Members of the 1966 National Champion PAL Colts in the parking lot of the PAL building getting ready to leave for a football tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Left to right: Charlie Beach, Karl Fenchel, ?, ?, Joey Vargas, Paul Stahl, Johnny Stecher, and Steve Charney. The blue bags you see are football equipment bags.

The great Milton Weiner in 1969. His next birthday in 2009 will be his 100th !!!










The Establishment. A headshop in Irvington on Elmwood Ave. by Jimmy Buffs circa 1970.


Drivers Ed - Tony Lardieri




Joey Vargas warming up on deck.


















Vicki Pezza, Class of 72 and brother Tony Pezza, Class of 76


Barbara Ballow and Vicki Pezza, both Class of 72.






1969 Irvington PAL Colts National Championship Certificate, Louie Petrone


Awarded Varsity Football Letter as a Freshman in 1969









1969 IHS Senior Play Cast Members
“You Can’t Take It With You”






Outstanding modified/fast pitch softball team featuring many Irvingtonians including Randy Hall at 2nd base, Wayne Smalley at 3rd base, Joey Vargas at shortstop, Phil Manno in right, Bernie Alfonso at catcher, and Kevin McManus in leftfield. Since we were the only team in the league with caucasian players, we were very affectionately known as Salt and Pepper. This was a fun and stunningly competitive league. The team pictured above were league champions. The guy in the front row, on the far right had 9.3 speed. We called him Slew after Seattle Slew. He was a phenomenal, athletic centerfielder with a great glove. His speed and talent allowed us to be the only team in the league that dared to play three deep outfielders instead of four. The significance of this is that our fourth outfielder was able to play short centerfield and consistently rob teams of sure base hits. And when powerful, long-ball hitters came to the plate, he would play deep. It was a perfect defensive scheme. Of special note was the play of our own Wayne Smalley. He really came into his own as a 3rd baseman in this league. We were all so proud of him. He possesed cat-like hand-eye coordination and had a powerful arm.  Funny side note; we also had Salt and Pepper batboys as you can see in the middle of the first row.







Bob Suter, Class of 69 Union Ave. School promotion certificate in 1965


1965 Union Ave. School graduates










Irvington High Dance Band in 1969







George Bork and Mike Sisbaro on the plane headed to Florida in December, 1967 to defend Gold Coast and National Championship. George was a phenomenal lineman both offensively and defensively. Mike Sisbaro was a starting sure-handed receiver.


Joey Vargas on a farm in Vermont


Maureen Knapp, John Doyle and Karen Triheart.


Left to right: John Doyle 79, Joey Horbelt 77, and Al Park 77. Singing in the first floor Irvington High School bathroom during Guys & Dolls rehearsals. April 1976.




The Vargas Boys: Joey, Mike, Joe Sr., Gene (aka Butch)


Joe Vargas, (father of Gene, Joey and Mike) fooling around wearing Joey's Colt jersey and high school helmet.


Joe Vargas Sr. receives professional award.


Joe Vargas, Sr. with famous family member, Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez at a church in South Orange, NJ. Cardinal Aponte is the only Puerto Rican ever consecrated as a cardinal in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. He was also the Archbishop of San Juan for 34 years. Directly across the street and up a steep hill from the Vargas house in Lajas, Puerto Rico is a wonderful chapel built in Cardinal Aponte’s honor. When the Cardinal would come to New Jersey, he would get together with Joe Sr. and other family members to play dominoes.




Greg Gemgnani in the on-deck circle.


Greg Gemgnani rounding 3rd base.




Joey Vargas, on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, 1990


Joey Vargas, 4th birthday






Senior Prom, Class of 74


Senior Prom, Class of 74


Senior Prom, Class of 74


Senior Prom, Class of 74


Charlie Reitz, Robert Miller, Bernie DeLucia, Danny DeLucia.

1966 Little League Baseball Graduates




1966 Colt Twirlers, Color Guard, Marching Band, Cheerleaders

















Joey Vargas first place ribbon for State Record softball throw of 309 1/2 feet.



















A wonderful, heartfelt note-card mailed to the parents of Joey Vargas by Johanna Stahl after she attended a special Friday night IHS football game at Matthews Field under the lights in 1968. The game was a season-opening victory against West Orange and Joey was a freshman playing varsity just one year after an all-time record setting season with the Colts in which he scored 24 touchdowns and ran for over 3,000 yards in a single season. That game attracted one of the largest crowds ever at Matthews Field. It was the first night game played at the high school field in almost 25 years. The picture below shows a portion of the crowd that night. Spurred by the novelty of the game being played under the lights, it was an electric night (pun-intended) for both the players and the fans. Made a lot of people wonder why there could not be more night games. Not sure what the final attendance wound up being that night, but upwards to 7,000 spectators were anticipated and it was standing room only.



Jerry Russomanno and grandchildren with Bill Clinton






Irvington Firefighters: Don Hampson, Bryon Smith, Bob Roberts and
Charlie Schroeder