| Your Comments: | I found your web site earlier this year and did receive a message from Bob Leslie. I tried to contact him but for some reason he was on his way home and I do not have his e-mail address. I sent him a short message and we did make connections for a short while.
I was at Bonnie Brae 1934-1938. I was looking at the list of do you know any of these guys. I do know a few of them as we were together at BB at the same time and I have a couple of names you have not listed. I was withe Peter Deluca and I am sure he had a younger brother with him. Ray Dixon. Charles Fetter Doug Fleming George Frazer (Supervisor of Boys) Frank and Warren Gabriel Paul Hess Bob Leslie George Paik Jan Pepe (before my time but a returnee at camp) there were two brothers Lowenbergs John Linardikus Walter Iliff Frank Mazolla Albert and Paul Scott Halsey Smith and the Tardifs. There was also a Robert Fleming Bill Shepherd and Johnny Howe Bill Snell and Dave Wallwork all of these are from 1935 and before.
We had two heros at BB that made it big before BB. Doug Fleming and Frank Mazolla. The were orphans in Passaic and with three others found a railroad track that had been under mined by a rainstorm, they took off their raincoats and flagged a train before it came to the damaged track. The big thing was that Babe Ruth's wife was on the train. The press took the story "Passaic Dare Devils flag Train and save Babe Ruth's wife" Jake Ruppert owner of the Yankees dressed them up in Dare Devil uniforms and they made an entire road trip with the Yanks. They had baseballs that were signed by the Yankee's team. I think this had to be about 1929 or so. It was a great story back then. A little more trivia, George Frazer was a roomate with Ozzie Nelson before he became a famous band leader and of course the father of Rick Nelson. Ozzie and Mr. frazer,as I always addressed him, went to Rutgers University. I know there was more than one ocasssion when Mr. Frazer took several of the older boys to New York for dinner and were guests of Ozzie and Harriet Hillyard his wife and vocalist with the band.
I am afraid that the Bonnie Brae I knew has completly changed. The cooks when I was there were all blacks Lamar was a chef from Harlem NY Helen and Macy helped him with the cooking. I can only say it was a great time and they were truly fine people and we had lots of fun while working with them. Lamar made the best fried chicken, and he was proud of it. That old dinning hall holds many happy echos in those walls.
Mike Frolich was in charge of the grounds and he made a great rock garden just below the apple trees and before you came to the pool. This was not an olimpic size pool, maybe a 100 feet in length
and 25 foot wide. It was where I learned to swim. Mike was also our Scout Master, I was a Patrol leader of the Silver Fox patrol of the famous Troop 55. I got as far as Star Scout. There are more stories but later if you cre to read them. I started BB in the Osborne Cottage and moved to Paul Cottage
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