Just about this wintery time of year this writer can almost inhale the memories of 50+ years ago. Actually, it was January of ’69 and we college students needed bread AKA money, moolah or dinero. Being 18 and single, vibrant and seeking female companionship always required a wallet full of cash. The clubs and discos weren’t free, nor were the booze and beer… and of course weed. Being too young yet to drive a yellow cab like my brother Peter the only employment open for me were the usual delivery boy jobs that paid about minimum wage, plus not much in tips. Couldn’t wait one more year when at 19 I could get that joyous hack license.
Providence interceded very quickly when my mother informed us that her cousin Joseph was promoted to be nighttime manager at the Daily News plant in downtown Brooklyn. ” He said he can get you both hired for shape up on Friday and Saturday nights”. When she informed us that Joseph said they paid double the minimum wage for a full night’s work from midnight to 7 AM, we were in! Couldn’t wait to get our asses down there on Friday night. Peter had his own car, a used VW Bug and we got directions to where it was, the plant. We both realized that it was going to be cold, in the low teens Friday night, so on went the heavy white socks, dungarees, layers of clothing topped off by our winter jackets ( this was years before the down jackets). We both wore woolen beanie caps and gloves, packed sandwiches and thermoses filled with hot coffee, and off we went.
Joseph told us to get there a half hour before the shape up began at 11:30 and to look for him. I can still recall that first night, driving down Rogers Ave with Peter at the wheel, listening to the Stone’s Let It Bleed album. As Keith wallowed out ‘ You got the silver’ we passed through Bed Sty, which at the time was considered a Slum Neighborhood ( nowadays it is Yuppie heaven and quite pricey). Peter’s heater worked so good that I had to keep the window open a bit. Might as well enjoy the warmth before we freeze our asses off on the outside loading dock. We arrived well on time and parked close to the plant, as that neighborhood in downtown Brooklyn was as eerie as Bed Sty. There was a literal mob of guys looking to be hired at the shape up. We kind of grinned to ourselves, knowing that we were ‘ In like Flint’. Sure enough, Joseph saw us, walked over and whispered ‘ Just give your names to that guy there ( he pointed) and keep quiet. He’ll pick you both.’
There were two categories of shape up workers: the loaders and the drivers. Since we did not have the proper truck driver licenses, we became like the majority of guys picked. A foreman got us started by showing us the how and the where of it. We were to stand by the long conveyor belt and snatch a load of newspapers, all bundled inside metal wiring. Then we were told which delivery truck was ours to load. Once the truck was loaded the foreman selected one of us to be the ‘ Tail man’. The tail man would sit on the piles of papers in the open air rear and as the driver pulled up to a stop toss a bundle in front of the store. This would go on until the early morning and then back to the plant to punch out. My brother got picked to be a tail while I spent the rest of the night loading trucks and stomping my feet to stay warmer. It was ******* cold man! The coffee ran out pretty fast and so did the sandwiches. On top of that, staying awake through the night was a chore. I would just envision being at home in my warm bedroom listening to Alex Bennett on WABC FM tossing out soft rock to me. The only consolation for this gig was knowing how much I was earning.
At 7 AM Peter and his truck driver pulled in. My brother was grinning as we punched out and headed for his VW. Now he was laughing. ” Sorry you had to freeze your balls off all night. It was just as cold in the back of that truck, but…” But what I asked. ” Well, this guy does this every Friday and Saturday night. Knows all the angles. He rushed his route real quick, and I had to hang on for my dear life. But, we actually finished up around 5 AM. So, he headed for his favorite diner and we had a nice hot breakfast before returning. Not bad for five hours work bro.”
As the NY winter kept snowy and damn frigid we both decided to pass on this opportunity. Peter went back to hacking and I awaited summer recess to get my cabbie license.
PA Farruggio
December 2025