Billy and Frank

Billy Nishizaka was one of my closest friends when we were growing up in Coney Island, Brooklyn, N. Y. As I recall we met at Mark Twain JHS when we were 12 or 13 years old.

We had many things in common and became fast friends instantly. We both loved to draw and play stickball. Billy's father owned Skeeball alleys on the boardwalk. When I was 15, Billy asked me if I wanted to work for his father in the family Skeeball business for the summer months and I said I would, so for the next couple of years until I graduated High School I did.

The Skeeball Alleys were a great place to work and also a great place to pick up girls. Either Billy or I would open the alleys at 10AM each day and there would be a fairly steady flow of players on Saturday and Sunday from the time we opened as the people used to come early to the beach and then wander around to the various food stands and amusements. Billy and I would be equipped with an apron to hold bills, coupons and various other necessities, including a slug soldered on to a wire stick which we could use in place of nickels so we could start the machines if they didn't work properly.I also used the slug thing to give free games to cute girls when no one was watching me.

Billy and I used to play each other when it was a quiet weekday. Billy always used to win but I was also very good after a while. On our lunch breaks we would go over to Nathan's for a hot dog and a soda or Shatzkin's for one of their famous fruit filled knishes. Yum. Billy also used to invite me to his house for an occasional dinner which his mother would prepare. A giant bowl of noodles filled with seafood. Shrimp, scallops, clams whitefish and the like would be put in the middle of a large dining room table and Billy's brothers and sisters, Billy his parents and me would dig in. Yum.When I wasn't eating there my other good friend Greg would invite to his house where his mother would prepare a Greek feast for Greg, his two sisters, his father and me. Wonderful Greek food and amazing company. Fantastic desserts as Greg's dad was a chocolatierre.

This sounds great, but even more so, considering I was very poor, living in a small apartment with my little brother being supported by only my mother who was out of work half the time. Boy was I lucky to have such friends. Sometimes things work out.

Back to the skeeball alleys. One beautiful summer day, a Tuesday I believe, it was dead. We hadn't seen a customer all morning so Billy says to me, "why don't we close up for a couple of hours, leave a note on the door that we'll be opening at 3, and go around the corner and play some stickball. Billy's older brother Jimmy used to come around and check the receipts and stuff so I said " What if Jimmy stops by while we're playing stickball? We'll be in a lot of trouble." So Billy says "Don't worry about it. He never stops by this early and we won't be that long." So I say"OK. you're the boss." and off we went. When we got back, guess who was there waiting for us. Jimmy. Boy did Billy get a tongue lashing. Suffice it to say, we never had any afternoon stickball games again.

Then one day, a group of girls stopped by the alleys and started to flirt with me. One of them was so beautiful I think I fell in love that minute. When they left, I took my break and followed her home and finally she gave me her name and number. Her name was Eunice and six years later on July 10th 1960, 50 years ago, we were married until she passed away 8 years ago.

That was some of the summer of my youth.

Frank Verdi - 8-6-10