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Friday, July 20, 2012

1954: HAMILTON BOWLING LANES

This one is for you, Ralph Lucarella! As regular visitors to this website are well aware Ralph is and has been one of our more valued history-minded visitors. Ralph's insight and memory of the 1930's and early 1940's has proven to be a real asset to the historical comments he has posted with certain posts on this site. Thanks to my former Hartley Avenue neighbor, Ron Bound for taking the time to submit a scan of his 1956 Hamilton Lanes Score book!
RALPH LUCARELLA said...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TOM...THE HAMILTON BOWLING LANES WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THIS COUNTRY WITH THE HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF MANY PEOPLE. MY BROTHER LOU AND I WERE WORKING AT THE POST OFFICE AS LETTER CARRIERS WHEN WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPERATE THE OLDEN BOWLING ALLEYS IN THE OLDEN THEATRE BUILDING IN 1952. WE FELT THE NEED OF MORE BOWLING FACILITES IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP AND WITH THE HELP OF MEL BLATT, ALBERT ENOURATO AND MANY OTHERS WE LOOKED INTO FINDING A LOCATION. WE DECIDED ROUTE 33 WAS THE PROPER SITE AND WITH LOU'S MONEY FROM A MORTGAGE WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ACROSS FROM TONY CAL'S AND PATTERSON CHEVROLET IN 1954. WE RAN THE BUSINESS UNTIL 1970 AND LOU SOLD IT AND JOINED ME IN FLORIDA. THE LANES WERE MOVED TO KUSER ROAD IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR A LIQUOR LICENSE. WITH EVERY ONES HELP WE SHOWED WHAT CAN BE DONE IN TH U.S.A. THANKS AGAIN TOM AND I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH YOUR EFFORTS.

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

TOM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE WITHIN THE LUCARELLA FAMILY INVOLVING MY YOUNGER BROTHER DR. "CHUCK. AS A MEMBER OF THE 1948 SCHROTHS HE LED THE TEAM TO THE AMERICAN LEGION WORLD SERIES. AFTER A BAD ACCIDENT HE COULD'NT PLAY ANY LONGER AND DECIDED TO PRATICE MEDICINE. OVEFCOMING MANY PROBLEMS HE GRADUATED FROM THE JEFFERSON MEDICAL COLLLEGE IN 1955 AND SPECIALIZED IN HEARTHS. HE MANAGED TO OPEN AN OFFICE IN CHAMBERSBURG AND IN 1988 PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER. ALL MY SUCCESS CAN'T COMPARE WITH WHAT HE ACCOMPISHED. MAY GOD BLESS HIM MAY HE REST IN PEACE.

Ron Bound said...

Tom, I just reread the Newspaper article and saw Ralph was an owner. Thanks, Ralph, for opening that bowling alley. Have many fond memories of my times there, even tho I left there in 19 for my time in the service. Each time I made it back to town, I headed to the lanes to see if any old friends were there. Ron

6 comments:

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TOM...THE HAMILTON BOWLING LANES WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THIS COUNTRY WITH THE HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF MANY PEOPLE. MY BROTHER LOU AND I WERE WORKING AT THE POST OFFICE AS LETTER CARRIERS WHEN WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPERATE THE OLDEN BOWLING ALLEYS IN THE OLDEN THEATRE BUILDING IN 1952. WE FELT THE NEED OF MORE BOWLING FACILITES IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP AND WITH THE HELP OF MEL BLATT, ALBERT ENOURATO AND MANY OTHERS WE LOOKED INTO FINDING A LOCATION. WE DECIDED ROUTE 33 WAS THE PROPER SITE AND WITH LOU'S MONEY FROM A MORTGAGE WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ACROSS FROM TONY CAL'S AND PATTERSON CHEVROLET IN 1954. WE RAN THE BUSINESS UNTIL 1970 AND LOU SOLD IT AND JOINED ME IN FLORIDA. THE LANES WERE MOVED TO KUSER ROAD IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR A LIQUOR LICENSE. WITH EVERY ONES HELP WE SHOWED WHAT CAN BE DONE IN TH U.S.A. THANKS AGAIN TOM AND I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH YOUR EFFORTS.

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

TOM, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE WITHIN THE LUCARELLA FAMILY INVOLVING MY YOUNGER BROTHER DR. "CHUCK. AS A MEMBER OF THE 1948 SCHROTHS HE LED THE TEAM TO THE AMERICAN LEGION WORLD SERIES. AFTER A BAD ACCIDENT HE COULD'NT PLAY ANY LONGER AND DECIDED TO PRATICE MEDICINE. OVEFCOMING MANY PROBLEMS HE GRADUATED FROM THE JEFFERSON MEDICAL COLLLEGE IN 1955 AND SPECIALIZED IN HEARTHS. HE MANAGED TO OPEN AN OFFICE IN CHAMBERSBURG AND IN 1988 PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER. ALL MY SUCCESS CAN'T COMPARE WITH WHAT HE ACCOMPISHED. MAY GOD BLESS HIM MAY HE REST IN PEACE.

Ron Bound said...

Tom, I just reread the Newspaper article and saw Ralph was an owner. Thanks, Ralph, for opening that bowling alley. Have many fond memories of my times there, even tho I left there in 19 for my time in the service. Each time I made it back to town, I headed to the lanes to see if any old friends were there. Ron

Ron Bound said...

Should have read: left in 1959 for the service. Retired from the AF in 1989. Don't know where the 30 yrs went. Ron

ron said...

I just realized that since the Bowling Alley opened in late '54, I wonder where my first 600 series, 688, on Dec 18,'56, stood on their list of high series?
Ralph, did you know the Heil brothers? I enjoyed working for one of them, not sure which one it was, think their names were John and Jake. 6 lanes.

Ron Bound Sr said...

Ralph, did you have semi automatic machines or fully automatic machines when you opened up? Ron