NYC under siege

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Tom

I grew up in the 70s on Thunderbird and Ripple.

Ripple was the first alcohol beverage I tasted. My bad grandma gave me a small bottle of what I remember as pear flavored when I was 12 for Christmas. Of course I had to have some because of that was Fred Sanford's favorite adult beverage.


Bad grandma drank, dated married men and gambled in Las Vegas every other weekend. She was the young grandma and was killed in a car crash at 59 with her younger married boyfriend. The poor man's wife thought he was always going on business trips, had no idea he was unfaithful.



Good grandma was pretty much the exact opposite, did not drink, went to church twice a week, thought gambling was a sin, and had no interest in dating when my grandfather widowed her at around 60. She looked a lot younger than she was and all the men her age were after her. She lived till 99.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

When I lived in LA (Wilshire Center) back in 1979, I was in a local Von's. Watched a guy in front of me buy a 6-pack of beer and a can of Sterno.

Asked the cashier about it and he explained that Sterno was known as "Squeeze." (The camp stove fuel)

Street people would mix it with anything palatable and drink it. Read about it in the story below.

Skid Row Deaths Of 1963

Wow! Never heard of that …………Thanks Dave

[TJDave]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

What brand of wine? The official wino whine of Skid Row when I worked a block away in the early 80's was Thunderbird, empty bottles were everywhere. The corner store that sold it also sold the Racing Form. I think they both cost $1.50. Looks like it is no longer made but online stores make you think it is and then you put in any address and it says unavailable.

I even tried an address a block over from Skid Row. Not sure the liquor store profit on cheap wine, but in that small store it was rare to not have a couple winos in line all the time.

Mad dog

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by TJDave

Mad dog

Unlike T-bird and Ripple, MD 20-20 lives on. They sell it at the local country store.

[ElKabong]

Someone here mentioned the Dallas PD was the most corrupt in the nation in the 60s. I disagree. It might have been the most effective, and I wish they could bring back their aggressive "handling" of actual criminals

Do this, and the smash and grab gangs die a quick death

YouTube