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Second Thief, Best Thief – An Old Jersey City Saying
The Jersey City Waterfront once was covered with warehouses and piers. Adjacent to these were miles of railroad yards dotted with innumerable sheds and small buildings for use as storage and as workshops for mechanics, machinists, and welders.
During the depression, children from impoverished families would climb onto the roofs of the outlying structures, both to hide and to gain a view of the surrounding area. From up there, they'd watch for workers stealing from the docks, the trains, or the warehouses. The initial crooks would sneak off into the weeds to hide the swag with the idea of retrieving it at the end of the shift. Seeing opportunity made available, the kids would wait a bit for the situation to cool. Then, they'd climb down, grab the goods, and make a getaway through the vacant lots.
Practitioners coined the saying "second thief, best thief" to describe this method of survival.
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Monthly Archives: July 2011
Pee Wee Shops for a Car
There it was. The object of desire. Beige paint almost glowing under the streetlights. Hood only slightly bent out of shape. The sign in the window told the whole story: FOR SALE $200 515 Jersey Ave. Ring Foster bell. “Well … Continue reading
Under the Bridge
In the early 80s, I managed a dive saloon — the Tunnel Bar — at the corner of 15th and Henderson. Just up the block on 16th Street, there were unused tracks on a railroad bridge that ran over Henderson … Continue reading
Until September 11th
In Poland before the coming of Democracy, one of the small ways that people could protest against the Communists was by putting up pictures of the World Trade Center. If you displayed an image of the Statue of Liberty, there … Continue reading
The Malcontent
Thoughts pounded, rushed forward and surged in Harry’s mind as the Bee Gee’s screamed out of the speakers of the car stereo: Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive. As if the cassette … Continue reading
I Don’t Want to Go.
It was one hour before sun-up on the 2nd day of the 2nd month. Somewhere a ways off, a radio played a Frank Sinatra song. The Warden was about to order one of the guards to cut the sound. After … Continue reading
Bernie the Beat
The tavern was in the Heights section of Jersey City, four-five blocks south of Union City. Though a residential neighborhood, the street led to what was then the industrial section of Hoboken. So it was sorta unusual, but not unknown, … Continue reading
Before Bride of Frank
The legal opening time for a bar in Jersey City is 6:00 a.m weekdays. The Tunnel Bar – just outside the Holland Tunnel – opened at 5:30 in the morning. Since in 1977 the railroad workers started at 6:00 a.m., … Continue reading
Barney’s
In the late 70s, Barney’s — the candy store on the corner of Summit and Zabriskie — was the place for the unemployed and the ill-employed of the Jersey City Heights to hangout. Kevin, the son of Barney the owner, … Continue reading
“Our Computers Don’t Make Mistakes.”
Charley Walsh just didn’t have any luck. The only good thing about his last job — a messenger on Wall Street — was that it lasted long enough for him to be able to collect an unemployment check; but that … Continue reading
A Place Like This
Deep in the heart of darkest December, it was a cold Saturday afternoon. The tavern was empty. The one room was about forty feet long, with maybe eight feet from the bar to the wall. Originally there were two windows. … Continue reading
The Mind Reader
During my second year of college, I shared an apartment in a Washington DC suburb with two other students. Early into the spring semester, one roommate broke up with his girl friend. He became extremely depressed and stopped attending classes. … Continue reading
George Washington to Run for Office!
In a surprise move, even for Hudson County, it was announced today that George Washington would seek political office from beyond the pale. In a press conference in front of “Honest Abe’s Pawn Shop And Used Cell Phone Exchange,” the … Continue reading
