problems for Mayor Lindsay since traffic was already at a standstill. Eventually the strike was settled and Mike Quill, head of the strikers union, was jailed and died weeks later. The strike led to the passage of the Taylor Law but for a young kid it was an unforgettable experience.” Louis P. Valentino ‘69 reports “All is well with me! Lou G., Stephen, and I have kept in touch meeting for lunch at L&B from time to time.” Ed Stack ’69 is enjoying retirement and spending time with his three grandchildren, ages two, three, and five. “Our second home outside Hilton Head, SC has provided a much needed refuge in this pandemic year. Really enjoyed seeing my St. Augustine classmates at last year’s 50th anniversary celebration. I am looking forward to reconnecting in 2021 when we get this coronavirus behind us. St. John Baptist De La Salle, pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever.” Stephen Giordano ‘69 lives in Easton, PA with his wife of 41 years, Rosemarie. “I am still working though on disability from having a kidney transplant (Rosemarie was my living donor). The original 1969 class reunion committee met this past January to open discussions for future alumni gatherings. Two suggestions were tabled: an alumni dinner and possibly a long weekend getaway, including alumni guests. The pandemic outbreak has put on pause any future in-person gatherings. Several of us have met at Brooklyn’s Spumoni Gardens (still the place to go) — Lou Gambino, Tom Monahan, Lou Valentino, Jack Occhigrosso, and Vinny Passion, from the class of 1968. Rich Faga and Dough DeFaux have reached out to the committee to assist in coordinating a virtual video session. Forty alumni have accepted the invitation (details are being worked on). We are waiting to hear back from 35 alumni. If anyone has questions or suggestions, my contact email is stephengiordano@hotmail. com and my phone number is 484-5442009.” ◊
LANCERS: THE BROTHERS BOYS, WHO ARE THEY? by Ed Smith ‘62 M Squad Chief (Brother A. Peter Walsh, Moderator) Retired Partner ı Peat, Marwick, Mitchell ı Retired Major USMC ı Adjunct Professor, St. John’s University ı Husband, father — soon to be grandfather Forever Lancer and Brothers Boy
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hey came from all corners of Brooklyn — Flatbush, Bay Ridge, Park Slope, Sheepshead Bay, Coney Island, Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Boro Park, Sunset Park, Fort Hamilton, Crown Heights, Flatlands, Marine Park, Brooklyn Heights, Clinton Hill, South Brooklyn, and Red Hook. No, not a recent class of draftees lined up at the Whitehall Street induction center but students at St. Augustine Diocesan High School at 64 Park Place in Park Slope. They were Lancers, after the school mascot a knight on a horse, who were embarking on a life changing adventure.
The school has a storied history and holds a sweet spot in the hearts of the boys who attended. “The Brothers Boys”, so called because of the Christian Brothers who conducted the school for nearly 60 years until it closed in 1969. We were drawn to Augustine, or rather in many cases directed to attend, by our parents since the school was relatively tuition-free. Today, there are no regrets about that decision. St. Augustine began as a parish high school for St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church on Sixth Avenue and Sterling Place. You will all recall that in those days Brooklyn was known as the “Borough of Churches”. Seemed the number of churches were only exceeded by the number of “gin mills” in the neighborhoods of Brooklyn. For all of us, growing up in Brooklyn in the 50s and 60s was an experience like no other. We had the Brooklyn Eagle, the Brooklyn Dodgers, The Brooklyn Navy Yard, Todd Shipyard, the docks and their longshoreman, The Rheingold Brewery, Domino Sugar Plant, White Rock Beverage, and many other factories and industrial facilities. Brooklyn was home to numerous immigrant groups and each neighborhood bore distinct ethnic personalities, as did their churches. We had our shared Brooklyn accent and a strong sense of who we were. Lancers had no fear. They roamed New York as if we owned it. We were the sons of many WW II veterans, growing up in simpler times as America boomed after the war. Television was our high tech. Everyone can recall Brooklyn’s unique character. We all remember how it was common to ask someone; “what parish are you from?” as a way of fixing their neighborhood and who they were. For many of us, we continue to do this when we meet someone with Brooklyn roots.
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