~ Malden Musings ~

Remembering Rocky Brooks

By Peter Levine

“Hello Peter, Chris Moro here; ‘Keeper of the Flame – Linden USA.’ I hope all is well! I want to thank you for allowing me to have my eulogy of sorts in print – ‘Brothers on the Branch.’ Thank you for that gift. Your heartfelt words were greatly appreciated by the Moro Tribe. My dad, Leo (‘The Head Chief’) lovingly called his boys his ‘Wild Indians’ – LOL. My dad, the rock in our lives.” [My note: Leo Moro was the longtime uber successful manager of the Malden Babe Ruth League team the Chiefs.]

“With that said Peter I’d like to remember ‘my friend in my eyes’ – Rocky Brooks – who passed away on Saint Patrick’s Day 2024. This Saint Pat’s Day brought back much sadness to his family and large circle of friends. We all coped with the loss and absence of the Rock as best we could. In Rock’s memory, I/we didn’t allow that day to be a sad one. I will always remember my friend, and thoughts of Rocky on any given day bring a smile to my eyes. For I know how lucky I was to have had the Rock in my life. See you further up the road my friend Rocky Brooks.”

It is said in “Malden Musings”…

• One more time, with feeling…. The Malden State of the City Address at Anthony’s on Canal Street was a stone-cold blast! Mayor Gary Christenson (who just ran a campaign kickoff reelection fundraiser at All Season’s Table that brought the house down!) killed it as usual with a little help from his dear friends Ron Hogan, Elaina Savino, Maria Luise and Kathleen Manning Hall.
• Oh yeah, I almost forgot Mary Ann Seager, who once again did a fine job with her five minutes of fame. Thank you, Mary Ann, for all you do.
• Speaking of “Jeopardy!” …An early March episode featured this clue with a Malden connection: “Meaning utmost or ultimate but not starting with “u”. It’s also the name of a band that provided “More Than Words.” You KNOW you’ve made it bigly when your hit song is featured on “Jeopardy!” Way to go, Extreme and lead singer (Highland Ave.’s very own) Gary Cherone.
• Coincidence? I think not. The same round that night on “Jeopardy!” had a category about malls in movies with the clue “historical figures were running wild in a mall in this movie.” Extreme sorta name-checked in the very same “Jeopardy!” episode with a reference to their contribution to the soundtrack for “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”; the playful ode to childhood with a sly innuendo thrown in here and there to boot – “Play with Me” – from their first slab of vinyl, Extreme.
• I was reminded shortly after the “1987 MHS GOAT Football Team” appeared that I neglected to mention Ernie LeBlanc on that list of GOATs. My bad on that one. Ernie was a natural at everything – a wicked good guy – and I miss seeing him and Donny Boyce in the DD lot on Salem Street!
• GOATS, we’ve had a few in my short time in Maldonia… Dave Caiazzo, Ernie, Paul Murphy, Matty Marden, Carmine Cappuccio, Johnny Salmon, Shawn Brickman, Buddy Arthur, Michael Langston, Dick Rodenhiser, Donny Roach… so many GOATS, so little time (and column space). Look for an in-depth analysis of Malden’s best and most talented in a future article. As Master Po would whisper, “patience grasshopper.”
• On a somewhat related note… in 1970, channeling his inner George “Boomer” Scott, Davey Cai hit a tater off me at Linden Park in the BRL that is said to still be travelling to this very day. I’m 13 and it is my third start of the season for the Stars. Bob Rosano has confidence in me to get the ball over the plate now that my mother secured my first pair of prescription eyeglasses. I’ve developed a sweeping curve since my days playing in the National League with the Twins (Billy “Smegs” Smeglin showed me how to grip the ball, btw), and I’m having a little success with it in the bigs. So, here I am at the big show facing the legend himself, Davey Caiazzo. Paul “Snuffy” Smith is my dependable backstop, giving me a huge target to hit every time, and he opts for the bender instead of my 45 mph “fastball.” Good golly, Miss Molly! I sneak the first one by him! In my head, it’s the Fourth of July and “I’m on top of the world, Ma!” Snuffy flashes the deuce again; brimming with overconfidence I go into my Jim Lonborg–style windup and let it fly. It has been reported that the windscreen of a 1967 Chevy Impala traveling on Salem Street was damaged beyond repair from said traveling round ball. Cai doesn’t remember the at bat. I do. LOL.
• Just for the record, I got my one and only at bat against Dave in that game, and after the at bat remember saying to myself, maybe I should start focusing on another sport.
• Gob smacked was I to discover – thanks to Malden Parking Control Officer and the man who seems to know just about everyone in Malden (and might be related to everybody also), Steve Kelleher – that the late, great and much-beloved Malden hash slinger, Richie Cremone, was born on none other than Saint Patrick’s Day.
• Richie was the original woober goober (but without the green teeth)! A force of nature, a presence you could feel in any room he entered. No doubt his legacy will long outlive the sound of his laughter and the taste of his unforgettable dishes. He meant the world to so many, and though people often say time softens the ache of loss, we miss him more than words can say – yes, even more than his legendary chicken soup. Not that I wouldn’t give just about anything for a gallon of that magic elixir right now, but what I wouldn’t give even more for is one more night at the IACC, sitting across from him while he held court in that way only he could, bustin’ beans with that great big smile of his! Happy birthday, Richie. Love and miss you always.

Howdy! I’m The Old Ranger, Peter Levine, and Maldonia is my old stampin’ ground. Many’s the tale of adventure I’m going to tell you about these here five square miles – true stories, mind you. I can vouch for that! Boy’s Life, yet another look… Ah, the cruel fate of rock ‘n’ roll. Some bands ride the tidal wave of fame, while others, like Malden’s Boy’s Life, sink into the depths of obscurity, only to be resurrected decades later by crate-diggers and vinyl junkies in places like the Record Exchange in Salem.

Their 1981 7″ vinyl single “Two Doors Down” wasn’t just a song – it was a sonic postcard from Presley Street, a love letter to the ghosts of childhood and a testament to the raw, unvarnished magic of garage rock. The fact that it was inspired by a real-life neighbor (Billy Murphy) adds an almost cinematic quality, like a lost scene from a coming-of-age film scored by ringing guitars and teenage longing.

It’s a sad truth that some bands, despite pouring their souls into every note/performance, never get the recognition they deserve. Meanwhile, soulless radio rock clogs the airwaves. But here’s the beauty of music – it never truly dies. Some kid from the burbs flipping through dusty LPs will stumble upon Boy’s Life, drop the needle and feel the same rush of discovery that I did, and that fuels the eternal cycle of rock ‘n’ roll resurrection.

Speaking of Boy’s Life… I ran into BL drummer Robert Weiner last week, and just for the record, he looks marvelous! I have seen many drummers come and go in the Boston music scene of yesteryear, none better than Robert behind the kit. None.

I realize nobody asked but here I offer my Top 10 drummers anyway, from that golden age of punk and garage rock in Beantown (late 1970s–early 1990s) – in no particular order: Robert (Boy’s Life), Mike Mangini (Extreme/Rick Berlin), Malden’s very own Dennis McCarthy (Prime Movers), Paul Geary (Dream/Extreme), Malcolm Travis (Human Sexual Response/Zulus), Mike Quaglia (The Neighborhoods), Walter Gustafson (Outlets/Gang Green), Paul Caruso (Atlantics), Joe “Pet” Petruzzelli (ITMB/Joe Perry Project), Mark Cuccinello (Stompers) and David “Doc” Vincent (Everybody on the North Shore).

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – on the 113th anniversary (April 15, 1912) of the Titanic disaster this piece was so good the first five times I printed it, I figured, why not again?! One more time with feeling… Hard to believe Jerry Lee Lewis’s right-hand man, Gary Skala, has been gone 13 years now. Gary was a Long Island guy via Chicago and Florida who, along with the legendary Kay Martin, helped organize the original Jerry Lee Lewis Fan Club back in the late 1950s. Gary worked his way up the Jerry Lee Lewis food chain and eventually became his personal assistant/bodyguard/babysitter. Whenever our paths crossed, he would regale us with stories of life on the road with one of the pioneers of rock n roll, The Killer – JLL.

But the most interesting story he ever told was perhaps a personal one. The story goes that in 1912 his grandfather was to be working his way across the Atlantic as a servant on the ill-fated luxury liner, the Titanic. Family lore has it that he spent the evening before the famous maiden voyage at a pub in Southampton “drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes, and playing cards.” He never made it home that night. Instead, he passed out in the alley behind the pub and missed the launch. He ended up volunteering on ships destined to pick up survivors shortly after the disaster. Gary’s “Papa” emigrated to the States shortly after. Gary has a tall glass of whiskey every year on the anniversary for his grandpappy and for the “souls who lost their lives that night.”

Gary Skala passed away on November 6 of 2012 at age 66 after living a life full of adventure and la dolce vita. Rest easy, old friend.

Postscript: It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of (Special Assistant to the Mayor) Maria Luise’s beloved father, Gerardo Luise, on March 24 at the age of 91. A devoted family man, Gerardo was the heart of his family – a source of unwavering love, wisdom and warmth. From what I’ve heard he lived a life rich with cherished memories, embracing his Italian heritage and traditions with joy and generosity. His kindness, strength and gentle spirit touched the lives of all who knew him. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy of love and devotion will forever live on in the hearts of his family and friends. Maria, my sincerest condolences.

For Maria… “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”—Laurence Binyon

—Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate. He can be reached at Pe*****@*ol.com for comments, compliments or criticisms.