The Milk Depot. The Lure. Screamin Wheels. Rays Shrimp House. Tri-Tri City. Westbrook Apartments. Chase School. The Dairy Queen on 15th Ave. Jackson Rib House. Archie B’s. Martin Gas Station. Jewel Food Store. The Village. Vienna Red Hot stand. Custom Tops. Montgomery Wards. Gilmore Stadium. Methodist Hospital. Mercy Hospital. Arts Bakery. Horseman. WEST SIDE COUGARS. Roosevelt Panthers. El Dubb. Wirt. Lake St. Beach. Marquette Park. Broadway. The Genesis Center. Disco Enterprise!. Victor Vincent house parties. House Music. Farley. JM Silk. Julius Jumpin Perez. Mickey Mixin Oliver. The Fly Jock Tom Joyner. WGCI 107.5 FM. WBMX is gonna make you rich!. The hot lunch mix. Leaded Gasoline. My Camaro rollin on Chrome Cragar 20’s in the 80’s! Jensen 6×9’s(four of em) in the back dash. The flea market behind The Village. Kressgees. JC Pennys, White Castles. Piggly Wiggly on Grant St (way back). Walgreens in Tri City. Mays department store across from Tri City. The Bud Plant. The Store in Tri City. Ivanhoe (Poe Jets!). The Spectrum. West Side vs. Roosevelt. The Holiday Tournament. The Thanksgiving Day Tournament. The Gary Drill Team Competition. The Gary Dump. Tim McCalister. Kenny McLaurin. Winston Garland. Johnny Fort. Tellis Franks. Donald Carter. Jerome Harmon. Eric Longino. Craig Dixon (Mr. Westbrook) schoolin D-1 prospects on the court in Westbrook.
The wavy part of Chase St going to the Village. 5h Ave. The Westbrook community center. Summer programs at Chase School and West Brook Community Center before Ronald Reagan. Ridge Road. Ventures in Griffith. South Lake Mall. Century Mall. Carson Pieri Scott. L.S. Ayers. Burger King on the first floor. Lockers in the mall for your coat in the cold ass winter. Chess King, The Lark, Bachrachs. Spencers. Jordach Jeans. The designer jeans craze. Run-DMC. Crush Groove. Whodini. LL Cool J. Afrika Bambata. Planet Rock. Midnight Star, SOS Band. Rick James. Seeing Rick James/Parliament/Bar-Kays concert at West Side’s Gym with my brother. Remembering how so many people was in the gym smokin weed that the cops couldn’t do anything about it. Rick James telling the crowd to ‘light it up”. Trippin out on the cat in Parliament that wears a diaper (old ass still does in current concerts). Devo, Thomas Dolby. Duran Duran. Other European white groups that we actually listened to. When we first got cable and watching an HBO movie for the first time. Those HUGE VCR’s that you used to have to program by moving these small white wheels.
“Sock Hops” on lunch hour at West Side. Darren “Magic” Sumbry. Herman Hurston. Bo-Pete. A.G.. Bo, Sophia Smith, Derenda Braden, Lisa Hill, Mabel Peters, Eric Crosby, Patrick Smith, Marilyn. Old neighborhood friends Tommy Houston. Derrick Owens. Michael Owens. Donnell Draper. Ben Jones. Tim Boudreaux. Ivan Colbert.
Driving like a damn fool down 4th Ave at night coming back from hanging out at the beach. Not noticing how dangerous Gary was until after I left. Now Laters. Chico Sticks. Grape Soda. Riding a bicycle EVERYWHERE until I got a car. Ballin all day and sometimes under the light during the summer months. Ballin in the winter months after clearing the snow from the court and grabbing the outside trash can and putting rags and other crap in it to make a fire to warm your hands while waiting for “next” on the court. Playing tag football in the street. Playing “piggy” in the street. Playing hide and go seek. Talkin about each others momma under the street light. Not challenging Diciples when they roll up on you talkin bout “who you rollin with?”, I ain’t rollin with nobody. Tolleston. Gettin jumped over a girl at West Side. Inland Steel. Sophomore Star Night at West Side. The Gary Football O’Rama. Over sized Boom box carried on my shoulder while walking around the Football O’Rama.
More…
Calling James Piggee “Manute” when he dunked. Lincoln way Deli on 4th. The Blue Room. Dena’s Pub. IUN. Seeing someone get shot. Shoveling snow. In May. Standing in line at the Drill Team Competition or high school basketball games. In the snow. With the wind chill 20 below. Frontin driving thru the front of the Village lookin at my ride in the glass. Skipping school and hanging out at Roosevelt on their lunch period. Tarry Town. The Cobbs. biker shorts at miller beach with biker hats. Broaches and long shirts (house style) Mothafuc_in gangstas wherein black hats with the crossed guns on them. seeing dudes walking down 15th ave ‘stackin” and throwin up pitchforks. The indoor car wash on 11th ave in the winter. the Zanzibar. the library next door. Popeyes chicken on broadway. The bad service at Popeyes on Broadway. City Castles across from the old “Gary” Post Tribune site. All the stores on broadway boarded up. The old theater on broadway with the “Jackson Five” sign still up. Big ass pot holes in the streets. Drag Racing down 5th Ave going towards Miller Beach. West Side Lounge. tip tops. Racist ass Hessville. Going to McDonalds for lunch at West Side. the surge. Getting my car broke into bout 6 times. My Best Friend from elementary school Don Clay. Tommy “King Weird” Houston. throwing rocks at the new car windows on the train. Shooting birds with my pellet gun on the “high line”.
Shine Dog. Kerm. Ug. Flea Bag. Bay Bay. Bootsy. Pink Floyd. Juno. Magic. Richard Hatcher. Ron Helflin. Ike Brown. The Cougar Den Gym. The Panther Den. EC Roosevelt ‘Rough Riders”. Thanksgiving day tournament at EC Roosevelt. Snap dying too young. Cheap Ass Churchs Chicken on 5th ave. Rib Tips. Foot Long Fried Polishes. Trying to rap to girls older than me. The Sheraton when it was open. The old train on 5th AVe across from City Hall. The MEPS Station across the street from the Genesis Center. Not snitchin on dudes from “the Bronx” but having to pay restitution for all the Twinkies, Ho-Ho’s and Ding dongs they stole from the delivery truck outside the surge when the dumb ass driver left the back of the truck unlocked and went inside of the school for about 15 minutes. Fast Willie walking down 5th ave selling peanuts walkin REAL fast during the day time. Seeing Fast Willie walking REAL fast that same night selling peanuts at Miller Beach while hanging out and underage drinking. Being stopped so many times by the Gary police in my ride. They never took us to jail. they just took our “stuff” and let us go. Giving a Gary police officer a beer as he cruised thru the parking lot at the Marquette Park Beach parking area, though I was under aged myself.
Straight leg plaid pants. Get n’ them from the thrift store. V-neck Izod sweaters. Swoop fade haircuts (see you tube video of Kwame), Polo’s. Polo cologne. Lagerfield. K-SWISS. The Swiss Boys. The Rude Boys. Black Scotty from Tolleston (The best GQ dressing mofo in middle school). Trench coats. piano ties. Michael Jackson’s Thriller Jacket. The Jerry Curl Factory off Grant St (and I believe 15th). Wet, drippy jerry curls. Afro picks. Afro sheen. Watching Walter Payton play for the Bears on Sunday at 11am. Missing the first half of the games because my momma dragged me to church. Once going to church definitely still hung over from going out the night before (ofcourse moms didn’t know). Walter Jacobson on the Channel Two News. Bill Curtis. Chet Lemon-center fielder for the White Sox. Hating the Cubs (still do). Hating the Packers (still do). Hating Roosevelt High School (as competition- I grew up, don’t hate no more). Reflecting on the HATERS and noticing how I didn’t have time to notice them back then because “I was doin my thang”. Realizing that G.I. was full of haters back then as it is today. Playing the numbers in the raggedy house next to the Milk Depot on Chase St.
Walking to school to Tolleston. Being concerned when that faggot was molesting kids (I guess this was in like 1980 or 81) abducting them while they walked to school-the name for him in the hood was the “booty bandit”. We all walked to school in groups because of this. Mr. Williams at West Side (how he’d cuss at you) Remembering being spanked with a paddle in the 8th grade at Tolleston by Mr. Whiteside (that shit hurt and was humiliating because he did it in front of the class). Me and Magic carrying Ant Green to his front steps while he was passed out drunk, ringing the door bell, running down two houses down where my car was parked and taking off.
Remembering the day my mom called me and told me my boy Magic had been shot to death (she was working in the emergency room the day he was brought in)…
Kerry “Trent Bennett…R.I.P. (You and your moms was/are good people)
Marilyn Bouler… R.I.P. (My prayers go out to her family and her close friends)
Hey!!!!
Snap lived down the street from me. Loved your blog…..brought back a lot of good memories. Cougars ’87 It’s all the way live at the side!!!!!! Peace
Never met anyone from G.I. that was lame. Well, let me think about that…
Anyway, you can take a brotha outta Gary, but you can’t take that Gary out a brotha!
(And for all you haters on the outskirts of Gary, “I aint talkin about being no thug!”)
Vic, I remember all of that I grew up in Aetna….I still love that place its home how could you not. We lived on Benton, 10th and 13 Ave and everyone knew everyone because we all said that we were related. I loved Mr. Vincent my music teacher at Wirt he pushed me hard because in the hood you really don’t learn about becoming anyone or anything. You just know the hood and if anyone from the other side step out of line not just you but your hood put them back where they belong.
I love my people; I lost a lot of people not just to the streets but to jail. My brother Cleveland C. Bynum has life…when you’re in the hood that’s what your use to so it does not bother you. Being far away from home the real life kills you. Kevin got killed in the jets…Marques in Aetna with his brother Da’Juan man that was one of the worst. One of my best friends hit some one in like 1996 and killed her…she did not do it on purpose. So many people died at one time it’s was hard to keep up…I loved my boy Boogie we grew up together since grade K…..
It was hard living there and we did not see how strong we were until we got out…there is still a ton of people that I love there family and friends…Tony Woods! ***my heart no matter where I go. I want the best for everyone and unless Gary changes it’s not best to stay.
Oh, Vic you for got Ray’s Shrimp house on Grant I believe and back in my day Luke was what was up….and Frank ski Do the brown…..
Unless you were there you could not understand G.I. BABY! ~
visit website
http://wirthighschoolalumni.ning.com/
Hey Brother,
Hit me on email. It’s been a long time. You definately captured the crib. I mean you took me back home the way we use to know it. I’ll be jumping in on some of these converstations at a later time, but definately wanted to say what’s up.
Hit me back,
Ivan
imcolbert@gmail.com
WOW
WHOMEVER ANOTHER BROTHER IS YOU HAVE REALLY HIT HOME WITH ME. MAGIC WAS MI EVERYTHING IN HIGH SCHOOL AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME HAS PASSED ITS HURTING LIKE IT HAS JUST HAPPND. ITS JUST GOOD TO SEE THAT HE TRUELY HAD FRIENDS THAT WILL NEVER FORGET HIM……….
I KNOW I NEVER WILL
THAT WAS AWESOME THANKS FOR THAT
DARVAE the DIVA
hello every one who new “MAGIC”…
tHATS MY FATHER, IM HIS OLDEST. I WAS 8 WHEN HE PASSED AND I REALLY DONT KNOW WHO MAGIC IS…
IF U COULD TELL ME ANY THING ABOUT HIM E-MAIL ME A@ DEREKSUMBRY@YMAIL.COM
I WOULD HIGHLY APPRICIATE IE
LIL MAJIK
Darvae,
I could put that dude a lead character in a book and it would be compelling. He was like a brother to me and I too miss him.
I’ll be emailing your son info about him…
I am the mother of Darren (Magic) Sumbry of Gary, IN (Westside High School). I recently bought this computer and stumbled to your blog by coincidence!!!(smile) Quite surprised to read someone writing about my son. I’m so happy that someone else remembers him. He was the light of my life and I really miss him. Write me back if you like. But Thanks
OMG! I stumbled across this page kinda late and by accident… took a sista waaaaaaay back. What a pleasant trip down memory lane….Magic…West Side….so many memories in one little blog. I’m sure that I know the man behind the pseudonym. Too many friends in common-we had to have crossed paths. Anyways, you’ve got skills! Thanks for putting a smile on my face.
Terri
Sup Terri… We know each other. Think sophomore year…awards presentation… stage… something happened during your presentation of an award to a certain someone…
🙂
WOW….I was there and I understand!!!!!!!! G. I. home sweet home!!
Gary changed but so much stayed the same. My dad who was born in ’57 fought cats from Chicago at Screaming Wheels and I who was born in ’83 also fought Chicago cats at Scraming Wheels. Rays Shrimp House on Grant has fell off and the Taco Joint on 5th keep raising they prices like every week; its almost three dollars for a pork taco now. GI stand up!