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CHAPTER 16
MEMORY LANE -- 1950/1955 ICEMAN COMETH
Top Floor, Right Side, Front
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yrd6caXygw
..........It would be 1950, I was only 15 years old and I was driving my dads ice truck over the Queensboro Bridge in heavy traffic and heading for the ice plant located on 90th street in Manhattan..........
..........I had never done this before and at this age I was a little nervous about it, but I continued on to my described destination.....I had to purchase 5 cakes of ice from the ice plant after I backed the truck into the delivery dock and platform of this Manhattan plant.......I was concerned and hoping that there would not be too many other trucks there, for if there were other trucks loading up, it meant I had to be an expert backing the truck up to the dock and steering between the other vehicles.....My other concerns were that when each cake of ice was delivered out onto the dock from the plant they would come out standing tall and upright and they each weighted 300 pounds apiece...They had to be twisted using ice tongs and by placing ones foot at the base of the ice and tripping the cake of ice down on its side......It was tricky and almost like a wrestling match with ice I thought to myself......But onward I drove the truck and I was soon approaching the ice plant....
........My dad who worked six and many times seven days a week was ill, which he never was, and was counting on me to take the reins for the day.......When I was 12 years old my parents had found a new home in Astoria, Queens, moving their family there, to start a new life and that was why I had to drive over the bridge to get to the ice plant.......The days of the push ice wagon were gone and it was time to move on to the ice truck.......There was a time when most customers were all on the same block in the city but with the invention of the refrigerator the ice business was spreading out to other areas in the city as my dad bought up [purchased] more and more businesses from other retiring icemen......One could no longer use a push ice wagon but instead needed to buy a modern ice truck and as a "some what artist myself" it also became my job to paint the picture, on the side of the truck, of a pail with ice cubes pouring out of the pail.......This was really fun to do and I enjoyed doing it on both sides of the truck......
........I finally reached the ice plant on 90th street and I was lucky as I got there early and was able to back the truck up to the dock without any trouble........Now it was time to get the order of five cakes of ice delivered to the dock for my wrestling match with the ice and than the sliding of each cake into the truck.......When the ice came out onto the dock platform I took a deep breath, grabbed the 300 lb cake of ice with my ice tongs and with visions of a smashed foot, I proceeded to twist the cake of ice and wrestle it to the ground.... It actually worked [I thought to myself, what a piece of cake, no pun intended].......I then loaded the ice onto the truck, got into the drivers side, drove off into the sunset and was extremely proud of myself..........
........Driving up 90th street on to Second Ave I made a left turn and in order to avoid an on rushing city bus coming towards and behind me I gave the truck the much needed gas that it needed when I suddenly heard a loud crash and bang coming from the back of the truck........I pulled the truck over to the side of the road got out of the vehicle and looked behind me to see what had happened.........When I saw the five cakes of ice all over Second Ave, broken into large chucks of ice, I realized that I had forgotten to close the tail gate when I left the ice plant.....Fortunately I was able to pick up the broken ice cakes and reloaded them back onto the truck and was able to sell them after re-sculpturing them to proper size, but lost much needed time in doing so......
In addition to my Dad's (RIP) Memory and someday mine also, I would also like to dedicate the above Memory to a fellow worker at an insurance company I worked at for many years, to a guy by the name of John Miller (RIP), as he always enjoyed listening to the above story and we would always have some great laughs together whenever he would remind me of this story happening.....
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........It would soon be time for the ice mans festival located in the Bronx somewhere near the base of the Whitestone Bridge........The festival was a meeting of many ice men with their families and friends at a large barbeque.......The food that each family bought to the festival/feast was excellent and was shared by all families attending.......As the years passed and the festival became larger and larger the icemen attending would start bringing there automobiles to this event rather than their trucks......Times were starting to get better for these families and the auto was the latest in this cycle of moving up the ladder of life........At the time it was around 1952 and I was 17 years old.......Our family had earlier purchased a 1949 Chevrolet that we would use to take us to the festival.........The drive to the festival only took about 30 to 45 minutes as we were close to the Bronx living in Astoria, Queens......
.......When we reached the grounds of the festival and parked our '49 Chevy the usual familiar faces were present amongst the hundred and hundreds of people celebrating this iceman's holiday.......My dad would take out from the Chevy trunk the skinny sausage and the small pieces of lamb that was leaf rapped with chicken guts and start to prepare the barbeque for this extraordinary icemen's holiday.........After visiting all our friends and other families, feasting on the barbequed food was just the greatest enjoyment of all......
........At one point during this holiday I would ask my dad if I could borrow the family car to drive around and survey the surrounding area with some of my friends.......My dad had agreed to this request as my juniors drivers license had already taken affect.......Off we went slowly through the dirt roads of this by-gone era and came to a road where it climbed a sharp and steep hill that would go about eight feet high in a matter of seconds........I stopped the car at the base of the hill and exited the drivers side so I could climb the hill and view what was on top of it while my friends waited in the vehicle......As I approached the top, all looked fine and I saw no reason not to attempt this climb so back to the drivers side I entered......Gunning the gas we climbed without any hesitation by the vehicle and reached the top without any problems......I did not, however, realize that after reaching the top that on the other side, probably by erosion from the sea, ("Back to the Future" had 'Sandy the hurricane' of 2012 reached this area in 1952 before I did..? ) the road would suddenly drop down the eight feet we had climbed up only this time without a road under us.......When the front end of the car reached the bottom of this non-existing road I was able to apply the brakes and stop the further proceeding.......Again I exited the drivers side to view our predicament......While the front end of the vehicle was on the continued dirt road at the bottom of this hill, the underside of the car and the back wheels were not in contact with anything, but it appeared that the back end was hung up to the top of this hill........I was starting to perspire emensely as I envisioned our becoming stuck in this position forever.....There was also some liquid leaking from the under carriage of the vehicle.....Now I really started to worry....What had I done to this wonderful family car that my dad had so generously allowed me to use that day........
..........I viewed the surrounding area and noticed some fishermen down at the waters edge fishing in the sea........With them they also had their jeep which is a much better vehicle at climbing hills than a '49 Chevy........I had to make a decision.....Do I go locate a tow truck to tow us out of this location or do I try to continue down this road where the power [the back wheels] were not touching the ground.......And what about the leak from under the carriage of the car ? would I do more harm to the car by continuing down the slippery slope?
What if I did continue down the road.....Would I find a way out of this beach area or would I be stuck here forever, never to later get married and have the wonderful wife and family that I now have....The pressure was starting to get to me.......I had to make a decision.......Click clock the time was ticking away........I had to make a decision......Suddenly and without warning the car was starting to slip down the slope without my commanding it to do so......Obviously the brakes could not hold the weight of the car and apparently had a mind of it's own.......When the '49 chevy settled into its' final position at the bottom of this hill the first thing I checked was inside the trunk.....The ice pail that my dad had the cold drinks in had turned over from this wild ride and the liquid leaking from the under carriage was coming from the melting ice water in the pail........I got back into the car, started the motor and was able to get the auto out of it's predicament.........I drove the car down to the beach area to where the fishermen were and they directed me to the exit and open road down at another end of the beach..........We drove back to the festival and I never mentioned this story to anyone before this recording.........In 1955 I would later make this all up to my dad by presenting him with the car as we all know that it became and looked like.......My dad loved it....He should only be here to read this story now...........But knowing my dad, he was a kind and generous man and would only give me one of his looks, shake his head and that would be the end of it..........Nick....7/3/2011
Note: Above this chapter are photos of my dads 1950 ice truck, my parents "summer home" in Oyster Bay NY [see comments below concerning this summer home] and the pre - customized '49 chev as it looked before being customized and later in years after it was customized and re-sprayed in my dads garage in 1955...Also to view a larger image click on each picture to enlarge the photo......... This enlargement technique, somehow, will only work on the last three photos of the five that are shown above......
nickmon4321 on Nov 30, 2012 said:
-----Original Message----- From: John To: nick
Sent: Wed, Jul 6, 2011 7:53 pm
Nick, had a root canal process today and these pictures made me think of those wonderful days. It was just what I needed Your the greatest Sure wish I was close by, I know we would have some laughs....John
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