~ Malden Musings ~ Christmas in Malden

By Peter Levine

Ah, the Christmas season in Malden – it sounds like stepping into a holiday postcard (one that Frank Levine probably has in his immense Malden postcard collection), doesn’t it? Those memories of Malden Square during the ’60s through the ’80s capture the magic of a classic hometown Christmas. You can almost feel the excitement in the air as Maldonians bustled around Mal’s, Kappy’s, Boston Leader, Jack in the Box, Malden Jewelry, Jordan Marsh and the old newspaper stand on Main and Pleasant – Albert Long hawking Globe’s – filling the square with life and laughter. It was a magical place at the time where everyone seemed to know each other, and the shops, restaurants and cocktail lounges felt like extensions of your own living room.

Staying warm meant ducking into the Charles Street Bowling Alley, grabbing a slice at Signor Pizza or Piece-o-Pizza or popping into Brigham’s or Gold Coin for some of their iconic comfort food. Each of these places was a little world of its own, where familiar faces and local legends, such as Ronny “Malden Ron” Anderson – in his DPW truck decked out for the holidays – added their own warmth and charm to the season. And, of course, there were the bars where holiday cheer took on a life of its own. Places like The Do Re Lounge, Jack Haney’s, The Centre Bar & Grille, the Auld New, and the Horseshoe Lounge, where friends could be found, laughter flowed, and the holidays were celebrated in true Malden style (always responsibly, of course).

Christmas shopping was a unique experience in itself, too. Before the onslaught of “The Mall” there was Jordan Marsh and Woolworths, Bakers and No Where’s End for those all-important last-minute gifts; each store held treasures waiting to be discovered, with families bundling up and huddling together to take in the magic of the displays and the warmth of the holiday crowds.

And then there were those snowy sojourns with friends to the Square from all points in Malden to catch a movie at the Granada or the Strand, or to shoot pool at Al’s Pool Room. The glow of the streetlights surrounding the downtown felt like pure holiday magic, with snow crunching underfoot and scarves flapping in the wind (yeah, it snowed in them days!). Snowstorms didn’t stop the adventure though; they only added to it. Ice skating at Devir, Ferryway or the Rez. Clearing snow off the basketball court at Amerige or Devir or Ferryway for an impromptu winter game was just one more way to make memories that stayed with you forever.

And for those rare, sacred moments, like Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Immaculate (1971) with bestie Jimmy Damiano, the season’s magic was truly complete. Those were the days that made Christmas feel like more than just a holiday – they were the times that made Malden feel like home. Priceless!!

Ten Christmas/Holiday songs for 10 nights in December – all guaranteed to get you in the Holiday spirit. YouTube them. You’ll like ’em! In no particular order for 2024:

• Sal Baglio’s Stompers – “All I Want for Christmas Is a Rock n Roll Guitar”
• Louis Armstrong – “Christmas Night in Harlem”
• Tom Waits – “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis”
• Merle Haggard – “Lonely Night”
• Paul Robeson – “Silent Night”
• Harry Belafonte – “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”
• Johnny Crawford – “Greensleeves” (The Rifleman TV Episode 168, “Old Tony,” April 8, 1963)
• The Louvin Brothers – “O Come All Ye Faithful”
• John Lee Hooker – “Blues for Christmas”
• Yogi Yorgesson – “I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas”
• Frank Sinatra – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Craig “Best Words” Spadafora revisits the gold standard of Christmas Eve remembrances:

“Some of my fondest Christmas memories will always be from my grandparents’ home on Emerald Street, especially those magical Christmas Eves. As a kid with a big, bustling extended family, I’d count down the days to this beloved tradition. The evening was pure magic – a gathering of cousins, aunts, and uncles all under one warm roof, filled with love, joy, and that unmatched anticipation of the season’s most wondrous day.

“The night felt like a scene from a holiday classic. Each child was surprised with gifts from aunts and uncles chosen at random, and the house rang with laughter and cheer, with a Christmas tree that seemed endlessly stocked with presents. Then came the food – a feast that was its own kind of holiday gift. Our family whipped up every Italian delight: baked, stuffed, boiled, fried, cured. For weeks leading up to Christmas, the house was perfumed with the smell of Italian cakes and cookies from our annual baking marathon. The kitchen became a bakery, producing batch after batch of treats: taralli, pizzelle, biscotti, struffoli, panettone, cannoli, and so many others.

“And then there was Christmas Eve dinner – ‘The Seven Fishes.’ A gourmet spread of baked, fried, and sautéed seafood, a tribute to tradition and family. As I got older, leaving my grandparents’ house that night got harder, and I began to realize that it was this gathering that made the season so magical.

“Looking back on it as an adult feels like replaying a favorite Christmas movie. My grandparents’ tree was perfect, my grandmother’s smile genuine and radiant, and the house had that unmistakable Christmas scent that still lingers in my memory. While I can’t make any more holiday memories with my grandparents, I feel blessed to have had them as examples. Now, the responsibility of creating these precious holiday memories for my three children is in my hands. I’ll always be grateful to Tony and Alice for giving me a foundation of love and joy, for teaching me what it means to have a ‘Merry Christmas,’ and for helping shape the person I am today.”

Hizzoner Gary “Mayor for Life” Christenson, holiday memories – he has a few: “My favorite Christmas memories were of mom taking me shopping in Malden Square. After walking from our apartment on Cross Street we would first visit Jordan Marsh where it seemed like we spent hours between floors. We would then head to Brigham’s where I always made sure to have my favorite, Peppermint Ice Cream. After more shopping including stops at the Army & Navy Store, mom would always take me to Granada Lanes. I loved bowling growing up which I think was because my grandfather was on an episode of ‘Candlepins for Cash!’ I loved bowling so much that I actually ended up working at Granada Lanes for much of my teen years and through college at Suffolk. I later became known as ‘Bowling Alley Gary’ which stuck with me off and on throughout my life (on a personal note I prefer Gary ‘The Beast Slayer’ Christenson – LOL). When my mom had enough of me in the downtown my dad would take over and I can still remember to this day when he took me to see ‘Jaws’ at Granada. All I have to say is that I went to bed with the lights on that night! Malden Square during Christmas had a big impact on me growing up and that is one of the reasons why I am focused on doing what I can to help continue its storied tradition in our city.”

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – a favorite passage from Dr. Seuss my late mother (Dorothy) loved so much I’m bringing it back once again this holiday season in her honor. She adored Christmas, as anyone who knew her can attest to, and as long as I’m writing, I’ll keep her memory alive.

My beloved mom was a remarkable woman as many will attest to, just ask anyone who crossed her path! She had a strength and warmth that drew people to her, and she had an uncanny way of making every single person feel valued (especially if they were a fellow smoker). Our friends became her friends, and she likely fed every one of them at some point during our lifetimes.

The tributes that poured in on Facebook after she passed would have meant the world to her. She would have reveled in each kind word and probably bragged a bit about the photo of her shoveling snow garnering nearly 300 likes. It’s funny to think that even now, she’s still making people smile.

Mom loved this Dr. Seuss passage. It just about sums up the spirit she brought to the season. It’s from Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”: “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”

That was her outlook. Christmas wasn’t about the trimmings; it was about family, friends and the warmth of togetherness. Her memory reminds us of every year to focus on what truly matters. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Malden!

Postscript 1: Good Malden hearts and the spirit of the season abounded last Saturday at the Italian American Citizen’s Club in Edgeworth as the IACC once again showed Malden what this time of the year is truly all about. Partnering with the best of the best at the Malden Police Department, Jackie Teal and IACC President Billy Settemio says to themselves, “Let’s throw a fundraiser for the yoots of Malden,” “let’s make sure them without don’t go without this holiday season.” The fundraiser was a stone-cold success with thousands raised for little ones that may have gone without during the holiday season. Thank you, Jackie, Billy, MPD Chief Glenn Cronin, the wonderful guys and gals at the MPD, IACC members and their paisons who showed face to make this so damn successful. You guys’ rock and are wicked nice. This kind gesture did not go unnoticed, by the way. Straight through the Pearly Gates for all the organizers, no ID necessary. Insert great big holiday smiley face.

Postscript 2: “What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” The mold was broken when he was created. Steff Moro unabashedly commanded the stage – from here to there and all points in between. Going out exactly as he wished. On his own terms. Brother Chris as his second mate, a man on a mission to help his brother move on to the next stage, just as he wished. Sainthood awaits you, Chris. Ain’t no secret, Steff was a rambler, a gambler, a dealer and a sidewalk spieler; a busker, husker and dawn to dusker; a saint, a sinner, a boozer and a winner. Everyone you have ever met and all the rest in between. He was Steve Moro, and you will never meet another like him. Your boyos will miss you, big guy. Malden, I ask that you please remember Steve and his family as you gather with friends and family this holiday season. Didn’t know Steff Moro? Too bad, he really, really was a hot (expletive deleted).

—Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate and he can be reached at PeteL39@aol.com for comments, compliments or criticisms.