Author Archives: Anthony Olszewski

About Anthony Olszewski

Anthony Olszewski has written on a wide variety of topics: cage birds, tropical fish, popular culture, the poetry of Amiri Baraka and a chapter on genetics for a veterinary text book, as a small sample. He worked as an editor at a magazine produced by TFH, the world's largest publisher of pet books. Anthony Olszewski is the author of a booklet on Hudson County history, Hudson County Facts, and a book of short stories, Second Thief, Best Thief, that are sold on Amazon. Anthony Olszewski established PETCRAFT.com in 1996. A pioneer on the Web, the Site continues to provide unique information on a range of companion animals, focusing on birds and fish. As a community service, he operates Jersey City Free Books. Anthony Olszewski was born in Jersey City, NJ (Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital, 1956) and is a member of Mensa.

Jersey City somewhat shady out-of-state lottery shop

With the ongoing Powerball frenzy, I’ve been thinking about the somewhat shady out-of-state lottery shop that operated briefly here around 25 years ago. The place was on Newark Ave, just east of Five Corners, in Jersey City. It was run … Continue reading

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’71 — my father’s car appeared in a NYC police surveillance photo

Back in ’71, my father took me to see The Anderson Tapes when it opened over in Times Square. Early in the summer evening, he parked the car — a distinctive black and white Buick Wildcat — on 47th St. … Continue reading

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EDEN’S GATE by David Friedland

EDEN’S GATE I woke in the reflected light of Lucifer’s Moon frozen, as shadow eyes hunt me glowing  brighter as the Spirits commune I wait at Eden’s gate for  the serpent to shed his skin  and let me in His mate … Continue reading

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A week or so after the abduction and murder of Butch Cap, . . .

In 1977, a week or so after the abduction and murder of Butch Cap, Tommy — a dealer in rare powders — was back in his North Bergen cliffside location and I visited him there. Partly from his pack rat, … Continue reading

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The Case of the Disappearing Daily News

At the Tunnel Bar, the Daily News began to disappear. As this happened late in the afternoon, it was just a nuisance. If this happened in the morning, it would have been a disaster. The paper was a necessity early … Continue reading

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Crime at City Hall in Jersey City

In the mid-60s, a protohippy (as luck would have it, a first cousin to the UBERHIPPY), and two accomplices, went to City Hall in Jersey City during normal business hours. Once inside, they hid and waited until the dead of … Continue reading

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The Protohippy celebrates New Year’s Eve

One New Year’s Eve in the mid-’70s, a by now through-the-mill Protohippy (a first cousin to the Uberhippy, as luck would have it) and his brother faced a dilemma. They were stuck inside Mom’s Greenville apartment without the cash to … Continue reading

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Vinny’s brush with Jersey City Politics

Everyone in Jersey City’s involved with politics — even Vinny Buchelle. Vinny was head flunky at a trucking outfit in Jersey City PG (PreGentrification). Any business here that’s bigger than the corner candy store donates to every candidate for mayor. … Continue reading

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The more the merrier?

Tunnel Bar regular Margie’s boyfriend — Hoboken Frank (not to be confused with Biggie’s nephew, Frankie from Hoboken) — had an interesting tale about some guy he met when locked up over in NYC. Seems that the gent had committed … Continue reading

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The Kiss by David Friedland

The Kiss They told me I would die. I have died a thousand times, often without crying , at times by will as when I left behind, the desiccated skin I called my life . I died the moment I … Continue reading

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Hal and the Gypsy Electrolux salesman

I generally worked afternoons / nights at the Tunnel Bar. One morning, my father was hard at work implementing one of his improvement projects, so I was in tending bar early. Though the window, I see a new Cadillac pull … Continue reading

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The Amazing Roy and his acrobatic checks

New customers came to the Tunnel Bar by various paths. As the place was on 15th just outside the Jersey City side of the Holland Tunnel, I aimed to get at least a little bit of that endless traffic to … Continue reading

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