POPS

ANYONE REMEMBER LEVINE BROS. SPORTING GOODS ON 5TH AVE AND 5TH ST ? JACK WAS THE OWNER.AS KIDS WE USED TO BUY FOOTBALL'S,BASKETBALLS, BASEBALL GLOVE'S, STICKBALL BAT'S AND ALL OUR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT THERE. THIS IS FUNNY,ONE TIME WE NEEDED GOALIE PADS FOR THE BLOCKS TEAM AND NO ONE KID COULD AFFORD THEM AT $100. IF WE WOULD GET 10 GUYS TO CHIP IN $5 EACH.THAT'S ONLY $50 HERE'S THE FUNNY PART,WE WOULD GO TO JACK'S AND CHANGE THE PRICE OF THE PADS TO $50.I DON'T THINK JACK KNEW BUT HE LOVED US. AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN US THE PADS FOR FREE PROBABLY IF WE JUST ASKED.MANY TIMES YOU WERE SHORT A BUCK OR FIVE AND JACK GAVE YOU THE BALL OR ITEM YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOR. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THE BUILDING WAS SOLD AND JACK WAS FORCED TO CLOSE.I HAPPEN TO BE PASSING ON THE LAST WEEKEND AND WENT IN TO SEE IF HE REMEMBERED ME. HE MOST CERTAINLY DID,RATTLING OFF ALL MY OLD BUDDIES NAMES.WE THEN PROCEEDED TO TALK ABOUT OLD TIMES, HOW EVERYTHING CHANGES, SHORTLY AFTER JACK WAS IN TEARS WITH ME NOT FAR BEHIND. ANOTHER PLACE OF OUR CHILDHOOD CLOSED FOREVER.WHERE EVER YOU ARE JACK THE GANG FROM CARROLL ST LOVED YOU AND WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.