“It’s in the book!”

Such a simple phrase for a never-ending trip down memory lane. Throughout the years, Roselandites have entrusted many nostalgic items to me in the hope that they will find a permanent home in a display of some sort. I think it is time to celebrate some of these items by discussing them in my column.

Whenever one of us kids would ask, “What’s the phone number?” our mother or father would yell out “It’s in the book!” Of course, the book they were referring to was the local phone book that was about the size of a half of an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. The version many of us are familiar with had a yellow and brown cover.

The ads on the cover added to its distinctive appearance along with the books name: “The Greater Roseland Area Directory.” The book that I have in my possession is the 1971-72 version, which is actually the last year I lived in Roseland at 15 East 116^th St., IN8-3676). That was just around the corner from St. Louis of France, 16 E. 117^th, PU5-0150). That was right next to our friends the Defina family at 20 E. 117^th, 264-4432).

Some of the real “bell ringers” that had ads on the cover of the phonebook include Roseland’s KFC introduction, Buckley’s Plantation with Kentucky Fried Chicken, 119^th & State, IN8-1144; Roseland Radio TV Laboratory, 10814-16 So. Michigan Ave., PU5-9495 or WA8-7600; Schmid-Lofgren Prescription Laboratory Inc., 30 E. 111^th St, 785-0106; and three funeral homes, Doty-Panozzo, Milton Bos, and Carlson Funeral Home.

Of course, the first two pages are the local politicians: 9^th Ward Alderman Alex Adduci and 9^th Ward Democratic Committeeman Leslie V. Beck, 11102 Indiana Ave., WA8-6668 or CO4-2909; also 9^th Ward Republican Committeeman Robert R. Blouin and State Representative 28^th District J. Theodore Meyer.

Union National Bank, all phones 468-6500 was a big advertiser throughout the phonebook as it had to compete with the Pullman and Trust Company, 785-1000. Of course, we all remember that Union Bank, as we locals called it, was right around the corner from Giovanni’s Pizzeria, 29 E. 111^th St, WA8-9000. Giovanni’s and the Martello family go way back as my sister Jean, her husband Bob, my sister Tootsie, and my brother Bill all worked there at one time or another.

The one pizza place that was near and dear to Pullmanites, Kensingtonians and Roselandites alike was Ken & Dick’s Cocktail Lounge & Pizza, 11358 S. Front St., WA8-1188. The Ken & Dick’s Traverso family still carries on the tradition of great pizza and Italian food at their 15601 S. Harlem Ave. However, the atmosphere and friendships that Ken & Dick’s brought to generations of young people as they grew into legal drinking age can only been reminisced upon—and believe me there’s a lot of reminiscing as those same teenagers now in their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s gather together at Traverso’s.

I might as well stick with the subject of restaurants for a minute and tie it into Sunday mornings after church. Through the years, there are some restaurants that families stopped by for their Sunday lunch meal to give mom a break and to maintain some kind of family tradition. “Chicken our Specialty” was the slogan for Jolly Inn, 556 E. 115^th St., CO4-9442, which I believe had family sized-servings in a bucket before KFC hit Roseland. Going the other way, Mundo’s Venice Inn, 318 W. 115^th St, 264-9639, had the westbound crowd from at least two churches: St. Nicholas, 11335 S. State, IN8-3737 and St. Anthony’s,11533 S. Prairie, 468-1200.

There were a couple of other well-known restaurants such as Lorenzetti’s, 128 E. 111^th, 785-8574, which is gone but not forgotten because their Chicago Heights location at 560 W. 14^th St. is where the Spaghetti-Os club meets every last Tuesday of each month. Before anyone jumps up to tell me that I’ve forgotten a couple of very important places here they are: Pesavento’s, 11500 Front St., IN8-3156 or CO4-9750 and the other end of the block we have Parise’s, 11544 Front St., 264-9500. Interestingly, Parise’s Tavern has a separate address at 401 E. Kensington, CO4-9501 — it was located across the street from the restaurant which was at the corner of Front Street and Kensington.

For the guys that grew up with a car fixation, I couldn’t find gas stations because they didn’t come into being until the 1960s. Before that time, all gas stations provided auto service and repairs so, looking under that listing there are quite a few that I’m sure hold significant memories.

Satriano’s Texaco Service, 11500 Perry Ave., CO4-9612; Spiller’s Service Station, 11736 S. Michigan Ave., 785-9698; Lou’s Service Station, Louis Veneziano, 162 E. Kensington Ave., CO4-9067; and Fehsel’s Auto Service & Towing, 12000 Michigan, 785-9464. Fehsel’s may have been a good place to get your car repaired and your gas tank filled but I remember it for continuously sponsoring a Roseland Little League team.

My last look at phonebook nostalgia is the famed world of Roseland barbershops — union and non-union. Every start of summer vacation from school, my dad would take us down the “Ave” to get our heads shaved — one more way to save money — for a buck. Across the street was the other non-union barbershop with small narrow windows up high so that “union bombs” couldn’t be thrown through the windows.

The other barbershop of note specifically to readers of this column is Joe’s Barber Shop, 203 E. Kensington, CO4-9626. Joe’s has a long history with St. Anthony Church, which was across the street. Joe’s building actually served as the St. Anthony Grade School kindergarten classroom for a time. I believe it was while the addition to the school was being built as the kindergarten room.

I’d like to write about the numerous outstanding florists that had shops in Roseland throughout the years. I recall some of them such as Richards, Matt Summers, Bernard Arrivo’s but, I’m sure that others have experience with more than those flower shops. I would appreciate it if my readers could share with me any recollections they have of their having worked at or used the services of any Roseland florists.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these phonebook recollections and that they spur more nostalgic thoughts and reminiscences of our shared great times in Roseland.

Contact me at 11403 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60628; 773-701-6756; or cjfranoi@yahoo.com