Remember New Ken nightlife

Anyone remember the classy nightlife that used to exist in downtown New Kensington?

I remember the Lateus Club and the Batchelors Club. Both were like big city night clubs. I also can remember the great food at the Kenmar Hotel. Lentil soup was a favorite.

Anybody remember the good old days in NK?

I remember the Batchlors Club very well. What a time it was in downtown NK. Its was elegant and you would never know who you might run into.

The Coffee Shop at the Kenmar was incredibly busy with clattering dishes and long waits for tables at all hours of the day or night. Sometimes I dream about going back and ordering a club sandwich and a bowl of soup.

I can also remember the Melody Restaurant where the food was good but the numbers action was better. How about the "store that didn't sell anything" on fifth avenue. It was a cigar store with tons of people hanging around but no inventory of cigars.

Those were the golden years in downtown NK.

I went into that "store that didn't sell anything" once. They had a few magazines on display and I wanted to buy a magazine. But the ones they had were years old! Ha Ha
the guys who "worked" there just looked at me funny, and I left.

I wish i was around in the good ol days of new ken all i can do is listen 2 stories from my parents but i hear it was called lil chicago,,,n look at it now...N O Geogia u wouldnt b related 2 the late "kelly" Mannarino would u?

Anthony--

Yes, I am related to Kelly Mannerino. He was my Uncle Gabriel. I can't speak more about him at this point due to my book contract with Random House. Look for my book in bookstores in late 2008. It's a tellall about the importance of New Kensington. You'll learn about JFK and RFK and their crooked old man, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Sinatra, and Ethel Merman. My story will connect all of these people with New Kensington.

Thats a book id love 2 read. Your uncle was real stand up guy from what i hear. I wish we had sum1 like him now all we got is ciancutti's lil drug ring , i know that was ur uncles right hand man but i think the drugs need 2 b kept out of r city n then the dealers would go elsewhere , but this is 2007 not many solid guys left.

Do you have a title for that book? I'd love to buy it. I think the "mob" (excuse the expression) kept the town a lot safer.
My grandmother lived in New Ken until she died in the late 50's. She'd go to a fruit stand on 10th once a week and play a 'number'. When she got sick, the "mob" brought her a lot of food and stuff. Kind of a local benevalence (sp?) society.

Bob Rodgers- the store that didn't sell anything was Burgarts Newstand next to the old Ritz theater -they had a trap door that led to a gambling room downstairs (I was told)A pin ball machine was set on top of it & moved when there was some activity going on down there --it was owned by Jim Burgart who later on opened the Golf Oasis on Greensburgh Rd

well they had the golden triangle club or whatever it was called cant remember exactly but that was a gamblimg club n it even got raided ...n 1 of the owners was found shot 2 death on a farm up in deer lakes or way up on 7th st. i cant remember those details so well either

That man was Abe Zied who ran that club and allegedly was shot for squealing. He ended up on his attorney's farm with a bullet in him. Nice folks!

The gambling club was Triangle Billiards, Barnes St. Abe Zeid was found on his attorney's farm, Washington Co., Pa. Could there have been someone else associated with Triangle Billiards found dead in Deer Lakes or 7th St. area, as Anthony remembers?

Georgia Mannerino wrote:

Anthony--
Yes, I am related to Kelly Mannerino. He was my Uncle Gabriel. I can't speak more about him at this point due to my book contract with Random House. Look for my book in bookstores in late 2008. It's a tellall about the importance of New Kensington. You'll learn about JFK and RFK and their crooked old man, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Sinatra, and Ethel Merman. My story will connect all of these people with New Kensington.

Hi Georgia,

Do you have a title for the book as yet. I would love to read it. I lived in town in the 50's and 60's. I would really love to get the book when it comes out.

Georgia Mannerino wrote:

Anthony--
Yes, I am related to Kelly Mannerino. He was my Uncle Gabriel. I can't speak more about him at this point due to my book contract with Random House. Look for my book in bookstores in late 2008. It's a tellall about the importance of New Kensington. You'll learn about JFK and RFK and their crooked old man, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Sinatra, and Ethel Merman. My story will connect all of these people with New Kensington.

Hi, my name is Cara and my family is from New Ken but I grew up in Allegheny Township. Currently, I am living London doing a graduate program in Producing Film. I was briefly home for the holidays and somehow the story of Kelly Mannerino came up which sounded like an interesting film idea. After I returned to London, I started doing some research and I came across this forum and saw you were writing a book. I am interested in reading your book and considering it for the screen. Not sure if you have already had some interest for a screen story but growing up in the area I have always wanted to produce films and I would love to see a movie being made in our area. Not only would it bring recognition, it would also bring business. Not sure how else to get in touch with you but if you’re interested in talking further about this, please feel free to email me at cspisak@gmail.com.

Georgia Mannerino wrote:

Anthony--
Yes, I am related to Kelly Mannerino. He was my Uncle Gabriel. I can't speak more about him at this point due to my book contract with Random House. Look for my book in bookstores in late 2008. It's a tellall about the importance of New Kensington. You'll learn about JFK and RFK and their crooked old man, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Sinatra, and Ethel Merman. My story will connect all of these people with New Kensington.

Georgia, I hope you mentioned Kelly's best friend, Joe Sonken, in your book.

Georgia,

I hope you mentioned your Uncle Kelly's best friend, Joe Sonken, in your book. They were like brothers.

Kelly and Gabe are two different people.

glorifying a bunch of thugs

mar wrote:

Kelly and Gabe are two different people.

Gabe and Kelly are one in the same person, Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino.

The store I am thinking of was not near the theater. It was on Fifth between 8th and 9th.