The Savin Hill Reunion: A Night To Remember: 3 of 4

Talking about Gerry D____  reminded me about another girl we all fell for – I forget who it was now,  either Joanne C____, Joanne B____, or Beverly C____. She   wouldn’t give us the time of day. I’ll never forget sitting across from Baldie Sheehan’s when Gerry said he knew who was going out with her that weekend. We all wondered who was the lucky guy. He said: “Yours truly.” It took me a while to figure it out. Even when I did I didn’t want to believe it.

One guy said I was his first lawyer. He said he finally cleared his record up. I figured I didn’t represent him too well so I said, “You had a record?” He said, “I didn’t have a record, I had an album!” He said he really wasn’t a criminal and once he got off the booze he never got in trouble again. A lot of guys could tell that story.

Several of the younger guys remembered me for the car I drove.  They referred to it as a black MG. It was a black TR3 that I purchased after college with my parents money and my IOU to pay them back from my Marine officer’s pay. Can’t remember how little I paid them. But then again, when I was in Japan for 13 months, the car was supposed to be kept safe in the garage. Little did I know my brothers had use of it.

Eddie H____ my high school half-back was there. He became a doctor. Every time I see him I recall the play where he would have run for a touchdown had I made the right block. Why I failed is still too embarrassing to tell. Eddie had a great medical practice. He is always buoyant and picks up every one’s spirits. His cousin, Paul H_____ a reader of this blog assured me that even though he disagrees with Bill C____ , aka Savin Hill Billy, on just about everything they do agree on the the big thing – their friendship.

Richie C____ grabbed my arm and asked me if I remembered  him. He was surprised that I did. We were in the sixth grade together at the John Lothrop Motley. We left the Motley once a week to go to the Eddie Eddie for woodworking. Sometimes we had fun throwing rocks at the gas street lights to watch them explode on the way there.

Our teacher was Mrs Kennedy who would start the day with a Bible reading and used the rattan on occasion . Our classmate, Joel B. used to come to school with peanut sandwiches. Another classmate, a red-head, was named Patsy. I thought his name was shortened from Patrick. Then I learned he was Italian. Couldn’t figure out how an Italian was named Patrick. I’d learn later his name was Pasquale.

Mrs Kennedy took us on a sixth grade field trip. One stop was at the Old North Church. I felt great fear when we entered there. I believed Mrs Kennedy was putting my soul in great jeopardy because I was about to commit a grievous sin.  I was taught never to go into a Protestant church.

I mentioned before that the names Savin Hill and St. William’s church were almost interchangeable. I always thought some of the boys in the Motley, a public school, had been thrown out of St. William’s. At the reunion a priest, Fr D___  who Tim O____  introduced me to said St William’s never threw anyone out. I did not want to contradict him. But I did mischievously ask him if he was Tommy D____’s brother which he quickly disclaimed. There were two D____ families, a good one and a bad one.

Mikey D____ the longest still serving elected official in Massachusetts in the Judiciary and tied with Secretary Galvin for the longest in a Constitutional Office was his usual interesting self. To be elected that often (8 terms) he’d have to be. He told how he lives in Southie and have been living there for 30 some years. He said only 14% of South Boston residents have been there for longer than 14 years. The costs of buying a place to live has driven out many of the old timers. Most of the newcomers have no interest in local politics. Obviously, like Savin Hill, Southie has changed drastically.

(continued tomorrow)