Mystery Picture: November 6, 2012

Written by Dagmar Fors Karppi Tuesday, 06 November 2012 10:10

John Maloney Knows Oyster Bay

John Maloney aced the photo ID in the Oct. 26 issue of the Enterprise Pilot. He said, “The mystery picture is the back of Verrelli’s market and that is their garden. The picture is taken facing south. That is the old barn. The guy who owns it lives on Orchard Street. That is his weeping cherry tree and it has pink flowers in the spring. I live on Spring Street and I look over his garden,” said John Maloney.

That was just a lovely answer and we appreciate it.

Gregory Adami said, “It is the back parking lot of Verrelli’s supermarket in Oyster Bay, off of West Main Street. That is where they were growing their tomatoes in the summer. The big shed is on the property that was the Pucci’s years ago. I went to school with Michael Pucci, who passed in the mid ‘80s. He had a pigeon coup at the top of the shed in the early ‘80s and late ‘70s.”

Happily, there is a little more of Oyster Bay history. The photograph, by the way, was taken by Betty Tiska.

Frank Cucci called to say, “I’m 99 percent sure it’s the backyard of a house on Orchard Street. I can see it from behind Verrelli’s parking lot. That’s where it’s taken. That barn belongs to my cousin.”

Rosie McCumiskey, a student at the Vernon School, too, recognized the location. She said, “It’s the parking lot of Verrelli’s.” When asked what her favorite things from the store were, she said cookies and added the rolls. They are famous for their Portuguese rolls.

The next caller: “The mystery picture is behind Verrelli’s in Oyster Bay,” said Maria Czarniecki. “I was born in the house where that barn is. That’s why I know. Dodds & Eder was where Verrelli’s is right now.”

Oyster Bay’s Julia Brown, 9, believes that the picture is Verrelli’s Market, and she is absolutely right. 

Nancy Hussey, too, knew the place, spot perfect, as she said, “The picture is of the parking lot behind Verrelli’s super market — gourmet supermarket in Oyster Bay.”

Belle Santora said, “This is a wild guess. I have no idea, but yes I do. It looks to me like the parking lot of Verrelli’s and on the side is the old Disbrow building.

“I’ve been there at Verrelli’s once in a while, and I notice things and it stays in my mind. I knew the Disbrows very well. They were the owners of the Oyster Bay Guardian. I think that is it, but I could be wrong, but I don’t want to be wrong.” And of course, Ms. Santora, at 101, is correct again.

She knew last week’s picture too. That was the Mill Pond. Belle visited the Oyster Festival. She had clam chowder and shrimp and hamburgers and French fries. She said, “I wanted fried oysters but we didn’t have time. We just had time to see the tall ships. The two little ones with us went on the rides. They would scare the “h” out of me. They were upside and down and swinging around, in the little school bus, and in a tall steeple thing, sitting there with their feet dangling and it was three times the height of my house. But every one of those rides was beautiful and freshly painted and clean. In my day we were lucky if we got a ride on the carousel.”

This was a wonderful photograph. It got us a lot of callers, which is our delight. Thank you all for identifying the mystery picture.                       

— DFK