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Fairway Men and Boys WearBroadway - Team Jackets, Athletic Equipment, Rent Formal Wear. Owner Bernie Fink was one of the founding members of the first Chamber of Commerce with Buddy Mazzara, Bob Levine (Candy Store) and Bob Pincus (Dry Cleaners).
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Fair Play Lumber140 Stewart Avenue. Advertise "Everything in Lumber." Hardware, building supplies, waterlox, Pittsburgh Paints & Glass, cement and blocks.
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Falco, PatsyHad a door to door fruit and vegetable route. On April 23, 1893 Patsy Falco was born in Tufino, near Naples, Italy. He migrated to America about 1912 and worked at the Loft's Candy factory in Brooklyn. There he met his wife, Annie who was also from Italy (born in l903.) They married in l917. A few months later, Patsy was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Yaphank, L.I. and then to France. After the war, Patsy started selling bananas from a horse and wagon on the streets of Brooklyn. Annie who was having trouble trying to bring children into this bustling environment, so about l921 they decided to move out to Central Park and settled in the northwest corner of Burkhardt Avenue, at 601 Stewart Avenue. Knowing how to handle horses got Patsy a job driving a team of horses for Jerry Robinson's Sand & Gravel Co. on Haypath Road. In l923 he went into business for himself. Patsy was able to acquire some horses and a wagon and started a fresh produce route throughout Central Park. This was the life of Patsy and Annie for 15 years, except for a short while when Patsy had to work for the W.P.A. to make ends meet. Christine Falco was born in l932 after Annie had a few more mishaps with childbirth. She tells how her father would leave at 2 A.M. and travel to "Wallabout" produce market in Brooklyn, twice every week. At daylight Annie would leave with a fresh horse and went to meet Patsy in Jamaica. She would ride bareback and side saddle while racing the train to Hicksville. The reason she would meet him with a fresh horse was that Patsy felt it was too much for one horse to pull a full load for such a long distance. Quotes Christine, "My father was a very good horseman. He loved his animals." During the mid '30s Patsy had a pacer horse & sulky. He used to meet other horsemen and race on Sundays at the site later occupied by Grumman Aerospace Corporation's Building #1. Some time later, Patsy and his horses had to part ways to make things better and easier. Christine says, "about 1938 or 1939 I remember going with my dad to buy a truck (1929 Model A Ford) The dealer was in Hicksville and Patsy paid $35.00 for it. He had balloon tires installed so it would ride softer and not bounce the produce too hard. He kept that truck until l953.' Patsy then bought a new l953 Chevy truck and continued selling until he retired in l960 at age 67. Patsy and Annie eventually had four children: Florence, Christine, Patricia and Anthony. Annie died in l969 at the age of 66. Patsy Falco lived until February 11, 1974, when he died at age 81.
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Farmer's Market
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FarmingdaleFarmingdale was part of the 1695 Thomas Powell Bethpage Purchase from three local Native American Tribes (Massapequas, Matinecocks and Secatogues.) In l830 the impending construction of the Long Island Railroad brought Ambrose George, land developer, to the community known as Hardscrabble, He purchased a large track of land and gave the area the name of Farmingdale. In l841 the railroad service began, new homes were built along with a church and post office. In l886 a fire department was organized. In l904 residents formed an incorporated village with a mayor, board of trustees and judge. The area produced cucumbers, cabbage and cauliflower. A silk dye works, brickyard and Nassau County TB Hospital employed residents. During World War II defense plants, such as Republic, Ranger, Fairchild, Liberty, etc., employed many local residents. In 1933 a large portion of the Benjamin Yoakum estate was purchased by the State of New York and developed as the Bethpage State Park.
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FarmsSee Agriculture
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Farrer
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Fehrenbach, Edwin J.N.Y. Assemblyman c. 1957
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Felice, FrankDry cleaning store, tailor on Broadway, site of St. Vincent de Paul.
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Felice, MargieDaughter of Frank Felice, ran beauty shop on Broadway between l947 and 1973.
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Feuchsel Pickle WorksBetween Broadway and Schneider, adjacent to Kessler Glass.
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Finamore
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Fireworks FactoryLocated at end of Powell Avenue and Stymus Avenue.
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Five Corners RestaurantLocated Hempstead Turnpike and Stewart Ave. Catering to weddings, parties, clubs, and social functions Source: Grumman Yankees 1949
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Foran FamilyOld Motor Parkway & South Broadway, Bethpage. Opened first "drive-up" food emporium for drivers on the Old Motor Parkway.
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Fornari's GarageIn the early 1920's and through the 30's, this building was operated by Mr. Fornari as a Nash Dealership service station and garage. Later it opened for dining and dancing, but it did not catch on.
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Fornari (Olivio ?)Owned Nash dealership and garage and later a restaurant on Broadway in the building which is now St. Vincent dePauls.
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Fortsch BrothersFritz and George Fortsch operated a butcher shop on Broadway
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Foster, IrwinArchitect
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Foster, Edwin W.Born August 9, 1870 in Brooklyn, N. Y. He was an inventor and professor. Married Mary S. Capron, an architect. They lived at "Villa Bel Air", Victorian mansion adjacent to the Chappell Estate (in the area of Miami Ave.) The Fosters had tennis courts on their property and formed a tennis club. In 1908 he was a member of the first Board of Education for the Central Park School District. Mr. Foster was a manual training teacher at the Boy's High School in Brooklyn. He received a patent #842,453 in January 29, 1907 for his turntable plane. THE WOODCRAFT MAGAZINE, March 1907 promoted the plane. In 1936 he was a part of the committee for the celebration of the name change from Central Park to Bethpage. Died May 25, 1941. (Bethpage History by Rosalie Walsh Niemczyk)
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Fox, Francis J.There was a very deep "bottomless" pond at the end of Powell Avenue up until about the '50s. This pond was actually a type of sink-hole. It was located near the junction of Powell Avenue and Route 135 today. One of Bethpage's youngsters, Francis Fox, lost his life saving a friend, Eddie Okula, who was on the verge of drowning there. A memorial plaque, dedicated to the memory of Francis Fox, hung in the auditorium of the Powell Avenue School for many years.
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Frances Little Folks Shop1957 - 350 Broadway Infants and children's wear Girls sizes to 14, Boys sizes to 12.
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Frog Hollow GarageBen Reinke, Chevrolet (sales, parts and service)dealership. Location 20 Hicksville Road - Boundary/Hicksville and Stewart. Frog Hollow Garage opened for business October 1927. Gasoline was 17 cents a gallon -- six gallons for a dollar. Ben Reinke, owner, was a native of the area, born July 10, 1895 and raised on a farm on Seamen's Neck Road, Wantagh. His vetnure into the business world was in the early 1920's when he purchased the first tractor in the area and did contract plowing for the local farmers. A tractor drawn plow could turn over the soil 5 to 6 inches deeper than a horse drawn plow and was in demand because crop yield and quality was increased. (An interesting side note of this was that by plowing that extra depth, hundreds of arrow heads were turned up. Reinke's collection has been displayed throughout Long Island.) By 1923, with his tractor work going well it was time to marry Emily Decker from Newbridge Avenue in North Bellmore. In l925 their son Duke was born and that same year Ben and Emily bought property in Central Park at the intersection of Hicksville Road and Nibbe (now Stewart)Avenue. In 1927 they built a house and garage-showroom, on the site. That same year an agreement was signed with Chevrolet Motor Division and Ben Reinke was now a Chevrolet Dealer. Sales were slow to increase from the first year (total of 11 units) until the end of World War II when developers bought up farm after farm and built thousands of homes in the surrounding area. Sales jumped, old Frog Hollow ran out of room, so in l957, a new facility was built on the property to the North. There it continued to grow and sales climbed into the 600 range.Ben passed away in l972 and the business was carried on by Duke, his son, who had been a partner since l950. Emily followed Ben two years later. In l977, Frog Hollow closed its doors and the building is now the home of the Knights of Columbus. Written and submitted by B. "Duke" Reinke.
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FURREY, RICHARDReceived a B.S. in Pharmacy from St. John’s University. Rich was proud to hold the office of president of the Bethpage Rotary Club, honorary member of the Bethpage Chamber of Commerce and on the board of directors for the PEOPLE organization (a family based counseling center) in Bethpage. He led the Bethpage community in the first U. S. Golf Open held in Bethpage State Park in 2002. He was a registered pharmacist at Beth Drugs and CVS both on Broadway Bethpage. Rich was a life long resident of Bethpage, and at the age of 52 passed away on September 1, 2004. He was the husband of Jeri, father of Davina and Michael, son of Dorothy and the late Joseph Furrey.
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Gagliardo Family
Letter from Nick Gagliardo, reprinted in Central Park
Historical Society Newsletter, October 2002.
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Gaglioni Nursery
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Gaines Berland Inc.Stock & bond brokers. Located at 1055 Stewart Avenue.
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Garrett BrothersNew and used auto parts and Delco batteries Stewart Ave. south of Hempstead Tpk.
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Gendron, LeeActive in the Police Athletic League. Lee may be best remembered for his continuous care of the maintenance and rental of the Police Athletic League (PAL) Clubhouse located at the corner of Stewart Avenue and Central Avenue. Lee joined the Police Boys Club (PBC) when Richard (Dick) Armbruster was President and served the community for over 25 years as a trustee, coach, and Vice President of the Bethpage Unit of the PAL. The scholarship was established in 1997 and is a four-year award of $500.00 per year for a total of $2000.00.
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General Store (Sengstacken)Located on the east side of Broadway south of the railroad tracks.
Built in 1903 by Henry Sengstacken. Three stories used as a general store.
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Georgan, AnthonyHas lived (through 2005) and taught in Bethpage for 46 years. He is proud to say he had four children who went through Bethpage Schools, and seven of his fourteen grandchildren attend Bethpage Schools. In 1966, he came to work in the high school in the social studies department. He was very active in the theater department and put on great productions in the high school. Mr. Georgan is retired now for 12 years and now operates the Stage Theater in Merrick.
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George, WilliamBorn in 1918 and grew up with the avation movement in the US. During World War II George was a bombardier instructor. He also served as a flight and ground instructor for the Air Force check pilot and supervisory instructor in the aerospace department.
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GermantownMcCordville (south of Grumman) Mr. McCord built several houses in that area. Some are still standing.
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Gibbs, Alonzo and IrisAlonzo was born on February 17, 1915 and spent his early days in Canarsie, Brooklyn. He moved with his family to Valley Stream where his father purchased a twelve acre farm from the Hendrickson family. He lived in Valley Stream until 1933. At this time he moved with his family to a farm in Plainedge, and he attended Farmingdale High School for part of his junior year and his senior year. At Farmingdale High School he was president of the Debating Club, in school plays, on the baseball and track team. Upon graduation he took courses at Hofstra College, and in 1941 he received a certificate from Columbia University on Aircraft Structural Design. From 1934 - 1973 Alonzo was employed by Grumman Aircraft Corp. He started as a blue print boy in the Engineering Department when Grumman was located in Farmingdale. He continued to advance over the years and he had the opportunity to work on the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module). He always pursued his love of writing. He wrote many young adult novels, poetry and essays which were published over the years. Alonzo met Iris Ebish who was also born in Brooklyn and Iris’s family later settled in Central Park. Iris was a very bright girl who graduated Farmingdale High School at the age of 16 as valedictorian of her class. They met at Sunday School at the Plainedge Methodist Church (now the United Methodist Church of Bethpage) and on June 17, 1939 they were married there. They had one son, Geoffrey, born in 1940. They shared a love of nature, art, books, history and enjoyed walking the plains, beaches and woodland together. They wrote for the Long Island Forum for 40 years. These writings were later compiled into a book, Harking Back, which documents the history of our community from the time of the Bethpage Purchase by Thomas Powell on thru the early 1900's. They retired to Main in 1973 and Iris died in1983. Alonzo married Priscilla Moss in 1986 and he died in 1992. Information from: Memorial Dinner and Program Booklet To the memory of Iris and Alonzo Gibbs, June 22, 1993 and The Farmingdale Hi Life 1934.
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Gifford, Bertha WeaverMarried to John J. Gifford. Member of many community social organizations and was an elected Trustee of the Jones Institute in Hicksville for 32 years. This was an organization in Hicksville which provided free room and board for indigent people in the Town of Oyster Bay. It was originally started by a bequest from the Jones family, the same family for which the State Park is named. Bertha Gifford died October 25, 1966 and is buried in the Methodist Church Cemetery - Hicksville Road & Central Avenue. Two children - John Jr. (Jack) and Mildred (Jaisle.)
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Gifford, John J.,Sr.(10/24/1892-8/14/1978) Moved to Central Park in 1924 to house he had built at Southwest corner of Broadway and Sycamore Avenue. The house is still there (593 Broadway 1/2000).
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Gilgar, Gladys M.Gifts, Greeting Cards, Books. 210 Broadway Source: Bethpage Little League Score Card 1953
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Girl ScoutsMiss Catherine Seitz organized Troop #4 in 1933 and was its first Captain. There were two districts in this area at this time, the North and South Central, continuing the tradition inaugurated by Miss Seitz. From the BETHPAGE TRIBUNE, July 1, 1976
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Glaciersee Wisconsin Glacier
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Gladys' Beauty ShopIn 1938, run by Gladys Leidinger at Railroad Plaza.
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Godfrey Farm Supply Co. Inc.South side of Central Avenue and Stewart Avenue. Site of Getty Gas Station. (In 1957 at 291 Central Ave. Hardware, Paint and Garden Supplies.)
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Gold Beating BusinessCottage industry in the 1920's. It was the second most common industry in Central Park. It takes small lumps of gold or silver and hammers them into sheets for decorative purposes. The Brandts on Central and Hoebels on Harrison Avenue worked in this industry. (Terrance Hunt)
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Gold Star MothersMrs. Earl Caffrey, Mrs. Butehorn |
Grange HallStewart Avenue, south of Hempstead Turnpike, fun, games.
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Greco Brothers Fuel Company241 Broadway. Michael Greco (father): Mike and Sal were brothers.
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Greco, Sal & MikePlumbing and heating.
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Greek Church (see Saint Isidoros)
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GreenhousesSchwarz and Anderson, later Jens on Harrison Avenue.
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Green Field FarmEvelyn McGunnigle and her husband John Walsh operated a Standard Bred Racing Business. Their resident stud was "Bill Jewell" a magnificent black stallion. (Bethpage History by Rosalie Walsh Niemezyk - BETHPAGE TRIBUNE 2/11/82)
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Grohmann, C.C.President of The Board of Education. Expert linguist and commuted to Brooklyn where he was a court interpreter.
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Grossman, FrankFrank moved to Bethpage in 1949 from Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. He is a U. S. Navy Veteran and a member of VFW 4987 Bethpage. He was Director of the Colonial Ancient Fife and Drum Corp. Bethpage. |
Grumman CorporationIn 1936, a local townsman successfully persuaded his friend Leroy Randle Grumman to relocate his expanding aircraft business from Farmingdale to Bethpage. It was at this time that the founders Messrs. Leroy Randle Grumman, Leon 'Jake' Swirbul, William 'Bill' Schwendler, Clint Towl, Ed Poor, and Joe Stamm purchased the farm land from the Looney family, Mary Moesch, the Neders, and the Kutsurs. They also acquired the polo grounds known as the Central Park Hunt Club (that was the area where the airport is currently.) They opened their first plant, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. in 1936, soon becoming Bethpage's (and Long Island's) largest business concern. Their business boomed during the 1930's and 1940's in answer the the Navy's demands for quality aircraft and by 1944, Grumman, the man and the business, became a legend in their own time, winning the Navy E Award for production efficiency five years in a row. During World War II over 17,000 aircraft were produced in Bethpage, the runways were paved and several new plants were built. Having earned a "sterling reputation" for quality products, the company went on to produce for the Korean conflict, for the 'Cold War' peace of the 1950-s and for the needs of the military in Vietnam. Perhaps the most remembered project is the construction of the Lunar Module. In the 1950's, Grumman expanded beyond Bethpage into sites at Stuart, Florida and Calverton, New York. Grumman Corporate Headquarters was at Bethpage on Stewart Avenue. The employee population increased from 13,789 in 1957 to over 34,000 in 1988. Grumman made Bethpage famous the world over when it began construction of the Lunar Module, a complex and brilliantly designed spacecraft, which was to transport two astronauts to the surface of the moon. After signing the contract to build the Lunar Module (LM), the company's personnel level in Bethpage increased dramatically. It was during the era that local government officials recognized the need to allay rush-hour congestion along many of the traffic arteries, and by 1965, Stewart, Central, and Cherry Avenues had been widened.The company's benevolence has had an enormous impact on our community. In 1956, our Fire District needed to construct a substation North of the railroad tracks. Grumman came forward and donated the land located on Stewart Avenue opposite Farmers Avenue. Similarly, 1962 marked the beginning of the Bethpage Community Park. It was built on a $720,000 18-acre site which was also generously donated by Grumman Corporation. In 1969 Grumman went through a major restructuring which changed the name of the company from Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation to Grumman Corporation (with Grumman Aerospace Corporation as a major subsidiary). The change was designed to reflect the product lines which included boats, canoes, space technology, hydrofoils, avionics, and, of course, aircraft. In 1975, Bethpagers opposed Grumman's plans to extend their airfield so that general aviation would be permitted to land in Bethpage. Residents feared these plans would ruin the suburban characteristics of the community. Within seven months, Town of Oyster Bay officials rejected Grumman's application. Paradoxically, in 1981 when the Dallas-based LTV Corporation attempted to take over Grumman, Bethpagers, Long Islanders and Grummanites across the country rallied in support of Grumman. Many of the people who worked in the shops on Broadway and Stewart Avenue made their support for Grumman clear by wearing t-shirts with slogans such as "I Love Grumman", "LTV Stay Away, Grumman All the Way", and Forget it LTV, You can't Buy Me." There were bumper stickers, banners, newspaper ads, T-shirts and letters to Washington, D.C. all in opposition of the LTV take over, which many feared would jeopardize jobs and pensions. Grumman was Fortune 500 corporation and one of the nation's largest defense contractors. It was the largest public employer on Long Island. Its economic welfare had profound impact upon our community. Grumman designed and did most of its engineering in Bethpage. The E-2C Hawkeye, for airborne early warning, and the C-2 Greyhound, for carrier-on-board delivery are two aircraft which actually assembled in Bethpage and began their flight tests right out of the Bethpage plants. Grumman has also delivered five sets of wings for the nation's Space Shuttle from Bethpage.
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Grumman YankeesThe introduction of softball at the Chicago World’s Fair brought about a standardization of rules and equipment and the formation of the Amateur Softball Association. The Grumman Yankees softball team was born under the managership of Charlie Lehecka and encouraged by the number one softball fan, Mr. Leon A. (Jake) Swirbul. Their rise to a place of prominence in the Softball Hall of Fame was won by hard hitting, superior pitching, fair play and that persistent will to win. (From the Grumman Yankees Program 1949)
Kneeling Left to Right - Roy Palmeri, Angie Veneri, Billy Johnston, Tom Weiss, Roy Stephenson, George Fowler, John Barkouich
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