2014: JUNE 2: RALPH LUCARELLA HAS PASSED ON

I just received the above email from Ralph's son Ralph Jr. telling me of the passing of one of the major contributors to this website. Ralph will be sorely missed, and as I close down the computer for tonight (10 PM) a prayer will wing its way to Heaven for a gentleman whom I never personally met, but through the Glover320 Hamilton Library website, was privileged to have made his acquaintance. We'll miss you, Ralph Lucarella, you were a gentleman and an historic treasure for MANY of us on this website.

1931: AS THE OLD SONG GOES, "SMALL WORLD, ISN'T IT?

Paging through millions of pages has become a part of my existance over these last 25 years. One never knows what one will find. Add to that this website, which has many visitors who keep coming back for more, I realize that it is indeed a small, small world. The above graphic is a clipping from loyal and every day (every hour?) visitor to this website, nonagenarian Ralph Lucarella. Imagine my surprise when I saw the Lucarella name in a 1931 Trenton Times newspaper. My surprise doubled when I read the guests who were at Rose's sweet sixteen birthday party. There in glorious black and white was Bill Stoker. The Stoker family was very friendly with my family. Indeed, Marge and young Bill were well known in our family of friends. I think I still have a photo of Marge in front of our Hartley Avenue home standing in front of her 1937 black Ford. "Uncle Bill" as he was known by all in the Kuser neighborhood was a crossing guard for the Kuser School kids at Newkirk and Liberty Street. He let me keep my bike in the garage at his Newkirk Avenue home. Small world indeed. As I recall, young Bill, along with Charlie Corbishley,  were friends of my cousin John "Goog" Williamson. SMALL WORLD INDEED.

I am posting this baseball related graphic again as a result of an email I received from Tony Siegel who, as you will see, is a real dyed in the wool fan of the game. Tony invites your comments and so do I.

Hi Tom:

I have enjoyed many of Ralph's baseball postings. Although I do not know him I love his tales of the Schroths and other Trenton memorabilia.I grew up in Trenton a rapid Baseball fan, the Phillies and A's to be exact as I was a fervent Yankee hater. I still am.

This baseball love and background perhaps helped to provide an impetus to allow me to think about working in Baseball when the time came. So when I got to Houston, Texas in late 1964 I set upon accomplishing just that. It is a long story but I did get to .be one of the two guys who operated the Astrodome scoreboard when it opened in 1965. The Phillies opened the season that year and I befriended Bus Saidt, who I used to "bootleg" listening to every night as my parents made me go to bed. I tricked them. Anyhow Bus had to dart out as the team had a flight that night so I had was given the honor of calling in his story to the Trenton Times for him. We became friends until his untimely death many years ago, In fact, I attended his funeral.

I am about to begin my 48th year in Major League baseball, the last seven with the World Champion Giants. We received a ring in 2010 and will get another on April 20 to commemorate winning the Series last year. It has been quite a ride.

So please convey to Ralph that his tidbits are greatly appreciated and look forward to more. Since my 98 year old mother is still alive an kicking in Trenton, maybe I can get to meet him one day.

You take care and "see" you on your web site.

Tony Siegle

Senior Advisor

San Francisco Giants

rockytony@aol.com

1936, 1948 and 1949 THE LUCARELLA BOYS

These are for you, Ralph and other local and national baseball fans from the golden years of the 30's, 40's and 50's. I am sure there are more Lucarella columns still to be found and will be sure to post them as they become available.

This is just one of the many graphics that Google nuked when I imported Picasa. I have just been going through the lost graphics and am very very very gradually restoring them. I have copied and pasted the numerous comments that were posted when this post appeared a few years ago. I have also "nuked" the original with that dreaded black triangle with the exclamation in the center.

As regular followers and visitors to this blog are well aware, "Local History With A Personal Touch" is proudly printed on the regular home page graphic when one clicks on www.glover320.blogspot.com. Even though it isn't on my current Kuser Park summer program, it will return when I change back to my regular home page graphics. Our own Ralph Lucarella is a card-carrying member of "The Greatest Generation" who all of us love and respect. Ralph has added immeasurably to the history listed on this blog with his retrospective looks back to his younger years as a local boy growing up in what was and still can be the greatest city in New Jersey.

"Lucarella Snares City Twilight 1st Half Batting Title With .500!"

Go Get 'em, Ralph!

4 comments:

Ralph Lucarella said...

WELL, THANKS A LOT TOM FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND ALL YOUR EFFORTS TO REPORT THE MANY DIFFERENCES YOU AND I AND MANY OTHERS OF OUR GENERATION ENDURED IN THIS AREA OF OURS IN THE EARLY YEARS. WE CAME THROUGH IT ALL PRETTY GOOD AND STILL ABLE TO HOPE FOR THE BEST FOR ALL OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THIS PART OF THE U.S.A. REGARDS.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Mack said...

YEAAAAA RALPH !!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

JoeZ said...

ATTA BOY RALPHIE BABY.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ralph Lucarella said...

....THANKS FELLAS, YOU GUYS WERE JUST GETTING READY TO TAKE ON THE TOUGH JOB OF FACING YHE PROBLEMS IN VILLA PARK AND FRANKLIN PARK WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON. THANKS AGAIN.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

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.

Friday, July 20, 2012

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.

Friday, July 20, 2012

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

Friday, July 20, 2012

2012: I NEED MORE RALPH LUCARELLA-TYPE VISITORS:

Ralph, I hope you understand the valued insights you prove with the many comments you have posted on various pages of this website. An advanced age senior citizen with the mental abilities you have is a very rare asset to this local history blog. I, and a number of my very valuable visitors are a decade or so behind you in age, and they also have been the source of incredibly valuable history. Mike Kuzma, Noel Goeke, and other loyal visitors have also added immeasurably to the value and viability of this site. The comment below arrived today from Ralph and was the catalyst for my comment above:

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM...I'M ONE GUYS WHO WAS BORN AT THE END OF WORLD WAS 1 AND RECALL MY FATHER GETTING DRAFTED AT FORT DIX. I'M TOLD THEY DRILLED WITH BROOM STICKS IN PLACE OF RIFLES. HE WAS LUCKY TO GET CALLED AT THE END. I CAN REMEMBER CHAMBERSBURG AND THE THANKFUL RESPONSE TO THE ROEBLING PLANT THAT SUPPLIED THE AREA WITH WORK. THE WONDERFUL SMELL OF TOMATO PIES AS YOU WALKED PAST PAPA'S ON BUTLER STREET. THE PUSH CARTS AND STREET CLEANERS THAT KEPT THE STREETS CLEAN AND THE TRUCKS THAT CANVASSED THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. CARS WERE NOT A PROBLEM YET WHILE EVERYONE WALKED OR RODE A BIKE TO WHERE THEY WERE GOING. YOUR SITE BRINGS BACK ALL THOSE MEMORIES FOR THE OLD TIMERS TO CHERISH. MAY GOD BLESS US ALL IN OUR OLD AGE AND PRAY THAT TODAY'S PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED. BEST REGARDS.

1944: RALPH LUCARELLA, U.S.N. (RET.)

Ralph has been among my many valued visitors to this web site.With his excellent memory and experience in recalling the Trenton we all knew and loved. I am publishing two photos I received from Ralph a number of years ago, illustrating his station during WWII in the Herbrides. Below and to the right is a copy of a guest book entry from Jeff Ashton, Phoenix, Arizona which I have copied and pasted. It was directed to Ralph and me. As to you Ralph Lucarella, you are one of our heroes who served valiantly in the horror that was World War II. How do you Italians say it...."C'ent anni?"

Omad said...

Always find your comments interesting and I look forward each day to what you add to Tom's postings. I'm 76 and don't think my memory is as sharp as yours. Keep up the good work.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

1936: SCHROTH'S PRACTICING AT HETZEL FIELD

There you are again, Ralph Lucarella! Right in there with all of Trenton's notable baseball players in the 1930's. I would bet that you, and many other visitors will find many old friends and acquaintances in the lengthy listing of candidates. I see Harold "Bus" Saidt among the players listed.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....BUS SAIDT AND I WERE BOTH SELECTED TO PLAY ON THE 1936 SCHROTHS TEAM. IT WAS AT A TIME WHEN THE HAMILTON LEGION HAD A VERY STRONG TEAM AND DEFEATED US FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE SCHROTHS WENT TO THE STATE FINALS EACH YEAR BEFORE THAT BUT IN THAT GAME PLAYED AT THE CADWALADER PARK FIELD, THEY REALLY PLAYED GREAT. IT WAS GREAT TO BE CONNECTED TO THE SCHROTHS TEAM AND LATTER ON, MY BROTHER "CHUCK" WENT ON TO PLAY ON THE 1948 SCHROTHS WHEN THEY WON THE AMERICAN LEGION WORLD SERIES IN INDIANAPOLIS. BUS SAIDT BROADCASTED THAT GAME BACK TO TRENTON AND WE FELT VERY PROUD TO BE THERE WITH MANY OTHER TRENTON PEOPLE. BEST REGARDS.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

1936 - 1937: "MA, IT'S THAT LUCARELLA GUY AGAIN!"

"Tom Glover's Hamilton Library Scrapbook," has found two articles that reveal Ralph's baseball talents back in the day. The above two articles are from 1936 and 1937. Ralph, you should be very proud of achieving a .500 batting average; indeed, those who reach that level are few and far between.

Ralph Lucarella said...

THANKS A LOT TOM FOR BRINGING BACK THE MEMORIES OF THOSE YEARS WHEN PLAYING WITH THE SCHROTHS WAS LIKE PLAYING FOR THE YANKEES FOR MOST OF THE KIDS IN THE CITY. EVEN THOUGH I PLAYED SHORT STOP, I REGISTERED AS A SECOND BASEMENT CAUSE THEY HAD A SHORT STOP FROM LAST YEAR. JAKE MILLER, THE MANAGER, SPENT A LOT OF TIME SCOUTING THE KIDS AND HE SUGGESTED I SWITCH TO SHORT AND TRIED PENROSE AT THIRD. IT WAS A TERRIFIC EXPERIENCE AND I GOT TO MEET A LOT OF NICE PEOPLE. YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THE CANDIDATES WAS HAROLD{BUS)SAIDT AND I KNEW MANY OF THE OTHERS. A SHORT WHILE LATTER THEY STARTED AN AMERICAN LEGION LEAGUE AND THE WINNER OF THAT LEAGUE REPRESENTED THE CITY OF TRENTON. THAT'S THE YEAR IN 1948, THAT MY BROTHER CHUCK PLAYED AND THEY WON THE AMERICAN LEGION WORLD SERIES IN INDIANAPOLIS. LATTER ON, AFTER THE SCHROTHS, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PLAY IN MANY LEAGUES AND DID VERY WELL. THANKS AGAIN TOM AND BEST REGARDS.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Mack said...

Hi Tom and Ralph:) I am loving this post and humming "take me out to the ballgame" while I read it. Congrats on winning the batting title in this year Ralph:) I want to do a Bob Merill Yankee Stadium Voice .."Shortstop.....Ralph Lucarella"... All the best Mack:)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Tom Glover said...

YOU'RE ALL CLASS, RALPH! TOM GLOVER

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

1944: Ralph Lucarello, Sr. U.S.N. Ret.

I met Ralph Lucarello Sr. on Mike McNicoll's very interesting website. I have Ralph's permission to post just a few of the photos he took during his tour of the Pacific as a member of the U.S. Navy. Following is a copy of Ralph's service experiences. It seems like a page right out of that fabulous Broadway musical, "South Pacific," even as you see he and his buddies doing leg kicks as they sing and dance to, "There is nothing like a dame!" Many thanks, Ralph and to you also Mack for the great job you are doing on your web blog.

RALPH WROTE

Hi Tom, this is Ralph Sr. I was in the US Navy Fleet Post Office San Francisco Navy 140 which was located on Espíritu Santo in the NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS. I was in the Post Office in Trenton at the beginning of WW2 and could have enlisted in the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer but they wouldn't guarantee my job upon returning and would only do so when I was drafted. When I was finally drafted in April of 1944, I went to boot camp in Bainbridge, Md and was granted third class petty officer mail specialist. I was stationed in NY for 3 months and then sent to San Francisco. After 3 months in san francisco we shipped out to the South Pacific. When I was discharged in 1946, I was a Second Class Petty Officer. While I was on Espiritus Santo, the Fleet assembled there in preparation for the Invasion of Okinawa. Our Unit was tasked to distribute mail throughout the South Pacific Area. Here are the Photos I have of my time on Espíritu Santo .