New York Trip

Sally and I were in New York over the past few days. I had a meeting in the city, and afterwards, we stayed a few days to do some sightseeing.

We were able to spend a whole day visiting areas in NYC that were important in Tony's early life. As most people know, Tony was born in and grew up in New York so every time Tony and I came here he would always drive me around and show me his old neighborhood. So, this trip, I went back to visit again. It was a very moving experience for me.


I love the towering buildings in Manhattan...


I wanted to go over the river to New Jersey to pay my respects to the gravesite of Tony's younger brother, Julius. Sadly, Julie was struck and killed by a truck in NYC in September, 1938. Julie's passing affected Tony his entire life...


As we wandered in the cemetary searching for Julie's grave, we saw a beautiful herd of wild deer grazing among the stone markers. I tried to take a photo but they began to run away and I was only able to catch their hind ends!


Eventually, I found Julie's marker...


Julie's grave is kept nice and tidy- Tony paid to take care of it his entire life, something that I now do in Tony's and Julie's memory.


Julie's stone...


I wrote a letter to Julie and I left it for him...


I had brought some stones from Tony's grave and some marbles that Tony had collected along with me and I placed them on Julie's marker...


On the marker...


Next, we headed back to the city to Tony's old neighborhood.


Tony and his family (mom, dad, Tony and Julie) lived on this block. Tony's dad had a tailor store here and his family lived in a single room in the back of the store...


The tailor shop is now a frame shop- but it's still the original building...


I went in to explore it. This framing area was part of the tailor shop...


I then asked the current owner if I could see into the back room where Tony and his family lived...


This small room is where the four members of the family lived, Tony's parents had a bed in one corner, Julie and Tony had a bed in another corner. The small door is to a tiny bathroom and there is a small window behind some of the stored frames.

It is absolutely amazing and heartbreaking that Tony and his family lived here in this tiny room. It just shows me how far Tony had come in his life, what a strong man he was and how he worked so hard to make his dreams come true. Even though Tony eventually became a Hollywood Icon- he NEVER forgot where he came from...


This is the corner where Julie was struck by the truck. Tony would often point this intersection out to me...


The synagogue that Tony's father attended...


Later, I lit candles for Tony in St. Patrick's Cathedral...


Me, in Rockefeller Center...


The Statue of Liberty from Battery Park...


Some of the Occupy Wall street protesters on the steps of Federal Hall...


The new Freedom Tower at Ground Zero...

Sally and I had a great trip- but now it's back home to Shiloh and the horses.

By the way, I obviously finally figured out a new blog format that allows me to put captions on the photos. Yay!


- Posted by Jill Curtis from on the road or from the ranch using the Shiloh Horses' iPhone

Location:LaGuardia Rd,,United States