IT’S ‘JALOPY’: John J. Cummiskey, a self-admitted “”old timer,””
fills in some blanks today about “”Jalopy”” Suppa and his
family.[neWLine]

“”Jalopy,”” known for years as a fixture in front of the DeSales
candy store on Main Street, was the subject of a previous RTS and
there was some confusion about the exact spelling of his
name.[neWLine]

John provides that and much more today not just about “”Jalopy””
but the Suppa family. We’ll have to continue with John’s
information tomorrow. It’s too long for one day’s RTS and too
interesting to cut.[neWLine]

First, the name. When we first wrote about “”Jalopy,”” we had no
clue about the spelling. Honestly, we thought perhaps it was an
Italian name or a “”translation”” of an Italian name.[neWLine]

John puts that question to rest. Jalopy’s given name was Vincent
Suppa, he tells us.[neWLine]

He adds, “”Ralph Suppa was the father, I believe, of eight sons.
Sadly, the mother died at a young age. In the statements I write,
it is hard to find another old-timer like myself – maybe Dom Romano
or Armando Verolini could help, being from the same starting of the
East Main Street area. Like John Romano, I believe Ralph was a
shoemaker.[neWLine]

“”Good man, the late Joe Pascarella. He had a great knowledge of
the Ralph Suppa sons. But I believe old-timers older than the four
of us would have more knowledge. Joe lived next to the Suppa home
on Roberts Street. I believe Joe (Jo-Jo), Anthony (Inch) and
Vincent (Jalopy) lived there.[neWLine]

“”In baseball season, the three mentioned above sold baseball
tickets (chances) for about a dime, paying off $3 for low score,
$10 high score of the day. Biaggio was the oldest son and worked in
the ‘Jockey’ Holleran Cigar Store about opposite the Holley Hotel.
One brother that I never knew was a bartender in Olean and was
killed in World War II. Still another brother, Johnny, who was
known as a scrapper (fighter) was around but he never looked for
trouble.””[neWLine]

[neWLine]

TODAY’S QUOTE: “”Democracy abhors secrecy, in recognition that
public knowledge secures freedom,”” said Victor Marrero, U.S.
district judge, in 2004. As always, today’s quote is provided by
the Freedom Forum, dedicated to free press, free speech and free
spirit.