The 1950's

Facts about this decade -
Population: 151,684,000 (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census)*
Unemployed: 3,288,000
Life expectancy: Women 71.1, men 65.6
Car Sales: 6,665,800
Average Salary: $2,992
Labor Force male/female: 5/2
Cost of a loaf of bread: $0.14
Bomb shelter plans, like the government pamphlet You Can Survive,
become widely available

I Love the 50's

1950

We moved into our new built home: 1765 N.W. 21st Street in the
Allapattah section of Miami.
What I like listen to on the radio: "Your Hit Parade", "Dick Tracy", "Tarzan", "The Lone Ranger", and Straight Arrow"
12 Best Movie for me up till then:
Feb. 15th, 1950, Miami...12 years old.
Got the nickname, "Champ" from playing the Pinball machine at N.W. 15th Street Road and 15th Avenue.
Sept. 1950, Miami...We played Football at the Golf Course at 14th Avenue and 14th Street. Linda Blitch was my girlfriend. She is now, Mrs. Robert Wimmer, my best male friend.
12 Best Movie for 1950:
Songs for 1950:
GOODNIGHT IRENE, CHATTANOOGIE SHOE SHINE BOY ,
BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED-Jerry Albach played the lead in pal joey, rm's father cut his hair MONA LISA, If I KNEW YOU WERE YOU WERE COMIN' I'D'VE A BAKED A CAKE A BUSHEL AND A PECK MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC THE THING FROSTY THE SNOWMAN THERE'S NO TOMORROW PETER COTTONTAIL, IT ISN'T FAIR, HOOP-DEE-DOO, BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO Introduced in the musical film: Cinderella   A YOU'RE ADORABLE

1951

Feb.15th,1951, Miami...13 years old. Gesu Church, N.E. 1st Avenue and 2nd Street.
April 11th,1951, President Truman relieved Gen. Douglas MacArthur of his command in Korea.
May 1951, Got all around letter for Athletic, the first from Comstock.
June 1951 New York City... Office boy    Sold my first art drawing work.
Nov. 1951 Miami Jackson beat Miami High 14 to 7.
12 Best Movie for 1951:
Songs for 1951:
TOO YOUNG
MOCKING BIRD HILL
SLOW POKE
BECAUSE OF YOU
COME ON-A-MY HOUSE
As a kid, Id go to NY, the tv was on 24 hours a day. Syncopated clock song..<in Miami the tv went off at 10>
Id buy a pint of ice cream and a box of cereal called Krinkles, and I would watch tv and eat a box of cereal and a whole pint of ice cream and watch tv....<barefooted> My first year in ny 1951 I actually was chased but never caught by the cops because I was bare chested and barefooted in the city! <get something at Gimbols......and I'd leave barefooted and shirtless>

1952
Feb. 15th, 1952, Miami...14 years old.
June 1952 New York...Officeboy and weekend Western Union Messager till Sept. Met my friend, John Gibson.
Sept. 1952 Miami...Robert E. Lee Jr. High School, 7th Grade 12
Best Movie for 1952:
Songs for 1952:
GLOW WORM KISS OF FIRE CRY DON'T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYES WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME WALKIN' MY BABY BACK HOME A GUY IS A GUY PLEASE MISTER SUN SHRIMP BOATS

I used to walk home, going thru the empire state building just to see all the pretty girls....I thought of the song, a guy is a guy.....

Car Mercury 1949-
Richard in picture- 16 yrs old
explorer scout taken in 1953
life explorer scout

1953
Feb. 15th, 1953, Miami...15 years old.
April 13th, is Thomas Jefferson, third president of the U.S., 110 birthday, was born in 1743.
June 1953 New York...Officeboy and weekend Western Union Messager till Sept.During that summer, I met Jerry Orbach and his wife when he used to go to my father to get his hair cut. I met Apple Annie, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, Bob Hope, Jerry Cologna. They used to make fun of me and call me "Red"!
Sept. 1953, Miami... Miami Jackson High School, 8th Grade and worked for my father at Miami La Cuban Tile. Art Teacher, Anthony DiMeo. And hanging out at Bill Ross' Frosty Freeze. Saving money for my first car.
12 Best Movie for 1953:
Songs for 1953:
RAGS TO RICHES I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW? VAYA CON DIOS NO OTHER LOVE PRETEND YOU, YOU, YOU I'M WALKING BEHIND YOU I BELIEVE TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU EBB TIDE THAT'S AMORE KEEP IT A SECRET CRYING IN THE CHAPEL

1954
Feb. Got my First car, a green, 1950 Studebaker "Champion" Convertible.
Feb.15th,1954, Miami...16 years old. Bagboy carrier for Kwik Chek.
May 6th, 1954, 25-year-old British medical student Roger Bannister cracked Track and Field's most notorious barrier, the four-minute mile, during a meet at Oxford, England. His time: three minutes, 59.4 seconds. (Winn-Dixie)
June 1954, New York...Office boy and weekend Western Union Messenger until Sept.
Sept. 1954, Miami... Miami Jackson 9th Grade

12 Best Movie for 1954:
Songs for 1954-
SECRET LOVE-    THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN-    IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU-   LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT- MISTER SANDMAN-   HEY THERE-
Introduced in the Musical Theatre: Pajama Game
WANTED   LET ME GO, LOVER   YOUNG AT HEART    HERNANDO'S HIDEAWAY
Introduced in the Musical Theatre: Pajama Game  I NEED YOU NOW
TEACH ME TONIGHT-   ANSWER ME, MY LOVE-   THE NAUGHTY LADY OF SHADY LANE-   COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS INSTEAD OF SHEEP-       HEARTS OF STONE-   MAKE LOVE TO ME
OH MY PAPA-      THE LITTLE SHOEMAKER-   CROSS OVER THE BRIDGE
My favorite song "shi boom"

1955
"Rock Around the Clock"

1955
Feb. 15th, 1955, Miami... 17 years old.
May 10th, 1955 Miami... Got my mother and father to sign so I could sign up for USMC.
Sept. 1955...Miami Jackson 10th Grade, English Teacher, Anne Wyle and History Teacher, Edmund Burck. It was said, "A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."
December 10th 1955 Miami...First date with Barbara Larrabee.
Rock around the clock 1955...blackboard jungle.
1955 "Only You" Barbara's and Richard's song
12 Best Movie for 1955:
Songs for 1955:
BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING Academy Award winner in 1955 LEARNIN' THE BLUES TWEEDLE DEE SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE Introduced in the musical film: Daddy Long Legs CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Featured in the musical film: Blackboard Jungle MELODY OF LOVE UNCHAINED MELODY AUTUMN LEAVES SIXTEEN TONS SINCERELY HARD TO GET KO-KO-MO AIN'T THAT A SHAME by Antoine "Fats" Domino HEART HE

Sept. 1955, left-half at
Miami Jackson, General

Miami Jackson Football team
Richard in Second row 4th from left

1956 Barbara and Richard
k-i-s-s-i-n-g

1956 Richard by light pole
Miami

1956
Feb.15th,1956, Miami...18th years old. Got my 1953 Studebaker out of the shop, "The Montero".
May 1956...Bad History Teacher, Thomas Renedo, and ask him outside. Was playing Pool at Brownie's to earn money.
June 1956 Miami...Miami Daily News, Circulation Dist. Mgr.
12 Best Movie for 1956:

1957 Richard and Barbara
at her junior prom

1957 Southeast Asia

1957
Feb. 15th,1957, Miami...19 years old.
Nov. 10th,1957, USA...Soldier For Hire, Cuba
Dec.1957 Miami... Ford Car salesman
12 Best Movie for 1957:

1958 Richard and Barbara at
Miami Jackson senior prom

Sept. 1958 My father
and staff at "Elegante" shop
2426 Broadway, NYC.

1958 Richards first professional
job as a tailor

1958
Feb. 15th,1958, Miami...20 years old. Got the name, "Tiger"
March 1958 Miami... Winn-Dixie Packer, Car runner, Movie ex, Security
12 Best Movie for 1958:

May 1959 Barbara's
Senior Prom picture

May 1959 Barbara and Richard
at Barbara's senior prom
(Richard 21)

Memorial Day 1959
Long Island,
Step Mother, Helen
(seated in chair)
Friends house

1959
Feb.15th,1959, Miami...21 years old. P.I.   Southwest Security Guard & Patrol Service.
March 1959, Miami...First Business, Clothes Pole Center with Robert Wimmer and his sister, Midge.
May1959, Groton, Conn...
July,1959, The Open Mind of Dick Montero, comedian at The Downstairs Cafe.       Sept.1959 New York...J.Burns International Security Services
12 Best Movie for 1959:

Memorial Day 1959
Step mother,
Helen on right side of photo

July, 1959 at the Club in the
Griswold Hotel in Groton, Ct.

I used to like to play to the song, "Sing, Sing,Sing" because of the great drum part just made for the drum! Gene Krupa , a famous drummer used to play the drums to this song.

Happy Birthday Richard!


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