Terry and Dean moved there after the events of the movie…
Yes, and I can imagine the backstory…
Two WW2 veterans, fresh out of the service and starting a business with their GI Bill loans…
“So what are we gonna call it?”
"Hey, I know! How 'bout “Fubar Manufacturing?” Hee, hee, hee…" [:-^]
“Oh, yeaaaaah, they’ll remember THAT!”
Right next to the “Dairy Queen.” Couldn’t miss it. Who knows how many ex-GI’s lost it seeing the sign, to the mystification of their families?
Good time as any to tell those who don’t know. Lady Firestorm lost her brother to lymphoma last night, very sad, he was a nice guy and a true gentleman. At least his suffering is over, that’s a blessing if nothing else. I’ll be heading up north for the services Friday morning, so I’ll be “off the air” for a few days.
If I remember correctly, they wound up calling it “Two Guys” and it was world-famous in New Jersey right up until Crazy Eddie Antar cut the market out from under them…
“Two Guys” (From Harrison,) the original name, I remember it well.
However, “Two Guys” was a department store, “Fubar Mfg.” was a machine shop, no “relation.”
Remember another place called “E.J. Korvette’s,” the department store? Word had it when I was in school the name came from “Eight Jewish Korea Vets.” All us kids believed it, it made so much sense.
“Yeah, eight Jewish army veterans came home from Korea, started a business, and made it a success, and good for them!”
But the thing is, it wasn’t true. The name came from the two founding partners, Edward, Joseph, and the “Korvette” came from the anti-submarine ship from WW2. Neither partner was in the Navy, but Ed had heard the name “corvette” and liked the sound of it. Interesting, huh?
I think the urban legend is more fun though!
Korvette’s, Alexander’s (with the mural), the Masters Store, Best & Co. hell, all the department stores that were ‘institutions’ in my childhood in New York and New Jersey.
We were Riverside people - and Fashion Center when that opened. No truck with that Bergen Mall! Remember the diner across the way, with the animated chicken sign and the colossal sundaes with green and pink in the whipped cream?
But even if it’s all collateral damage from that $37-odd trillion we sent to China so they could, like some demented 6th Avenue el in reverse, build their massive HSR system. I think in an awful lot of ways I’m with W.C.Fields: “Those were the good old days, I hope they never come again.”
(Thinking about this, I find I can’t remember what it was like not to be able to use a credit-card at a supermarket. Even though I have fond memories of books and books and books of Triple-S Blue Stamps from Grand Union…)
Alexanders (The mural still exists, it’s a Bergen County storage warehouse while they try to figure out what to do with it!) and all the others.
You didn’t care for the Bergen Mall? Too bad, it was a fun place, especially that restaurant they had there called “Wolfies.” You could watch the chefs grilling steaks (Wow! Look at the flames!) and on a cold day it smelled so good!
For a while they had a neat little antique mall on the lower level, got some stuff there, AND the antique shows they had from time to time were a lot of fun. Lady Firestorm and I had a lot of fun at the shows, and there was a jeweler there where I bought her engagement ring. (With her looking over my shoulder so I didn’t foul up! Romantic, huh?) And don’t forget, Brentano’s Books was there as well.
It’s called the “Bergen Town Center” now, but none of us old-timers call it that.
The best attraction anywhere in the area was “The Pretzel Guy” at the Garden State Plaza, remember him at all? Best hot pretzels anywhere! I spent a lot of money at Schiller’s Books there as well.
And I definately remember that “Chicken-In-A-Basket” place on Route 4 with that super-cool animated chicken on the roof! Never got to go there though, Mom and Dad weren’t interested, and by the time I was driving it was too late, it was gone.
Here’s one for you. Remember when gas stations gave away glassware with a fill-up? The joke was…
“Beautiful glassware you have! What gas station do you go to?”
“Those were the good old days, I hope they never come again!” Ah, it wasn’t all bad, not by a long shot.
And there is the possibility W.C. Fields was talking about Prohibition!
North Jersey can still be a wonderland if you know your way ar
Sorry to hear that. I’ll send my prayers her way.
Thanks so much Becky, she’ll appreciate it!
Wayne
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I’m off to my sister’s place later.
Enjoy it while you can.
Bruce
Thanks Bruce. Its a beautiful long weekend here, the snow has melted. The trees are quite bare now, no colour left with our blink and you missed autumn. The turkey went in at 11:15 be ready at 5:40, can’t wait!! Drive carefully.