The Regular Fellas, photographed in 1958 or ’59, at the Deborah Boys Club, 3401 W. Ainslie in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood.
“My club, the ‘Regular Fellas,’ which spanned three schools (Von, Roosevelt & Amundsen), had a reputation, to be kind, of being a little ‘rough around the edges.’ While we were about 90% Jewish, we had several non-Jews in the club…but, to be honest, I don’t think anyone even realized it, and, certainly, nobody cared.
We were just good friends, meeting each week at Deborah Boys Club, played a lot of basketball, played 16″ softball at Hollywood Park and River Park, and, we attended “mixers” which, for those of you who don’t remember the term, were parties that a girl’s club held at one of their homes, and invited a boy’s club to “mix” with them.
The Regular Fellas jackets were gold and royal blue, and, were reversible. A “RF” logo was on the front left side, and the reverse side had the club’s name spelled out in Old English lettering.” — Howard Sims
I’ve already written about girls’ clubs, now it’s the boys’ turn. Social athletic clubs like the Regular Fellas had all but disappeared by the time I started my freshman year at Von Steuben High School in the fall of 1970. Many of us, especially if you were the oldest child in the family like I was, had no idea these clubs had once made up a vast and vibrant social network.
Who’s who in the Regular Fellas
Top row, left to right:
1). “counselor?” name unknown
2). Sam Harlib (Amundsen)
3). Mike Burack (Amundsen)
4). Neil Leavitt (Amundsen)
5). Johnny Condos (Amundsen)
6). Norm Morse (Roosevelt)
7). Rich Akers (Amundsen)
2nd to top row, left to right:
Paul Freedenberg (Roosevelt)
Wayne Lowy (Amundsen)
Larry Jacobs (Roosevelt)
Marv Shear (Von Steuben)
Lyle Cook (Lane Tech)
Ron Schlossberg (Roosevelt)
Third row from the top, left to right:
Denny Wortman (Von Steuben)
Elliot Newman (Amundsen)
Bob (Buzzy) Buslik (Amundsen)
Bob Sorkin (Amundsen)
Norm Ripes (Roosevelt)
Gil Korito (Amundsen)
Bottom row, left to right:
Howie Sims (Von Steuben)
Denny Tilden (Roosevelt)
Dickie Romer (Von Steuben)
Jerry Glassman (Roosevelt)
Mike Miller (nor sure of school)
Mike Victor (Von Steuben)
Sitting on floor:
Dave Garlovsky (Roosevelt)
Next post I’m going to look a little deeper into the history of the Deborah Boys Club. Like so many of the institutions in the combined Albany Park, North Park and Hollywood Park areas, the club moved from the West Side to the North Side in the wake of Jewish migration. And I’ll be staying in Albany Park the following week as well, when I share some fabulous old photographs taken by a Von alum. Become a subscriber so you don’t miss a post and feel free to send in your memories.
Photo credit: Thanks to Howard Sims for use of his photograph.
Related posts: They wore jackets
My brother was in the Regular Fellas in the early 50′s. I remember The Epsilons, The Little Gents… and the Opening of Deborah Boys Club. Like the songs say’s… “Those were the days I thought would never end!” They played their softball games on the Hibbard Campus, and every so often a fight would break out.
Jerry, I thought I remembered you said your brother was in the Regular Fellas. The Epsilons was, I think, the last boys club around in 1970, and it made it 1971. There were junior Epsilons at Peterson when I was in seventh grade. I’ll have to ask you about the opening of Deborah. Thanks for stopping by.
As usual love love love reading your blog, even though it was a little before my time;l keep it coming
At Peterson School in ’40 the “Lucky Sixes” had their club sweaters they wore proudly. Tom Somlo, Joe Weiner, Don Elesh, Art Rogoff, Marshal Orloff, Leigh Rosenbloom, and Ron Gilford were, I believe, members. Are any still around?
Thanks for visiting. Did the Lucky Sixes have regular meetings? Where did they meet? What other clubs were around at the time?
Ferne, nice to hear from you as always. Thanks.
You’d have to ask one of them, Frances
I always love reading your blogs Frances, even though I did not know of the Deborah’ Boys Club, I still feel taken back in time.
Thanks Chris. Today the Deborah Boys Club building is home to Albany Park Community Center, so the building continues to serve young people and families.
I believe that during the 60s Von had a club with a large membership called The Top Hats. They were often found at Hollywood Pk during summer evenings.
Yes, I’ve definitely heard of the Top Hats before. It’s funny because until recently I never realized that Hollywood Park had a longish history as a teen hangout. I suppose I thought we were the first, but as it turned out, we were the last generation.
I was in the Anacondas and began spending every summer day at Hollywood Park from 1962 until 1969. Before I could drive I would hitch hike from the corner of Kedzie and Argyle to the park. As Jerry said those were the days. Hanging at the park playing line ball, soft ball, and basketball, then lunch at McDonalds.
Morrie, we overlapped at the park by a couple years. Lots of kids back then, huh?
Actually the Regular Fellas started sometime shortly after WW2…Deborah Boys Club came North from Division St apprx spring 1950…..THe Regular Fellas were an outstanding athletic club in the 1950-53 period.. The 50-51 group won the city 16″ softball championship
led by guys with the last names of Lovi, Faso, Goldberg,Simon …..three guys from Roosevelt the rest from Von Steuben out of a membership of 25 that was the makeup of the group.Totaly socially inept only five guys could dance.Eleven of us still get together for a monthly card game….Our corner was Argyle and Kedzie in front of Docs Drug Store.
Thanks for stopping by and adding to the record. Interesting that the club kept going through the relocation of Deborah from Division to Kimball. And a city title! very cool.
So where is my commentary——8/16 0r 8/17——-thanks, charlene gelber’s brother
It’s on the page called Nighthawks in Old Albany Park. The comment appears on the page you were looking at when you click on add comment. On that page, the comments are listed by date, so you are the next to the last one, and my reply is last. Thanks.
Graduated Von in June 1951. senior basketball team finished 2nd in city.
Sovereigns were a boys club from Peterson. one of the girls clubs was the EMS; worn across their chest. i laughed because those are my initials.
I belonged to the Anacondas. Kalmin, Block, Pinkus, Goldstein, Bloom, Lippa, Garland, Weiss, to name a few. Once a month we get together for dinner. Last month we met at Marie’s Pizza on Lawrence Ave. Still great pizza. This month at Tongs corner of Sanders and Dundee at 6. Join us if you wish and we’ll bring you up to date on how Von was in it’s haydays. 3rd Wednesday.
Rudd, Hewitt, Russel, Goldstein, Smith, Mageda, Radlove, etc. Attended the dedication of the Auditorium. 1st time I rode the elevator. whistled in the lunchroom at the 75th birthday. Nothing happened. Did it once before……….1949 or 50. Rudd kicked me out of the lunchroom for a week. ate at Cooper and Coopers. good hamburgers.
Thanks for writing, Ed. Would love to join you guys. I’ll send an email to you, so you can send me the details for next month. So, were you in the same class as Marty Marcus, and his friends from Peterson who I wrote
about earlier? And I’m guessing Howie Rosenblum was playing for Von at that time, right? http://francesarcher.com/2011/03/they-went-to-peterson/
Ed, send me an email using the contact form on the blog. I tried to respond to you via email, but it wouldn’t go through to the address you used to leave a comment
Thanks.
My Dad was in the Regular Fellas, he is actually in that picture. Bob Sorkin. Very cool blog. Heard many stories about most of those guys from my dad. Glad you posted this!
Very cool. Thanks for stopping by.
I attended Von from 1957 to 1961, my friends and I went to the Deborah Boys Club all the time, I met many of my club sisters from Amundsen there, we were the SIG’S. It’s great seeing picture’s of Howie Sims, Mike Victor Marv Shear still very good friends of mine. Love hearing about all the wonderful memories, we were so lucky to have had so much fun and to have met so many great kids.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories. I am still surprised to hear that kids from Amundsen and Von hung out together. That connection was gone by 1970. Any SIGS photos to share …
My nephew Danny sent me your blog, it’s most interesting. I was and still am in the Lil Gents. We were the second of two groups and started in 1949, had our meetings at Eugene Field Park and Debora Doys Club until 1955. Most went to Von but two from Amundson and two from Roosevelt. The older group was from three to nine years older and, as most of us, were weightlifters that worked out at Eugene Field Park. At 1955 there were thirty two of us, six have past but most of those still around get together for one weekend each year when we have two dinners, one breakfast and an all day picnic with children and grandchildren. In 1954 we tried to pass our name to a junior club but the Police, and principals from Von, Rooseveld, Hibbard, Peterson and others met with the parents of the proposed Juniors and decided the name should end with us. They were afraid the kids would try to live up to our reputation. They were wrong, most of us graduated collage , we had one doctor, many Lawyers, Cpa’s,Educators Law Enforcement officers at the highest levels and businessmen. We were tough but not bullies. We just never backed off when someone else brought trouble. We were involved mostly in sports with many on high school basketball, soccor and tack teams. We all enjoyed soft ball and sand lot games of football. Von had no football team but we did and had some very large men. Those were good times and we can look back with great memories.
Howard, thanks for writing. You’ve filled in a lot of the blanks for me.Very interesting how involved the community was in terms of regulating the clubs; I think the parental involvement was somewhat diminished by the late 60s and 70s, as the neighborhood started to chnge. I would love to interview you sometime. I’ll send an email to see if you’re interested. I think I am going to add a post to the blog with a list of all the clubs. Thanks again.
There’s a multitude of stories from that era, which goes back to early 1940′s thru 1960′s when only a few of our group still lived in Albany Park. I’m open for an interview at any time. In 1950 my family moved to Bryn Mawr and Francisco and I know ythings about that area as well. A friend of mine has written two books of fiction that includes names and places in Albany Park.
I would also like to reply to Jared Sorkin. I knew your Dad from Von and from the 324th. ASA. We served together in 1961-2 when President Kennedy recalled our Army unit after the Russians built the wall in Berlin. Your Mom & Dad and my wife and I traveled together in Canada and Cape Cod. Your Dad was one of the best men I’ve ever known.
Last week we had a 50th reunion of that unit being recalled 28 men showed up.
wow great memories i too lived on whipple street in albany park,i lived at 4913 whipple until i got married, in fact i worked at several stores on lawrence ave in the 50′s our club,the li’l gentlemen were 1 of the first clubs meeting at deborah boys club when they 1st opened in our back lot,as we lived by the river we planted victory gardens during and after the 2nd world war oh it was also a great line ball softball field hmm i got so many stories about the old neighborhood,but your stories combined with other comments bring back greatmemories dr l kaplan
Thanks for visiting and sharing your memories. I’ve heard from several people about the victory garden on whipple by the river. I haven’t had a chance to create a list of all the neighborhood ones, but I’m working on it. Also one on Deborah coming up soon.
I was one of those uppergrade kids at Von.
My tour started in 1960 and ended in 1966.
I was also an Esplison, the best club at Von
and the boys club. I was injured at the boys,
Hit in my left eye with a snow ball thrown by
Max Castle. I later a recieved a college scholarship as
a result of that injury. Also, I got my first accounting
job by afirm that had something to do with our old boys club.
Many of my good memories and events in life all seem to
Be related to my roots in Albany Park, Von, and Deborah’s Boys club
We had the best club in the day. Not bad for an Italian out of water
In the old days. They all were nice, pizza pusher and all
Hi, Nick. Thanks for stopping by. Great story about how Deborah impacted your life. Funny comment about being an Italian out of water in Albany Park.