Selected Annotated Bibliography of Yorkville. Compiled by Joseph
Gindele, July 20, 2019. He welcomes submission of other Yorkville-
related material. Contact him at: info@YorkvilleTwinsBook.com or
Joseph Gindele, 3540 Yates Ave. No., Crystal, MN 55422.
a. Yorkville
Bodnar, Theodore A. “Letters: Yorkville recalled.” New York Times,
July 3, 1983. [nyt.org]
Boland, Kevin N. One Day as I Stood Lonely: Yorkville. Blooming-
ton, IN: Xlibris, 2010. [258 pp.] Boland grew up Irish during the
1940s and 50s in what was considered a tough neighborhood in
New York City. He attended Catholic schools. His memoir de-
scribes his friends and how they banded together for mutual
amusement and protection. This is an easy and fun read which
draws the reader onto the streets to share vivid and sometimes
frightening and dangerous experiences that became a formidable
part of Boland’s growing up. It’s an historical and social account
of an era gone by, never to be lived again. This was James Cagney
and Lou Gehrig’s neighborhood. [NOTE: Kevin grew up on 79th
Street between York Ave. and the FDR Drive. He was a U.S.
Marine, retired to Florida, and is now deceased.]
ISBN: 978-1-4415-8349-9.
Dougherty, Martin. Greendougherty’s Blogs. See also Facebook.
Ellis, Rosalind, “A Plan to Preserve Yorkville History,” Our Town.
Upper East Side News & Community (New York), May 4, 1980.
Gindele, John & Joseph. Yorkville Twins: Growing Up in New
York City in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s (revised edition).
Golden Valley, MN: Golden Valley Publishing, 2015. [300
pp.] Take a unique trip down memory lane in the 1940s, 1950s,
and 1960s with a humorous and endearing collection of stories
involving immigrants, survival, growing up, coming of age,
and learning what it is to be an American. More than a memoir,
it’s an experience—a love story of family, friends, neighbors,
and a famous and infamous neighborhood. Twin brothers Joseph
and John Gindele attended public schools, and grew up on the
rough streets of Yorkville (a neighborhood known as a “bucket
of blood”) on Manhattan’s ethnic Upper East Side over 65 years
ago. This is their story—what the city was like then, how it
changed, and how two kids from immigrant parents became ac-
complished K-University educators with earned doctorate degrees.
It’s an American tale full of adventures and laughs, sweet mem-
ories and sad moments. How did their Czech and German parents
[two remarkable people who lived unremarkable lives] and sib-
lings—a family of seven—ever survive living with twins who
share special bonds and predictive abilities? [NOTE: The
Gindele’s grew up at 410, then 420 E. 81st Street, are now retired
and living in a Minneapolis suburb. Yorkville Twins has been
adopted for four consecutive years as required reading for college
freshmen in NY in classes called, “The Immigration Experience
in New York City.”] [YorkvilleTwinsBook.com.]
ISBN: 978-0-9839337-6-2.
Gindele, John & Joseph. Yorkville Twins: Growing Up in New
York City in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s (eBook). Golden
Valley, MN: Golden Valley Publishing, 2015. Described above.
[YorkvilleTwinsBook.com.]
ISBN: 978-0-9839337-9-3.
Gindele, John & Joseph. Yorkville Twins: Hilarious Adventures
Growing Up in New York City, 1944-1962 (first edition). Gold-
en Valley, MN: Golden Valley Publishing, 2012. [305 pp.]
Similar to description above. [YorkvilleTwinsBook.com.]
ISBN: 978-0-9839337-5-5.
Greendougherty. Yorkville on the net.wordpress.com. Also see
Greendougherty Face-book blogs.
Handel, Gerald. Making a Life in Yorkville: Experience and
Meaning in the Life-Course Narrative of an Urban Working-
Class Man. New York: Aldine De Gruyter, 2000. [149 pp]
ISBN: 0-202-30693-3.
Jastrow, Marie. Looking Back: The American Dream Through
Immigrant Eyes: 1907–1918. New York: W.W. Norton & Com-
pany, 1986. [202 pp.] A memoir of the Jastrow family’s early
years in America from the turn of the 20th century to the end
of World War I. They first had apartments at 92nd Street and
First Ave, 76th and Second, eventually settling at 526 E. 81st
Street between York (then, Avenue “A”) and East End Avenues,
because this apartment had hot water and steam heat instead of a
cold-water flat with coal or wood-burning stove. There are many
period photographs and narrative discussing their early life grow-
ing up in Yorkville. The patriarch of the family found success in
America as measured by freedom and that what was highly valued
was one’s ability as contrasted with one’s birthplace. Jastrow paints
an accurate portrait of Yorkville life and harrowing living condi-
tions during that era. Illustrated with period photos.
[Hardcover.]
ISBN: 978-0-393-02348-0.
Jastrow, Marie. A Time to Remember: Growing up in New York
City Before the Great War. New York: W.W. Norton Company,
1979. [174 pp.] Her story is one of intrafamily conflict with the
patriarch’s stubborn attitude to retain his traditional ways in this
new land versus his spouse and children’s desire to break tradi-
tion and to assimilate into the new American society. Born in
1897, Jastrow came to America at age 10 and wrote her first
memoir at age 82. She describes Yorkville in detail, including
life as an immigrant around 1900. Her mother worked at a bakery
on 81st Street and Avenue “A.” Many photographs. [NOTE: In
1991 Marie died at age 93 in Tucson, Arizona. Her son Robert
Jastrow is one of America’s premier Astrophysicists, an author
and professor.] [Hardcover.]
ISBN: 0-393-85001-3.
Leone, Olga. 74th and York: Growing Up Czech in New York City.
Tucson, Arizona: Ghost River Images, 1998. [351 pp.] This
memoir depicts Olga’s early Czech upbringing and childhood
experiences in Yorkville during the 1920s and 30s. It shows
how old country traditions and family values provided her with
life-style tools needed to make it in the new world. She describes
family travels around town and in the country, visiting friends
and other family members. Born in 1920, she lived in various
apartment buildings (1382 and 1396) on York Avenue. [NOTE:
The Gindele’s Uncle Tom lived at 1374. Olga was a writer and
artist described her first 18 years. Olga died in 2007 at age 87
in Connecticut.]
ISBN: none.
Lofaso, Anthony. Origins and History of the Village of Yorkville in
the City of New York (second edition). Bloomington, IN: Xlibris,
2015 [292 pp.] Lofaso traces the historical progress of Yorkville
from 1776–1885 (and into the early 20th century) and describes
two influences on Yorkville’s development. With the arrival of
mass numbers of immigrants living in over-crowded housing
with poor sanitary conditions in lower Manhattan, there was a
need to improve their lives. That need was met by (1) cheaper
available land in the north, and (2) reliable and inexpensive
transportation (streetcars, railway system and the “El”). These
factors helped play a significant growth in the development of
Yorkville’s working class neighborhood that flourished for over
seven decades. As families headed north it caused an explosive
growth in the construction of tenement apartments with running
water and enclosed toilets. Lofaso should have been a history
professor as he clearly and meticulously describes the changes
taking place in regards to streets, avenues, places, and the move-
ment of people. It is evident that he is passionate about Yorkville
and its history. Origins includes great photos and prints from
historical organizations as well as Lofaso’s own collection, and
describes stories of important leaders and shakers, with citations
throughout its ten chapters. It is an informative and engaging read.
[NOTE: Anthony, a Sicilian, lived at 361 E. 76th Street. He collect-
ed garbage, riding on sanitation trucks up and down the streets of
the City. Eventually he became Head of the Department of Sanita-
tion for the City of New York.]
ISBN: 978-1-4990-8548-8.
Lofaso, Anthony. Origins and History of the Village of Yorkville in
the City of New York (first edition). Bloomington, IN: Xlibris,
2010. [126 pp.] The version described above is greatly expanded.
ISBN: 978-1-4500-1940-8.
Miller, Arthur. Little Bastards of Yorkville. Parker, Colorado: Out-
skirts Press, 2017. [83 pp.] “Get out of the way, you little bas-
tards,” shouted taxi drivers speeding down the street where
kids played. Arthur Miller, a single child, was one of those
kids, growing up in a walk-up tenement “railroad” flat in the
1950s in Yorkville, where toilets were in the hallway shared
with other apartments and bathtubs were in the kitchen. It was
a diverse community of Germans, Czechs, Poles, Hungarians,
Italians and Irish, living, working and struggling together in
search of the American dream. He delivered dry cleaning to
Arthur Godfrey, met Dom Ameche and Basil Rathbone (the
original Sherlock Holmes) numerous times walking in the park
and down the street. They lived in the neighborhood. Mischief
and good fun with his rascal friends abound. Enjoy the ride!
[NOTE: Miller, graduate of public schools, is a retired Brooklyn
band teacher now living on Long Island. He lived at 535 E. 81st
Street near East End Avenue.]
ISBN: 978-1-4787-9190-4.
Pryor, Thomas R. I Hate the Dallas Cowboys: Tales Beyond a
Scrappy New York Boyhood. New York: YBK Publishers,
2014. [304 pp.] Pryor has written a humorous and endearing
memoir about his first 18 years growing up in Yorkville. He
loved his neighborhood, and he loved baseball too! Whether
you were born in a large city or a small town, his fifty-three
essays and photographs will take you back to your youth and
cherished childhood memories. If you enjoyed reading Yorkville
Twins about growing up in Yorkville primarily during the 1950s,
you’ll continue to enjoy Pryor’s 1960s portrait of nostalgia and
recollection. The saga of adventure, self-discovery and growth
continues. [NOTE: Pryor still lives in Yorkville near 82nd Street
and York Avenue where he grew up.]
ISBN: 978-1-936411-35-1.
Shaped by Immigrants: A History of Yorkville. New York: Friends
of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, 2018. [81 pp.] Illus-
trated history with many colorful vintage and modern photos.
Beautiful photography and narrative. Stories of the neighbor-
hood’s immigrant past. [friends-ues.org.]
ISBN: 978-0-692-18116-4.
Walsh, Bob. Growing up in Yorkville: During the 1950s. Deer Park,
New York: PBJ Enterprises, 2018. [330 pp.] Growing up Irish
with 11 other siblings, and attending Catholic schools during the
1950s, Bob describes life from a historical, social, cultural and
religious perspective. It’s a wonderful walk down memory lane.
[NOTE: As an adult, Bob ran for Governor of New York, author-
ed over 60 books, and lives on Long Island. He is one of the
world’s leading authorities on anti-money laundering, is a Eucha-
ristic Minister, and assists Catholic Exorcists.]
Walsh516@aol.com
ISBN: 978-0-1986164788
Walsh, Bob. Jimmy’s Boy: Devils, Angels and Miracles—True Story
of a Blessed Child. Deer Park, New York: PBJ Enterprises, 2013.
[366 pp.] Bob grew up in a small four-room tenement railroad
flat in Yorkville from 1945 to 1962. One of 12 children born to a
devout Catholic Irish family, he was blessed with healing powers.
A true and fascinating story of a special child encountering and
surviving demons and the devil. Many details of Yorkville life.
[NOTE: Bob lived at 82nd Street and York Avenue, where writer
Harper Lee maintained a secret apartment when in town.]
ISBN: 978-0-9911717-0-5.
b. Yorkville related
Kelly, Msgr. George A. Inside my Father’s House: A Priest’s Joys and
Struggles with his Church and its People—from 1939 to the Present,
1989. [400 pp., Hardcover] [NOTE: St. Monica’s Catholic Church.]
ISBN: 978-0-385262279.
Marx, Harpo, and Rowland Barber. Harpo Speaks! Limelight ed.
New York: Proscenium Publishers, 1962. [482 pp.]
ISBN: 087910-036-2.
McCabe, John. Cagney. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. [439
pp.] Born in 1899, actor James Cagney lived in Yorkville at
429 East 79th Street from age 11/2 to about 9. He also lived
at 420 East 78th Street, adjacent to 418 where Gindele’s parents
later lived. His family moved to an apartment at 166 East 96th
Street near Lexington Avenue, where he made communion.
He was an altar boy at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic
Church (135 East 96th Street). In 1986 his funeral mass was
held there. Cagney graduated from P.S. 158 and from Stuyvesant
High School. He attended the East Side Settlement House and
its Stepney Camp in Connecticut, as many of us have done. He
also swam in the perilous East River with his friends, as did
some of the Gindele’s and Boland had done (some did not survive).
ISBN: 0-7867-0580-9.
Robinson, Ray. Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time. New York:
HarperPerennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers,
1990. [300 pp.]
ISBN: 9780393028577.
c. New York City related
Ballard, Charles. L. Images of Rail: Metropolitan New York’s Third
Avenue Railway System. Chicago: Arcadia, 2005. [128 pp.]
ISBN: 0-7385-3810-8.
Diehl, Lorraine B. and Marianne Hardart. The Automat: The
History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart’s Master-
piece. New York: Clarkson/Potter Publishers, 2002. [128 pp.]
ISBN: 0-609-610740.
Frommer, Harvey, and Myrna Katz Frommer. It Happened in Man-
hattan: An Oral History of Life in the City During the Mid-
Twentieth Century. New York: Berkley Publishing Group,
2001. [336 pp.]
ISBN: 0-425-18169-3.
Granfield, Linda. 97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant
Life. Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Plattsburgh, New York:
Tundra Books, 2001. [56 pp.] Describes living conditions of
immigrants in a tenement apartment building during the late
1800s and their daily struggles of survival. Although the book
describes life on the Lower East Side, much of it resembled
living conditions on the Upper East Side as well.
ISBN: 9780887765803.
Kendall, Alan. George Gershwin: A Biography. New York: Universe
Books, 1987. [192 pp.]
ISBN: 978-0245543326.
Plunz, Richard. A History of Housing in New York City. New York:
Columbia University Press, 1990. [422 pp.]
ISBN: 9780231062978.
Pryor, Thomas R. River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle.
New York: YBK Publishers, 2012. [23 pp.].
ISBN: 978-1-936411-19-1.
Riis, Jacob A. How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tene-
ments of New York. New York: Dover Publishers, 1971. [233 pp.]
Stelter, Lawrence. By the El: Third Avenue and Its El at Mid-Century
(second edition). New York: Stelterfoto, 1995, 2007. [132pp.]
Beautiful colored photographs by Lothar Stelter supported with
interesting narration of New York City’s urban mass transit of
the Third Avenue elevated subway line. A historical treasure
trove capturing scenes, culture, and ethnic neighborhood charac-
teristics of an era gone by over a half-century ago.
ISBN: 978-0-9777220-1-3.
Stern, Roxanne S. and Graham, Stanley R. A Lifetime worth Remembering:
New York City 1920 to 1960, 2010 [163 pp].
ISBN: 978-1-1453753-1-9.