Sometimes on Sunday afternoon we would go to the East Erie Turners on 9th & Parade. When I was very young the club had slot machines, and I can vaguely remember grandma playing the penny machine. When we were a little older, Pat, Harry, Tommy and I would play around the club. Pat and I would look for Tommy and Harry or the other way round. There was the main club room, a smaller dining room, the bar room and the bowling alley downstairs. It was a crowded place and so it seemed easy to hide from each other. As the day passed the building got very smokey, and your eyes would burn. Who ever heard of the dangers of second-hand smoke?
By the mid 50's we started going to the CYS club on East 2nd Street between French and Holland. We called it the Russian Club. I'm not sure why we started going there, but I remember that they had chicken in the basket - 1/2 chicken and French fries - for a dollar. In the early evening they had bingo, and Anna would get extra cards so the kids could play.
