By Norma Higgs
I love writing about the people of Niagara Falls and since I recently met with a group who are all graduates of the Niagara Falls High School Class of 1950. Tweezer Brown invited me to attend one of their monthly meetings at the Jet Port. These classmates have stuck together all these years and built close relationships. They meet on the second Wednesday of each month and have held several reunions of the entire class. The latest was in September of 2007 when they turned 57 years young. Stan Horab gave me two booklets of memorabilia from these events, one of which details the history of the Niagara Falls High School, formerly located at Portage and Pine and now occupied by the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center. That’s another story.
The hard-core organizers of these efforts appeared to be Tweezer, Horab, Marie Finley Cozzo and Sal Rizzo. They are busy planning their 60-year reunion. The 50-year reunion took place in 2000, which was the same year the new high school opened on Porter Road. The group wanted to make a significant contribution to leave their “mark” and classmate John Ingram spearheaded a fund raising drive, which ultimately provided $4,400. They gifted the flagpole which stands at the entrance to the new facility on Porter Road and had enough left over to give several defibrillators to the district also. John Ingram, better known as “Jack,” is the retired district director of the former U.S. Immigration Department. I knew Jack well during my early years as a member of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. His former department and the U.S. Customs are now combined into the U. S. Customs and Border Protection Agency under the Homeland Security Department.
A few of the other well- known members of the Class of 1950 are Attorney Ron Anton (on my list of old time attorneys), Carol Barone Dimet, Eileen Bedore, Virginia Costanzo Celenza, Pat Eugeni, Eugene Dimet, Don King, Fred Maruca, a celebrated piano player, Edward Mooradian, Ron Moscati, Peter Sirianni, Don Smith, Glenn Tilyou, Geri Sdao and of course Tweezer. None of these notables was present at this meeting, except for Tweezer, and realizing that everyone has a story to tell I talked to those present.
I knew Tweezer for many years when he operated the automobile repair shop at Main and Pine and often wondered where he got the famous nickname. He said a counselor at the YMCA Summer Camp gave it to him and it has stuck all these years. His real name is Levan and some called him Brownie. His wife Nina operated a Hertz Car Rental business from the station. When he sold the garage business, he continued the car rental business near the airport and later began a new career in real estate at Carrousel Realty. Now he is finally “retired” and taking it easy. Tweezer grew up in the North End on Ontario Avenue and his parents operated a grocery store on 13th Street and Ontario for many years. They gave it up when his dad was appointed as a mail carrier and worked the Falls Street area.
Another familiar face was Marie DeFelice who worked for many years at the M&T; Bank on Main Street. We knew each other from that arena plus as members of the Zonta Club. Marie also worked at Sdao Furniture both full-time and part-time for 52 years. She grew up on Memorial Parkway and her father worked at the former Shredded Wheat. During her youth, she would walk to the 10th Street Park and had to pass by the Quarcini residence where several goats resided in their yard. All the kids were afraid of the goats.
Sitting next to her was Josephine Piazza whose nickname was “Jo.”.Her father worked at Carborundum Company and her mother passed away when Jo was only 6. She went back to work at the old Peoples Main Street Branch of the former Marine Midland Bank when her three children were grown. Now a widow, she is dating Tweezer who she did not know during their time as classmates.
Dave Gamboian grew up on the east side on 12th and Erie Avenue and he hung around the Boys Club when it was on East Falls Street. The oldest of five children, their dad worked at the Vanadium and only spoke Armenian. Dave’s nickname was “Hairless” and after a stint in the Marines, he started his 36-year career at Electro Metallurgical, a part of the Union Carbide Company. Married 32 years to Shirley Markarian, a Canadian, he has three children and four grandkids.
Mary Jane Corsaro resides in Lewiston and her nickname is “M.J.” She married shortly after graduation and following a brief career at Bell Aero Systems, she became a stay at home mom raising three children. She later returned to work at the Conbow Corporation, retiring after 15 years. She is a regular of the Class of 1950 and is involved in the 2010 reunion planning.
Next week we will learn more about this group. In the meantime, stop in at Joe’s barbershop at 643 19th Street, where Joe Colavecchia is celebrating 50 years as a barber on Tuesday. Way to go Joe!
Norma Higgs serves with the Niagara Beautification Commission and Niagara Falls Block Club Council. Her columns appear Mondays in the Gazette.
