THE MICHAEL A. LENTINI ARCHIVES PAGE IS UP & RUNNING! VISIT THE PAGE TO VIEW THE FABULOUS VINTAGE YEARBOOKS & PHOTOS! Many thanks to Mikey Lentini, for sharing with me his yearbooks, and personal photos! Grazie Mille, Mikey! You’re the best!

Posted: June 7, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's Digital Footprint, Angela's picture galleries, East Harlem, East Harlem Ephemera, East Harlem School Days, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Pleasant Avenue, Thomas Jefferson Park, Vintage Photography | Tags: , | 7 Comments

‘‘Twas a balmy summer day on the East River…Look, there’s Washburn!

Posted: November 8, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, Architecture, But Not Forgotten!, East Harlem, Gone, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Pleasant Avenue, Vintage Photography | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

On a warm summer day, well over 30 years ago, I was out boating with my cousin, Guy. As we were passing East Harlem, heading North up the East River, I saw the vacant Washburn Wire Factory. It was located between East 117th and 118th Street, at the end of the 500 block, off Pleasant Avenue, by the East River Drive.
My family lived right up the block from that once active factory- back in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. At the time of this actual photo, I had a feeling that Washburn had outlived its welcome, and that it would be just a “matter of time” before it would be (ultimately) demolished & replaced. So…with that thought in mind, as we were drawing closer to the vacant factory, I quickly reached for my film camera and took this photo!
Behold a moment in time- captured on a hazy & humid summer day- on the often tumultuous East River! Thankfully, the river was very calm when this photo was taken!

AIEH

Boating up the East River, when this was the view!

VINTAGE EAST HARLEM- FLASHBACK to P.S. 102: FIRST GRADE CLASS PHOTO!

Posted: November 6, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, East Harlem, East Harlem School Days, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, Just for fun, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Vintage Photography | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

This heartwarming “blast from the old neighborhood’s past”, was thoughtfully sent to me by one of my readers, Steven B., who is a former Italian East Harlemite. This adorable photo depicts Steven’s 1st grade class, from Public School #102, which is located at 315 East 113th Street-between 1st & 2nd Avenue. The approximate year was circa 1953-54.

According to Steven’s memories of his East Harlem school days, the male teacher in the photo was named Mr. Dupoid. (spelling uncertain). You can find Steven sitting in the first row-4th from the right, with hat in hand. 🙂 Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful vintage photo with us, Steven! It truly is a historical gem!

A note to my readership: Take a look at the teachers, and the children in this class photo. If you recognize anyone, feel free to comment on who they are, and point out exactly where they are in this photo! Thanks, and enjoy! P.S. The children in this photo would currently be around 73-74 years old!

PUBLIC SCHOOL #102- EAST HARLEM-circa 1953-54–FIRST GRADE CLASS

A PAST PRESERVED-In the Shadow of the Twin Gas Tanks, on E. 110th St.

Posted: June 15, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, But Not Forgotten!, digital photography, East Harlem, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Tenements, Vintage Photography | Tags: , | 8 Comments
I was the type of child who sat at the table with all the adults, while the other children went out to play. I sat there, intently listening to all of the old stories about growing up in East Harlem. What joy I got out of of those wondrous stories! It seemed like such a magical place! A place where people were loving, friendly, giving, and united. A community of like minds, and life experiences. How I wished that I could have been born- back in the day- when my dad was a boy, growing up in “the old neighborhood.” Never once did he, nor his siblings ever complain about the tight housing conditions that they lived in. If anything, they always said how much they missed those “good old days” when they were free of worry, and spent all day outside playing with their friends, and selling fruits and vegetables on their father’s pushcart.
My dad’s family was a large family of 9 people, 7 children and 2 adults, living in a small tenement apartment. My dad’s grandmother, Teresa, owned 2 tenements, one next to the other. They lived at 346 E. 110th, directly across from the HUGE Consolidated Gas Company’s twin gas tanks! The tanks had a capacity of 5 million cubic feet-when full! These tanks supplied the upper portion of New York City, as far south as 79th Street. If they had exploded, I might not be here writing this article. (Lol)
Never once did I hear my dad complain about those gigantic gas tanks stealing the sunshine from their apartment! It really didn’t bother them, as they were used to them being there. I never heard him complain about the noise or the smells from the gas tanks. Surprisingly, he told me that mothers would often walk by the gas tanks, with their sick children, to try to alleviate their respiratory ailments- as the steam had some beneficial effects. Can you imagine? There they were, strolling babies and toddlers in strollers, hoping to receive some health relief for them! Also, my dad shared a personal story about his mischievous ways, and how he would sneak onto the gas company’s property, and climb the ladder to the top of the framing of the gas tank. One day, a company watchman, spotted him at the top of the ladder. He begged and pleaded with my dad to climb back down, and promised not to get him in any trouble. He kept his word. The man was relieved, and happy that my dad made it down without falling, as there were incidents in the past where children fell to their deaths, while trying to climb to the top. The top height, around the top rim of the skeletal framing, loomed at approximated 120 feet! That’s about 12 stories! My dad was just a kid, probably about 9 or 10 years old. Just another neighborhood kid, trying to make the best out of his urban “concrete jungle” environs. The year was circa 1934. So much fun, right?
My dad and his family, on the roof , at 346 E. 110th St. circa 1932.
1939 NYC Municipal tax photo of 346 E. 110th St.
My dad, Albert, with my son, Albert. Empty lot at 346 E. 110th. (2004)
The empty lot that once was 346 East 110th Street. A new building stands here today.
On the roof of 346 E. 110th St. circa 1932
Empty lot of 346 & 344 E. 110th St. April of 2006.
New buildings at 346-344 & 342 E. 110th St. 2016
East 110th Street, near 1st Ave. (side of building) 2006
April of 2006. Near the empty lot where 346 E. 110th once stood.
On the roof of 346 E. 110th. circa 1932.
The twin gas tanks on East 110th. 1920’s
304 E.110th. (2006) This is the same type of tenement as 346 was.
Although this is not located in East Harlem, I thought you would like to see a high-definition example of how huge these gas tanks were! I found this image on shorpy.com
The 2 large blue circles depict the twin gas tanks on East 110th, near 1st Ave.
East Harlem Aerial-circa 1950’s. Notice the twin gas tanks looming high above the new housing projects in the background.
These are the twin gas tanks of the Consolidated Gas Company, later known as Consolidated Edison. They loomed over the tenements on the 300 block of East 110th Street. 344-46-48 East 110th was directly across the street from the first gas tank. (foreground, on right.) Note the laundry hanging on the lower left. This aerial photo was taken when my grandparents lived there. I see mostly white laundry! They must be drying their bed sheets! Ha ha!

THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDES of ITALIAN HARLEM!

Posted: June 11, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, brides of east harlem, East Harlem, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Vintage Photography | Tags: , , , , , , | 11 Comments

My aspiration to one day wear a glorious white wedding dress, started way back in the late 1960’s-early 1970’s. In 1966, my family moved out of East Harlem, and settled up in the Bronx. When I was a little girl, living in City Island, we lived close by to a catering hall, known then as The Lido. On the weekends, the limousines would roll up in front of the Lido, and, along with them, came the beautiful brides! I was so in awe of these beautiful, “princess-like” women! They looked as if they were floating on air! I thought to myself, how wonderful it must be to actually be a bride! Well, I guess that’s normal for little girls, right? I mean, looking forward to one’s wedding day, and the opportunity to look like a true princess, is something that most girls dream about…whether in secret or not! Ha! 🙂

Ok, fast forward to this past month! I was thinking about how nice it would be to commemorate the beautiful brides that once lived in East Harlem, during a time when it was primarily an Italian community. I thought I would dedicate a page to this theme, but for now, I will post on my main page for all my readers to see. I noticed that when I post on one of the dozen other pages that I have on this website, my subscribers do not receive an email notification about the new post. But, when I post on my main page- which is this one- all of my subscribers receive news about the post! So, after I post the photo gallery of gorgeous East Harlem brides, I will create a special page, in which I can update it whenever someone shares bridal photos with me. Having said that, if you have a scanned, high-definition vintage wedding photo, or photos, of either yourself, or relatives that once lived in East Harlem-when they got married, do send them to me! Please don’t send me a “photo of a photo,” as the definition will be compromised, and it won’t do the photo justice. Oh… and although I didn’t get married when I lived in the old neighborhood, I thought I’d add my wedding photo in the mix! Enjoy! My email is italianharlem@gmail.com

Without further ado, here come the brides!!! 🙂

Rare Photos of the “Festa di Madonna di Monte Carmela” of East Harlem-July 16, 1942.

Posted: May 27, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, Churches of East Harlem, East Harlem, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Vintage Photography | Tags: , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Photos courtesy of Michael G. (I took the liberty to edit them a bit, just to give them some more definition.) The photographer that took these wonderful photos was Michael’s great uncle, Antonio Scelza, of 424 East 117th Street, in East Harlem. Thank you so much for sharing these amazing photos, Michael! Enjoy them!

Feast of SS Medici-1942 East 117th Street. Antonio Scelza, photographer.
Note: After you click on the above image, look in the lower right hand corner, to click on the words “view full size.” Then, you can click again to zoom in to see more detail!
Feast of SS Medici-1942 East 117th Street. Antonio Scelza, photographer.
Note: After you click on the above image, look in the lower right hand corner, to click on the words “view full size.” Then, you can click again to zoom in to see more detail!

Feast of SS Medici-1942 East 117th Street. “The Presentation of the Saints.”
Antonio Scelza, photographer.

Note: After you click on the above image, look in the lower right hand corner, to click on the words “view full size.” Then, you can click again to zoom in to see more detail!
This is a collage of the same 3 photos that are posted above.
Note: After you click on the above image, look in the lower right hand corner, to click on the words “view full size.” Then, you can click again to zoom in to see more detail!
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Feast. July 16th, 1942. Photo taken by Antonio Scelza.
Note: After you click on the above image, look in the lower right hand corner, to click on the words “view full size.” Then, you can click again to zoom in to see more detail!
  • Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Procession. East 115th Street. July 16, 1942. Notice the OLMC church, in the background, on the left. Also, the newly-erected Benjamin Franklin High School is in the center background .
Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16th, 1942. Photos taken by Antonio Scelza, of East 117th Street.
Note: After you click on the above image, look in the lower right hand corner, to click on the words “view full size.” Then, you can click again to zoom in to see more detail! You can click on each individual photo to view it in full format.

“A BETTER TOMORROW” 1945 filmed in East Harlem

Posted: May 26, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: But Not Forgotten!, East Harlem, East Harlem Maps, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, Movies Filmed in East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Pleasant Avenue, Tenements, Video | Tags: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is holding a collection of photos, files, and ephemera that belonged to Leonard Covello, the former principal of Benjamin Franklin High School. As kismet would have it, I stumbled upon an extremely rare, short film, filmed by Alexander Hammid, a Czech film director, and cinematographer. Technically, for all intents and purposes, this was a US government propaganda film. I’m not a fan of some of the statements that were made in this film, but it’s a fabulous “portal to the past”, and that’s good enough for me! This is a short film on American public education, intended for public use. It was filmed in 1945, in several New York City locations, with a special focus on Benjamin Franklin High School, located on Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem. I cropped the film to reflect what I would prefer to emphasize-which is daily community life in East Harlem. Oh, and you’re welcome! (wink) 🙂 If you wish to view this film in its entirety, here’s the direct link: https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/13235

I must tell you that I have a personal collection of rare papers, photos, letters, and maps-some of which are shown in this film. Long story, but I’ll tell you a bit about how I acquired them. About 5 years ago, I received a phone call from the wife of a bookseller that I frequently bought from. I was asked if I would like to have the remainder of files from the archives of Leonard Covello. I was stunned! I had been searching for years, scouring the planet for anything remotely related to the East Harlem community, and in one phone call, I was given a fabulous gift! The book seller’s name is Michael Cordasco. Michael’s father, Francesco Cordasco, was a well known sociologist, Columbia graduate, and a close friend and colleague of Leonard Covello. When Leonard Covello died, Francesco was given Covello’s files, books, photos, etc. Most of the Covello collection went to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and, with sheer luck and serendipity, the rest went to yours truly! I will never forget that afternoon, when I received that phone call! I’ll post a video soon, talking more about how I acquired the collection. 🙂

I have been meaning to digitize my collection, for years now, but found it difficult to set aside the time to do so. Also, I’m a terrible procrastinator! Ha ha, there, I said it! 🙂 Now, due to the Covid-19 situation, I am not working outside my home, so I have the time to move forward with my digitization and preservation project. Aside from the Covello collection, I have a huge archive of “all things East Harlem” that I have been collecting since 2004. I also have a large photo library of vintage photos that were given to me by family and friends, and I have ephemera which relates to East Harlem as well. Oh, I haven’t mentioned the books, which I have been scouring the internet to find, for almost 15 years!
There’s so much for me to do. When I think about it, I get overwhelmed! Lol However, the clock is ticking, and I owe it to my readership, and to my East Harlem ancestry, to get the ball rolling! 🙂

So, watch this movie, and if you click through to my YouTube page, don’t forget to follow me! Oh, and if you are so inclined, watch my metaphysical videos on crystals, astrology, numerology, tarot, and all that fun stuff! Yes, I wear many hats! Lol 🙂

ON THE CORNER OF E. 110th Street & 1st Avenue-1936 & 2016

Posted: May 26, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, But Not Forgotten!, digital photography, East Harlem, Gone, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Vintage Photography | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

My paternal grandfather, Antimo, aka Tony Puca, is seen on the right, wearing the dark pants and shirt, with suspenders. He lived with his wife and 7 children, in his mother’s building, at 346 E. 110th Street. His son, my uncle Philly, is seen in the foreground. Philly was born in 1926, so I estimated that this photo was taken around 1936-38. My grandfather was a produce vendor. He sold fruits and vegetables on that spot, on the north side of E. 110th, and on 1st Avenue, between E. 110th and E. 111th. My dad told me that sometimes, they had the pushcart on the opposite corner, between E. 110th & E. 109th-on 1st Avenue. Notice the tomato plants in the foreground, on the right. Also, seen holding on to the iron fence of the Metropolitan Gas Company, later known as Consolidated Edison, is my grandfather’s friend, Vincenzo, who was also my uncle Philly’s godfather. The man in the middle is unknown to me, although it looks like he is wearing an apron, so maybe he was a food vendor, selling hot foods on a pushcart. Also, notice the man in the background, wearing a suit and hat. It looks like he was interested in buying the tomato plants. Well, I hope my grandfather had a fruitful day on that memorable day in Italian Harlem! 🙂

Note: If anyone recognizes the man wearing the light colored hat, and apron, standing in the middle of this photo, let me know!

The modern day photo is from 2016. I took my aunt Tessie to visit the old neighborhood. She hadn’t been back in over 50 years, so, believe me, that indeed was a memorable day! Today, as you can see from the modern photo, there is a brick wall placed further out where the iron fence once stood. There are no vendors to be seen. No vestiges of ancestral bygone days. No tomato plants. No old friends. Sadly, just an empty sidewalk. I’m sure that there are days when there is more foot traffic, but on that weekend spring day, in April of 2016, it was quiet.

P.S. Isn’t it cool that the large building in the background is still there? They have renovated it, but, as you can see, it is basically the same. Also, one more point…the street light from 1936 was a bit shorter in height than the one that is there now. I noticed that, as in the old photo, the top of the street light aligned with the 4th story of the large building in the background. Today, the street light that exists, lines up with the edge of the 6th story of that same building. Also, back in the day, that building was owned by the gas company. Today, it is a storage facility. Just a bit of trivia for you all! 🙂

ITALIAN POPULATION in EAST HARLEM-1930 CENSUS-Historical Facts and Figures

Posted: May 24, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: digital photography, East Harlem, East Harlem Ephemera, East Harlem Facts and Figures, East Harlem Maps, Immigration history, Italian Americans, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS | Tags: , , | 8 Comments

So, historically speaking, where exactly did the neighborhood of East Harlem begin and end? Technically, the boundary started at 96th Street, from the East River, west to 5th Avenue, and heading North to 125th Street, but for all intents and purposes, the majority of the Italian district started well past E. 100th Street, and basically, started thinning out past E.125th Street.
Note: According to the 1930 Census, there were 5800 Italians living between E. 99th and E. 104th, from 1st Avenue to 3rd Avenue. Next, from East 104th to East 109th Streets, from 1st Avenue, heading west to 3rd Avenue, there were 15,500 Italians living in that zone. Moving North, from East 109th to 114th Street, there were 12,500 Italians living between Pleasant Ave., 1st and 3rd Avenues. And then, from East 114th Street, up to East 119th Street, between Pleasant Avenue, heading west to 3rd Avenue, there were 20,500 Italians living in that zone. This particular “Italian zone” is probably the largest, due to the fact that Pleasant Avenue was included in these population figures. Historically, Pleasant Avenue’s residential community started near Jefferson Park, from East 114th Street-near Rao’s, up toward East 125th Street. (However, past East 121st Street, near Pleasant Avenue (back in the day before the public housing development was built), that area was largely industrial in nature-up towards East 125th Street). Lastly, from East 119th Street, up to around East 125th Street, there were approximately 11,500 Italians living between Pleasant Ave. and 3rd Avenue. If you move West, from 3rd Avenue, up to 5th Avenue, there were thousands more Italians, starting from 91st Street, on the east side, and heading west and North to 5th Avenue and up past E. 125th Street! 🙂 Source: Casa Italiana Educational Bureau of Columbia University. (Leonard Covello was the Executor Director, at that time).

“AIEH” Stands for ALWAYS in EAST HARLEM…the true spirit of a Bygone Era. Thank you, Roe!

Posted: February 18, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Angela's picture galleries, But Not Forgotten!, digital photography, East Harlem, East Harlem Notables, Italian Americans, Italian East Harlem, New York City, NEW YORK ITALIANS, Voices of East Harlem | Tags: , , , | 6 Comments

Somewhere around the year 2008, after I set up this website, I found Charlie DeMonte’s and Charlie Strippone’s website, called “The Old Neighborhood Online.” I was so happy to know that there were other like-minded people, as myself, who were interested in preserving the memory of a once booming Italian community, simply called Harlem, or “the neighborhood.” I call it Italian Harlem, as that is the memory that I wish to preserve. My Italian great-grandparents came to this neighborhood, to forge a new life in a new world. The United States of America was a country that was fairly young in its own right. The year was 1901, and America was a 125 years into being established as a nation. Tens of thousands of Italian immigrants gravitated to this particular area of Manhattan, in an attempt to reap the benefits of the American way of life.

Fast forward to 2008, here I was in my 5th year of historical research of the old neighborhood, when I stumbled upon Charlie’s website. I joined the site, set up an account, and started to chat with other members, sharing stories of their lives in the old neighborhood. At some point in time, and here is the “kicker” of this article- I came across a 4 letter acronym, with the letters AIEH (all in caps) typed in at the end of a comment. I couldn’t recall who the person was that used the acronym, but it quickly spread to most users on that website, including me! When I asked what it stood for, I was captivated, and continue to use it, to this day.

AIEH means “Always in East Harlem.” That’s the long and the short of it. It holds within its 4 letters, the true Spirit of a bygone era, that so many of us are fighting to preserve. As I was pondering on writing an article about the true meaning behind this endearing, heartfelt term, I reached out to my friend JoAnne Claretti Mallano, to ask her if she knew who “coined” it. JoAnne quickly responded that the person’s name was Rosemary Alvino Milazzo, and that sadly, Rosemary had passed away over 8 years ago. So now, this article is not just about a term that embodies the Spirit of a once vibrant community, it is also about a special lady that enhanced a “thought pattern” based upon 4 letters of our alphabet. Got the message yet? Smile… AIEH

Rosemary Alvino Milazzo was born in East Harlem on November 5th 1959. She passed away on October 29th, 2009. She was a resident of Long Beach, N.Y. Her friends called her “Roe.” She leaves with us, a heartfelt legacy of AIEH. Always in East Harlem, in our hearts, our minds, and the pathway to our ancestry. Grazie Mille, Roe!

AIEH

Rosemary AIEH AlvinoRosemary Alvino Milazzo. Photo courtesy of Janet Sinicola.

Rosemary and Janet EHJanet Sinicola(left) Rosemary Alvino Milazzo(right.) Courtesy of Janet Sinicola.

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