2001.090

Eckardt, Jerilyn Radigan

Donation

Gift of Jerilyn Radigan Eckardt.

1942 - 1945

Date: 1942-1945

8 in

10 in

Display Value: Fair Notes: From an unidentified newspaper (The Hoboken Reporter?), ca. 1980's-1990's, Remembering the Seventh Street Boys. A look back at the boys of Paul's Candy Shop. When Paul Accetta's candy shop closed after his death in 1948, physical traces of it soon vanished. The storefront at Seventh and Bloomfield streets became an apartment and the circle of young friends who used to hang out there Paul's Seventh Street Boys grew up and went their separate ways. Dominick Accetta, one of Paul's sons, remembers the kids who hung out as a "fantastic bunch of guys who never once got in trouble." The store, he says, was a neighborhood center for youth culture, primarily sports, since nobody had a car or much money for such things as movies. There were three groups: grammar school kids, high school students and recent high school graduates. It was constantly changing in the 10 or 15 years it existed, for in time, the older kids would get married. Sid Gordon, whose brother Lou was one of Paul's Boys, remembers the group as more of an informal thing, much like the pickup games kids on one block would play against the next. Then came the war World War II contributed 10 the group's demise. As they came of age, most of the young men were drafted or volunteered. Before the war even started, in 1941, one of the Boys, Bert Engrieber, died when his merchant marine ship was sunk by a German torpedo off New Jersey. In memory, Henry Behrman got a red and while banner to hang in the store's window, and embroidered Bert's name in gold, then started putting on the names of everyone who joined. By the war's end, another 45 names had been added to the banner, including Henry's. James Wallace was the only other regular at Paul's candy shop who gave his life. He died in a training flight crash in Florida. Hoboken's Wallace School was later named after him aid a brother who'd also been killed in action. Accetta served in an armored unit in the push towards Germany across France and the Low Countries, and helped liberate the first concentration camp the Allies discovered, Orhdruff Nord, on April 5, 1945. Although many of the other young men from his dad's store served in the Army in Europe, Accetta never ran into them there. He still doesn't. After the war, many of the returning GIs used their government benefits to go to school and leave Hoboken. And of course, after the store closed, the group drifted even farther apart. Today, Accetta say, not one of the Paul's Seventh Street Boys named on the banner still lives in Hoboken. He estimates 30 percent have passed away. The one attempt at a reunion, several years ago, fizzled -- everyone was just too far apart. Their memories preserve the store, but as time takes it toil, those too shall be gone. The original banner was buried with Paul, and the few yellowing photographs extant can't really convey all that the store was to the local kids.So the last traces of that neighborhood institution in old Hoboken will one day be gone. Original or Copy: Original Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2003-08-28