Gowen Neighborhood Activities

Do you remember all the little mom and pop stores that use to be in the city, You had Kales market on eureka between 15th and 16th and around the corner from them was Joe Deere's party store, Old joe was a trip, There was JP's market on Oak and 14th, where I bought my first under age booze, Art's store ove by the railroad tracks east of the tracks, and Art actually worked there. There was a fruit market on 12th and eureka and store on 17th and eureka, Grove drugs, Mister Music, Eureka Bedrooms, Wyandotte Tabacco and candy warehouse. Party Pantry on 14th and Eureak, next to a Jewery store, Ace bar and The Hut Bar, Eureka Bar, Remember the Clutchmen motorcycle gang that had a club between 14th and 15th on Eureka ? It was fire bombed, How about the Old Pool hall on 14th and Eureka, Then there was the bowling alleys, Sport Bowl and Westside bowling by Jerry's market, I was in there one night and there was a murder in the Bar part that served as a arcade. Guy named Benny was shot down, Some people came though the door shooting and all us kids just hit the floor, Benny had a patch on his eye and was a bad dude. Then there was John's party store on Vinewood, The store on 9th and Oak had an old couple working there that would save your change in a cup with your name on it , and you could come back and spend it another time, There was a sh#t load of stores in the city. Thinking about it, It was pretty cool. KT

Also

Bucki's - you had to stop there for candy before the July 4th parade!

The Cadillac Dealership on Eureka

The health food store on Eureka

Kuchinski's (sp) on McKinley between Clark & Alkalai

old stores,ect

dont forget the renagades m/c there club house used to be in the rad. shop on biddle by the current location of downriver cab, also there was starvin marvins,sugar shack,james town inn,bobs bar,the corner pub,capt ahabs,side track inn,and pops pub. there was a party store on bondie and lincoln by woodruff school,we cant forget labadie school either, or lincoln jr high. there used to be a gas station on the corner of 6th and highland,anyone remember night gym? there used to be rock concerts at the yach on the weekends in the summer time. ahh the good ole days. yep this used to be a cool city. nothing against our men a women in blue but i dont think most could have handled it back then that we have now. remember sitting in your back yards on the weekends and listening to the top fulers running at the old det dragway? i think wyandotte has been on a down hill slide since the late 70,s. my wife (aka warden) even told me the other day that she fears in the future our downtown will look like delray which used to be a vibrant city. dittos

Re: Westside and Benny...

I was there that night too! My two friends and I were in the bowling alley drinking beer(after the lanes were closed, we were only 17) The Fasca brothers owned the place and Pat used to let us dfrink in the bowling alley after it was closed. That night we we were in there drinking and Benny came up to us and asked us if we would help him beat those guys up. We kind of hemmed and hawed and he said ''never mind, I'll just shoot 'em''
After he walked out we were thinking Yeah sure...

Well sure enough, not five minutes later we heard gunshots and people screaming. Pat came running in and said ''they're killing each other in there!!'' He told us to run out the back door of the bowling alley. We must have looked like the three stooges trying to get out the door all at once!!

I'll never forget that night as long as I live.

We ran north down 12th when we saw a friend ( Bob ''moose'' Scherer) driving south on 12th. he picked us up and we told what crazy s@#t had just happened
so we drove by the the ''Arcade'' next to the bowling alley and there was
Benny laying dead on the sidewalk.

Still gives me the creeps when I think of it. Benny Sullivan was his name. and he was kind of scary looking, graying black hair and a patch over one eye.

I see Larry Fasca died a couple of years ago.

Crazy memories...