Stratton Park Message Board

There used to be nickel and dime poker games on the back of the softball field near 102 school in the summer time. One large, rather portly fellow borrowed some change from a short, skinny fellow to cover what he thought was a winning pot. The money was lent with the proviso "I'll loan it to you for the hand but I want it right back afterwards so you better win!" The large fellow lost the pot and said "I ain't got it, tough." The short one walked away momentarily, came back with a softball bat and broke it over the head of the larger fellow. Do you remember who these two characters were?

The hitter was Henry Fernandez & the hittee was " Big Magoo" - John McCarthy. It actually happened up outside of the handball courts in the park. He split his head open like a watermelon.

Don Diehl

Donald Diehl

I am in awe of you. I never thought anyone would get that question. Henry did in fact "crown" Magoo, although I don't think he felt much like a king afterwards. He under-estimated Henry's ferocity, though I don't know why anyone would presume to do that.

Two other bits of trivia. Magoo moved to Thousand Oaks, CA in the late seventies and I lost track of him then, don't know if he's living or dead, strung out or clean.

Believe it or not Henry entered Daytop VIllage in 1979, cleaned up and became a solid citizen. He was my good friend. He was a regional meat manager over four A&Ps, got married and had two kids, and bought a house in upstate New York, drug-free the whole time. Sadly he died of a heart attack about 14 years ago.

When I was a teen ager I worked for one of your relatives during a couple of summers at the Eagle Transformer Company off Weschester Square. Who was that? Murphy Ohrnberger is one of my best friends, isn't he your cousin?

Eddie, good question...I would've gotten that one if Donald didn't beat me to it...

I didn't remember the details as to the card game etc but I witnessed the aftermath of Henry crowning Magoo with the bat...

We were playing softball and heard a big commotion up near the handball courts...Henry was spitting mad after he clocked Magoo...

Magoo wasnot doing much ofanything except bleeding...don't recall what happened after that except that it was just another "normal" day in PS 102 park...

JohnT

Eddie,

I must chime in with John and Donald as someone who remembered the incident. I however; always thought that Henry was upset because he thought Magoo was "light" on the ante and Magoo claimed he had put in his money. Either way you can't make this stuff up.

Jimmy Carolan

Here's a real sad claim to infamy and a real testament to success:

Magoo was my tutor and later my partner as a thief. When he got out of jail, or after he moved away to California, when he visited NY he was my roomate!

Henry was my crime partner on many ambitious ventures that I planned (Joe Galvin co-conspiritor on one) and would never admit to, and he became my best friend. We saved each others lives on a couple of occasions, I swear to you. At one point he was almost as crazy as everyone thought, but actually had a marshmallow heart once you got close. After I rehabbed (77-79) I went to see him and convinced him to do the same, brother to brother. He did it at Daytop Village. He spent the last 15 years of his life drug-free, highly successful regional meat manager for a supermarket chain, home owner, family man and parent before dying of a heart attack. That's what I call a success story.

I guess the moral to the story is never count a Stratton Parker out!

What do you think of that???!!!