Retro Hobokenpix: Mob Rubout?
03
December
12/3/2008:
Continuing the “old school” Hoboken pictures of the day…
Retro Hobokenpix 12/3/2008:
Life Magazine said: “Body of slain waterfront hiring boss Francis “Red” Kelly being lifted into a hearse on way to church service.” This photo was snapped in 1953.
Anyone know what street this was on?
1. Tama Murden | December 3rd, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Wow! What a fabulous photograph on its own. And then captures another time in Hoboken. Kind of conjures a cleaned-up outtake from “On the Waterfront.”
Might this be the east side of Willow, looking south? Failla (sp.?) Funeral Home, which I imagine was extant, ca. 1953, would be north of the hearse, all on the east side, 6th to 5th Sts. Failla: an enduring venue for Goodfellas’ wakes.
I could be wrong, but part of my suggested-locale is based on the low-rise building, further south on the block. Looks like what Mayflower Hardware’s roof-line kind of looked like, before the smart owners cashed out (& was it then razed?).
2. escaped68 | December 3rd, 2008 at 7:25 pm
It looks like bosworth’s funeral palor across the street from st scary’s current main entrance. A rule of thumb is the irish get waked at bosworths and the italians get waked at faillas, the rest go to lawtons.
3. kal-el | December 4th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I would say BOSWORTHS the house on the corner looks the same and even the houses on the west side look the same. 411 how bout a modern day pick from the same spot ?
4. Foster | December 4th, 2008 at 10:00 am
funny. i’m not seeing willow. maybe adams or jefferson. very curious.
5. kal-el | December 4th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I just showed the pic to an oldtimer , he is 76 years old , he said he thinks this pic is from 8th or 9th and Bloomfeild, he said there was an irish funeral home over there and he thinks thats where the pic is from.
6. 9 | December 4th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Can’t be. Francis “Red” Kelly sounds way too Italian.
7. TheTacoTruck | December 4th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Definitely Bosworth’s…go look at a Google street view at 311 Willow Ave and look south…the two buildings just south of Bosworth’s are the exact same.
8. NickAdams | December 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
It’s definitely Bosworth’s as there is another photo on the Life site that shows the entrance to Bosworth’s with the caption saying that’s where Francis “Red” Kelly was waked.
9. escaped68 | December 4th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
There was no funeral parlor anywhere near 7/8 bloomfield st.
10. Foster | December 4th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
i checked the streetview and didn’t see those arched windows. I also didn’t see the wierd little step up-step down short building in the current st view.
411..where is this!
11. hobojoe | December 4th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
At first I thought it was somewhere further west, but as I look at it (and google street view) I’m going with 3rd & willow looking south as well.
Starting from the nearest building (funeral parlor with arched windows) - the arches are gone, but the relative position of the two entrances is same now.
Next building down - look above the windows and the slightly higher door in the middle, crammed between the two sets of windows - same detail is on the building now.
Next building down - see how there is a little one-story doorway between the two buildings? Still there now. Don’t know why the window detail looks so different between then and now.
Next building - the ’step up-step down’ one I think Foster referred to it. See how it looks to have a garage near side, and 2 entrances after? The building now has a curb cut/garage there, and same 2 entrances. I’m almost thinking it’s even the same building, but with the upper portion added? Look at the odd space between the lower and upper floors in the building there now.
Next is building on near corner, nothing to say.
Finally, look at the cornice detail on the top of the building at the far corner - same then & now, just a different color.
12. Foster | December 4th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Hobojoe, you got me thinking. I’m going to walk past tomorrow. maybe get a somehting at Zafra for dinner so I don’t forget.
13. NickAdams | December 6th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Lest there still be any doubt that is Bosworth’s, here is a link to several photos taken today of Bosworth’s. http://inourtime.smugmug.com/gallery/6754371_tABrd/1/431365678_FCJaH
And as noted above, the Life series of photos, identifies it as Bosworth’s.
14. manolo | December 6th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I don’t remember Bosworths having those windows.
hmm the library has old photos I’ll look it up….
15. escaped68 | December 6th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Using th process of elimination: its not lawton/turso on washington street[sidewalk too narrow],failla’s[its on a corner& he’s irish], bosworth’s is the only viable option. But if you are a real old timer there was a 4th funeral parlor and its hoffmans and was located on 1st and jackson but it had white bricks. what more proof do you need?