So excited to find this site. All four of my grandparents immigrated from Italy in the early 1900’s. I was born on Clarion between Tasker and Morris but grew up on 21st and Ritner.

I attended Poe Elementary, then switched to St.Monica. I rode the subway each day through HS to attend Girls’ High. Every season in Philly was a blast.

The streets and the concrete school yard were our playgrounds. The fall brought Mischief Night and Halloween. How we made it through without adult supervision, I don’t know. In the winter it was building snow forts and playing out doors until we were almost frost bitten. In the summers we headed to Poe School yard from morning to closing. Then it was hide and seek or jail break with NO BOUNDARIES. Buck, Buck was another favorite. Boy or girl, you had to be tough. When it got too dark to run the streets we sat on the porch playing monopoly or knuckles, sometimes way past midnight. Again, you had to be tough. I remember having bloody knuckles but not daring to cry.

I wouldn’t trade my childhood for growing up with ponies on a farm. Yeah, it was that good!