BROOKLYN JOE AND SAL
Two Bensonhurst Boys
A Tribute to Salvatore La Puma
and our Neighborhod
Travel along with my Bensonhurst and post-Bensonhurst adventures. I survived to weave a story that skirted the wise guys, street characters, and my own ill-advised actions. But, I was lucky, and family was ever present. And I rejoice in the hold that Bensonhurst still has on my life.
86th Street in the early 50’s (pictured), I did not appreciate how blessedly unique was my youth. The Williamsburg Savings Bank branch on the corner of 23rd Avenue was a Taj Mahal peering over the teeming, mostly immigrant mix, as if a tropical flower pushed up through the rich loam of the ’hood. Cross under the West End “el,” to find my home behind Greg’s Floor Covering (2238 86th Street).
"Open this book and you can taste the tomatoes, hear the arguments, bemoan local politics, and feel the hugs from people you just met. It's a gift."
-Mary Barile. Author, Playwright, and Granddaughter of Brooklyn