Purpose of This Web Site

The purpose and spirit of this web site is purely to bring fellow Irvingtonians together again. It is to get them to start talking to each other like we did in the old days. It is to create new, lasting friendships. And along the way, we will tell the story of Irvington and describe what it was like to grow up there. And we will do it in a fun and highly personal way.

This is not going to be a bland history lesson about Irvington. There will be history involved. But that will not be the focus. It is also not going to be a high school web site. I imagine that the high school portion will probably end up being the biggest slice. But this is a “Town of Irvington” web site and it will be replete with non-high school content.

Lets make the choice to feel good about our past.  Lets make the choice to feel good about reconnecting. Lets make the choice to  feel good about making new friends. Lets make the choice to feel good about telling our stories. And lets make the choice to have a great time doing it. Don’t let your memories just sit in a damn, dusty old shoe box. And don’t suppress them forever in your mind. Be proud of your history. Dare to tell your stories. Dare to share your pictures. There are a lot of good times and laughter that we can share with each other before we each take our final dirt nap.

We all grew up together. We went to the same schools. We frequented the same places around town. We played together. We have history together. And that is very powerful common ground that is worth revisiting. Reunions are great, but we certainly don’t have to wait every 5 years to start getting together or to talk on the phone or to email each other. Lets do some of that now ! Hell, lets do a lot of it.

A few months ago many of us were not even talking to each other. And now through the power of honest and open communication, a lot of us are already developing new relationships and rebuilding old ones. From my own personal standpoint, I can’t tell you how happy I am to now be in touch with my earliest grammar school friend, Steve Bubniak, and also Speedy Hozonitz and his wife Francis Zangari Hozonitz, Ricky Riccardi, Bob LaRusso, Ray Boyer, Nick Stanzione, Joe Hrasna, Charlie Lombard, Eddie Kirchgessner, Mark Russomanno, Tony Liaci, Cathy Mennitt, Jackie Mennitt, Denise Marcell, Mitch Axelrod, Mike Hammer, Steve Ball, Jose Lorenzo and his beautiful daughter Michelle, Murphy Druker, Gary Celeste, Patti Patriarca Coull, Donna Walsh Costello, Joanna Junger Ciccone, Kathy Minelli, John Messina, Kathleen McMinn, John Rich, Jimmy Opdyke, Joe Pendle and his wife, Nancy Walker Pendle, Ernesto Reina, Dean Uhlik, Patti Thompson, Philly Sgroi, Barry Sussman, Wisk Whistler, David Weinstein, Tommy Yanchek, Ray Giampino, Ira Eisenberg, Billy Prisco, John Sanford, Craig Philhower, Tony Costello, Tommy Ski, Eleanor Geller, April Stefel, Terry Giampino, Joanne Corello, Jan Jansen, Karen Kozlowsky, Mark Luftig, Illene Orlowsky, Teri Schafer, Peggy and Alice Podolak, Rob Boyer, Daniel Wolf, Ellen Armm, Cathy Cardinale, Gail DeContanzo-O’Connor, Phyllis Dlugolencki, Al Foti, the family of the late Vito Miele and one of my favorite reconnections, Karl Fenchel. Not to mention all the wonderful townspeople to whom I dedicated the web site. All are back in my life again, either living or posthumously.

I’m naming names here just to make a point. Many of these are people that I haven’t communicated with in many, many years and some never on a close personal level. But that has changed in a short period of time and I’m very glad it has.

I’m going to develop this web site with the very best of intentions. And I truly hope that we can take the time to look at our fellow Irvingtonians and actually “see” each other, accept each other, embrace each other, and nurture each other through real friendship.

Just a few weeks ago it was so special for me to see lifelong friends Barry Pasko, my brother Gene Vargas and Nick Stanzione in the same room again at the party we had at the Big E’s house in Union. There’s a lot of love between them and it showed. And if it hadn’t been for the snow & a few last minute issues, we would have also seen Mike Malgeri, Paul Allegro, John Sanford, Steve Ball, Ricky Riccardi, Jimmy Opdyke and many others. The picture below shows most of those who did attend. And you know what? ...... it was so cool to see everybody together. All it took was a little communication.

Please continue to help me build this site with your own personal stories and remembrances and your pictures and your articles and your artifacts. Lets get to know each other a little better. Lets reinvent our friendships in the most positive ways !!! We already care for each other whether we want to admit it or not. Lets break down all those silly high school classifications and just spend some time anew as adults. Cathy Lopizzo, Warren Gross, Billy Testa and so many others did not have the chance to live a full life. We don’t know how much time we have left on God’s good earth. Let’s make the most of  it. This web site is for EVERYBODY. We all have a story that can be told and deserves to be told. I truly hope that this web site contributes to bringing people together. Nothing would make me more happy !!!

Left to right, back row:
Barry Pasko (Irvington’s all-time basketball star), Gene Vargas (my beloved brother, aka “Goose”, aka Gene Stanzione), Charlie Lombard (my greatest friend in life), Mark Russomanno (aka Frank Sinatra), Ray Boyer (was a step away from major league stardom), Al Shave (ejected by the Big E and by many others throughout the years), Luke Hozonitz (aka Speedy), Joey Vargas (single & available ...lol), Craig Philhower (former Riddler’s guitarist, former IHS yearbook photographer and current close personal friend of the great Jimmy Opdyke)

Left to right, front row:
Nick Stanzione (Irvington’s all-time great pitcher), Eddie Kirchgessner (The Big E, one of Cohen’s Kids), Barry Sussman (Albert Einstein look-a-like and one sharp-witted character), Tony Costello (the legendary “COS”, still has that orange Corvette...lol), and the very religious Tony “Pochy”  Liaci (whose religion is: “you don’t mess with me and I won’t mess with you”)