Charles Stein:  

Life My Dad, Charles Frances Stein (from Astoria)married Florence McQuade (from Long Island City at Saint Mary's on Vernon Blvd on October 20, 1927. They resided in Astoria on 42nd St. He joined the FDNY in 1928 (Eng 25,Manhattan) then Engine 33 on Great Jones Street & The Bowery when the house was disbanded in 46, to retirement in 1962. Mom passed away in 1968, and Dad in 1983. I arrived at 3 pounds 3 ounces on May 1st 1935. In 36 we moved to 231-09 131st Ave, Laurelton just across the street from Schmitt's Farm. I went to grade school at PS 38, in Rosedale and made my 1st Communion at Saint Clares in 1941. I met my lifetime friend Rudy Melk in 1st grade and we remain friends to this very day, over 70 years later. Laurelton/Rosedale was like growing up in Heaven. There wern't any boys in my neighborhood. My early playmates was limited to girls (because I wasn't allowed to cross the street). It seemed like a pain in the butt at the time, however I remain in touch with my old friends Helen & Dolores Schick, Dorothy Ernst, and Joyce Hartman to this day. At the end of the War, Schmitt's Farm was sold for Garden Apartments. Construction didn't start until 1950. So we built two baseball fields along 131st Ave. One at 232nd street ( it served us well until John Vesey hit a shot through a window. We built a larger field at 235th street (It was known as "The Seahawk Field"). It served me very well because I hit the only home run ever hit there. A line drive right up the Beadell's drive way and beat the Trojen's from Springfield 2 to 1 that day in 1949. I scored both runs and Giro Brigante pitched a three hitter. On August 3,1950 we played them again at a night game at Sherwood Oval (The home of the Springfield Gray's). We had different names that year we were the "Seahawk's" and they were "Saint Mary's". We beat them again I only had two hits and wasn't the star, that was Vinney Werle. Vinney was the winning pitcher and went 4 for 4. He hit a shot off the right field scoreboard. The PA anouncer said he hit it 420 feet. Sherwood Oval didn't last much longer. The hurricane in October knocked down the fences and the light stansions. Semi Pro baseball died as a victim of TV (Uncle Milty, and Pro Westling from Jamacia Arena). The property was sold and Griffin Shoe Polish built a plant on the site in 1955. In 1958 I went to the Irish American Hall in Williston Park with the Brandon brothers, Mike and John and met Joyce Krug of Great Neck. We dated for a year and were married at Saint Aloysius on October 3, 1959. Our fist home was on Cooper Road in North Babylon, in 67 we moved to West Neck Rd in Huntington, and to Plymouth NH in 1971. We had four Children Suzanne, Charles Jr, Peter, betw...Expand for more