Revere Beach

[tgk2779]

what was the name of the motel that two Lancer fans managed (the DelMar or something like it??).

Castle Del MAr (??) was owned by Bill & Dot Nickerson. Bill used to spend entire rehearsals repairing horns behind North-Gate. Considering the shape they were in, we probably owe poor Bill $$$Thousands in solder! I last saw him at George B.'s surprise 60th in Malden. He had lost Dot a few years prior in the late 80's. (RIP - Dotty! A sweet lady always wearing a smile!)

No parking after 10 pm to stem any hoodlums who want to sit on the wall and drink beer. Not that WE ever did that!!

I specifically remember the Rever police cruisers slowing down, and after seeing a few corps jackets, they would speed off and leave us alone! After we abused that by sitting on the wall EVERY NIGHT after rehearsal in 78, we had to re-locate away from Kelly's Creme (the ice cream stand down the street). Our last spot at the Wall was, where else, ...directly across the street from the MDC Police Station. We out-smarted the boys in blue as they thought; "Who would be foolish enough to quaff their cold ones right in front of us???" What they didn't know was after hiding the supplies from George B all those years; doing the same from law enforcement became a piece of cake!

OOPS!... another Lancer "Trade Secret" revealed! That's okay,... we're all too old to be hanging out drinking on the Wall any more.....then again, John2780 may disagree with that!

[up4479]

I specifically remember the Rever police cruisers slowing down, and after seeing a few corps jackets, they would speed off and leave us alone! After we abused that by sitting on the wall EVERY NIGHT after rehearsal in 78, we had to re-locate away from Kelly's Creme (the ice cream stand down the street). Our last spot at the Wall was, where else, ...directly across the street from the MDC Police Station. We out-smarted the boys in blue as they thought; "Who would be foolish enough to quaff their cold ones right in front of us???" What they didn't know was after hiding the supplies from George B all those years; doing the same from law enforcement became a piece of cake!

OOPS!... another Lancer "Trade Secret" revealed! That's okay,... we're all too old to be hanging out drinking on the Wall any more.....then again, John2780 may disagree with that!

Here's some of the reasons the Revere and MDC Police ignored drum corps kids.

The Reveries, 27th, St. Anthony's and Revere High Band had lots of Revere and MDC cop's kids, neighbors and other relatives as members, past members and staff. They knew there would be hell to pay at home or back at the station house for busting any kid from a Revere marching unit. Besides, they had larger fish to fry than a bunch of music playing hoodlums that mostly just made noise on summer nights, drinking or not.

Think back to how many times the Revere cops went behind Northgate to tell the Reveries or 27th that half the city was calling about the noise and then wanting to know when and were we were to perform, what current and future fund raisers could they help out at (for free) or contribute money to, and asking how their daughter, son, niece, nephew or neighbor was behaving, totally ignoring the official business they were on to begin with.

Not to steal thunder from 27th hanging out in front of the MDC Police station but the Reveries used to hang out there for years before 27th moved in from across Kelley's Creme. The MDC knew there was drinking and other things going on but knew who we were and as long as we were discrete, picked up our trash and there were no complaints, they ignored us. In fact, one night, there was a rumble between the Reverie kids an the questionable group of guys that hung out in the pavilion (we hung out next to the pavilion, not in it). Even though the fighting spilled out into the Boulevard in front of theMDC Station House, the MDC cops only arrested the other guys. Later that night a MDC captain in uniform walked out of the Station House, crossed the Boulevard and told us he knew who we were, who we marched with, what we did while we were there and thanked us for cleaning up our empties and giving the MDC Police a good excuse to clean out the bad guys. He did suggest we not return to the beach for the rest of the summer but there was only a couple of weeks left so we took the hint and vanished until next year. Nothing was ever heard of the event.

Somehow we got respect from the local law in those days. Of course things could be different on the road.

Edited May 29, 2008 by up4479

[A27Lancer]

How could I forget the Nickerson's names??? Wonderful people and great supporters of 27th.

I do remember being told to dump a beverage by an MDC cop who then noticed my uniform hanging inside the car, and told us we should know better. He ended up shaking hands with us and congratulating us for being in such a fine organization.

[john2780]

OOPS!... another Lancer "Trade Secret" revealed! That's okay,... we're all too old to be hanging out drinking on the Wall any more.....then again, John2780 may disagree with that!

I remember one night some people there where busy making sure the didn't get glaucoma and didn't see the police show up so the cops starts laughing and yells "oh the boys in the band, they don't drink beer they smoke dope". Then , the only male member of the Patti family told the cops that they couldn't arrest us 'cause we were in the Lancers.

Thay actually let us go

Edited May 29, 2008 by john2780

[tgk2779]

I remember one night some people there where busy making sure the didn't get glaucoma and didn't see the police show up so the cops starts laughing and yells "oh the boys in the band, they don't drink beer they smoke dope". Then , the only male member of the Patti family told the cops that they couldn't arrest us 'cause we were in the Lancers.

Thay actually let us go

But Johnny,... you gotta admit it! All of us used up ALL of our GOOD KARMA that many years ago!... and besides, all of those wonderful jandarmes of the Revere P.D. are either long-retired or dead by now!

Today,??? We'd ALL have a growing jewelry collection of Steel Bracelets!... or else, a bullet in the head!

[LancerLegend]

......I once saw a girl put her boyfriend's face through the glass of a pinball machine there!!!

Was that a rifle from Quasar?

.......John and LancerLegend - what was the name of the motel that two Lancer fans managed (the DelMar or something like it??). The folks from Michigan (Wally et al) stayed there the summer of 76. The wife used to make exotic drinks, like Green Goddesses, and we'd sit in the middle of the parking lot drinking them.....

You know they were the Nickerson's. He helped Mike Joly as a quartermaster of sorts by fixing stuff. They also had a teenage son, I recall he had a hearing problem and loved the corps. I believe his deafness prevented him from marching.

Besides the Michigan folks (Wally Ayotte, Ron Koch) from 76 - I am pretty sure even more kids from Michigan (Jan and Bob Lipke) plus drum instructor Mike Kumer would stay there in 1977. I supposed Ralph Pace stayed there as well.

I do remember being very respectful of hanging at the wall. We never wanted to draw attention to ourselves (or the corps) and always made sure we kept the area clean.

As for Northgate - I remember Revere's finest found a gentlemen in the trunk of a Caddy, his hands tied behind his back, and a few ventilation holes in his head, just prior to the 77 summer season. Or, how about the kids that would torch a car in the sand dunes behind Zayre's? It was a tough area.

Edited May 30, 2008 by LancerLegend

[A27Lancer]

Was that a rifle from Quasar?

You know they were the Nickerson's. He helped Mike Joly as a quartermaster of sorts by fixing stuff.

Mike Joly! Another great friend from the past. His sister was Erin (nicknamed Molly Joly). She was a great rifle/person. Mike Joly and Jimmy DeSab kept my fluglehorn in one piece the summer of '76. The bell of the horn actually flew off and hit Tina C. in the back during rehearsal. Jim DeSab borrowed a Blue Devils mellophone so that I could march that night. I dreamed it was Bonnie Ott's

[dusti]

Just want all the readers of this thread know, l just read this and wanted to pass it on..

It is with great sadness and grief to inform the 27th Lancer family and friends, as well as the drum corps world, of a great loss. Mrs. Patsy Bonfiglio, the mother and one of the founders of the 27th Lancers, slipped away into Jesus' arms At 1:45 am this morning at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. She went while sleeping. The details of the wake will be posted as soon as arrangements have been made.

My condolences to the Bonfiglio family and the 27th Lancer family

Dusty Gerlach

21st Lancers Norwood MA 70-77

Boston Crusaders 78-79

[LancerLegend]

Just want all the readers of this thread know, l just read this and wanted to pass it on..

It is with great sadness and grief to inform the 27th Lancer family and friends, as well as the drum corps world, of a great loss. Mrs. Patsy Bonfiglio, the mother and one of the founders of the 27th Lancers, slipped away into Jesus' arms At 1:45 am this morning at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. She went while sleeping. The details of the wake will be posted as soon as arrangements have been made.

My condolences to the Bonfiglio family and the 27th Lancer family

Dusty Gerlach

21st Lancers Norwood MA 70-77

Boston Crusaders 78-79

Dusty - my sincere thanks. You are a Giant of a man to post this notice. Other users might not see it in its other location.

As impersonal as this darn computer is.....the ability to send messages to so many people via email is a huge benefit.

Patsy touched so many lives - was such an influence to so many - loved unconditionally and made all of us better adults. She spoke the truth regardless if you were ready to hear it or not - long before Jack Nickelson made that statement famous.

I would avoid lower Broadway Monday afternoon and evening. There will be perhaps a thousand mourners trying to pay their respects. I know my wife and I will be there.

[A27Lancer]

Dusty - my sincere thanks. You are a Giant of a man to post this notice. Other users might not see it in its other location.

As impersonal as this darn computer is.....the ability to send messages to so many people via email is a huge benefit.

Patsy touched so many lives - was such an influence to so many - loved unconditionally and made all of us better adults. She spoke the truth regardless if you were ready to hear it or not - long before Jack Nickelson made that statement famous.

I would avoid lower Broadway Monday afternoon and evening. There will be perhaps a thousand mourners trying to pay their respects. I know my wife and I will be there.

Patsy truly spoke the truth - and, yes, her love was unconditional. Many the time she fixed my ascot and told me my spats were on backwards and my hat needed blocking. She taught me how to wear my uniform with pride and to "be" a 27th Lancer.

My heart will be with the entire Bonfiglio family and 27th Lancer family throughout this heart-wrenching time.

For those of you reading this thread who either didn't have the opportunity to meet Patsy, or only knew her through association, please understand something. She was not just the director's wife. She was our mom, our heart and soul, our protector and our prosecutor. She was dearly loved by any young man and woman who ever wore a Lancer uniform. She spoke her mind, and chided us in our moments of misjudgement, but ALWAYS with the greater good in mind. Patsy had five children to whom she always showed great love. My heart is with them today, as they must share that love with the hundreds of other children with whom she shared that love.

TJK has already told us that the door of 35 South Cambridge St. was never locked due to Patsy's declaration. I walked through that open door a thousand times for a thousand different reasons. There was love in that home. And comfort. And a place to vent frustrations, and hide from our own angry parents, and maybe, if you were lucky, to have a plate of pasta and meatballs. But mostly, it was a place of hope. A nerve center. The heart of the 27th Lancers.

It has been 22 years since the break-up of 2-7, and 14 years since the 1994 reunion corps. But not an ounce of sentiment has dissappated. The passion remains. Most of the alumni will tell you that the years they spent as a member of the 27th Lancers are the proudest years of their life. ALL will tell you that Mrs. Bonfiglio helped mold them into the man or woman they are today. Rest peacefully, Patsy, in the arms of the Lord.