Roger Spada
Roger Spada is a retired teacher, who taught junior high school and high school in Kingston. Like Aiello, he is the son of immigrant parents and remembers the insular hamlet Glasco was in the old days.
As a kid I was among immigrant families. I was the second generation, and we were all the same; we didn’t know much outside of Glasco until we went to high school in Saugerties. That was a real eye-opener. We went to school in Glasco, which at the time went to eighth grade; the teachers were all from Glasco, and almost all were women. The principal, Patrick Buonfiglio, was probably the only man on the staff. The school district was centralized in the 1950s, and it doesn’t have that local character now.
We didn’t really need anything from outside. Glasco had four general stores, a gas station, a mechanic. We had bus service to Kingston or Saugerties. I remember taking the bus with my mother to Saugerties and taking the last bus home. I think most of the Italian heritage is gone; most of my generation has left the area, mainly for jobs that are not available around here.
At one point the community was (structured around) the extended family; grandparents, parents and children lived close together and frequently visited and celebrated holidays together. With the demise of the extended family, many of the younger generation moved out of town.
Glasco has become something of a bedroom community, with new houses on the edges. It’s a lot like Barclay Heights, though you can still see the old community – with one main street and one way in and out. People drive cars now; they aren’t all out on the streets as it was in the old days.
All the old workers’ houses and brickyards are gone. In the urban renewal of the 1950s it was destroyed, and the preservation movement started too late to save it.
Most of the families “down the hill” near the river were Italian; the upper village housed some Dutch and English families, though as Italians began moving up the whole village was Italian. There was a Protestant church in Glasco, and the upper village families must have attended it. The Milford Fire Company; I don’t know where that name comes from, but it speaks to a time before the hamlet was mainly Italian.
Fred Costello
Fred Costello is the Saugerties Deputy Supervisor. He also works in his family’s restaurant, owns some real estate in Glasco and a car wash on Route 9W.
A lot of the families in Glasco have been there for generations, and they are still here. When people move in, they become part of the community, for instance I have neighbors who have been here for decades, but weren’t born here, but they are part of Glasco.
For instance, there was a car fire recently, and the neighbors came out to help; everybody looks out for each other.
We’re lucky; there’s a deep rootedness here.
Glasco has been transformed several times, from German to Dutch to Italian. There was prejudice originally, places where the newcomers were not allowed, but it has melted away as it evolved. Men worked in the brickyards and women in the dress factories, and the hard conditions made people very close. The black families the factory owners brought in became close friends with Italian families because they all faced the same hardships.
Some traditions still exist, and in many ways Glasco has been a melting pot. In the old days, people got together; they didn’t have cars or television. They would get together in the bars, or to play cards. They would discuss work and politics.
Nearly all the old workers’ houses are gone, but there are still a couple. They are brick buildings with four apartments in each, and there used to be a lot more of them.
Ray Mayone
Ray Mayone is a contractor living in Glasco. He is active in the fire department and handles construction projects throughout the area.
I’ve been in the fire department since I was 18, and I’m going on 50. I grew up on the Four Corners in Glasco. When I was a kid, you knew everybody; you could go to anybody’s house. It’s not like that anymore. It isn’t an Italian community anymore, a lot of new people have moved in.
When I was a kid, they marched the saints up the hill on the saints’ days. Today, the most exciting thing for me is taking the horse and buggy through Glasco on Christmas and giving the kids a ride. We would also take the kids in Saugerties for rides. I just did Old Timers Day in Saugerties.
I went to the Riccardi School in Glasco but at the time it was part of the Saugerties Central School system. I went through sixth grade, then transferred to the middle school in the village. My father went to the Riccardi School when he was young, and it went through eighth grade.
Now Glasco is pretty much like any small community. It’s a nice, quiet place, but it doesn’t have the traditions it used to have any more.
I enjoyed this so much and learned a lot. My father Dominick DePasquale was born there and we lost him 3 years ago. My Aunt and Uncle still live “Down the Hill”.
I remember going to Riccardi in second grade when my dad
was in Korea and we lived on Hudson Street with my Grandma (Anna Boxie). One of the things I remember was everybody had a nicname. My Grandpa
was called Johnny “Boxie” (always had a box of matches)
my Dad was (Dollie to the girls and Beefy to everyone else. My Aunt Theresa was “Maxie” because she would always box with the guys and Max Baer was the Champ.
Anyway great memories of all the people there.
I think my Dad Joe Carroll was friends with your Dad as I remember him talking about him
I loved this too! I remember the nicknames as well! some of the interesting ones(I don’t know where they all came from)
Pissy,a man named Peggy,Booger,Crutch,Duck,Slaughter,Kidoy,Hawkman(my Dad)Do-gigger,Rabbit,Yatah,Buttocks,Choep,SilverFox,Shep,Sling,Pickles,Puppy.and who can forget,,”Lily Punkin”? Most of the people, Growing up, I never knew their real names! But as a child, we had to RESPECT all of them! Growing up in GLASCO, meant every adult, was like another “parent” When Hillary said, “It takes a village to raise a child” I KNOW she must have been to GLASCO!
oops, auto correct made a couple spelling errors…. It’s Budock, And Yatha.
I caught the end of the 50s to the early 6os in GLASCO,I as brother were “long ears” and we served with Father Damn at ST josephs as alter boys, and I was part of the band with the old professor below freddy davies place.I have been all over the world,worked all around the country,including with cajuns “coon asses” and have never found a closer, family centered community as GLASCO, thanks for the great article. THE LAST OF THE IRISH COWBOYS….EDDIE CAVANAGH
Robert, will you be publishing a book on this? If so put me down for two copies at least.
Audrey Klinkenberg
Town Historian
Saugerties, NY
My grandfather was born and raised in Glasco. His name was Stephen Mormile, he died a few years ago, but the men in his family worked at the brick yard, the ice house, and whatever other work they could find and the women worked in the garment factories. I know that they lived in the lower village until they collected enough defective bricks to build a house that I guess was “up the hill.” This would have been from the 1920’s to the 1940’s. Pretty amazing stuff. I love hearing the stories of ice skating on the Hudson, and really just how much of an enormous part of life the river was for the people there. Does anyone know how much assimilation to American culture was encouraged? I know that the women in my family kept a lot of Italian traditions, but my grandfather was told to never speak Italian and mostly defied all of his Italian heritage.
I love local history. One correction though, Cementon was mostly Croation not Polish. Those were my ancestors and they came to work in the cement mills. But much like Glasco in that they were tight knit and brought similar traditions ( especially since in the old country they were only separated by a small sea).
My name is Louis Timperio and I am the grandson of Louis Ferraro who lived, worked and raised a family of 13 children in Gasco (down the hill). My grandfather worked at the brickyard, gardened, raised chickens and pigs and baked bread in a woodfired outside oven. The dress factory was owned and operated by Mike Ferraro, one of my grandfathers brothers, some of my aunts and uncles worked there. There were 9 girls and 4 boys, they were as follows, Anna, Catherine, Jane (my mom), Rita, Lorraine, Leona, Gloria, Julie and Josie. Of the boys there were, Jake, Vince (The Village Cobbler) and his twin brother Peter and Louis (Cap). The reason I am going into detail is because on August 1st, 2015, last Saturday. the Descendants of Louis & Josephine Ferraro had a family reunion at the Glasco mini park. Although there was only one surviving sibling (Leona), there were many of the children, grandchildren and great and great,great grandchildren. I spent many a happy day in Glasco as a child. I can remmember with great fondness spending time at Costello’s Saloon (sitting at the bar eating lupini beans and watching all the locals playing cards and singing), Joe Amendola’s general store, Washburns store right at the river and Lukies store on Hudson street. And as was mentioned in a previous post, everybody had a nickname. Toppie, Boxie, Charlie boy, Snookie, etc. These were the “back yarders”. I am 71 years old and spent a large part of my childhood in Glasco “down the hill” and I would not trade that time for anything. We were poor, but we ate like royalty (fresh vegetables, fresh sausage, homemade bread and pasta). We were family, we are family, and enjoyed being together.
I bought tops for 5 dollars from Mike and Carm I was one of the best dressed around I think. They were good people miss them all. Julie caruso(Frank’s daughter)
Louis Timpiero, the saloon you called Costellos saloon I believe was my great grandfathers business, Siscos Tavern. It was a saloon , delicatessen and restaurant. The name Sisco is not well known because he had 7 daughters and no sons. When John Sisco died in the 40’s it was sold by my grandmother and her sisters.
They all lived on the 2nd and 3rd floor.
I grew up summers in Gkasco at the Schoentags bungalow colony owned by Charloe Marianella at the time
I spent my summers tigers from 1952 until the colony closed on Monday he late 60’s
It is a shame you hat it is a storage facility now . There are so many family memories there .
I grew up down the hill in Glasco. You call us the poor people, but we were rich, we had a roof over our heads cloths on our back and family that loved us.!
Thanks for sharing, this has brought back so many great memories. My grandfather was Louis Greco and he lived on Geniva Street in Glasco. Everyone knew my Uncle Tommy Greco aka Godsey. Spent many of summers and Sundays there. Family was always important and I’m so glad they instilled that in us. Wish we could go,back to those days.
If you publish a book I would Definetly be needing a few copies.
Romona Schermerhorn
3950 Draughon Road
Eastover, North Carolina 28312
910-229-2310
[email protected]
Thanks again for sharing
Thanks for putting this together!! The tradition and the memories will last with me the rest of my life !!
I believe most people came from calobria they were sponsored by someone thereI think a Mayone
I was married to John DePasquale Jr. They called him Johnny Boxie too. My son Mark DePasquale lives in Saugerties close to Glasco. Cafaldos Park. I loved that town. Aunt Rosie still lives down the hill. We love her. She was my sister-in-law. Johnny passed away bak is couple years ago. We all miss him so much.
My father in law worked for the Washburn brothers on the brick yard. The little boy there in the picture could be young Johnny Boxie. He was with his father a lot.
How about the ice house? No mention of that or the general store on Main Street.
Great memories. My grandmother, Helen Rea worked at ‘Butsie’ Ferraro’s factory. My uncles, Carl, Tom and Frank Rea were all barbers. My grandmother, ‘Doonuell’ could get rid of a headache with a bowl of water, oil and a match! Halloween parties at the old fire house, religion with Lovy Sasso and P.O. Box 211 at the post office. The smell of gardens and wild flowers on a hot summer day….Glasco forever in my heart.
YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THE KITHCART FAMILY WHO LIVED IN GLASCO IN THE 30’S 40’S AND 50’S.
Ciarlante’s Coal & Ice forgot that too!!
I as well grew up in Glasco. My fathers (my father was called Big Ant back in the day)parents Rose and Charles scarselli had a vegetable farm, it was called Delta Farm. I grew up on that farm, I loved working the fields with my gramdpa, planting and harvesting vegetables. People from everywhere bought vegetables there, and also with my grandmothers exceptional green thumb started growing beautiful flowers. Which brought more people to the farm. I remember my grandma wrapping the flower pot with colored foil and a ribbon to dress up the plant for what ever holiday it was at that time. I remember riding on the tail gate of my grandfather’s plymoth station wagon from one planting field to another harvesting vegies of all kinds and bringing them back to the vegetable stand where my grandmother would sell veggies. On the farm was a mother cat called Candy, she had many litters of kittens, I always had a kitten in my hand to play with. I have such found memories of my childhood growing up in Glasco on the Farm. The house still stands but the barns all recently have been torn down. So so sad.
Delta Farms, was the first farm stand, that I remember as a child, ever going to, with my parents. To this day, I can not find any tomato on any farm, that tasted so good, they were as sweet as a piece of fruit, (I know tomato’s are a technically a fruit, but Delta Farm’s tomato’s were the tomato, more like a “fruit”, than any other, must be the Glasco soil.), no salt, pepper, or any seasonings, we would each have one on the way home, delicious. I, also, remember the prices, back then, leaving with a couple of fresh farm produce filled bags, for under two dollars. I would like to add, that I, grew up just up the road, in Barcley Heights, and with many great friends, classmates, and coworkers at Victory Markets from Glasco. My mom worked for Frank Greco, first as his secretary, when he was head of Ulster Social Services, and later, as Saugerties Deputy Town Clerk, for many years, while Frank was Town of Saugerties Supervisor, my sister worked at Timeout Savings Bank, which Frank was the Chairman of the Board, and Chief Stock Holder of, so my family, always had close ties with the Greco’s. And, I worked for Greco Brothers for five years straight, back in the late seventies, early eighties, and then on and off, for another ten, or twelve years, when things were slow, in the electrical trade, (Hi Al!). I consistently, heard many, many stories, from Frank, Tommy, Sharky (Joe), Jack, and Brother-in-Law, Barney (Vince Ferraro, who also owned several of the dress factories, in Glasco, back in the day.), of Glasco’s history, and full of all Glasco’s colorful, and close knit community. Day in, and day out, we would be visited, by many of the Glasco nicknamed folks, that you, and all these commenters, mention. Glasco, will always be a part of me, and a major part of my life, and upbringing, I was blessed, to have been welcomed, into this wonderful community, on the Hudson.
Rondout Savings Bank, darn spell check! Sorry about that. It was Rondout Savings Bank, that Frank basically was the main owner of, and ran.
Charlie Boy and friends.
https://www.facebook.com/ILSaugerties/photos/a.911720912239445.1073741886.276607299084146/912066395538230/?type=3&theater
Some GLASCO images on the Facebook page: I LIKE SAUGERTIES.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.911720912239445.1073741886.276607299084146&type=1&l=f7545fed43
VICTORY MARKET advert.
https://www.facebook.com/ILSaugerties/photos/a.1377238009021064.1073741953.276607299084146/1377257335685798/?type=3&theater
Regarding the Origin of the name Mulford as in the Mulford Engine Co.
The Mulford family resided in Glasco and one prominent member, Mr. Charles Mulford, in 1886-7 along with James Williamson, William Simmons and Clarence Dunham established the Glasco Ice Company. They had built the largest ice house in the world measuring 760 feet long and it had a capacity of 90,000 to 100,000 tons of ice. It was situated on the Hudson River midway between the Long Dock of Saugerties and Glasco. On January 25, 1912 it became a total loss to fire, but not to Mr. Mulford. He was the last surviving member of the founding group and he sold his interest in the company to Simmons and Brewer of New York two years prior to its complete destruction in 1912! (In business, timing is everything!)
The previously founded Mulford Fire Engine Co. #1 that the family established to protect its business interests and nearby residents merged with the Washburn Hook and Ladder Fire Engine Company #2 in 1949 after sharing the same fire hall next to the RC church since 1900. The newly reorganized and renamed fire company continues to this day as the Glasco Fire Company.
Regards, John Barone
(A first generation Italian whose Grandfather and Grandmother came to Glasco from the Cosenza Province villages of Dipignano and Paterno Calabro with my father, Luigi (age 6) and uncle Carmine (age 4) in 1906. They took many relatives and friends from both villages with them to Glasco. Just check the Ellis Island Archives April 1906 ship’s log and see the names of your folks on board. And of course many others came a short time later to Glasco from the same area. Do you know why??? It’s not the BS that you think. )