Christmas at Splagonka's
Tony and Irene lived on the corner of Keystone Avenue and Ridge Road in a town called Peckville. My best friend used to say that was the place where cartoons were born. Their name was not actually Splagonka, but the kids couldn't pronounce it right, so that's what they said. Their house served as a gas station with two Esso pumps right at the bottom step of the front porch. I folded my morning papers there at 3:45am until I left to deliver at 4. Then the Trib started dropping the papers at the Borough Building so the cops could keep an eye on us paperboys. The Scranton Tribune paid for many a kid's first dirt bike , mine included. Everyone loved Tony for his disposition and sense of humor. He was a big-hearted Pollack with a huge nose. He wore glasses just like the ones Harry Caray did. Imagine Tigger as auto mechanic. He who owned a small garage out behind the house. Attached to the house was a small pool room, and a candy story that sold penny candy to the kids in the ne...