42nd Street inThe 40's

The summer of 1940 found me working
in a Whelan's Drug Store on 42nd St.
Diagonally across the street was
The Commodore Hotel ..
At my station behind the counter,
I could look uptown toward ,the east side
of Grand Central Station, emptying
into Lexington Ave.
It was a very busy place.
My friend Barney told me of a job
vacancy in the West 50's
When summer ended, I left Whelan's
and started at The American
Insignia Company.
AMICO, as it was known to us,
was closer to my High School,
Haaran High, on 59th and 9th Ave.
I was hired, part time, as an apprentice
solderer.
With high school behind me I began
full time at Amico, as Senior Solderer.
I worked there until I left for
the US Army early in 1943 .
At the completion of my Service I returned
to Amico in 1946 by contractual agreement,
with a raise in salary.
Four months later I married Bea, in
Broadway Mansions with 50 couples
in attendance.
The cost of the Wedding was 400 Dollars
and my Salary, $34.00 a week.

Today 34 dollars would be,
cab fare to the Hall, 3 miles from
42nd Street.