Where are they now — the Roosevelt Jovens

Top row left to right: Mike Minsky, Elliot Kalina, Jerry Lazar, Lenny Nachbin, Marty Hordetsky, Kenny Keer, Larry Beck, Al Goodman, Shelly Chaplik.
Middle row: Gary Silverman, Woody Wallace, Al Levy, Richie Feldman, Gary Morgan, Stu Fishman, Paul schrager, Gene Jackson.
Bottom row: Al sperling, Arnie Bernard, Mike Lowy, Jerry Handel, Herb Singer, Albie Wagner and Gary Hoffman.

This photo was taken 1954-55. Earlier this year, Jerry Handel left a comment on this website, and I’m going to quote some of what he wrote about when the Jovens were formed in case you missed it:

“Gary Hoffman, myself, and the Lawndale Sluggers played softball at Jensen Park against the Central Park Flashes almost every day we could and finally merged and became the DeRons and eventually became the Jovens.”

Jerry Handel lived at 4720 N Lawndale. He was Maury’s 3rd employee at the shack behind Stu Fishman and Al Bers. His job every Saturday morning was to peel and cut two 100-pound bags of potatoes. He was paid $3 and got to eat lunch for free whenever he wanted.

According to Jerry, “Maury’s hot dogs were great but his fried salami sandwiches were even better. Many of us Roughriders would meet on Fridays around noon until the day he was forced to closed.”

And here’s a shout-out to a member of Jovens not in this photo–Ron Shapiro, Roosevelt class of 1953. Ron contributed his recollections of the Deborah Boys Club–the one on Division, before the move to Albany Park–to a previous blogpost.

My thanks to Gary Hoffman for sharing the photo.