Gola - City of Champions

City of Champions

Copyright 2018 by Hank Gola

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America by Tatra Press LLC

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN: 9781732222700

First Edition: November, 2018

Tatra Press LLC

Distributed by: Midpoint Trade Books, Baker & Taylor and Ingram

Edited by Tom Biersdorfer

Cover designed by Mimi Bark

Interior designed by Isabella Piestrzynska, Umbrella Graphics

Printed by Thomson-Shore, Dexter, Michigan

Media, special sales and permissions: Chris Sulavik (Tatra Press) at or 646-644-6236

Foreign translation rights: Whitney Lee (The Fielding Agency) at or (323) 461-4791

Tatra Press

4 Park Trail

Croton-on-Hudson, New York 10525

www.tatrapress.com

To Mom

An honorary Boilermaker since 1950

&

To the memory of Walter Young

My friend

&

To Boilermakers and Stingarees Everywhere

Alma Mater Songs

MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL

Where the royal palms stand proudly

Underneath the summer sky

Where the tropic sun shines golden

Stands our proud Miami High

Fair blue skies and golden sunshine

Lift our colors gold and blue

As we lift our voices singing

Hail! Miami High, to you!

Loyal hearts, Miami High School,

Hail your name in joy and pride

Alma Mater, our devotion

Praises you as honored guide

Years will crowd through time but always

Shall they add to your fair frame

And out hearts, Miami High School

Ever sing to your dear name

GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

Our voices swell with true emotion

Our hearts eer leap with joyous zeal

We sing our song of strong devotion

In praises of our dear Garfield

Oh Garfield High School alma mater

Eer faithful true and tried art thou

To Garfield High School alma mater

We consecrate our hearts right now

Even though we all shall have to leave thee

And wander far from sight of you

Our hearts will ever, ever praise thee

Our love for Garfield still rings true

Oh Garfield High School alma mater

Eer faithful true and tried art thou

To Garfield High School alma mater

We consecrate our hearts right now

W hatever we do in life begins with family, and mine was instrumental in supporting what became a virtual obsession over almost four yearsthe research and writing of City of Champions. Without the intrepid transcribing and later proof reading of my wife, Lillian (the valedictorian of the Garfield High School Class of 72, by the way), I would have never made my deadlines. She was always there to assuage my doubts or prop me up. My son Henry and my daughter Julianne were the first to encourage me to write a book while Julies critical mind provided invaluable suggestions for both the words and appearance. My incredible mother, Ann, is, at age 95, an inspiration who promoted the book to anyone who would listen. My sister Sandy, too, was an asset when it came to design suggestions and spreading the word. Thoughts of my twin granddaughters, Rose and Ruby, helped get me through the day while my grandson Elliot always provided relief on our babysitting days by asking, Why is Dampa working again? My love also goes out to my daughter-in-law Alice Ann and son-in-law Jason and to all my extended family. And, of course, where would I have been without my writing companion, my faithful pug, Freddie?

I also received tremendous cooperation from everyone I contacted. Those interviews were among the most enjoyable parts of the process. Sadly, several interview subjects have since passed away since we spoke: notably, my beloved high school history teacher, Florence Adler, Lou Mallia, Anna Kurilec Laboda, former Garfield High principal Ciro Barcelona, former Garfield great Ken Huebner, Anne Whritenour, and, of course, Walter Young. Walters son David, Angelo Miranda Jr., Molly Brady, Jack Boyles granddaughter, Steve Jenkins, and Larry Mike Osceola Jr. provided many of the pictures that help the book come alive. Dave Sistaro, Violet Kolbek, Florence Klecha, Barbara Burek, Blake Reilly and Sal Costa provided archive materials. Betty Knoepfel sent me many of Art Argauers personal mementos. Louise Greer provided the same for her father, Jesse Yarborough.

Chris Stevens, the head football coach at Xavier High School in New York City, broke down game films for me and lent insight into the single wing formation he still uses. Theresa Payne contributed rigorous digital research on a number of topics. Steve Adamek, Ralph Vacchiano, Bill Westhoven and Ian OConnor reviewed early chapters and encouraged me to continue.

My eternal gratitude goes to Chris Sulavik of Tatra Press for his faith and belief in this project. We had a chance meeting at a golf media day, where I explained the difficulties I was having getting the book published. After reading the few chapters Id written, Chris recognized the books potential and took a chance on it. His devotion as an editor and sounding board was constant. Additional thanks to Tom Biersdorfer, my old New York Daily News colleague, for contributing his editing skills and to cover designer Mimi Bark and interior designer Isabella Piestrzynska for making it look so good. A special Dzikuj! goes to Isabella for correcting my Polish. Thanks, as well, go to Eric Kampmann and Annette Hughes of Midpoint Trade Books for their remarkable enthusiasm.

Special thanks to Howard Lanza and Chris Shupenko of the Garfield Historical Society, Fred Darwick of the Miami High Alumni Association and Passaic City Historian Mark Auerbach, who helped guide my research, as did Ashley Trujillo and Kristen Lachterman at HistoryMiami, John Shipley at the Miami-Dade Public Library, Peter Lavagna at the Carlstadt Historical Society and Tom Anker and Beth Zak-Cohen at the Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center at the Newark Public Library. Miami historian Paul George provided a wonderfully informative tour of book sites and lent me his perspective whenever needed. Garfield High School athletic director Mike Alfonso and former football coach Steve Mucha generously loaned me the old game films, including a fantastic color version of the 1939 Passaic game.

Id also like to recognize the staffs at these other libraries and history centers, where I no doubt operated every microfilm reader or scanner ever manufactured: Garfield Public Library, Clifton Public Library, Passaic Public Library, Morristown Public Library, Morris County Library, Johnson Public Library (Hackensack), Paterson Free Public Library, New York Public Library, Hoboken Public Library, Jersey City Free Public Library, Vineland Public Library, Bloomfield Public Library, Atlantic City Free Public Library, Chester County Library, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Alachua County Library, Jacksonville Public Library, Knox County Public Library, McKeesport History Center, Nutley Public Library, East Orange Public Library, Elizabeth Public Library, Oak Park Public Library and the Live Oak Public Library.

Finally, Id like to thank Ian OConnor for offering me my best piece of advice. Write the book you want to write, he told me. I did.

A nyone driving into Garfield, New Jersey will be greeted by a sign proclaiming it as the City of Champions. It might seem like an idle boast for a time-worn town, yet it has been that way for over eight decades. And, if the city is a bit dog-eared, its pride is justifiable.