A Carroll Gardens Life: Tony, A Real Italian Gentleman

President Street between Smith and Hoyt Street

A row of majestic brownstones on President

320 President Street

The kitchen at 320 President Street, circa 1960. That's Gina on Poppy's lap.
John (the oldest) standing and Michael in on her left.

The kitchen once again, circa 1961. Gina still on Poppy's lap,
Michael to her right and Gin'a mother Anna
" the best mother that God put on His green earth."
Brother John took the photo.

Gina's mother Anna as a 9 month old, 4 year old brother John
and their mother Rose. This photo was taken in Italy, circa 1926

One of the wonderful aspects of writing about my neighborhood is the fact that I get to hear from many former Carroll Gardeners who stumble onto this site. They all have one thing in common: they seem to miss the old neighborhood and are grateful for the photos and news posted here. Amongst one of the nicest emails I received recently was one from a resident of Florida. This is what she wrote:

My name is Gina Holden and I grew up at 320 President St., between Smith & Hoyt. My father lived there until his death in 2004. I just love your web site! It makes me feel as though I am still there, walking up to Court Street to get a slice at Mola (Is it still there?) or a Italian Ice at Monte Leone's. I live in Florida now, but President St will always be home to me.

I immediately wrote her back to inform her that sadly, Mola's and the nice Italian family that ran it were long gone, replaced by a new pizza parlor called World Pie.
Over the next few days, we exchanged a few more emails. I asked Gina if she could share some of her childhood memories with us all. Thankfully, she accepted. Here, then, are Gina's remembrances of growing up on President Street in Carroll Gardens.
I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

I would love to share some of my memories with you and your readers. Carroll Gardens was a great place back in the 60's and 70's. My brothers John and Michael and I went to school at St. Agnes Parish School which was located right next to the church on Sackett St. My parents were married in that church as my mother came to the States from Italy in 1931 and never left the neighborhood. I was baptized, received my First Holy Communion and Confirmation there!
When my parents purchased 320 President Street in 1957, the area was known as Red Hook. But in the early 70's was renamed Carroll Gardens. Both of them were very proud of that house and the area. My father, Michael Zulich, came to the US from Austria after the war and proudly hung the American flag outside of our house everyday until the day he died. As a matter of fact, my two brothers and I had it at half mast the day of his funeral.
My parents' house was built sometime in the late 1860's. The house had been empty for quite some time and in a great deal of disrepair. As they were only the second owners (it had passed down from the original owner to their children. Only one daughter was still alive at the time) it had remained pretty much the way it had been in the day. It seems that President St was built pushed back from the other streets and at each end (Hoyt and Smith) were gates so that only the residences could come and go. The first floor consisted of a large dining room and in the back was the kitchen, complete with a fireplace that was used for cooking. The second floor or parlor floor was used for parties and dances, the third was sleeping quarters and the top was for the servants. There was a small bathroom on the first floor, right off of the kitchen and one on the third floor. (My parents later put one on the second floor).
The neighborhood consisted mostly of Italian's who took pride in their gardens. Everyone looked out for every one else's child. Summer nights would find the adults sitting on their stoops, chatting with neighbors and us kids playing corks or marbles or stoop ball. Later, when we all became teenagers, we used to congregate in one gate with radio in hand and play cards and talk. At 10 PM like clockwork, the adults would bid each other good night, called for us kids to come home knowing it would start all over again the next evening.
Falcone Funeral Home sat on the corner of President and Smith Streets. Joe's Superette was where we got all of our cold cuts. Mazzola Bakery on Court Street was the only bread my father would eat. Helen's Candy Store was where the Bagel store now is on the other side of President. My brother and his friends used to go in there and scrape the ice out of the coolers in the summer and make snow balls. They broke a rear view mirror one day. Clinton Apothecary on the corner of President and Clinton St was where all of our prescription would get filled. There was an A&P where the Met is now and a Bohack on Court and Douglas St. My mother and I used to take our shopping cart and do our weekly shopping there.
Carroll Park was not the place to go back in the late 60's. My mother forbade us to even go near there especially at night. The smell of marijuana could be detected all the way down to Hoyt St! One time, I must have been around 10 or so, the kids that hung out there started a riot down President St. They armed themselves with chains and came rushing down the block, Our next door neighbor and his son at 318 both happened to be NYC police officers as well as another neighbor who was a detective, came out of their homes, guns in hand. What a scene that was! But as time went on, the park was cleaned up and the old men were once again able to play bocce ball, my grandfather included.
It was very difficult to sell my father's house when he died in 2004. I wish that I could have afforded to buy my brothers out but that was not possible at the time, so we had to let it go.
I could go on and on and I will on another day.
I hope that we can keep in touch and maybe you could take a picture of 320 President St for me?

Gina's Family today: Gina's husband Alan, Gina, Michael's wife, Gayle and John's wife Nora. Gina's son Christopher, seated next to him is her brother Michael, all grown up. Brother John, once again is snapping the photo.

Related Post:

A Carroll Gardens Life: Tony, A Real Italian Gentleman

A Carroll Gardens Life: My Friend Dolores

A Carroll Gardens Life: Mrs. Agatha Messina

A Carroll Gardens Life: Meet Antoinette Pirrone, The Twinkies Lady



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