Cottman,Crawford and the Jersey guy.

Rediscovering the Warmth of Time-Honored Friendships in Modern Times

March 06, 2024 Keny, Louis, Tom Season 3 Episode 8
Rediscovering the Warmth of Time-Honored Friendships in Modern Times
Cottman,Crawford and the Jersey guy.
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Cottman,Crawford and the Jersey guy.
Rediscovering the Warmth of Time-Honored Friendships in Modern Times
Mar 06, 2024 Season 3 Episode 8
Keny, Louis, Tom

Have you ever chuckled at a friend's long-forgotten nickname, or found yourself swept away by the comforting nostalgia of friendships that feel just like family? This week we take you on a stroll down memory lane, with our pal Frankie joining us to reveal the quirky origin of Louis' fond moniker "Louis Bop-Bop," a nickname as charming and memorable as the pasta from Frankie's grandmother's kitchen. Our conversation weaves a rich tapestry of the bonds that never falter, the kind that can pick up right where they left off - no matter the years or miles between.

Picture the streets we grew up on, the soundtrack of our youth humming in the background – those are the golden threads that connect the stories we share in today's heartwarming episode. We muse over the transformation of our old neighborhood haunts, celebrate the steadfast friends who've weathered life's storms with us, and laugh over the mischievous escapades (think racing through tunnels and impromptu karaoke) that have solidified our bonds. These anecdotes aren't just trips down memory lane; they're homages to the kindred spirits who've become integral chapters in the story of our lives.

Join us as we wrap up with a gentle reminder of the joys that come from keeping cherished friendships alive and kicking. A simple call or a text might bridge the gap of time and reignite the flames of camaraderie. So whether you're reveling in the warmth of old connections or seeking to forge new ones, we're here to spread love and positive vibes. Remember, the art of friendship is never lost - it just evolves, and sometimes the best stories are the ones that your friends can't stop retelling.

Please Subscribe/Follow the Cottman, Crawford & The Jersey Guy Podcast.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
https://linktr.ee/ccandnjguy

Email us all your feedback, comments & suggestions at: CCandNJGuy@Gmail.com

Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Have you ever chuckled at a friend's long-forgotten nickname, or found yourself swept away by the comforting nostalgia of friendships that feel just like family? This week we take you on a stroll down memory lane, with our pal Frankie joining us to reveal the quirky origin of Louis' fond moniker "Louis Bop-Bop," a nickname as charming and memorable as the pasta from Frankie's grandmother's kitchen. Our conversation weaves a rich tapestry of the bonds that never falter, the kind that can pick up right where they left off - no matter the years or miles between.

Picture the streets we grew up on, the soundtrack of our youth humming in the background – those are the golden threads that connect the stories we share in today's heartwarming episode. We muse over the transformation of our old neighborhood haunts, celebrate the steadfast friends who've weathered life's storms with us, and laugh over the mischievous escapades (think racing through tunnels and impromptu karaoke) that have solidified our bonds. These anecdotes aren't just trips down memory lane; they're homages to the kindred spirits who've become integral chapters in the story of our lives.

Join us as we wrap up with a gentle reminder of the joys that come from keeping cherished friendships alive and kicking. A simple call or a text might bridge the gap of time and reignite the flames of camaraderie. So whether you're reveling in the warmth of old connections or seeking to forge new ones, we're here to spread love and positive vibes. Remember, the art of friendship is never lost - it just evolves, and sometimes the best stories are the ones that your friends can't stop retelling.

Please Subscribe/Follow the Cottman, Crawford & The Jersey Guy Podcast.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
https://linktr.ee/ccandnjguy

Email us all your feedback, comments & suggestions at: CCandNJGuy@Gmail.com

Speaker 1:

Cotman, crawford and the Jersey Guy podcast.

Speaker 2:

Hey everybody, kenny Cotman.

Speaker 1:

Lewis Crawford and I'm Tom Remmage, the Jersey Guy.

Speaker 2:

Hello, hello, hello to all my peoples. What's going on, fellas? What is up? How you doing Everything good.

Speaker 4:

Everything's good bro.

Speaker 2:

I don't want to hear man. I don't want to hear everybody having a good day, everybody had a good Friday. Friday I love this shit, god. Yeah, I need to win the fucking lotto. I win the lotto, bro. We're going to be telling.

Speaker 1:

I'm just saying oh we're getting like a professional studio.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. We're going to have a green room with a buffet and all kinds of stuff we got to feed a person. We don't fucking body, we're not feeding them, we're not feeding them. They're going to have to bring their own food. No, no, no. They're going to have a chef bringing the food. We don't have to worry about that, we're going to be a chef.

Speaker 4:

It's all going to be Cardi's food. Nothing, Nothing. What are you going to say? I was going to say who's our guest tonight.

Speaker 1:

Our guest is Lewis's friend Frank. I did the voice wrong.

Speaker 4:

I did it more like he wanted the walking voice. You ruined it.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I thought he wanted me to do. Oh, wait, wait, let's start over. Lewis's friend Frank is coming on the show to talk to us. There you go See.

Speaker 4:

that's better, frankie. What are you doing, brother? How are you that's? Awesome I can do Arnold too.

Speaker 3:

Who's got?

Speaker 1:

you guys who's got, you guys who's got you guys.

Speaker 3:

How are?

Speaker 1:

you, frank, how are you?

Speaker 3:

That's awesome.

Speaker 2:

So tonight's show all of our listeners is about friendship. That's right, friends and stuff like that. So Lewis is going to start his friend Frank Absolutely. He's going to phone with us. So thank you, frankie, for being here laughing with us and such.

Speaker 3:

Thank you very much, guys. I've been looking forward to this all day.

Speaker 4:

That's awesome bro.

Speaker 3:

Glad to hear that man.

Speaker 4:

We just made a date, didn't we? So how many people know or have somebody in their life friends or friend right, that you know since grade school, right? And that, no matter where you are, how far you are and how long it's been, you've seen one another? As soon as you've seen one another, it's like you never left. It just falls right back into place automatically.

Speaker 3:

I got to see my friend Frankie. I don't have my buzzer, I would have chimed right in there.

Speaker 4:

No, go right ahead, bro, you're here. You're the guest. We got to hear what you're going to say.

Speaker 3:

Well, I mean, I'm definitely that person. I mean, and that is my boy, louis man, louis Bop-Bop, louis Bop-Bop, that's great.

Speaker 2:

That is awesome. There's a story behind that, if you want to hear it later on, let me know.

Speaker 3:

I'm happy to tell you why he's here. Louis Bop-Bop, oh yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, you can tell that story, sure.

Speaker 2:

As a matter of fact, you can start with it.

Speaker 4:

Go ahead, right, guess, you tell it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so you know, I know, louis, let's see 45, bro, yeah, about 45 years. Yeah 42 of seriousness, because I actually knew his brother, mikey, because Michael's my age and we were in the same kindergarten class. Wow, and then for some reason you know, not that Michael isn't the best, I love him to death but for some reason Louis and I drifted together and so through the years, as we were growing up and he would come to my house, my grandmother who lived upstairs I'm Italian, in case you could figure it out.

Speaker 4:

No, no, no, no, I think you were French. No, nice Jewish boy yeah exactly.

Speaker 3:

So Louis used to come to the house all the time. My grandmother would always make the best pasta by Jolie, which is a nice pasta dish. It's almost soupy, it has peas and Louis who, I mean, it kills me. To this day he's still in awesome frigging shape. He's always been in awesome shape. I hate the bastard, but he would eat like an animal. Okay, I mean, he would never. He never stopped eating and of course I'm the jealous one because I've always been a big guy. But so he would come to the house and my grandmother would yell down buggy, that's what she used to call me and go, you want some pasta? And I go, yeah, louis here. Well, tell him to ask him if he wants it. And he would go I go, louis, grandma made some pasta for Jolie, you want some? Yeah, he go. I love some of that pasta. Baboo, that's fucking good.

Speaker 4:

I couldn't pronounce it, that's a good fucking story.

Speaker 2:

I like that. That's a good one, I like that.

Speaker 3:

That is fucking hilarious.

Speaker 1:

See, that's what this episode's about. It's about friends, it's about you know, I have a friend myself that I've been friends since elementary school.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, you still talk to them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know we used to be like super, super close but you know, after COVID and stuff kind of started getting complicated. But you know, you know we were both at each other's weddings and stuff like that, and you know we still talk to each other through this day.

Speaker 4:

Yeah yeah, frank and I always keep in touch with my texts, or just sending shit each other, like I do that with you guys.

Speaker 2:

I'll send you like certain music.

Speaker 4:

I'll go if I'm sending. If I'm sending Frank music or you, I'm sending it to either one of you after that, right Right. So, uh, bro, he lived in Sunset Park. He was like right up the block from us when we were on 58th Street.

Speaker 3:

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:

And I don't know how we didn't run into each other.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I was on 169, ps 169, went to Persian Junior High School and I graduated from the U-Trick.

Speaker 3:

And what year was that?

Speaker 2:

So I graduated high school in 89.

Speaker 4:

So you were after us, we did. We graduated earlier.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, so yeah, but we positive. I thought I was a bit.

Speaker 3:

I thought I was gonna be able to, you know, jump with Tom a little bit, since he was born in the 80s but now even Kenny's, younger than us.

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm just so much glad you could hear us.

Speaker 4:

Well, he's in his 50s now, bro. That's it. You know he's there. You know what I?

Speaker 2:

mean. Well, you know what I really? I probably ran into you guys in Maple Lanes.

Speaker 4:

Oh yeah, Our parents both there all the time, right, Frank?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, parents, both there. In fact. I don't know if you guys know, but Johnny Petraglia, who is a huge, was one of the greatest bowlers of all time. His dad actually worked at Maple Lanes.

Speaker 2:

Oh, no kidding.

Speaker 3:

And he yeah, he used to actually train me on a Saturday morning. Bill Petraglia, one of the sweetest guys in the world yeah, and I actually lived right up the block from Maple Lanes.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, he did, and right away, like a block or two from the 66 precinct.

Speaker 2:

Okay, right.

Speaker 4:

And then PS180 was like two more blocks down right, frank, and then we had Aldo's Pizza right across the street from PS180.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so did you guys see when they were filming the Warriors?

Speaker 4:

No, we didn't see it, but every time we watched the movie we were like 60 circuit streets.

Speaker 2:

Right because? No, because it wasn't when they, when they met the orphans and they said you had to take off your, we'll let it go yeah no, we never saw that, that was right around the corner from Maple Lanes.

Speaker 4:

Frank, did you ever run into that at all?

Speaker 3:

I ran into. I actually saw some of the trailers that they had parked there. But the best part of that movie is when the Warriors are walking up what looks to be toward the train station. They're actually looking down 64th street, which was a block and a half away.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 3:

And then when they actually burn the car, you know when they throw the cocktail that's actually on 62nd street, so that always you know.

Speaker 2:

And 16th right.

Speaker 3:

Yeah Right, it was 62nd and between the U-Trick and 15th.

Speaker 1:

That's right. What neighborhood was it? Brooklyn?

Speaker 4:

What was it?

Speaker 1:

really no, no, no, no, no, no, no. What neighborhood. Oh uh, uh Borough.

Speaker 4:

Park uh Bensherst.

Speaker 2:

Bensherst. Yeah, you go to the street that's correct, right. Yeah, cause I ran from that same fucking train station one time there was a fire and me and my homeboy Richie so Richie, he's probably listening to me, my sister put him onto the show, but yeah, so Richie and I we were walking because there was a train fire, so we couldn't walk, we couldn't take the train and the bus was uh, was out, was about one o'clock in the morning and we started walking and he hey what the fuck are you guys doing over here?

Speaker 2:

I like don't look, don't look. He's like I gotta look. I'm like don't look and he looks. And then they started running after you. They started running after us. Bro had to run all week back.

Speaker 3:

Kenny, was that you yeah?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, it was me man. I had a feeling he was gonna say that yeah, shit, that was what that was about, 87.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, 86, 77, everything like that we you know, the funny thing is you know those streets. The way it looked in the movie is exactly the way it was. Yeah exactly. Like that's the look like that, and we used to walk up and down those things like nothing. Today, you know, 45 years later, or 40 years later, it's like yeah, I would never walk down that street. It's like amazing how time just you know changes the way that you used to be yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, your mindset changes. Right, You're thinking differently. You're thinking a little bit more. Yeah, you know what I don't need to do that yeah, yeah. I'll move on, but you know what, though?

Speaker 2:

It was the friends that we had, it was the people that we hung out with. You know that we would, you know, go to those places and do those things. You know, and you know. Yeah, it's sad for me as far as, like the childhood, friends.

Speaker 4:

I love being from where we're from, and I know Frankie does too. But you know you, life goes on. You have, you know you go.

Speaker 2:

Oh, no, no, no, I'm just saying like it's just as far as the friends like, you know you you can, like you can talk to Frankie, that's when you know that's your friend from growing up and whatnot. I don't, I talked to just a few. I just got reconnected again through my sister, a friend of mine, jasmine. You know she was all of our friends, rachel, she's another one, but you know it was just that I haven't got to see my friend Richie or Joey haven't seen that you know.

Speaker 4:

It's been a while since I've seen Frankie. Frankie, I think the last time we saw you and I saw each other was at Chrissy's funeral.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Chrissy's funeral, unfortunately, and you know it was a bittersweet thing.

Speaker 3:

You know we said goodbye to a really dear friend, but yet we got to see other people that we grew up with, Right, that was nice you know, but you know, in keeping in line with, you know, the conversation tonight about friendship, you know there's people that you know, there's friends that you have and I think, kenny, you were kind of getting to that there's friends that you have that you go. Oh, I'll pick up the drive-through Right. And then there's friends that you know they call you and go I need a big a lie shovel and a 45.

Speaker 2:

Can you beat me?

Speaker 1:

in 20 minutes. Yep yeah.

Speaker 3:

And Louise. Louise wanted those guys for me. I mean, you know, with the exception of my brother, and I did the part of Frank Chrissy. I don't think you know there's anybody else that I would do that for. Mm-hmm, you know I the feeling is mutual. Yeah, I mean, when you have friendship there's that bond. You know, it's the weirdest thing. You know, I looked it up and I was like you know, let me try to prepare a little bit here tonight.

Speaker 3:

These guys are being gracious enough to let me come on here. So I looked it up and they're like, you know, custom, you know friendship, the customs of friends, and I was like what the fuck is that?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, I mean and it seems like, you know, friendship is really a bond that reveals itself. Right, you know, and I don't know if it's a you know universal thing, a godly thing or whatever, but you know, like Louis and I, we know each other since we're kids. We could tell how it started. You know, his mom was actually my Cub Scout leader, one of the toughest, meanest bitches out there.

Speaker 2:

But I loved her to death.

Speaker 3:

Mm-hmm. Yeah, so as time went on, the friendship just grew and I think everybody in their life should be as lucky to have that you probably could count on your one hand true friendship with people that you've had in your life.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely yeah. For me it's like the last 20 years that I have those friends. My brother from another mother, eddie, lives up in Albany. That's why I go over there to see them. Him, miguel, other friend, burdo, mike and Matt. Those guys, those are the ones now. You guys, since being here, like you said, I would have Tom. So if we had to go and commit the crime like that, I'd be like Tom. We need you to write the alibi.

Speaker 1:

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, I'd get a good script.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, lou, come on, let's go. We're gonna go get the truck from work we're just gonna throw the asses in there.

Speaker 2:

I know we're gonna put the body, it's all good, you know what I mean. Oh, my God, yeah, so it's one of those things. So, yeah, I know what you mean. Man, it's one of those. That's awesome, that's good friendship. And there was a song, hip hop song, rap song, houdini, right. So friends is the word we use every day, but most of the time we use it in the wrong way. You can look the word up again and again, but the diction every doesn't know the meaning of friends.

Speaker 3:

They're straight baby. That's right. You're not even. That's exactly right. That's so funny. You just said I just sold my 12 inch of that Did you really no way. I swear to God. I'm in the transition into moving up to Tennessee with my beautiful wife and I just got rid of all my records. I know Louis has mentioned in the past podcast about DJing and whatnot. I was one of those folks and that was one of those songs that I played constantly.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, cause that first. That's the first verse and that's literally what it is. That's just what it is, friends. You know there's nothing, you just said it. You know, frank, that's the definition in the dictionary Come on when he was doing that.

Speaker 4:

When he was DJing, he did it in his basement of his house, so I never came to the front door ever, cause I used to just go down to the back and go in cause. He was DJing. While he was DJing DJing, excuse me and mixing I was jamming the whole time in the basement. Hell yeah, I mean, while I was, he's doing, I'm just jamming the dances.

Speaker 3:

He's jamming, dancing and I know he said that in past podcasts too about you know Saturday Night Fever, when that movie came out and we were hopping that same turn style on 62nd.

Speaker 2:

Street to get up there for free.

Speaker 3:

Yes, you know, it was a Saturday morning. I mean we couldn't have been. I mean I think I was like maybe 10, so Louis was 14, he's got a couple of years on me. We were hopping the chain. We were going up there on a Saturday morning in our polyester shirts. I mean you know at 11 o'clock in the morning, cause that's what they did for the young kids.

Speaker 4:

Hot dogs and soda, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Hot dogs and soda, that's right 2001 Odyssey.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly, you just took the words out of my mouth. Yeah, yeah. It's funny.

Speaker 4:

It's awesome shit. That is funny the heck. I was just thinking of a funny thing. I don't know if you remember this. Remember the time we went to go see a temple doom at the Lowe's Oriental Lowe's and we were hanging out. We drank like two. We had to. The big gulps is when they started coming out with the big sodas, so we drank it. We get on the train, we're on the station, we're on the fucking platform. We got a piece of it.

Speaker 4:

I swear to God, we get on the train. It finally comes, takes us to 62nd Street. Now you know, you got the live side, you got the dead side. Me and him. Go to the dead side, Hold on, tell me about you held on. Yeah, yeah, we held on, bro, I wasn't even 18. But anyway, listen. So we were in the train. We held it until we got to our station. We get on the stairs and the stairs are open because it's just gates. It's just gates.

Speaker 2:

So you're going down.

Speaker 4:

And we just he's on one side and I'm on the other side and we're hysterical laughing.

Speaker 1:

I remember you telling me this story. I remember you telling me this story.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, like just how hard it is to be when you're laughing.

Speaker 3:

It's hard.

Speaker 2:

That is like a beautiful waterfall. That is funny man, that is great, that is hysterical yeah how many people do you hang out with, tom that you still talk to and stuff Like when dad you grew up with?

Speaker 1:

Grew up with. You know, like I said, I had my one friend that we stayed in touch the most. I mean you know I'm friends with people on like Facebook you know, but like just kind of like friends. That way we're like. You know we comment to each other's posts or something like that or something like something. But yeah, my one friend is my one friend, joe. Like I said, we've been friends since we were like in middle school, but other people I just kind of stay in like you know, social media. Right right.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah. And you know what? That one guy, Tom, that's a blessing right there. Yeah, I mean Louis. You know I'm sorry to keep a hug in this but no, you're the guest, bro.

Speaker 4:

You should be the one talking right now.

Speaker 3:

Louis and I, we've been through so many ups and downs. You know a friendship. You know it's probably the second hardest relationship you could be in, right, I mean, I would say being married to the perfect woman is. Even if she's perfect, it's still a difficult thing to deal with. But having a friend, that means not quite as much, but maybe a smidge behind. It's also a thing you know.

Speaker 4:

Well, yeah, listen, because regardless it's still, you established that relationship right. You know one another, your friends, you know, and you've been through fucking thick and thin, stupid shit, things you probably should have died in, and didn't. You know things like that, you know? Yeah, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2:

Going through the tunnel. Oh yeah, the pylons in the middle of the tunnel. So you say to me they would know that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, no.

Speaker 2:

You say to me I'm taking gunshots.

Speaker 4:

like what the fuck were? You just pop it off the side of the fender, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we used to do that, we used to race.

Speaker 4:

But now we weren't doing that on purpose. Oh see, yeah, no.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

So you know. So what Louis is talking about is you know, louis and I we used to head to the city quite often and hit the clubs, and I think he mentioned that a couple of times. We used to go to Lime Life, lime.

Speaker 2:

Life.

Speaker 3:

You know, and we kind of had. We kind of had Codd Blanche there for a while where we used to go in and we had access to all the areas and these guys just used to, and I thank God every day that we got home safely, I gotta tell you. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

So one night we went there and we got wrecked. And we are getting the car and we drive. Louis goes I could drive, don't worry, I'll go, you sure, yeah, I could drive. And we drive and he hits the tunnel heading back to Brooklyn and I'm sleeping in the front seat and all I hear is and I open my eyes and I go do you hear that? And he looks at me and he goes what Do you hear that? And I look on the you know, the mirror on the side and the pilings that are in the middle of the tunnel are swaying back and forth Right.

Speaker 3:

He hit just about every single one of them with the mirror.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my God, you know the drive-inside mirror. God, I love it. That is awesome. Yeah, and you talk about my driving. All right, real Yo man.

Speaker 4:

I was back in the bag.

Speaker 2:

I'm just saying.

Speaker 4:

You know, it's the past.

Speaker 3:

That is the point of the shit, yeah, that's you know, we got away with some stuff and again we were kids.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we were kids. Look for what we were growing up in and, kenny, I'm sure you understand. You know Brooklyn was not the easiest place to grow up in. Yeah, there was always some stupid shit that was happening, you know, fights and whatnot. Yeah, not talk about the girls because those were okay.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 3:

You know, To think that we made it through, that we should be thankful, and if he came through with a couple of friends.

Speaker 4:

Yeah absolutely yeah cuz man whoo and you came through and you still have friends. Yeah, right, you think for that. Yeah, you know the clubs. Oh my god. So, the other night he calls me up. Yeah, I'm like 1145 and phone friends.

Speaker 4:

I'm thinking about him and his dad. I'm like, oh man, please. So I picked the phone up, mike, hello, he's like, louie, I need you to do something for me. I'm like, all right. He's like, what do you do? I'm like in bed watching TV, you know. He's like I need you to sing this song for me. So he, I'm sin sitting in bed Singing strutter All right the top of my lungs. He's all the other red. My wife is laying there and she's like this is not happening right now. It was funny shit man.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and he hit it perfect. And the thing that was pissing me off was that my wife and I, you know, we love to get into a little karaoke every now and then. We have a couple of cocktails, we turn some music on, we start trying to sing. Most of the time I'm able to get it. I just couldn't hit this note and she's like all right, let's just forget. I said no. I said there's only one person I know right now Now that could hit that note other than Paul Stanley, and that's frigging Louie. You know, I didn't even realize it was a quarter to 12, and this is one of the things about friendship right.

Speaker 3:

You don't care, it doesn't matter how old you are. Yeah, okay, I mean, every time Louie and I talk to each other, it's like I'm 16 again, yeah, and we can Haven't spoken in months, maybe even year, and it's like it was yesterday, and and that's that's the meaning of a true friendship in my, in my eyes.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, definitely bro, definitely. Well, shit, if you're moving up to Tennessee, it's just a straight run on the highway to get over here to lose house.

Speaker 4:

Just saying yeah, well, yeah, I'm actually going out to see him, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, louie actually surprised me and he's like he called me the other day. He says listen, bro, what Kanye and I decided we're gonna come and see you. I said I Mean my heart started doing flip-flops. Yeah, I mean, it's a much different life, you know. I know you guys have discussed in a lot of your other podcasts but and I wish I would have been part of that road rage One.

Speaker 1:

People do drive differently in the south.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but cuz we're, you know, frankie.

Speaker 3:

I'm in Tennessee, it's it's called Moshine, tennessee, probably about a half hour, 45 minutes from Gatlinburg. Okay, so we're up in the mountains. Yeah, we've opted for a simpler life. Yeah, you know, um, I mean, I was, I born and raised in Brooklyn, new York, and you could take the boy out of Brooklyn, but you can't take the Brooklyn out of the boy.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, no matter what yeah as you could tell by my Alabama yes, you know, and it's funny bro, no, I can't tell it on but it's, you know what it's in the lineage.

Speaker 2:

So my kids were raised in Brooklyn but you talk to them and you don't do whatever with them and you'd sweet like you're not from the city, like how would you not from the five brothers Some way, some like there's no fucking way because you, because we're their parents because I raised them like that, right, yeah. I had to say Robbie, robbie live wound up living in the city, yeah, yeah, and he always said he would and he did so.

Speaker 3:

So, frank, so yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 1:

I'm sorry, yeah, so so you're. So you know you. You uh, people know you're from Brooklyn from your accent, but like You're in Tennessee, man, so, you? I mean, it's a much different like do people like stop, then the traction doesn't hear you don't? Oh my god, that guy's from Brooklyn man, lock your doors.

Speaker 2:

Lock your doors.

Speaker 1:

Or have you seen other people like yourself who moved from you know?

Speaker 4:

more transplants from New.

Speaker 1:

York. I mean, I'll just say New York in general, not just you know Brooklyn, you know from from any part of New York actually any of the boroughs.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I mean I, I was in New York for 27 years. Then I moved to Boca Raton for 27 years, which is you know where the witness protection program told me to go, but Not I. I mean I, I actually had opted to move to Boca because I wanted to start a family, which you know. It's kind of ironic because, like what you guys are saying, my girls now, who are, you know, 21, 22 and 20, gonna be 25. They love New York, mm-hmm, you know, they know what New York's all about. My niece, sophia, she went back to New York, she lives in New York and she's ripping it up over there school and I go, she's.

Speaker 3:

You know it's like yeah, I mean, new York is Brooklyn and New York a great friggin place. I don't know what's up there, but anyway, yeah, so coming to Tennessee, I have to move like every 27 years, because, it was funny enough, I moved to Boca when I was 27. I'm moving out of Boca 27 years later and here I am now in Tennessee. But, as you guys have, you know, poignantly put in a lot of your podcasts, people are just losing their fucking mind. Yeah, man, okay, yeah, it really are. And you know, my wife and I we said, you know, we, we went on this crazy quest. We Started falling in love with going back to a little bit simpler life. So we're actually in the midst of building our own homestead. We're gonna, you know, you know, build a lawn cabin and we got this beautiful piece of land and we're gonna have animals and whatever. But I gotta tell you, the people in Tennessee is what made us come to.

Speaker 4:

Tennessee. Oh, that's awesome. That makes that would make sense, yeah, right.

Speaker 2:

Why would you go someplace? You know I don't want you there, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so that's awesome dude. I'm happy for you guys and.

Speaker 2:

I told you.

Speaker 4:

I thought that was like one of the greatest things you know. Hey, that's awesome to doing your shit. You're doing a good thing man right, you earned it, you worked hard for it. Now you get to choose to say hey, I'm off.

Speaker 2:

I'm out. Oh yeah, and congratulations, by the way.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that very much.

Speaker 2:

That is freaking great yeah so then the people, just so then now. But do they like hold the door open for you when you go out there, like what Thomas saying like you know, oh, he's from New York, he's got that super accent, you know.

Speaker 3:

Well, I I really try to play it down and I try to let my wife do all the speaking.

Speaker 3:

Because, I don't, I don't want to shock them too much, right? We actually at funny story, we actually went into a warehouse for, you know, different kinds of wood because we were building a, a Structure around our land. So I walked in and I think I said, hey, how you do, what could I do for you? I said, hey, how you do a buddy, listen, I need, I need a couple of boards here and this and that nothing too crazy. We're building a kind of a bad house thing.

Speaker 3:

And and I, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this woman just sitting at a desk. You know you must have been with a secretary or one and she's just kind of gazing up at me. I Really I shit you not. And and my wife's standing next to me and I said, well, you know, this is why we're the guy goes. I will come out back. Let me show you what I got. Nicest guy in the world again. Nicest people in the world. Yeah, anything to Help you. But as I'm walking by her, I said I'm sorry if I was a little loud, that you know I'm not from these parts and she just looked up at me and she went. It's okay, I can listen to you all. I said to I said oh so you really enjoy my Alabama accent, that's my, my running joke and she left out loud my wife's like okay, let's go yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, you're done talking.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that is it. That's great, that's funny, that is great. Man See, that's why you gotta go out there. Yeah, I'm gonna yeah.

Speaker 4:

So you guys can work out my work boots and everything.

Speaker 2:

Both go walking in after some boys and home depot.

Speaker 4:

Both of us walking through there, holy shit. Yeah, I need some Bobsy twins. I see now.

Speaker 2:

I need some two by fours and a couple of this. And the guy says well. No, no, then you're gonna tell me what the fuck you mean. You fucking came in like Lou buddy. Calm down, no fuck this shit.

Speaker 4:

That's not how it happens that's not.

Speaker 3:

That's not Frank. Yeah, it's my story. Where. Where's the cement bags?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, I mean with the fishes, yeah, no.

Speaker 4:

I never, we never got excited like that with stuff. Like that we handled it. Oh is it the best way we possibly could with with the Brooklyn. Uh-huh, you know. Backing it up, yes, you know you know it's funny.

Speaker 3:

I mean, when Louie and I were together we rarely ever got in trouble, yeah we and and I really think it's only because we were so fucking stupid.

Speaker 3:

No, you know, having fun with each other, but we didn't really care about all the other shit, right? I mean, there was this story after story and that I could tell you that you guys would be like there's no fucking way you guys made this. But it happened, you know, and it's, it's a beautiful day. I wouldn't change it for the world. The only thing I would change is I wouldn't have lost touch with my, my godson and my. You know I love they. Have no idea how much I love them, but you know, stupid me got in the way of trying to conquer the world, you know. You know what I said.

Speaker 4:

I told him already. He said it's alright, that's life, that's what it's. You know, he was okay with, he, understood he was good, no worries, hey, listen, he said to me. He said I could call him too. So it's not like you know, he's not that young where he can't pick up the phone and give you a call If you wanted to you, know, I'm saying so it's both way.

Speaker 4:

But I get what you're saying, I get, I understand. I had that with my grandson and everything. Um, yeah, but not to get off topic, I wanted to talk about Frankie's talk about stories. So Frankie's dad used to Coach hockey right, roll hockey right, rainford Hamilton. Remember where?

Speaker 2:

the ring was yeah all the time.

Speaker 1:

Frankie was record the game.

Speaker 4:

Yes, sharks baby, and he was Frankie would usually record it or whatever and help his dad with that, whatever. And they had a party once. They had the, the shark party, right, frank? Remember the, remember the party, frank. So after the end of the party, because we were totally freaking demolished, um that that was the one to speak on the car bro.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, 59 to 20. It's right on 19th yes right, right next to our high school Right. Yes, fdr.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, yes, yeah, and. And we drove home. First we dropped the glasses. They were under the car remember, we're laying it had to lay down the street. The freaking final Got them and then the speaker. The whole time we drove home the speaker was on top of the car. I didn't even move.

Speaker 3:

No, no no, no, no, no, the best part, Not a he's right, I dropped me. I, at that time, I was wearing glasses.

Speaker 4:

That's right.

Speaker 3:

And I don't know what happened. We turned and I don't know if I hit your shoulder or whatever. So my glasses come off and they bounce underneath the car. So there, louie and I are Underneath the car, laughing hysterical, trying to reach the frigging glasses. We get the glasses, but we forget that we leave one of the speakers because I, you know, my brother and I dj the party, which was funny. We didn't even have dj equipment. We actually had two stereos Connected together and we just kept swapping back and forth. Oh yeah, he, he had that great pioneer with the blue light. But anyway, so we got that done. We drive to the where my, my dad and my mom are Uh, and my brother, and we don't even see that the speaker is on top of the you know the car. Well then mom's like okay, I'm driving home. I Wow, yeah, I go out. I go out the next morning. Sure enough, the speaker is still on top of the the car but, we left the other speaker on the sidewalk where the car was parked.

Speaker 3:

So I had a walk all the way there with the the worst frigging hangover. I mean, you know I, I know, you know, you know what a hangover is people go. But when you're young we were young at that point.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, and we drank that night man.

Speaker 3:

We drank serious and Walking the four and a half blocks, it was I, I swear. I thought I was gonna die. I was begging Jesus himself to come down and just Please walk me up.

Speaker 4:

Mike. Could you kind of just glide me along the way.

Speaker 1:

I swear you know it was one of the worst hangovers I ever got. I was um, my buddies were over, right, we were, we were drinking. It's like 22, 23 I think. My, my parents were away or something like that. I don't know what happened, but we're we're, we're drinking and my buddies look, let's do power hour. I'm like we're morty. I'm already pretty drunk. He's like we're gonna take a shot of beer Every minute for an hour. No, I'm like, oh, it's beer.

Speaker 1:

He knows like oh, this is not bad. I'm like rationalizing, I'm like we're not doing it with alcohol. It kicks in and, oh man, I got so drunk. I got sick, of course, and but I had. I had the irish flu.

Speaker 4:

Uh-huh, that's the worst. You've all had it, bro. Yeah, I know exactly what I'm talking about and. I do not miss him, no at all.

Speaker 3:

I, I don't miss it either, but you gotta admit guys.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, oh, we had fun bro.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's something that you go. It's something that mean you know you wouldn't, you wouldn't have spoke about that time if it didn't mean something.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, it's hysterical because you know we're all being stoop power. Yeah we're dumb ideas. Dude.

Speaker 2:

Those are the best ones I know, and who better to share with them, with the best friend you know, saying like that was, like that was.

Speaker 4:

You guys know, Exactly, and everybody who's gonna listen to this is gonna understand this completely.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, everybody can sit back and laugh like oh yeah.

Speaker 4:

So and so, and I did. Oh, my god. Yeah, my parents ever knew the shit, half the shit we did frank.

Speaker 2:

Got it, man. Oh dude, yeah, I think that's the key, you know well they were.

Speaker 3:

I'm sorry, no go ahead, no, no you go ahead, go ahead.

Speaker 3:

They. They definitely were not, you know, oblivious to it, no, yeah, but they also. Let us live our lives and I think it's important today. Today is a very different world and it worries me that people will not actually have best friends like we're talking about here. Because very different world. When we were kids, it's like, okay, you couldn't wait until the sun came up because you got dressed. Summertime, you got dressed. You're like okay, mom, love you, I'll see you tonight. And boom, you were out the door and you head into the schoolyard and you had a little punch ball in the morning, maybe a little softball, whiffle ball, whatever Fight at one o'clock in the afternoon, which nine out of 10 times the guy who popped you in the eye turned out to be your best friend two weeks later. Today, unfortunately, kids don't have that ability. Today, it's just such craziness that goes on out there that people are afraid to let their kids out.

Speaker 4:

And so different, so way, so different. I would never trade with childhood, for anything Like growing up.

Speaker 1:

I was thankful I had a block where there was like a lot of kids on my. Every other house had kids. But it's so different now with kids because for instance, my son, like if he wants to play we gotta make play dates and we live on a dead end. And there was a kid who rides his scooter and Chase just says hi to him and they say kind of hi back and they don't hang out Like it's weird, like why don't you?

Speaker 1:

just I would have been out If I saw a kid. Oh, there's a new kid on the block.

Speaker 4:

Let's go say hi to him we already had kids. It was different for us, man. Yeah, it was different. Yeah, we knew when to be home. We were supposed to be home. Your parents didn't.

Speaker 1:

Did you guys do this when you were? I don't know, it was different because I grew up in the Burbs, but like you know, like if we wanted to find where our friends were, we would just find the house to have the pile of bikes in front of us.

Speaker 4:

Usually we sort of, or we are called, though we have.

Speaker 1:

Somebody spoke to somebody already and now we're gonna go meet up, we're just gonna like you know, it was like five or six friends that were always hung out by different houses, so we would just drive and ride my background. Oh so the pile of bikes in front of Joe's house. I guess that's where everybody is, you know.

Speaker 3:

Yeah yeah, I mean that's exactly right. I mean you either did that or, like we said, you know, at a certain time you knew you were gonna meet at the school yard and you were gonna go and do whatever you do, you know. If it was later in the day and you go get a slice at Aldo's or hit the ATD when you park and play a little ball.

Speaker 4:

You know, with all your other friends, you know, yeah.

Speaker 3:

And to the.

Speaker 4:

Darren, everybody.

Speaker 3:

Joe Cap and Joe Cap Bobby. You know it's Chrissy. You know we had, we were fought. I always feel fortunate that we had a really great network of people. Yeah, I mean, first of all Louis. Yeah, I mean you'll understand, our click was like the UN, you know.

Speaker 2:

We had a little of everything.

Speaker 3:

We had Italian, we had, jewish we had oh, by the way, I was listening to my silver Jews greatest hits the other day.

Speaker 4:

Oh, okay, cool.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

But I'm not surprised.

Speaker 3:

You know, we had black, we had Puerto Rican, everything we gave the whole ratio thing.

Speaker 4:

A couple of half-breeds were thrown in there.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I mean, it meant nothing to us.

Speaker 4:

See, we could say that we could say that because that's what it was when we were growing up. That's what we say to each other. Right, like my friends would be, like you, stupid fucking Joe. Like my friend would say, anthony, he would just say because first thing he came out of his mouth Because he knew that would piss me off. So that would be the thing he would say you know, but that's how we were, we should. But at the same time, if I'm his lady, if I can do what you were there for in the first place, the thing is, if somebody outside of the click had the balls to say that to you, then they had problems.

Speaker 2:

Hell, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course that is true, had a crew on.

Speaker 3:

So we were lucky in that respect. And then we were also lucky to have some lovely ladies with us, and you know Angela Clare.

Speaker 4:

Kelly and. Jackie and Andrea, don't forget the.

Speaker 3:

Amory, that's right, the Amory and their family, extended family around them. You know Kelly's sister, margaret, margaret correct, and Amory's sister. Christina. Christina, thank you, you're welcome. They were always wonderful people to us, you know, and we all did it in that apartment building that Louis has spoken about in the past and, by the way, I used to help clean those steps when.

Speaker 4:

We're washing down the building, bro Remember the brass, doing the brass with the knock sign. That shit was crazy, but it would come out beautiful though when we were done. Well, definitely. The one thing, louis and I.

Speaker 3:

Oh good.

Speaker 4:

No, go ahead, Frank.

Speaker 3:

Now, the one thing Louis and I always knew how to do was two things we knew how to respect our family, but we also knew how to make money off of them.

Speaker 2:

This is true. That's great.

Speaker 3:

Louis and I, we would handle the brass on a five-story building both sides. Get that get paid from Bob. God rest his soul. And then we go over to my house and my grandmother would have us paint her hallway, whereas Louis and I are fighting a hangover because we were at Pastel's dancing until about 6.

Speaker 4:

AM in the morning. Oh my god, holy shit, vegas Diner.

Speaker 3:

Vegas Diner. A little cheeseburger deluxe with French fries brown gravy, oh my god.

Speaker 2:

That's insane. See, you guys parted on that side of Brooklyn. I was on the other side. I used to party over in the Southside, williamsburg and just downtown Brooklyn area, south Fifth and Can, over by the Williamsburg Bridge, and we used to go out. I used to go out with my cousins and we used to go out and eat breakfast and, yeah god, you guys saying that stuff is just like wow, that's nice, right? Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, no, yeah, it's good stuff, man. I can only wish that for the younger generations. They're missing out, man, they really are, man, they are. You know there's a lot of craziness going out there and I really hope that people start to come together a little bit more. You know, as I get older, faith has played a big part in my life and you know it's like, ok, I was really lucky for a long time there and you see what's going on and people really need to chill out and just get to know each other a little bit.

Speaker 4:

Calm down.

Speaker 3:

Yep.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I hear you bro.

Speaker 4:

You're a master sure yeah so much different for us when you didn't have the social media and all the other stuff that's going on now, which makes it easy and more convenient for people just to do then, rather than go and call somebody up on the phone and talk to them. Like I have this thing with texting, like I'll text for a little while, but when it starts to become a conversation, I'm picking up the phone and I'm calling you because I'm not doing this. Yeah yeah, yeah, all right.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, texting is good for me Right, Just short messages and shit like that. Hey, goodness you know Right Right.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, texting is good for when you send me a picture of you know mention a bench and stuff like that Exactly, and you can laugh about it.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, exactly, mention a bench. That's right In Mexico no-transcript.

Speaker 3:

when you want to, you know, express yourself, the phone is the best way, and in younger kids today, they just don't do it. It's all about texting.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

The biggest joke that I have is I would be sitting on my couch with my wife watching the TV show, with my daughter on the other side of the couch, and she would text me Okay, and we will, six feet apart from each other. So yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:

What would you say to her? I would be like are you kidding me right now?

Speaker 3:

Close. It was more like this. Are you fucking kidding me? That's what it was.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, although you know, sometimes you know, well, I'll text my wife because I got to be, say something about my son or something like that Be like he's going to go to bed in five minutes, because I don't want him to be like you know something like that.

Speaker 3:

You know right. But wait a minute, Tom, that's different. That's you know, mission impossible, Right, Exactly, that's necessary, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you got to survive, you know what I'm saying no shit, yeah, but that's cool, but break out the baby seal and you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's funny. Yeah, but see that's what. But you know again, you know you guys so appreciate you guys sharing your childhood memories. You know the funniest cause, you know it's, it's, it's memory for me and Tom too, like you know, when thinking of our own people.

Speaker 4:

You know own friends and things that we did so that's what I hope people, you know, when they listen to it, they it sparks something in them while they're having their car drive and listen to it and like, remember that person, whoever it was you know, that's that stuff is important. Yeah, you know songs, songs, just you know. Just you know music. Yeah, yeah, you hear that one song.

Speaker 2:

You're like yo. When this song came out, or this happened or this was going on we at the club or at in the car, driving off, freaking crazy you know for me hauling ass down the Belle Parkway trying to get to King's Plaza Nellie. Bly doing that kind of stuff. Nellie Bly, that's what that's what?

Speaker 4:

my son Robert. Well, another memory, real quick, we took my son Robert to Nellie Bly and we first we tried to put him in the boat. You know, the boat that goes around the water, maybe moving, maybe. Yeah, like yeah snail's pace.

Speaker 4:

Right, you didn't want to get it and he wasn't having it. He wasn't having it and I'm not going. I'm not going in the boat. All right, cool, no problem. Then the cotton candy. Cotton candy was a fiasco. We love you, robbie, we do, we have it. This is the best, one of the best memories we have.

Speaker 3:

Frankie didn't bring this up. That is the one who brought this up.

Speaker 4:

But I'm allowed to because I'm done, I got that power.

Speaker 2:

That's funny but yeah, man, like I said, I appreciate you guys sharing and whatnot and you know it's been, it's always cool. Like I said, just get those memories, you get those things to talk about and you know, just laugh. Good feelings, man. That's the shit, that's freaking awesome. Like I said, it's nothing but a freaking ride, Just like I said, for you guys. You know, 84 straight across bro.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I take you straight into Tennessee.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it's only like I think it's nine hours tops, I think something like that. But yeah, if you're a side of that drive, yeah because you're that guy that drives a super.

Speaker 2:

We want to smack in the mouth, wow, whatever.

Speaker 4:

That is just like so wrong on all levels.

Speaker 3:

Yes, we can't wait and I hope that happens, and you know you guys, kenny and Tom, you guys are more than welcome to come. We got 58 years here and we enjoy ourselves on a daily basis. I mean, we work hard, but we want. We're doing this so that we can invite the people that we care about, and so everyone is welcomed here. Awesome, thank you. Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome, that is cool. Well, again, like I said so, thank you for being here, frankie, for coming on the show and hanging out with us.

Speaker 4:

Make sure you hang on the line before you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, don't hang on, we're going to end the show but hang out.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we'll do.

Speaker 4:

Thank you I appreciate it.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, kenny, thank you Tom. I feel like I know you guys. Louis said nothing but good things. I know I'm sorry, louis, make sure the hundred is out to the me for saying that. Please, not that, not seriously you guys. Thank you, and I wish you the best of luck with the podcast.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for that. Yeah, but no, but thank you. So, yes, don't hang up, frankie, hang on one second. And everybody else, all our listeners, you know, think of your friends, love your friends. Pick up the phone, give one call, give one a call, send a text message, that know you're thinking about them. You know there's a little emoji that you can send them to birds, so you can just, you know, flick the bird at them, just, you know, wake them up a little bit or whatever. So, but yeah, so thank you everybody for listening, like follow, comment or that other good stuff and all of our stuff. Tom, I think you can say something else.

Speaker 1:

I think I didn't say no, no, no, no, no, yeah, yes.

Speaker 2:

So everybody. So love peace and hair Greece, live long and prosper and go vegan. Oh wait, you know what I think? I messed this up over here. I didn't even do this.

Speaker 4:

Wow, see people, you got a bonus now, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, all right, everybody have a good night. Thank you very much.

Friendship and Memories
The Evolution of True Friendship
Old Friends Sharing Memories and Friendship
Nostalgic Stories of Adventures and Friendship
The Lost Art of Friendship
Spread Love and Positive Vibes