I have meant to post on here for quite some time as I joined a while back. I grew up in Ducktown. My parents died when I was young and lived with my grandparents in Ducktown. I lived at 2412 Arctic Ave, I graduated from Holy Spirit in 1996, my grandparents retired to Florida and I went to college down there and moved to the west coast. I recently was transferred back east and am within a 3 Hr drive of AC. Took my wife their was surprised what the neighborhood looked like, it was going down hill as got older but it looks awful now. I was obviously way too young to remember mob activity but I do remember Phil being back in the neighborhood the summer after I graduated HS. I just thought of this because of the post below about Phil meeting with someone in AC. I haven't read his book yet, I plan to soon. I do remember all those people, I remember Phil's son, I remember Mark and how sad my grandparents were when that happened. I was recently in south jersey for some business got a room in AC and had lunch at Angelos, dinner at Angeloni's stopped in that Ducktown tavern place (nice spot). I even stopped by Formica to see if Frank remembered me from being a pain in the ass little kid, he said he did. But until I told him my Grandfather's name I don't think he did. Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a post real quick.

Ducktown was a great place at one time ,like most of the Italian neighborhoods are going away . What a small part of the city it was really only four blocks wide .And yes everyone knew one another . But it is gone now ....I am surprised you did not work at one of the bakerys or at the Whithouse subs most of the kids in Ducktown did that or cop or firemen.

As far as knowing the Scarfo's it was hard not to. Ducktown is way to small .People knew everyone's bizz and it omly took a few days to find out mob bizz back in the day. You also when you were small had Phil's wife and her family as neighbors before they moved around the corner on to Georgia ave. they did not move far ,around five houses and right behind Regina Pharmacy.

You would not believe the streets now, I have not seen a Italian walk down any of the streets in ten years or more.

The clothes people ware now are the garb from India or one of those places.

Very sad to the people that built the city ,my grandfather was one of them.

The address on Arctic Avenue my aunt owned a home very close to that address. Frank is a good guy and always stayed straight. We all grew up around the same time ,Frank has a few brothers and sisters "good people " he is doing well in his businesses and political life . And yes the mob days were a trip all of that in that tiny area "DuckTown " it's a shame to see it go the way it has ... The house you lived in I knew your neighbors well. Also did you grandfather tell you about the card room just a few houses down . Beeps had one across the street from Mucks pool Hall , he is still in the family .

Still to this day, Frankie produces the best biscotts & breads in the tri state area,although he has a runner up w/ Isgro's in s. philly on the cannoli situation.

Yea he is doing well , just don't have the old timers around to buy anymore. I know I showed my children less about the culture then my parents did. They are trying to close down st. Michael's.

Salvatore chuckie Merlino was from ducktown,right?

Yes Alex , his immediate family moved back to Philadelphia but still had some here. That was common is this area .

who else was from that area?Nickey the crow?

No the crow was just a guy that would go any place where a dollar was and I am sure in summer he made a few dollars from the people from out of town.

After casino's came you know why he was here !! everyone was living it up pretty good ..

as in bidda-beeps?

Serp,
Where did Nicky crow originally come from? Any idea?

He's from South Phily Crash

. Yes , he was down here for a couple years in the late 70"s he had a spot he completely remodeled, itt had card rooms and pool tables out front for a front . He was 300ft from Nicky sr house and he could not get a book going just like uncle Joe 6 or 7 years after Beeps , none of the Philly members could get there own book going down here , so Nick took partners in the big guys that were here and still are ...

Serp where was Francis "Faffy" Iannarella from?Sorry for being a pain in the ass

. As far as I have ever known the family has been from Philly ,I think his Dad or Grandfather was a member ..

Thanks Serp.

Serp Faffy dad name was Snuffy. Did you know him?

He was a skipper

No bean really only knew Lawrence and the AC guys . Now you are saying know ,,I knew of and know a lot of the guys and or there families cos obviously the families were down the shore more then the gangsters . But when I say I know someone,I mean like you know the guy that lives a couple houses from you ..But I knew of many of them in Philly and I can tell you first hand it was not good time with them guys around ...It was a pissing contest 24/7 with most of the personalities ..Bu I bumped into and was introduced to countless guys through the years but I don't consider that knowing them at all.

teddy khoury ring a bell?

it's sad the way gentrification can ruin a whole culture,the neighborhood i was raised in is unreconizable, my catholic school now blended into another a mile away,all the stores that were once either jewish or regular are all oriental of some sort.

Hoodlum, is this the Teddy you're tlking about?


http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/481007/Khoury-Theodore.php

. Yes , you seem to know a lot of people I know ,, but in that case I know the father and the son also ...and I do see many of the names you post and most are my old friends ..

. Yes it Must be happening to a lot of us I suppose. Tell you one thing I don't like it one bit!!!

I worked on the beach renting boogie boards, beach chairs etc in the summers. I played Football, Basketball, and Baseball and wasn't forced to work during the school year. As I'm sure you know going to Holy Spirit most of my friends from High School we're from Ventor, Absecon etc. didnt hang around the neighborhood as much as when I was a little kid. I'd prefer not to give me my name (if their is a way to send a private message feel free). I used to ride the ugliest bike in the world growing up it was red, yellow and blue all different parts from a different bike in to one and would jokingly get my balls busted by the older kids. My grandfather played a lot of cards he never spoke of anywhere specific. They have since passed away. I would love to ask him some questions because he was friendly with everyone especially our neighbors. I do know of who you are speaking of, but again was so much younger. There are things you mention like the cement trucks that I remember seeing all the time. This summer was the first time I was in AC since August/September 1996. And it looks vastly different. I will be back down there in late November/early December. I've re-connected with some good friends from HS who live out by Mainland regional HS now.

Yes. of course ,I only knew OF HIM by way of stories ,sittin' around listening to the old man & kinfolk & such from when i was a kid.

. Cool " that place was so fun that the people that worked in the kitchen all became friends , but Sherty she was a sweet hart from the get go . If there was any place that I could turn back the clock and make it 1976 that would be the place , and one more , Angeloni's the night Allan and or Phil had Rollie Massimino and Jimmy Valvano in there after they won a Championship I'm not big on basketball so I can't tell you which one it was but that was one of the best nights ever .

That's a trip hearing you say that most of your friends were not from A.C. because they went to H.S. back in the day it was almost half and half and almost 100% of Italian's that went there.
Hey working at the beach when you are a teen is better then any hot bakery or sub shop.

And I am telling you now it's going to hurt if you spend ant time in DuckTown you will not see any one that you grew up with or that you know period ...it's gone ! ! even Franks mom moved back over the bakery in the same apt. se started in at 17 when she married Tar" Franks father.

You can not find a bookie or a card game there if you walked around town for days ...

Not to long ago the wife & i went into scanucchio's in south philly,& whomever was tending to us ,didn't really want to talk about the old place in a.c. nor vince sausto ,kinda got the cold shoulder, so we didn't push it ,just minded our biz,& ate our meal,which was to say the least not up to the meals in a.c. as far as italian food is concerned.

/re;beanshooter question.