Tag Archives: Hal

Hal’s concern for the public morals — of juveniles in particular.

I, Claudius was very popular in the Tunnel Bar. One evening a little crowd of regulars were watching as Claudius was summoned before Caligula. Next thing on the screen is the walk on the wild side emperor doing the shimmy-shimmy, … 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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Hurricane Carter’s prison bout

One of the regular customers at the Tunnel Bar who we shall here call Hal was a long-time friend of Hurricane Carter, all the way from Yardville to Rahway. Hal told of an unusual Boxing match in prison with Carter … Continue reading

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Rites of passage

One of the regulars at the Tunnel Bar, Hal, was something of an expert on the NJ correctional system. He had an amusing story of his graduation from a youthful offender to an inmate. Transported from Hudson County early in … Continue reading

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A few steps too far, even by Hudson County standards

When I was a kid, our family doctor from Union City got locked up for selling machine guns. After the good healer was sentenced to many decades, one wag had him exclaiming to the judge, “How’m I supposed to do … Continue reading

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Survivor — Hudson County Style

Limousine Stan had a good thing going unloading trucks in New York City’s 14th Street meat market – until the IRS put the kibosh on that. In his forties and only 5′ 5″ or so, Stan stacked the heavy cases … Continue reading

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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

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A Funny Sorta Day

A-Funny-Sorta-Day.mp3 “It was a funny sorta day. It was rainin’. ‘Causa dat, they didn’t let nobody outinta the yard…everybody hadda stay locked up in the cell block. “There was a young Italian guy there who was a goofy sorta bastard. … Continue reading

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