Thomas J. Knowlton lovingly known as Bingo

Thomas J. Knowlton, 73, of Knowlton Rd., Fonda, NY, Montgomery County, passed away Thursday morning, September 20, 2007 at the VA Medical Center Hospital in Albany.Born in Amsterdam, NY on August 12, 1934, a son of Francis and Margaret Healey Knowlton. Mr. Knowlton grew up in the Fonda area and was a 1951 graduate of Fonda High School. He left the area for a time and lived in Florida and Arizona.He was a U.S. Army veteran serving from 1956 to 1958, serving overseas in Germany. Thomas returned to the Fonda area in the 1970s where he has resided since. He was employed as an Iron worker by the Iron Workers Union Local No. 12 of Albany, NY and also worked as a Bartender, most recently working this summer at the Saratoga Race course. He was a member of the Hotel, Motel, Restaurant Workers Union Local No. 471 AFL-CIO. Mr. Knowlton was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, the American Legion Post No. 0337 of Broadalbin, NY and the Johnstown Moose Lodge. He was an avid horse racing fan (Barkley Tagg). He is survived by two brothers, Francis Knowlton (Evelyn) of Fonda, NY and David Knowlton (Cathy) of Tribes Hill, NY; one sister, Margaret Flint (Harold) of Fonda, NY. Several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, nephews and cousins also survive. Thomas was predeceased by his brother, Martin “Marty” Knowlton on September 10, 2006.Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 9 a.m. at the Jackson & Betz Funeral Home, 15 Main St., Fultonville, NY followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church, Broadway, Fonda, NY with Father Patrick Gallagher as celebrant. Interment will be in St. Cecilia’s Cemetery in Fonda, NY with full military honors. The family will receive relatives and friends on Monday, September 24, 2007 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. at the funeral home. The Fraternal Order of the Eagles will meet on Monday at the funeral home at 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 260 Osborne Rd., Loudonville, NY 12211 or to Community Hospice of Amsterdam, 246 Manny Corners Rd., Amsterdam, NY 12010. Please sign the family’s online guestbook at www.brbs.funeral.com.

p.s. was a one time person of interest in the Star Of India heist in 1964

Did I Ever Tell You About...

...Ann Gorman. Ann was born Stephanie St. Claire in County Cork, Ireland, known as "Bandit Country" by the locals. She immigrated to New York in 1922. After taking her cut from a bank robbery with Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, in which she drove the getaway car, Ann opened a numbers bank in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. During this time she would become affiliated with the 40 Thieves street gang, but it was not long before she branched off on her own and operated the leading numbers racket in the city. Ann's departure from the gang was due greatly to the fact she wanted to control the gang. Ann challenged leader Edward Brennan for leadership. They would settle the dispute in bare knuckle fight. Owen Madden, boxing promoter and Cotton Club proprietor, heard of the challenge and decided to promote and stage fight at the Cotton Club itself. Ann would beat Brennan into submission, but the gang could not bear the embarrassment and ousted Ann anyway After the Great Depression and with the end of Prohibition gangsters all over the city saw a decrease in profits. This led to Dutch Shultz muscling in on her numbers game. Ann and her main enforcer Hap "Cement Head" Haswell refused to give into Schultz. This led to one of the biggest waves of violence the city had ever seen. With the wave of violence wearing her and her men down Ann began to complain to the local authorities who just brushed her off, Ann then went to the newspapers and told of the corruption amongst it's senior officers. Shortly thereafter Ann was arrested on trumped up charges. While Ann was in custody Haswell approached Lucky Luciano to aid in ending this turf war. Ann and "Cement Head" Haswell realizing the war couldn't go on agreed to a truce with Schultz that was mediated by Luciano. Ann was allowed to live and operate as long as she payed tax to Luciano and the Commission. Schultz was assassinated on the orders of Luciano in 1935, it has long been rumored "Cement Head" himself did the deed. Ann had nothing to do with his murder, but is remembered for sending a telegram to his hospital bed. It read, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." This incident made headlines across the country. After the death of Arnold Rothstein and Luciano taking firm control and creating the Commission, Ann was asked to move upstate to Saratoga Springs and operate The Brook Gambling House. Ann would operate this establishment up until 1944 when it mysteriously burned down. Ann would then open up the Race View Motel located on Nelson Avenue across from the Back Stretch. The motel became a hot spot in the late 40's and 50's. It became famous for a often imitated but never duplicated duet sang there by Saratoga's own Eddie Sabitini and Frank Sinatra. Their duet of "Paris In the Spring Time" became world famous. Ann has retired to a private life now but her mark has been left on Saratoga forever. Celtic great Bob Cousy said in his autobiography, "Mrs. Gorman was the greatest host when me and the boys played those summer league games at The Brook".

Saratoga

Day 1- Dodie is mad because the U.S. government denied her request for the 365 and some change calender. All-Pro watched the Fresh Prince of Bell Air dance championships. Market slapped all her kids just for living........

Day 2- Just a blur, too many Budweisersssssssssssssss at The Shack. Shack by day and "$2 you call it" at the Bull Pen at night, not a good decision......

Day 3- Market and All-Pro have launched a $1 exacta box offensive on all races at the track. There is talk that they may pool their dollar then chip in and split a coffee.......

Day 4- 74 Beers was the gaunlet that was thrown down. Doc said it couldn't be done All-Pro disageered, hence the beer fest of 2007 has begun, god save us all.......All-Pro was quoted as saying "Bonds hit 73?" what a pussy....."

Day 5- Took the blame for All-Pro's faux paus, Market was thoughougly pissed. Took a beating for my brother....Market acted on some disinformation......

Day 6- It is Travers Day, and yes I am still alive. The Talapia at the Harness Track was awesome. At 2:30 p.m. All-Pro's beer count is 12, more to follow.....

Day 7- Travers Day +1...All-Pro's beer count was 34, impressive being that it was one of the hottest Travers Days on record. The night was spent on Caroline Street playing the waiting game. Waiting to get into a bar, waiting for a drink, waiting to use the bathroom. All-Pro's beer count may have been 34 but Doc's chimichanga count was 8.......My Uncle O'Rourke has moe stories than the Highway Patrol.........

Day 8- Summer's gone and all the flowers are dying tis you must go and I must bide....come ye back next Travers Day Week....for we'll be here on the porch in sunshine and in shadow......summer time on White Street I love you so..............see you in '08

How much do you love your siblings?

We recently had a family member go through a rough time with cancer, prognosis was not good. We began to talk about what would you do if it were your sister, brother, or other family member suffering from illness. I came up with many viable and tangible solutions, for example:

If my Brother was gravely ill- Given he knows how to knock down brews, trying to drink him into a beer induced coma would most definatley kill me. I would secretly feed him that Strict-9 laced turkey he got from that Bodega in Ben Salem, Pa. He wouldn't stand a chance. And just to show how much I care for him I would use that action photo of him jumping into the pool in back yard on White St. at his wake. If by some miracle he lived through the turkey I would have MacGuyver and Kevin Allen take him off his death bed and head to 5 Points for some Nibbles&Gibbles hot chips.

If my Mother was ill- I would employ my favorite aunt Grace to come and be her live-in nurse. I would build them bunk beds with auntie Grace on top bunk. I would have Grace read to her and have daily slde-shows of her and Uncle Richards vacations. Aunt Grace would also take my Mother shopping for cotton slacks that were only inspected by Inspector 12. After about a week of this my Mother would be begging me to unplug her machines and let her slip away.

If my Sister was ill- I would slip into her hospital room and smother her with a pillow. Just to show I'm not heartless I would use a clean pillow and I would construct a memorial calendar of her using the 365 days and some change year.

August CliffsNotes

Just spent a week in the "August Place To Be"? Standing at Albany Airport ready to catch a flight back to where ever it is you came from, so hungry but you can't eat because you just blew 2 weeks pay? Nervous about going to visit family the day after a night out, wondering maybe that you made a total ass out of yourself the night before....but you can't be sure? It's all a blur during August in Saratoga. Every where there are barbecues, parties, and the ever present bar. It's an escape from reality for a brief moment. You are not that swing shift supervisor, the office tech, teacher, doctor, or whoever. You have no responsibilities or appointments to meet. You're biggest worry is what time is last call. The day is spent at the track piecing yourself back together from last night's activities, not for your physical well being but only to feel good enough to go back out. You dare not go out in fear that you might miss one more classic moment. I wouldn't have it any other way................

Ain't got no money ain't got no job how do you do it doo doo Dom

4th. Of July

As america celebrates it's independance I remeber the 4th. July celebrations that took place over the years on White St. Bill Green used to put on a firework display that would make Coney Island jealous. Bill Green first began as a oil field firefighter in Texas. He became world famous as an innovator in the highly specialized and extremely hazardous profession of extinguishing and capping blazing, erupting oil wells, both land-based and offshore. Green was born in Houston, Texas, and attended Reagan High School. He began fighting oil well fires after returning from serving in a bomb disposal unit during Vietnam. Green started his career working for the MM Kinley Company, the "original" blowout/oil firefighting pioneer. Bill gained global fame in 1982, when he tackled a fire at a gas field in the Sahara nicknamed the Devil's Cigarette Lighter, a 450-foot (137m) pillar of flame. In 1988, he helped put out the Piper Alpha oil rig fire. At age 45, Green took part in extinguishing the oil well fires in Kuwait set by retreating Iraqi troops after the Gulf War in 1991. In 1978, Green's top lieutenants Asger "Boots" Hansen and Ed "Coots" Matthews left to found competitor Boots & Coots International Well Control, Inc. Green was the basis for the Kurt Russell character Bull McCaffrey in the film Backdraft. He even appeared as an extra in the film. Green sadi after fighting the oil well fires in Kuwait, "I've done made a deal with the devil. He said he's going to give me an air-conditioned place when I go down there, if I go there, so I won't put all the fires out." Here's to you Bill Green.