Hot Fudge Sundaes at Norma and Johnnie’s

Lights, Cameras, Action and Hot Fudge Sundaes at Norma and Johnnie’s

I lived in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey for some of the best years of my adult life. I shopped in a neighboring town, Westwood, New Jersey, and always managed to make my way into a little sweet shop called Conrad’s. Their homemade candy rivals Stefanelli’s in Erie. They have an ice cream soda shop that takes you back years in time. It still looks like 1959. Westwood has the charm of suburban New York, offering a variety of venues for the shopper and palate. Conrad’s still holds old charm.

Over twenty five years ago, while shopping, I was craving a hot fudge sundae. I went to Conrad’s. I took one taste and went back in time. Could this actually be happening? The time was the late 50’s and early 60’s, at Norma and Johnnie’s house.

After putting on our Sunday finest, Mike, Ann and I, in my parent’s Ford, were excited to be on Greengarden Blvd, knowing ‘the turn’ was coming. We walked into Norma and Johnnie’s greeted by Norma. She always had perfectly coiffured auburn hair, with a “Gibson Girl” twist in the front. She wore a crisp apron and always, red nails with an understated yet beaming smile. Johnnie was always gentle and warm.

We kids (Patty, Mike, Ann, Mike and I) could care less what the adults were going to do for the afternoon. We went downstairs to the basement stage and had a ball creating an original play. How I loved that time in their great basement! After much planning and practice, we put on our original play. Our audience of parents gave rounds of applause. We had succeeded. Look out Broadway.

Before dinner, I’d admire Norma’s original art work. I thought it was so cool. She had oil paintings, some by numbers, beautifully framed throughout the house. Then, time for a great dinner. Yes, a great dinner, but I couldn’t wait for the dessert, a hot fudge sundae. You could smell the sauce cooking. God, nothing could compare, except tasting it! It had a rich chocolate flavor and a moderate creamy consistency dripping over pure vanilla ice cream. I’ve tried many times to recreate the sauce with the Hershey’s cocoa hot fudge recipe, and maybe I’ve come close. Then I went into Conrad’s in Westwood, New Jersey. No matter what diet I tried to be on over the past 25 years, I’d give myself a reprieve and have that hot fudge sundae. I am amazed. How can I be so lucky? It’s just like Norma’s! I enjoy my sundae. I go back in time. I relive my childhood memories. I reconnect with what’s good and important. Conrad’s, please never go out of business.

Lucy Cappello
March 2, 2010

I am REALLY a Crotty..

As I begin the next phase of my life, I find that those Crotty 'no frills' genes are really part of who I am.

When I started looking thru the accumulation of over 40 years of marriage, I initially wanted to save everything. As I go thru it each time, more and more 'stuff' is getting discarded, ready to be sold at a garage sale, or donated. I finally realized that my memories are not in 'things', but in the memories I will carry with me wherever I go.

I recently sent my daughter Robin a text asking her if she wanted something. She replied that yes, she would like it, but the Crotty in her says no!! So, she declined whatever item it was, and really only wants things that remind her of her home here and her Dad. I think Kevin is realizing too that it is possible to have too many things that really don't mean that much.

Another "Anna" thought...I have decided to take minimal furniture mainly because it seems foolish to drag with me what I will not need. I will be starting my apartment in Jacksonville with only my recliners, no sofa! It reminded me of a post Mary Ann made that Anna was the only person she ever knew who had no sofa in their living room. Mary Ann...I know you are up there laughing!!

I will never start pitching family heirlooms and pictures out of the attic window though!!

Daniel Cappello

Daniel Cappello is a great-grandson of Richard and Julia Crotty. He is the founder of 47 Ventures - a creative consulting company. Dan draws on an encompassing career that has spanned the worlds of media, politics, design, philanthropy, fashion, and the arts to offer clients a uniquely customized experience for their personal and business development needs.

Dan is currently the Fashion Editor of Quest Media, which publishes the cultural magazine Quest and the fashion magazine Q. He has worked on the editorial staffs of The New Yorker, George, and Harvard Current. He has covered and written about science, politics, literature, fashion, and etiquette for publications such as Playbill, Absolute New York, W, Ralph Lauren’s RL Magazine, and www.newyorker.com/. He has been a ballet critic for Dance and Pointe magazines, and has written and photographed for New York Social Diary.

Dan served President Bill Clinton as Director of Specialty Press and has worked on such creative projects as the redesign and installation of the permanent exhibit “Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady,” at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, in Boston, and Richard Avedon’s final photographic portfolio, “Democracy.”

Dan Cappello received his B.A. degree in Government from Harvard University, where he also earned a Citation in French Language.

http://www.fortysevenventures.com/

The Clubs

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.

Razanauskas Brothers in WWII

On the left is Eddie. His rank was Petty Officer Third Class and served in the engine room on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin.

Bill is the guy in the middle. In his wife's Crotty family he is known as Willie. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Army, and was stationed at Frederick Army Airfield, Frederick, Oklahoma. He was a Physical Training Instructor for pilots.

Walter's rank was Ensign. He commanded a Navy Landing Craft. These boats were used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. He was stationed in the Pacific.

Norma

A note to Dede from Mike Crotty:

Dede--thanks for your comments about my Mother. Throughout her life, she always helped out family and even strangers deal with health, and many other issues. I think a significant factor was that her own Mother died the year she was born and she was raised by her Grandmother (Mary Chellis) and her aunt (Mary LaVerne Chellis aka Gooie). Her Grandmother was in fragile health so from a very young age, she was a health care provider,homemaker, cook, etc. Gooie worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad for 52 years so my Mother had to fill in for many of the day to day duties.

The honeymoon picture was taken at Miami Beach in July, 1942.

Also see "The Veterans" posting from Nov 2007.

Horrigan

One time years ago I was at Anna's. We were sitting in the kitchen having a few beers when for some reason I asked what she knew about the family history. I remember that she said that her grandmother Lucy had come to the U.S. through Canada. A few years after that my dad went up to Betty and Willie's to see the family bible. There wasn't much in it except the Marriage Certificate for Lucy's marriage to Michael Smith. It had Lucy's parents as "Daniel Horrigan and". Her mother's name is not written!


This week using Ancestry.com I've found the Horrigan's in the 1851 Canada census! They were living in Flamboro West, Wentworth county. Daniel, 35, is listed as a cooper from Ireland. Others listed are Margaret, 35, Lucy, 12, Margaret 10, Richard, 6, Johannah, 2, and David, 1. The last two children were born in Canada.








Lucy's sister Johannah shows up in the 1870 census working as a domestic in Erie. In the 1880 census she is the wife of Dyer Colgrove in Meadville, PA. It shows her as being born in Canada. She has four children - Anna, Harry, Daniel and William. Anna later became a nun taking the name Sister Augustine. My mother had told me that sometimes she would go over to the convent and walk with Sister Augustine over to her house so that her father could visit with his cousin. I remember that my mom said that she was a very jolly person.



Johannah's son Daniel had a daughter Mary in 1904. Mary shows up in the 1910 census as living in St. Joseph's Orphanage. She later became a nun taking the name Sister Pierre. My mother sometimes mentioned her also.



Lucy shows up in the 1870 census also working as a domestic. The 1880 census shows her with her two sons, Pierre David and Richard J. She is running a restaurant on State St. In 1881 she married Michael Smith. He died in 1914. She died in 1929.



I cannot find anything on Lucy brothers or her sister Margaret. Maybe only Lucy and Johannah came to the U.S. But what about Grandma Powers? Was this Lucy's mother Margaret who remarried a Mr. Powers? I cannot find anything in the census or Erie City Directories that shows them living here.



It seems Lucy named her sons after her brothers. I wonder who the original Pierre was.