Orchard Inn Reunion... A Sign From Above... the Orchard Inn Lives on!

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Orchard Inn Reunion Picnic Photos

We've all done nutty things
in our lives right??


C'mon... you know you have!


Well...
I usually don't
(oh just stop laughin' would'cha)


But I have to agree that this,
was a bit nutty, even for me!

A Sign From Above...
the Orchard Inn Lives on!

How many have you taken in your lifetime?

Signs that is.

I’m sure your garage is full of them.

Stop signs, one way signs, and most of all,
street signs! They were the best.

Sorry to burst your bubble...

but the holy heaven's won't be opening up,

bestowing unexplainable visions upon us
within this entry. Maybe next time.


Why do we collect them in the first place?


Because they’re cool, that’s why.
And you gotta figure that they’re
rightfully ours anyway.


With all the damn taxes that we pay, I’m sure some of our money went towards the making of those babies. So it’s only right that a couple of them end up with their rightful owners.


Probably one of the coolest stories I know, surrounding a street sign, was when I was
about sixteen or seventeen.


It was right before we were going to play another team in tackle football. No pads. You know, one of those neighborhood games.


One of the guys from our side, Ricky, got totally pissed off because he had to go to work and couldn’t play not even one snap of the ball.


So, right before the game, he ran up to that now infamous street corner from where I tossed my ice/rock ball at the bus, and proceeded to rip the Simonson Ave sign right off the pole,
with his bare hands.


That's the actual sign he ripped down and the corner and pole as well. Awesome right!

Then, after he somehow did the deed, he ran back down Forest Ave to the corner of Van Name Ave where the Gas House field was.
(This was the very same route I took when I cut outta class at age 7... remember?)

He then tossed the now bent and twisted sign over the fence and onto the field to give us inspiration in his absence. It was just so cool!


My only street sign adventure was no where near as exhilarating an experience. As a matter of fact, it was just one big headache!


It happened not too long after I got out of the Navy. I was hangin’ out with Billy. That’s right, the Billy, my Paris partner in crime.

So right off the bat,
there was a built in theme, which was,
Jim Morrison.


I remember drinkin’ all night, and drivin’ around Staten Island with the tape deck spilling over with Doors music.


Eventually, we got the brilliant idea to drive over to Morrison Ave, and take one of the street signs. It was easier said than done, though.
(That Morrison Ave link is a current google maps street view of Morrison Ave. We were there back in 1986 when there was only 2 signs that were yellow at the time!)


Especially for two drunken idiots.


Well, we found the street. We then slowly drove from corner to corner, to find the most isolated sign. And when we found just the right one, I pulled the car all the way up onto the curb
and grass as close to the pole as I could get.


Then, I gingerly poured myself out of the car, and climbed onto the hood. Tippy-toed myself as close to the sign as possible. I then grabbed it.


I began tugging on it with all of my might.
But that fucking thing didn’t budge.


How the hell did Ricky rip the Simonson Ave sign off the pole? Man, he must’ve really been pissed about not being able to play. LoL
Either that, or I'm just a fucking weakling!


We kept looking around to make sure no one was watching. Fat chance of that though,
being it was about 3 or 4 in the morning.


I tried pulling on it a couple more times,
but still nothing.


Finally, with a last ditch effort, in a move of pure drunken desperation, I leaped into the air towards the sign. Both hands came down on the top of it. But only the top bolt snapped, causing that fucking thing to come crashing down
on the top of my head like a guillotine.


Bang!


Wow!


Those things are way heavier than
you would think they are.


Oh, man, it was so funny.


I was knocked completely off the car
and onto the ground by the blow.


The metal sign was now clanging against the metal pole that it was bolted to
like a fuckin’ dinner bell.


I’m tellin’ ya, it was just a pathetic scene.


Thank goodness we didn’t do this kinda shit for a living, ya know, steal stuff. Because
we would have starved to death.


There wasn’t a single ounce of criminal blood coursing through either one of our veins. Playing completely by the rules, that was us! Put aside the fact that we were in the middle of stealing a fucking street sign. Being dumb, drunk & stupid... does not make you a criminal!
I don't think. Does it?????


I finally got to my feet, feeling slightly dazed after that crack to the skull. But we had’ta have that sign. We’ve come too far
to turn tail and run now.


So, one last time, I climbed back onto the car and grabbed that damn sign with both hands while Billy cheered me on. And I pulled on that bitch as though someone was trying to take
my last beer from me!


I pulled and yanked and pulled sumore...
until that fucker finally gave way.


We were victorious!


Morrison Ave now belonged to the people.


We were very proud idiots! But before we were too proud though, we quickly got back into the car, and got the hell outta there as fast as possible. We could be just as proud from five miles away. We didn’t need to stick around
there and gloat.


I still have the sign to this day. It was hangin’ up in my old garage at one point, of course. Now I think it's in my dad's shed? And every once in awhile, when I think about that thing nailed up there on the beams of my old garage, I get a strange sensation on the top of my head.

I wonder why?


Surely, that’s a memory that will stay with me forever. It has to. It’s physically embedded
into my thick, empty skull!


Now, although Morrison Ave was truly a momentous event, I have one other
that is by far the showstopper.


The cream of the crop.


The icing on the cake.


And yes... the cherry on top.


And that is the Orchard Inn sign.


My finest hour! LoL


You see, this was the name of the local bar that we all hungout in while waiting to grow up. This was where I bumped into everyone during my pizza delivery days at Bella Mama's.


Trust me, I’ll be right back!


Let me just give you a little background here, then maybe you’ll understand why
that sign had to come with me.


There was nothing really special about this joint. It was your typical neighborhood hole in the wall bar. A pinball machine, a video game,
and of course, a pool table!


A bartender that never, bought back any drinks. 


Hangin’ on the wall above the bathroom entrance was a TV that was always tuned
to some kind of sport.


But it wasn’t the place that made it special. After all, it was only a stupid building. What made it special was that we were there,
my friends and I.


It was a time to hangout.
A time to drink beers, and play sports.
A time before life’s responsibilities, tension,
and everyday bullshit had a chance
to sneak into our lives.


We all have an Orchard Inn in our past. Some of you hungout at the bowling alley, or maybe the corner store. Or, where ever you got together with your friends. It didn’t matter where. It was the when, and with whom, that mattered!


This was one of two main hangouts for me. And that’s why I get so sentimental over a stupid sign. It’s the memories behind it
that make it special.


The sign itself, well, it’s only a dumb sign. Metal and wood. But those memories that it stirs up inside of me, well, that’s what makes it so fuckin’ remarkable. If it could only talk!
(I’m such a big baby. I’m practically cryin’ on my keyboard while I’m writing this crap)


Okay, so how the hell did I end up
with the damn thing anyways?


Well actually, it all just happened with a snap decision. A spur of the moment type deal. There was nothing thought out, and there were certainly no plans drawn up for the big heist.


Unlike the biggest score of all time within our neighborhood which was of course...
the Frank-N-Stein heist of the mid 1970's!!

In fact that happened just across the street from the gas house football field at the very same corner of Van Name & Forest Ave.

But back to the Orchard. The rescue happened one day when I was driving past the bar. I took one look at it and then a million memories rushed through my head. And I said to myself,
I gotta have that fuckin’ sign.
And that’s that.


But here’s the circumstances guiding the event. At the time, the neighborhood was going through a change. It was ten years ago that we used to hangout there. In fact, the bar had closed its doors for good, and within months
would no longer be a bar at all.


Someone had bought the building, and was converting it into a travel agency. Imagine that! My memories were now boarding a flight to nowhere. Over my dead fucking body they were!


Anyway, also at that very same time, my dad had just gone through some major surgery. And when that kinda shit happens,
nothing matters. Nothing at all!


So, I was in one of those kinda lost,
I don’t give a shit, moods.
Ya know what I mean?


Well, when I was driving by the bar this specific day, I just couldn’t believe that the Orchard Inn, my Orchard Inn, our Orchard Inn,
would be gone forever.


They had already begun construction on the inside. But the outside was still untouched.


So, I turned into the McDonald’s parking lot which was adjacent to the side and rear of the bar. I pulled the car around so it faced the long Orchard Inn sign on the side wall of the bar.
I got out to take one last look around
before it was all gone for good.


And as I was walking around, my emotions got the best of me, and I just said to myself…


... I can’t just let them make this place fuckin’ disappear forever! I’m takin’ that sign, and I don’t give a fuck what anybody says!


I was like a sentimental psychopath at this point. Thank goodness no one fucked with me while I was doin’ this, because at this point, even I, pussy boy, who only made it through
one single practice when I signed up to play organized Pop Warner tackle football, would’ve kicked the snot outta someone.


Or, at least yelled at them really loud and threw my dripping mouthpiece at them!
Hahahahaha, oh shut up! LoL


So we can't all be fucking John Wayne!
Sorry... you douche bags!


So, I walked over to where the sign was hanging, to try and figure out a way to get it down
without killing myself.

Now, I had no real tools with me, and no way of reaching it, but I was going to get it! Somehow, I was going to get it. I didn’t know just how yet.


But then a different kind of sign appeared right before my very eyes. You see, I walked
to the front of the bar...

... and glanced across the street where some workers were rebuilding the old
Silvestri’s gas station.

And what did I see standing there before me?


A fucking ladder!


I couldn't believe it.


I walked over to a nearby deli and purchased
a couple six-packs of beer.

No, not for me silly, for the guys who owned the ladder. Favors and signs from above my be wonderful things, but they ain’t free my friend! They ain't free!


So, I walked over to the guys and told them the whole story. I said that I needed the ladder for about thirty minutes, or so, and in return,
I would give them the beers.


And to my surprise, they actually let me
walk away with the damn thing.


It was pretty funny watching me cross Forest Ave, a very busy street, with a forty foot ladder tucked underneath my arm.


Well, I made it back to the sign. I set up the ladder, and then ran to the car to see what kind of tools, if any, that I had. Of course, the only thing I had was a pair of vise grips.

And as it turned out, that’s all I would need.


So, I scoped everything out for a second, then went right to work. And I’m tellin’ ya, this thing turned out to be larger than I first anticipated.


It was about eighteen feet long, and three feet wide, when I came face to face with it.
Man, it was gigantic!


It was held onto the wall by about ten bolts
that were six inches in length.

And I’d say that it was maybe twelve to fifteen feet up from the ground. Alot higher
than it looked I'll tell you that!


Well, I just started at one end and began unscrewing those bolts with my trusty
pair of vise grips.


One by one they came out, ever so slowly.


Things were moving along nicely. I even had an audience by now. A local bum, with half'a bag of aluminum cans, had taken a break from his daily routine to watch a madman rescue a sign!


I finally got all of the bolts out, except for the two top corner ones. Now,
here came the tricky part.


Getting it down!


Especially with all of the electrical wiring
next to the left side of the sign.


I stood there and thought for a second,
then came up with the plan.


It was simple.
Loosen one of the bolts just a bit. Then go to the other side, and take that bolt out completely. Then, slowly maneuver the sign around the wires without fucking dying from electrocution, and let it slide down the ladder with me,
as I made my descent.


The loosened bolt at the other end acted like a pivot, or a hinge if you will. And bingo!
I had that mutha halfway home.


Next, I moved the ladder over to the other side. Unbolted that last bitch completely, and once again slid the sign down the ladder with me.


I’ve done it!


I got that muthafuckin’ sign down.

Even the bum clapped for me.


God forbid the dirty bastard would’ve offered to help me, but who needed him anyway.


I ran the ladder back over to the guys at the gas station, again crossing a busy Forest Ave,
and thanked them.


Now, it was time to try and put this gigantic thing on the roof of my car. Then tie it down somehow, and make it home without killing anyone
during the ride.


Unbelievably, I found some twine in the car trunk. I then daintily maneuvered that
sum-bitch onto the roof of the car.


I began tying it down, when all of a sudden, my foreman, the bum, had something to say.


Now, after the whole ordeal was practically over, did he decide to give me constructive criticism.


“Ya know.
You hav’ta make sure you use the proper knot
on that, or it might come loose and fall off!”


Was this fuckin’ guy kidding me, or what?


I quickly returned fire...


“Oh why don’t you just shut the fuck up over there! Where the fuck were you before, you smelly prick, when I could’ve used you!
Leeme the fuck alone, will ya!”


As you could tell, I was a little high-strung at this point, yelling at the poor bum, and all.


But much to my surprise, I made it all the way home without incident!

130 Lexington Ave... by Decker Ave


And once there, after much begging, the rest of the members of the household agreed to let me hang it up on the front of our own garage.


Now, I didn’t say inside the garage. I said, in front of! We now had a brand new Orchard Inn, right there in our very own backyard.


It was beautiful, man!

I can't believe it but, we never took

any photo's of the sign on the garage

just some video. Those two pix are still shots while the video was paused.

I still have the sign to this very day. Only now, it’s wrapped up in canvas, and lying on the side of the garage at 72 Harding Ave in Sayreville, New Jersey.

(Grown-up’s are no fun, man!)

But one day my friend Gregg and myself strapped it to the roof of the car and drove it down south about thirty miles via the Garden State Parkway, to a surprise birthday party for one of the guys who hungout at the bar, Jeff.


It was a big hit.
And it was here at this party that another friend, Carmen Marsh, came up with the great idea

to have a reunion picnic.

The Orchard Inn Reunion Picnic blog!

Which worked out well for a few years.
Here's a pic of the group and the sign
at the first picnic in 2000.

The memories and war stories were flying all night long at Jeff's party. Everyone had a chance to make their mark and autograph it and took pictures with it as well. It was a very cool night.

You see...


the building,
the bar,
even the stupid sign itself means nothing,
if you don’t have the people and the memories
to go along with it!


Memories are pretty cool, aren’t they?


I can’t believe that I just wrote a story about signs. But yet, I can’t believe that you just read
a story about signs!


I don’t know which is worse!
HaHaHaHa, oh sorry!

Just an update...

the sign was saved from becoming landfill trash

at the very last moment by Joey Lamberti! The sign ended up back at Lexington Ave for storage after I left the Sayreville address. And now this has been the sign's home for some years now! Still on Staten Island.

So many many thanx go out to Joey for making the actual save. And also to Nicole, for "allowing"...

Joey to keep the sign!
LoLoLoL
We love you both for
coming to the rescue of our
beloved Orchard Inn sign.


Awesome!

Here's Joey & the sign...
August 2018!

A couple of us had a quick visit
with the sign...
June 13, 2020

Tommy Mondello
Greg Ponciano
Joey Lamberti
Billy McDermott
The sign still resides at
Joey's house on Staten Island!
He even re-framed it with all new wood
that's holding this thing together!!

I had to roll up a few inches of the sign

at the bottom for it to fit on the garage

at the Lexington Ave Orchard Inn LoL
Too good!

And it continues...

Here we have Joey's son and his friends.

New memories yet to be made by this crew for sure!!

I absolutely love this photo : )

Another really cool update...

Check out Bernie Codd,
from the neighborhood,
in those 2 photo's below!


How amazing is that shirt huh!?
And you'll never guess where that stool
that he's sitting on came from.
Go ahead... guess!
That's right, it came from the Orchard Inn bar. Some of us, hell probably even ALL of us have sat on that stool at one time or another over the years that we hungout there!


Bernie received the stool
from the Carannante family.


Thanx Bern for a fantastic update
and trip down Forest Ave!!

Another update...

A shout out to Nicholas Gallo...
shown here wearing the Orchard Inn colors back in 1989/90.

Nick was recently nominated for an Emmy within the media world AND...
will be getting married to his wonderful fiance' later this year 2019!!

Another update...

Can't believe it's quickly coming up

on the 20 year mark of the first picnic!

20 years has gone by way too fast huh!

Here's the bulletin I made up

for that first get together

September 2, 2000

Wow!

Another update...

The Orchard Inn Sign...

is about to come full circle...

and end up back home

where it belongs!!

Well...

the journey has begun!

The photo's below are of

Joey Lamberti removing the sign

from his backyard fence and

loading it onto a truck which

will take it back home!!

Such a crazy journey it was...

First... the sign was born...

and lived on the side wall of the

Orchard Inn bar itself.

Then... Tommy Mondello

pulled it down from that wall

and proudly hung it up on

his garage

at 130 Lexington Ave.

Then... it lay in storage with Tommy

at 72 Harding Ave

Sayreville, NJ.

It's from here it journeyed to

Jeff Skonieczny's party

and all of the Orchard Picnic's.

Then... back to 130 Lexington Ave

where Michael Mondello

stored it.

Until... Joey Lamberti swooped in

just a day before the sign

was destined for the

Fresh Kill's Landfill and saved it

as Michael was moving

the very next day.

And then proudly hung her up

upon his backyard fence

for many years...

and now...

that girl is goin' home!

Too fuckin' cool!

You're about to be apart of the final journey!

The photo's below show

The Orchard sign hanging safe & sound

in her brand new home!

 Back into the Carannante family!

That's Bee Carannante

coming home to a memorable moment.

His fiancé Amy found out about the sign

and made arrangements with Joey

to bring her home as a birthday surprise!

Now how amazing is that!!

Great job both Amy AND Joey

for making it happen!

He looks completely overwhelmed

and speechless. lol

I can almost feel the shock myself!

The video was too large to transfer,

but he is truly speechless on it

just as the photos depict... so awesome!!

And also to the guys who picked her up and

most likely hung her up upon the wall!

Great fucking job to everyone...

who has in any way had a hand in preserving

our memories within this wonderful

Orchard Inn Sign!

It has truly been a blast...

from those very first frantic moments

in which I lowered her down from

her birthplace...

which was of course

the Orchard Inn Bar itself...

to this very emotional

and most of all... happy moment

of seeing Bee's reaction

to her hanging in her new home!!

Such a fucking journey!

Because within these two moments lives

SO many incredibly fun memories

for all of us who were apart of

the Orchard Inn days!

Both the old memories...

and of course the brand new ones

that we are still creating to this day

which happens to be

January 6, 2023.

Neil Young said it best

when he wrote & sang...

Long May You Run

Happy birthday Bee!

And you two have a wonderful life together...

as ONE!!

With much love,

The Orchard Inn Generation