The Battle of the Waldos

[SfanGoch]

During September 1971, a legendary war finally erupted between the forces of the territory covering Ash to Freeman Streets and those from the enemy territories of Green/Huron Streets. Both factions were busy fabricating tile guns and collecting bats, chains and other implements of street warfare to arm the  troops.

Finally, the day and time of battle arrived. It was a cool autumn Friday, the 24th. The time - 4 P.M. The place - the middle of Dupont Street, in front of P.S. 31. Almost one hundred well-armed and rowdy belligerents were ready to fight to the death in a final, decisive and titanic struggle of historic  proportions to ultimately determine the control of northern Greenpoint, known far and wide as Zod. The leaders of the opposing armies decided that each group would choose one warrior to represent its respective side and they would duke it out. 

The combatants were chosen. Fittingly, this would be forever remembered as "The Battle of the Waldos". Our side, the Ash/Freemans, were represented by Waldo Gromek who, even at age 13, bore a more than passing resemblance to actor/comedian Carl "Gruber" Valentine. The Green/Hurons were represented by Waldo Pisarczyk, a lumbering brute who was a dead ringer for the third guy from the left on an evolutionary chart.

It was a violent exhibition of face-to-fist combat of the most primitive and brutal kind. After five minutes of non-stop knuckle eating and beak busting, it was over. Only one remained standing. That champion was Waldo Gromek, forever to be remembered in neighborhood lore as The Hero For All Ages. The  defeated and thoroughly demoralized  Green/Hurons scraped what was left of Waldo Pisarczyk off the asphalt and dejectedly trudged off the block amid jeers, raspberries and the occasional thrown soda bottle knowing that, from that day forward, they would be mere vassals of the  all-powerful Zod Empire. Waldo Gromek was cheered and hailed for the glorious victory he brought to our neighborhood. All of which lasted about a minute. We all had to split and go home for dinner.

Edited August 2, 2018 by SfanGoch

[peteski]

I like it (especially the ending)!

[Jim N]

Great story.  Enjoyed the ending as well.

[kitbash1]

Sounds a whole lot like this classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPshffbyYQM

 

Edited August 3, 2018 by kitbash1

[SfanGoch]

 

 

It was more like a poor man's version of "West Side Story" without the soundtrack and choreography. And the good looking chicks.

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 minutes ago, SfanGoch said:

 It was more like a poor man's version of "West Side Story" without the soundtrack and choreography. And the good looking chicks.

Now that is funny.  

[SfanGoch]

Stay tuned for the action-packed tale about "The Lot". 

[kitbash1]

5 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

 

 

It was more like a poor man's version of "West Side Story" without the soundtrack and choreography. And the good looking chicks.

Once your a Jet, your a Jet all the way. From your first cigarette to your dieing day...

[SfanGoch]

HAH, good one Doug. I'll tell you, one grew up fast in my neighborhood back in the '50s - early '90s. There were a number of gangs spanning that time period and you had to pay attention to your surroundings. You could count on gang wars as soon as summer started. We had major gang-fueled riots in the summers of '69 and '72 which made the headlines around the country. During the one in June '72, a white demarcation line was painted just south of Green Street on the main drag, Manhattan Avenue, which ran from the second story of a building on the north side of the street to the second floor of the one on the opposite side. Anyone from the opposing side who was caught on the wrong side was dead meat. Heck, they were tossing refrigerators of the roofs of five story apartment buildings. This took place from june 30 to July 2, when NYPD brought in ESU and cops in full riot gear. Ah, those were the days........

[1972coronet]

[SfanGoch]

Nice, a Johnny Thunders reference. Always able to see him playing somewhere in the Village at any given time.  

 

[1972coronet]

3 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Nice, a Johnny Thunders reference. Always able to see him playing somewhere in the Village at any given time.  

 

I knew that you'd get the reference  . When I saw the title of this thread  , I immediately defaulted to Walter Lure's band , The Waldos ( Rent Party is quite nice ; recently reissued ) .

At the risk of getting this thread locked , I'll stop here .

Cool story , by the way .

[SfanGoch]

Bro, it's my thread and I haven't a problem if someone does digress. That's the way people talk. There's no such thing as going off-topic in the "Off-Topic" section. Saying otherwise would be oxymoronic and contrary to the spirit of the section. If there is, I'll quit this site immediately.