Five favorite childhood memories
1. My first job ever, was selling ice cream and orange drinks at Coney Island and Brighton Beach. I think I was 14 yrs. old. Darryl DeAngelo and other friends tried it for a while as well. At the end of the day, we usually had at least one ice cream sundae left over. We ate most of our profits but it was so much fun as we would enjoy the penny arcade when work was over. We usually had just enough change for the train trip back home to Canarsie.
2. Taking train rides on the subway to virtually nowhere. As kids, we wanted to explore, but we had little cash. So, we would travel all over the city by train and transfer to all the five boroughs on one token! My traveling companion, Steven Hartford called it “lots of times” and we took great risk holding on and dangling in between two train cars. We became very familiar with the best routes to take and enjoyed every “click-clack” along the way. The Myrtle Ave line was our favorite train line as it had old cars, a very bumpy ride and rode along like a roller coaster. Thank you, Steve for “Lots of great times!”
3. Walks to the movies and trips the Brownsville Boys Club (BBC) with my friend, Darryl DeAngelo and the gang. A hot dog stand, across from the BBC had the BEST hot dogs and I can recall with each hot dog, the pickles were free. So, we would stuff ourselves on kosher dills right from a barrel and the dill tomatoes were awesome! I also recall frequenting the candy stores. At Mom’s candy store I would buy a big bag of malted milk balls and sit in the movies. My goal was to make the bag of candy last throughout the whole time we spent in the movies. If we were short on cash for the movies, we would ask people outside the theater for spare change. Folks were very generous as some would flip us a quarter or two. That was a huge amount back then as my allowance was only 50 cents a week! Thank you, Darryl for sharing those great times!
4. Train trips to Greenwich Village and hanging out in the “Café Wha?”. We were under-age so we usually ordered Green Tigers which was like a soda fountain Mountain Dew. The singers were always high and some turned out to be famous. In Washington Square, my friends from Canarsie had a favorite spot to gather and listen to the artist singing or just making noise. As we progressed as teens some friends got hooked on drugs but I managed to stay clean because I was a health nut. I met my first fiancée there, Nancy Blankerwicz. We broke up after she took off her blonde wig and scared me half out of my wits! Still, we had really good times together, all a part of growing up!
5. Taking off with my friend, Kerry DeAngelo to college in Miami. It was my first time away from home and I loved it! I had never been out of the New York, New Jersey area. In Miami Beach, we met other students and stayed at the Olson Hotel. It was nothing special about except we could walk to the beach and take a stroll down Lincoln Mall. Eventually we moved to 2170 Alton Rd on Miami Beach and we lived (ten of us guys) across from a golf course in the original Animal House! LOL I worked at the Publix supermarket while going to college. After the first semester, I went to summer school with a college roommate, Sheldon Jaffee where we stayed in a motel on First street which was the surfer’s beach. That summer I fell in love with my first wife Raya. Our first home was on Surfside Beach. That location was awesome! PS: Thank you Kerry, for getting me started in the right direction and getting me out of New York!
Five events that affected you and changed the way you think.
1. My sixth-grade experiences with my sixth-grade class and teacher, Mr. LoGiudice. I was falling behind in school in the 5th grade and lost confidence in my abilities. In the sixth grade, everything dramatically changed. In academics, my teacher encouraged me to enter the science fair and submit my idea for a cover for the school’s PS 260 Treasure Box which was roughly the equivalent to a high school yearbook. I came out as a top contender in the science fair and my idea was voted number one for the school’s annual magazine. Then in sports I came in first place in the school on field day in the 100-yard dash. My classmate and good friend, Louis Torres was also heavily influenced by our teacher, Mr. LoGiudice. Louis and I still remain as friends on Facebook till this day and we often talk about those days in public school and how our sixth-grade teacher really made an impact on our lives. Thank you, Mr. LoGiudice!
2. Joining the Air Force, Nov, 5, 1969. I always wanted to be a jet engine mechanic because as a kid growing up, I would take things apart and then fix them (sometimes, LOL). I also wanted to see what was inside a jet engine and repair one from scratch. I definitely got a chance to do so since I became a senior jet engine technician in ten years. I was married at the time and my wife, Raya encouraged me to join as I was working as a janitor for the city of Miami Beach before then. Nothing against janitors, as it was a great driving around to all the beaches but it was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It’s funny because some great public speakers like Tony Robbins started off as janitors. I must thank, my first wife, Raya for the confidence she had in me and the consistent encouragement she provided! Amen!
3. Earning a commissioned officer position in the Air Force on Sept. 19, 1979. One day, while I was working in an aircraft hangar, my flight commander, Capt. Snyder, asked me what I was doing. I replied that I was busy supervising the installation of two jet engines. He then rephrased his statement asking me, what was I doing with my life. I told him I was doing fine as a senior technician. But he did not accept that answer. He said because I had a bachelor’s degree and was already working on my masters in management, I should apply for Officers Training School (OTS). His advice woke me up to a whole new world of management. It was not an easy road but, in the end, it was so worth it as I was able to travel more and had fantastic experiences all over the world. That is also how I eventually became a retired Major and later on, became a civilian instructor at the US Air Force Academy. Thank you, Capt. Snyder for pointing me in the RIGHT direction!!
4. In Jan. 1983, I found out Raya had developed breast cancer. From that moment on, our lives changed dramatically. I had a life insurance policy on her and she knew we could cash it in later for a large sum or buy a few things that we always wanted while she was alive. I did not hesitate to cashed it in. We purchased a nice jacuzzi for our back porch and we bought a beautiful new conversion van so we could travel cross country in comfort. Raya used the jacuzzi almost every night when she came home from work. She said it was the only way she could relax and not hardly feel any pain. So, obviously it was worth every penny. The van we purchased was a 1983 Chevy with a Sherrod teakwood conversion interior that had blue captain chairs, a dining table, a TV and a seat in the back that converted into a very comfortable bed. Raya would fall asleep in the back many times after I drove her home from therapy. We made a three-week trip from Miami to Aspen, Colorado weeks before she passed away. She said it was the best trip of her life as we stopped in many cities along the way to visit family and friends. Her chemotherapy doctor, gave us the keys to his condo in Aspen and let us stay as long as she desired. We had a fantastic time. Also, during that time, we both became born again believers in Christ. In the last days Raya told me she was ready to go home. She said good bye to all the family and let me know that I should get married again because our kids should not be without a mother. On her last day, I said, “You know that I love you.” She answered, “I know” and then she went to be with the Lord. Thank you, Jesus for the times we spent together!
5. On December 6th,1986 I married my present wife, Liz. We had a military wedding with the swords and all the fanfare at a chapel in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It was the first time and the last time that so many people from both our families got together in one location. I have many fond memories of that wedding day and our marriage has been a wonderful blessing every step of the way. I could write a book about all of the miracles and adventures that have occurred in our lives but it would be too much to write for now.
So, I want to say “thank you” to my friend, Valerie for encouraging me and others to write a bit about our lives. I can’t wait to hear from other friends.
Much love and blessings to all. Say safe, and God bless!
John Michael Domino
(Johnny-boy)
