My name is Frances D’Angelo. I’m 91 years old. But I remember a lot of things… People ask me, “Have you lived in Red Hook your whole life?” I say, “I was born here.”
I remember the summer that girl got kidnapped. They took her on Columbia and Carroll. Then they found her body. I don’t remember what year that was…
Red Hook used to be a big ship town back then. Visitation Church used to have excursions, they’d take us out on a boat around Red Hook. My family has been going to that church since they came to Red Hook. My grandparents went there. My grandfather move to 353 Columbia street in 1910. I still go to Visitation myself. There’s nobody left there that I know from the old days now. Used to be you knew everyone in the neighborhood. Today, most of my neighbors I don’t even know. These days people come and go.
The other day I was sitting on my porch and this girl passes by and starts talking to me. I asked her, “Where do you live?” She says, “371”. I said, “When my mother got married that was her honeymoon house.” It’s funny when you’ve been here so long…
Back then it was mostly Italian and Irish in the neighborhood. In the summer we used to go down to the park by the water and watch all the ships coming in– there were a lot of them back then. Out where Fairway supermarket is now we used to get in the water and go swimming– all the kids did that back then. We would just dive right in without thinking about it. Things have changed so much here…
I remember when the SS Normandie passed through our waters here. (The Normandie was the most powerful steam turbo ship ever built.)
There were beautiful homes in Red Hook then, all two family. There were playgrounds, and great apartments. It really was a nice neighborhood. On summer nights we would sit out on our porches, that’s what everyone did. Of course in the summer all the kids would be out in the street all day and night, they only came in for supper. They didn’t have toys, the most they had was a ball, but they made their own games. That’s what we did then, we made our own games, we made our own entertainment. We didn’t have much, but what we had made us happy. I always say, “Today people have everything but they have nothing.”
Things were so different back then, even small things, like, people only took a bath once a week, that was the norm. I remember my mom would put a big pot of water on the stove on Saturday nights and me and my sister would take baths. That’s the way things were back then.
In the summer everyone would be out in the streets. We would go down to the playground and spend all day there. Those of us who had bikes would ride our bikes all around the neighborhood, back and forth.
There was this old grocery store in the neighborhood and every 4th of July they would set off round after round of fireworks all night long out in front in the street. The cops never bothered them about it back then. On Election Day they would erect a big fire in the middle of the street. You don’t see things like that today. We would also have our own May Day parade and put on home-made costumes and march around.
On Sundays in the summer there would be a man with a push-cart selling pretzels, and another selling all kinds of fish. We didn’t have ice cream trucks back then.
Sometimes me and my girlfriends would go to the movie theater and then we would go hide in the bathroom so we could see the same movie over again. Didn’t realize how silly that was back then… but we did it, and we enjoyed ourselves.
Down in Coffey Park and Pier 27 there was a summer program there we used to go to. Then when the Red Hook pool opened we would go there all the time– we’d get there in the early in morning and stay till noon. On some days in the summer my mother and aunt would take us out to Coney Island. We would take the trolley car. It was a nickel for adults and 3 cents for kids but my mom would tell us in Italian, “Just go under the turnstile, go under!”
Red Hook was a really nice place to grow up. We had nothing, but we had fun. I remember how the neighborhood used to be. I’ve lived in this place my whole life.
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You can see Frances sitting on the bench outside her home on Columbia St by Defontes…she is the nicest person you could ever meet here in Red Hook…
Frances, I will always remember you. I will miss you always as a little girl on Luquer St you were always kind as an adult, I remember passing you in church, you called me back and reminded me of who you were. Another angel earned her wings Sleep In Peace
I spent many days working along side Francis as a Poll Worker. She was marvelous energetic and kind. I admired respected and loved her authenticity of spirit.
That was a great story. You seem like a great person to sit and talk to if anyone could tell a Red hook story you sure could wow. Glad to c your doing well.
Thank you to the Villafane family who introduced me to this lovely lady through our many PartyLite candle parties. I was merely the candle lady, but your beautiful family always made me feel so special and Frances was truly a part of your family. It is clear that you left a lasting impression on so many people, Frances. It was an honor to know you. Rest in peace. xo
I grew up across the street from Frances (Betsey) D’Angelo during the forties and early fifties. I lived on the second floor above Defonte’s Sandwich Shop. My mother Frances and sister Isabella where close friends with Betsey. When I’m in Brooklyn I try to stop by to get my sandwich from Nick’s. Last September I was at the deli and decided to visit Betsey. We talked about our family and the “good old days”. I told Betsey that I am writing a children’s storybook about the street games we played when we were kids. She was very happy to hear this. At that time I had written 30 chapters on my blog redhookstoties.com. I explained that I planned to complete 50 chapters by the end of 2015. I don’t think that she was into computers. We had a nice visit. I was sorry to hear that she passed away. We lost another good, loving person. God Bless Betsy…. Frank