I'm 56, ONF. I grew up at 187th and Hoffman, and we now split our time between Throggs Neck and Delray Beach, Florida. So my feet are still in the neighborhood quite a bit.
No argument on Wahoo. A tough guy and a gentleman both. I don't know if you remember T.V. Sharp bookmaker. His office was following the Kosher Kids and he was laying off into the Islands long before the fucking Internet. Well, either Jamesy or Artie made a 20k mistake in my favor during baseball season one year. Baseball's slow season. Not even a moron makes a mistake like that during the fucking summer when you're just happy to break even.
This was like 25 years ago. I was already in my early 30's, and I took it like they were testing me. I went to the place on Morris Park Avenue. Il G******* and I blew my top. It could've turned into something but it didn't.
Anyway, Wahoo had a longtime friendship with my friend (even though we were from across the street). He told me I was right for being upset. But that neither he nor T.V. were aware of it. And that I'd be within my rights to keep it. I declined. He smiled, gave me a bear hug that I can still feel when it's damp, and gave me the usual "If you ever need anything...."
I never cashed in on that favor. I had my own friends anyway. But that man showed me A LOT that night.
I grew up in Throggs Neck with family roots from both 116th and Pleasant in Harlem and Parkchester in The Bronx back when they were both Italian filled neighborhoods.
I'm not sure who T.V. is but I knew Sonny (the old man) who was bookmaking under Jerry in his and Wahoos old club under the L near Steves toy store (what a rip off that guy was) before they split up into their own seperate clubs after that little argument they had over the loan but thats another story.
Anyway, my educated guess would be that it was absolutely a test. And to this day I believe that I was also tested by him when he asked me to pick up an envelop and bring it back to him. The envelop wasn't sealed and had every kind of bill there is from hundreds to loose singles in it. Long story short, when I gave it to him, he counted it, smiled and told me to go give it to his "brudder" lol. That guy is legend.
