to. Bruce Lee and working out were a big part of my life. There is a picture of my vette on top of the WPLJ poster behind me.
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My next door neighbor
Uncle Harold Manning,
(uncle Junior)
and his brother,
uncle Ritchie
cooking a BBQ in
my back yard.
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Vera and Junior Manning. My dad was in prison a good part of my childhood and uncle Junior (probably unknown to him) was a big role modle to me. To this day, I quote many of the things he taught me.
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My next door neighbor
Gail Patricia Manning
and her boyfriend at the time
Mike Rovere
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My first car was a mini bike. I have no photos of it. This Honda trail 70 is my cousin Donalds(on left). I had an Indian mini bike with a 5 HP Techumsha engine. Before this, I delivered newspapers on my Schwinn Stingray 5 speed bicycle.
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Besides my brother on crutches, this is a view of looking out my backyard gate. Nothing but woods where I would explore and hunt and ride mini bikes, etc.... a far cry from life in Brooklyn...
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My sister and D. Constance Conte (Dino) at the christining of my sister Elaine. Dino was the Godfather of Elaine. Dino is the producer of such films as North Dallas 40, the Presisio and 48 Hours.
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Constance Conte (Dino), my father and mother at the christining of my sister Elaine.
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Grandma, Duckie, Dino Conti, Patricia and me.
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Buddy and I working on the house
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My sister Elaine sitting in front of our first color TV. Put on Batman!
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My brothers Duckie and Donnie(on left)
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This was my back yard. Just to the right of the steps are where my brother Duckie and I buried our GI Joes...
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I worked 3 jobs as a paper boy, a janitor and a lawn boy to earn enough $$ to buy my first real new drum set. A natural wood, dark mahohony double Slingerland. Ohh man what a great set...
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Duckie and I at a Led Zepplin concert. One of 2 dozen Zep concerts I have been to.
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In 1972 I played Babe Ruth baseball for the Marine Park Sail Inn. Because I did not have a participating dad, they kept me on the bench...that was a bummer...i really wanted to play. I am the kid with THE hair!
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I have no photo but my first car was a 1971 Pontiac Grand Prix which my parents bought for me in 1974. Five days later, at 3am in the morning, while parked in front of my house(no one in it), it was struck and totaled by a drunk driver going 80 MPH in the rain.
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A day after my Grand prix was totaled, my parents bought me this 1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula 350 which I had for about 4 years.
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While in high school I bought this 1958 Corvette Convertible project car from my friend Robert Alvarez for $250. I never finished it to paint, but i did get it drivable.
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What the heck is this you may be asking? And why would I keep it for 35+ years? This is a receipt dated 1972 from a door to door sales rep who I gave $15 in coins to(my only$$) for a magazine subscription. It was a young cute black girl and she sure duped me, for I never seen a magazine. I kept this as a reminder all my life, never to be duped again.
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