~ Malden Musings ~ Amerige Park’s Cliff Cioffi

By Peter Levine

It is said in “Malden Musings”…

Amerige Park’s Cliff Cioffi – can we talk about his impact on a generation of Maldonians? Without him even knowing it no less!? First off, I kid (yes, kid) about his proclivity for letting the ball fly whenever he got his hands on it (well, almost every time), but let me learn ya, Choff knew better than most how to play the game of hoop. No doubt he took his fair share but most of the time, he was the best player on the court, and you wanted the ball in his hands taking those big shots. He worked hard on and off the court, with his confidence making him a natural born leader. Humble by nature and a charismatic mover and shaker, his impact on our lives – for those lucky enough to know him – has been epic, realized from Devir to Amerige Park for the past five decades, at least. Mentor, argumentative, trendsetter, opinionated, spiritual leader, mishigas and much more, the likes of Choff most likely not to be seen in Malden ever again, whether he realizes it or not. Must be true, you are now reading it in the paper. Did I mention he likes a good argument? Apropos of Cliff, paraphrasing Henry David Thoreau, the way Mr. Big Stuff strutted like a peacock through the first 70+ years: “Life isn’t about finding yourself; it’s about creating yourself. So live the life you imagined.”

• My “1985” piece left Denise Russo Wilson with pleasant memories: “Loved reading this. I grew up in Malden and lived on Rockwell Terrace from about 1968 to about 1978. Then moved to Church Street (right by my Parish, St. Joseph’s) then graduated MHS in 1984. I have fond memories of Nelson’s Bakery and I remember my 5-year-old self being AWED by the automatic door at the bottom of the ramp as you left. I remember Candyland, the place I got my cheese filled with peanut butter crackers for snack time in kindergarten at the Maplewood School which became Dragon Island for a good while. I STILL get my hair cut by Claudia Cresco who ran the Intersalon with her sister, where Maplewood Drug once was, now her shop is on Eastern Ave. I can’t remember the name of the place that I believe was next to Nelson’s, that was a sub shop, and had a slush machine – all the kids stopped for slush after school. I remember the Five & Dime? Eventually got turned into storage for Sunnyhurst Farms. How about Ferro’s Supermarket? Which I believe was A&P before that. Remember the Maplewood Branch of the Malden Public Library? I LOVED the librarian, Mrs. Schwartz! I think they eventually turned it into a satellite classroom for the Maplewood School. Great memories, thank you so much!”
• A very small Malden “slice of life” brought to you by one of Malden’s best friends, Dana Brown. The passing of his beloved dad (Francis) was felt throughout Malden in each and every Ward. Here is but a snippet from his remembrance: “Dad was a schoolteacher in the Malden Public Schools, spending the majority of his career at the C.W. Holmes School where he worked together with my mother for over 25 years. Their commute from Pratt Street to the Holmes School cemented their marriage it seems. In their younger years Dad and Mom operated a summer camp for Malden youth, Camp Pinecrest. Some legendary Maldonians attended or worked at the camp. As co-director dad would drive the bus, make lunches, and serve as a lifeguard. The charge was $5 per week per youngster. Not a single kid was ever denied enrollment based on the money. Not sure if dad ever made money.”

“Malden Musings” Musical Pick of the Week: Lazy mid-May Saturday night on the recliner nursing a cold Schweppes Ginger Ale watching the late ’50s TV show “State Trooper” on YouTube TV. ST was an American crime drama set in the American West of the 1950s. It starred Rod Cameron as Lt. Rod Blake, an officer and chief investigator of the Nevada Department of Public Safety. The series aired 104 episodes and was in syndication from 1956 to 1959. If you dig these 1950s crime shows (lots of scenes shot in Vegas and Reno), you will dig this one for sure.

Awesome special guests popped up from time to time during the series run, including Malden’s very own Jack Albertson, Amanda (Kitty from “Gunsmoke”) Blake, Frank De Vol, (a very young) Angie Dickinson as well as Michael Landon, Vito Scotti and (of course) Burt Mustin.

Anyway, it’s the December 1957 episode “The Dancing Dowager” and the action takes place in Vegas. The plot goes like this… Sheriff Elder spots a beautiful blonde matching the description of a notorious con artist who preys on businessmen throughout the country. Blake goes undercover to gather evidence against the grifter, but his plans hit a snag when one of the woman’s former marks shows up in Las Vegas with plans of renewing their acquaintance.

But I digress… much to my delight Malden’s very own Ames Brothers appear midway through the episode. Rod Cameron’s character Lt. Blake walks through the Theatre Restaurant in the Tropicana Lounge and bafangool, Suffolk Square represented! There starts one minute 58 seconds of pure bliss as the black tuxedo clad Joe, Ed, Vic and Gene Ames bust out into the old African American Spiritual “Who Built the Ark?” A little cultural appropriation entails but, what the heck, it was the ’50s (insert smiley face but – disclaimer – smiley face not meant to condone cultural appropriation). The boys are as smooth as silk, cool as cucumbers, just killing this number with some of the sweetest four-part vocal harmonies you will ever hear. Second-best Ed Ames TV appearance right behind the 1965 Johnny Carson spot where, teaching Carson how to throw a tomahawk, Ed makes like a mohel for one of the longest laughs from a studio audience ever recorded on television. Must watch TV.

Speaking of the Ames Brothers… little known fact dept.: former State Rep., Mayor of Malden, City Councillor, insurance mogul and rotating host of MATV’s “02148” Ed Lucey once lived at 13 Trayes Ave. after the Ames family moved out in (I believe) 1929. Holy Cow! So much greatness on little ole Trayes Ave.!

Kudos to Inna Babitskaya for the really nice job she is doing on these pages chronicling the Ames Brothers’ greatness and their Malden connection.

The year 1975 was also a very good year… as reported by the Malden Evening News on January 6:

• Senator Edward M. Kennedy received a warm welcome at the Irish American Club on West St. as he spoke to the Chamber of Commerce about the economy, price stability, unemployment and his opposition to covert U.S. activity in Angola.
• New Mayor Pledges “Open Door Policy” – James J Conway (67 Gilbert St.) took the oath of office as mayor of the City of Malden with the Honorable Louis H Glaser presiding.
• The Medford Public Library’s Frank Lavine (my uncle and one of the founders of the State of Israel as a sailor on the ship Exodus) and Robert Cipriani were elected to serve on the Civic Advisory Board at the New England Memorial Hospital by C.A.B. and the board of trustees.
• Jon Crannell (son of Mr. and Mrs. John Crannell of 378 Lebanon St.) recently earned his football “numerals” at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. Jon is now retired from the Malden Police Department, is a really good guy, and gave up his football “numerals” many years ago.
• Malden High School Alumni Hall of Famer (inducted in 2015) Stanton Sherman helped MHS defeat Medford HS in track, 61-25, by beating Medford’s Mike Linnane in a “spectacular” race in the 1000, with a time of 2:29. Malden upped their record to 3-0.
• Ruderman’s Furniture at 42 Ferry St. is looking for a Customer Service/Office Clerk. It’s a part-time position and the perfect candidate “must be mature.”

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – who says Maldonians don’t have a sense of humor?! Our nickname “The City That Fun Forgot?” is ill-advised to say the least; not a kernel of truth to it, I say! With that said I bring to you this week’s edition of “See Click Fix Can Be Fun to Read.” In the spirit of full disclosure, the protagonist in this little yarn is a friend of mine who I simply adore. Kevin Alkins is the original woofa goofa mamma toofa & one great googly moogly who takes his job as City of Malden Animal Control Officer so seriously that he brings it home each night to bed with him. Serious! I find him to be an honorable, hardworking and outstanding Maldonian (what a memory on this guy!) who never fails to bring a smile to my face. Some call him the hardest working man in show biz; I simply call him friend. With that said, take it away, No Name Given: “There is a poor deceased kitty in the street against the curb on Wadsworth St. Called hours ago and Kevin Alcon and animal control are nowhere to be found. This poor cat has no dignity in death. Animal control/Kevin Alcon needs to do the job he is paid to do instead of getting his nails done on city time.” Just for the record, as far as the nails getting done on the city’s dime, that accusation has only a casual relationship with established facts. Insert smiley face and fuhgeddaboudit!

Postscript: Malden mourns, from Linden on the Saugus Branch to deep in the heart of Edgeworth… Bill Nelson, Jean (Tomasello) Condon, Margaret Hammersley, Francis Brown, Ciriaco Dello “Italian Gerry” Iacono, Rocky Brooks and Kevin McKenna. Only time moves on to the next scene, memories remain in the heart forever.

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