Old desks in new Stuyvesant HS classroom

In order to facilitate classmate connections and promote attacks of nostalgia, we are working to recreate the classmate makeup of each homeroom. Check for the accuracy of your name, homeroom, and status. Add information/corrections about friends and homeroom classmates. Send contact information for those classmates for whom we have none.

We are all also seeking memories and anecdotes about teachers, homerooms, and activities (clubs, teams, service organizations) to include on this website for our enjoyment. And we would like your comments.

Email information to Stan Mandell (sman415@comcast.net)

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We have color-coded the classmates:

BLUE: we have contact information;

BLUE & BOLD:  plans to attend the Reunion;

RED:  we are missing contact information;

GRAY: classmates who are deceased.

HOMEROOMS

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CALABRESE, WILLIAM

George Aprile, Arty Aptowitz, Marc Brandfonbrenner, Stephen Cerf, Teddy Diesenhaus, Samuel Dorn, Bernie Feldman, Danny Friedman, Fred Glazer, Stanley Gordon, Jay Gottlieb, Max Gunzburger, Eddie Jencsik,  Jonathan Kane, Billy Nadel, William Oakes, Jeff Schneider, Helge Sjolund, Stewart Sokol, Simeon Soterakis, Anthony Starace, Richard Vos, Ronnie Wallenfels 

COHEN, CECILE (replacing Mr Hart)

Paul Berman, (Irving) David Blumer, Marvin Brown, Paul Cohen, Saul Cohen, Robert Coppolino, Daniel Feigin(d), Stuart Gershon, Stuart Glickman, Ronald Grabe, Alan Green, Robert Greenfield, William Hanousek, Baruch Heller, Carl Hodges, Albert Kahan, William Joseph LaForte, William LaSorella, Barry Levine, Jerold Levoritz, Michael Michalofsky, Stephen Miller, William Motzer, Larry Pearson, Robert Pierson, Mark Scher, Gustavo Serina, Eric Toppin(d), Steven Wallach, Charles Wertheimer, Gregory Wiliams(d), Alan Winokur

“Leibel was a magician when it came 

to folding immense issues of the

Times into shapes that could be easily

handled and read in the confines

of a crowded subway car.”

CRABLE, MR.

Al Fleischman, Walter Heitner, Arthur Heyderman, Mike Leibowitz, Al Levine, Steve Markowitz, Mike Nadel, Stewart Venit

Memory (Heyderman): My homeroom teacher was Gus Crable initially and then Mr Lehrer (not Tom Lehrer the Harvard Math Professor/Singer). As you recall, we graduated in the 60’s and those years are pretty much a blur for me. I remember that there were other students in the class, but not much more. I also cannot currently find my copy of the Pegleg Yearbook. I suspect it might have been stolen. Two neighboring town here are Dewitt Iowa and Clinton Iowa, and I’ve always mistrusted the folks from them.

GRUOSSO, MR.

Francis Albino, William Arlt, Avram Caspy, Charles Cifuni, Pasqule DePetris, Harold Fabinsky, Eben Feinstein, Michael Gimbel, Mark Ginsberg, Harold Helfand, Donald Lefante, David Lober, Jonathan Mills, Peter Persoff, Joseph Rosenbaum, Sheldon Rubenfeld, Sheldon Sachs, Robert Salerni, Peter Shalen, Steve Shestakofsky, Louis Simchowitz, Marc Trachtenberg, Alan Turner

HILL, WILD BILL 4JP

Michael Allen, Edward Carlson, Michael Crowe, Barry Dorf, Kenny Friedman, Joel Garrett(d), Sy Goldman, Stan Grossman, Ron Gutterson, Steve Kaplan, Harry Kukk, Howard Lipsky, Adalberto Lopez, John Mamalakis, Roberto Marte, Anthony Mathias(d), Howard Medoff, Phil Melnekoff, Edward Mendelson, Michael Michalofsky, Howard Miller, Fidel Nabor, Roger Niclas(d), Andre Petrosino(d), Anthony Policastro, John Richards, Alan Schulman, Robert Silver, Hal Silverman, Jeff Spiro

Memory (Keith Shaefer):Re: “Wild BIll” Hill. He was a Stuyvesant graduate, according to my father. No idea which class.

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LEIBEL, EMMANUEL 3JD, Rm 501

Joseph Albeck, James Baumbach, Mark Berger, Lawrence Bernstein, Stanley Carol, Erwin Elber, Arthur Epstein, Edward Feinberg, Kenneth Fields, Barry Freeman, Michael Friendly, Arthur Golden, Peter Goodman, Burton Gordon(d), Samuel Graff, Bob Grauer, Lawrence Greenberg, Kenneth Grossberg, Craig Hathaway, Dennis Hoogerman, Robert Kanigel, Harold Katcher, Morris Margolin, Bruce Menn, Alec Nacht, Bruce Rosner, Louis Schwartz, Jack Silver, Michael Silverstein, Rainer Theurich(d), Robert Tunis, Steven Unger, Paul Vincino, William Weintraub, Douglas Wise, Steven Weinstock(d), Arthur Woodard

Memory (Hathaway): Leibel was a magician when it came to folding immense issues of the Times into shapes that could be easily handled and read in the confines of a crowded subway car. He was always immaculately attired when he arrived at school although I understand that had already done copy editing for the Times each day before that arrival. I wonder how many students realized that the compact notes and terse commentary found on their almost literate essays had been employed earlier in the day to some of the most influential writing in the culture. He could also wing a piece of chalk with unfailing accuracy at any student head which was not effectively posed to give the impression of paying attention to his remarks.

Memory (Marvin Brown): Mr. Leibel explaining how he prepared himself in the morning before he came to school. He had us in stiches with his account of his bath.
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LIEBERMAN, SHAKEY JAKE 8V, Rm 213

Rhett Alston(d), Gerald Bergstrom, Melvyn Delfrin, Stuart Edelstein, Bruce Eichner, Paul Freidman, Tony Gambino, Arthur Goldstein, Wally Gossett, Richard Herzog, Harry Hobbs, Ira  Klein, Philip Krampetz, Lawrence Kronenberg, Len Levine, Albert Lewis, Stan Litow, Mark Lubetkin, Ray Martoccia, Myron Meisner, Peter Mitas, Charles O’Rourke, William Reich, Peter Rotolo, John Russo, William Samsonoff, Jon Spinner, Jesse Tarshis, Joseph Wesolowski, Joel Wittman, Michael Wolin

Memories (Gambino): Pop was such a unique and lovable character because of his antics, “words of wisdom” and appearance. I recall the times he would  stand on a milk box, because he was so short, but  still couldn’t see who was talking, so he would yell out for  “joe jerk” who was “picking his nose,” to be quiet.

One of my fondest memories is Pop’s reaction when we presented him with a retirement gift (I think he actually retired two years later). I think it was a short- wave radio (correct?). I kind of remember his reaction — it looked like  he was saying to himself “what the heck am I going to do with this– couldn’t they have gotten me tickets to the fights, instead!”

LINDER, ARTHUR

Warren Balinsky, Allen Cutler, Russell Goodman, Les Martin, Andrew Renert, Arno Roost, Stephen Rudley, Ed Schneider, Marvin Sloben, Myron Stein, Allen Tomkins, Eugene (Josh) Weinstein, Charles Williams,

“Our whole official class went to

his (Richie Nickel’s) funeral on a dark 

rainy day at a cemetery in Canarsie. 

His parents were devastated.”

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LOWENTHAL, JESSE (Ms Schorr freshman year)

Harold Bloomfield, Bob Chaban, Phil Cohen, Bobby Colomby, Frank Coppa, Alan Dombrow, Alan Dreifuss, Jan Eyerman, Peter Ferdico, Bob Greene, George Hrehorovich(Gregor), Richie Karle (d), Joseph Kindratiw, Bernie Klapper, Charlie Kovaacs, Mike Lamm, Stan Mandell, Hank Mariotti, Richie Nickel (d), Don Nussbaum, Gary Scott, Paul Shotter, Marty Soloman, Joe Solomon, John Stewart, Andrij Szul, Doug Turner, Ronnie Ward, Bob Zimmerman

Memory (Ferdico): I remember the day that my official teacher in the eighth grade informed me that I was accepted to Stuyvesant.  He receives a note from the office and then gets a big smile on his face.  He then tells me that I was accepted to Stuyvesant.  I think he was more happy than I was, and I was very happy. (I was like his protege.) He then me that he didn’t think I was accepted because in his daughter’s school, they had made the announcement the previous day.
Memory (Gregor): I remember during those lunch periods I organized a chess league. Lamm, Dreyfuss, Donald and I were four of the eight. We kept score and standings.
Memory (Mandell): I think we had students studying three languages (method for composing homerooms):  German, Latin, and Russian. German language (majority of the class) was with Miss Haesseler, who retired after our sophomore year, and we gave her a watch, a Colomby (brand) watch. Shewas so surprised, and cried. Mr Mischel replaced her the next year.

Memory (Dombrow): Richard Nickel was a close friend of mine since elementary school. As pre-teens, we played at his home and his mom and dad took us to the movies. He was an only child who had rheumatic fever as a child, which kept him home schooled for a number of years and on crutches, until the 8th grade when he returned to Public School 88 in Queens, seeming very healthy. Richard was our 8th grade Valedictorian. All through elementary school he was very bright and influenced me greatly. He always questioned the common wisdom, seeking the truth to questions he never hesitated to ask. He and I both went on to Stuyvesant in 1958. Richard died during his sophomore year and was buried on March 10, 1960. Knowing how to get to the cemetery by subway, I took our homeroom class to the burial. After Richard died, his parents had two more children: an adopted son who died in 1991 at age 31 and a daughter who still lives at the same address in Queens. Richard’s mom died in 1989 at 65 and his father in 1995 at 72. They were a wonderful family. I think of them often. —

Memory (Gregor): I believe he spelled Richard Nickle or Nickel.  Had lunch together often with him, Donald Nussbaum, Bob Zimmerman, Alan Dreyfuss, Mike Lamm. Richard looked over into my plate in the cafeteria and asked “What’s that slop you’re eating?” Only 15 yrs old. Sad.

Memory (Bob Zimmerman; Oct 3, 2013): I remember Richard Nickel as if I were talking to him yesterday. I remember we would have a laugh pronouncing Rafael Sabatini in as many different ways as we could, as a protest I guess for having to read Captain Blood. That was right befiore summer vacation, and sadly that was the last time we laughed together.

Memory (Mandell): Pretty much our whole official class went to the funeral on a dark rainy day at a cemetery in Canarsie. His parents were devastated, though Richie had been enduring some serious chronic illness. He was a really nice guy with a big smile and was very bright. Joe Solomon, rarely one to be serious, had lost a parent earlier in life. In a moment of grim silence, after the burial, he quietly began to recite the mourners kaddish.

Memory (Schaefer): I saw Richie Nickel sitting on the porch of a house in upstate NY the summer between our freshman and sophomore years. Since it was not too far from where my family summer home was, I thought that I should go pay a visit. Unfortunately, I never did. As a side note, Mr Rothenberg’s summer bungalow colony was directly across the lake from where I saw Richie Nickel.

Richie Nickel, April 1958

Memory (Colomby): When I first got to Stuyvesant I had no idea how to allocate my study time.  How much should I focus on math, English, history… It was a source of great concern as my interests were clearly elsewhere.  I decided to ask the kid sitting in front of me how he planned to study each evening.  Armed with his input, I proceeded only to find that he was consistently getting 100s on his exams and I was a mid-80’s guy.  He invited me to sleep over at his mom’s apartment in Brooklyn.  I hadn’t spent much time overseas, so this was a two-fold opportunity: to see the world (no passport required) and check out his study habits first hand. Of course, had I known that the kid sitting in front of me (we were seated alphabetically) would become valedictorian (Philip Cohen) I would have asked someone else… anyone else.

Memory (Malakoff): I had Dr. Zucker for 5th term English and somehow wound up with a grade of 95. This earned me a space in Loewenthal’s honors English class. For some totally unknown reason, Loewenthal had it in for me from day one. He incessantly embarrassed me and publicly poked fun at me on a daily basis. Today those actions would surely earn him time in a DOE “rubber room” and maybe a civil rights suit. His actions towards me were beyond belief. After fifty years, the painful scars remain. Hopefully, he is not resting in peace.

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Fall Semester Schedule, September 1958

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McGARRY, ED

Harvey Adelson, Mark Alper, Saul Cohen, Allen Cutler, Alan Dorkin, Fred Eckhaus, Allen Fleischman, Jed Goldart, Frank Guerra, Eric Hartman(d), Eric Herbst, John Hochman, Elliot Jacobs, Paul Kligfield, Gerard Lallemand, Marshall Levine, Adalberto Lopez, Eli Lustgarten, Peter Nester(d), Dan Turner, Vincent Vaccaro, Sasha Zill, Jay Zlotnick, Stephen Zurrow

Memory (Turner): Our homeroom had a raised stage in front & theater-type seats – I think it was used for “hygiene” lectures/films.
Memory (Turner): Big Ed always told us that, since he was a wounded vet, our parents couldn’t do anything to him, legally or job-wise, if he beat the shit out of us. (He was a very nice guy who never seriously threatened anyone.)

Memory (Turner): Eric Hartman wasn’t a friend of mine, particularly.  As a matter of fact, he was quiet and withdrawn even by Stuyvesant standards.  But when, one morning in October of 1060, Big Ed McGarry announced that Eric had died, I was stunned.  I mean, I was 14, and 14-year-olds didn’t die.  We had this whole, wonderful future (with all that “potential” we were always told about) ahead of us.  I was stunned.  So I took up a collection in our home room to buy certificates for trees in Israel in his name and mailed the certificates to his parents along with a note.  I don’t remember if I ever heard from his parents – which isn’t the point.  I did it, in some inexplicable way, for me.  Like sitting ‘shiva’ is a form of ritualized mourning whose beneficial effects I never understood as a kid. But I have come to appreciate it, as an adult, after seeing the problems people have as a result of not being able/knowing how to mourn.

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McGILLICUDDY, FRANCES 8N

Richard Ashley, Charles Brody, Martin Bronstein, Joseph Catanzaro, Mark Chernoff, Bob Diaz, Barry Dorf, Paul Chipkin, Michael Cooper, Fred Feingold, Bruce Freund(d), Alan Horowitz, Douglas Houston, Andy Karlin, Alfred Liotta, Stanley Litow, Frank Madof, Harry Malakoff, Ed Mallon, Stewart Margolis, Martin Miller, Ronald Ocean, Spencer Schein, Martin Troeger, Harvey Weiner, Steven Weinstock(d)

Memory (Ashley): I always batted heads with her. This was usually over stupidity. Nothing new for teenagers. To this day I still don’t like redheads.

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“(McGarry): Big Ed always told us that,

since he was a wounded vet, our parents 

couldn’t do anything to him, legally or

job-wise, if he beat the shit out of us.”

MIDONICK, HENRIETTA

Bob Aaronson, Jim Brust, Peter Imrey, Howard Levy, Jeff Megerdichian, Allan Marcus, Anthony Pappas, Paul Pensig, Stuart Peterfreund, Richard Rabinowitz, Arthur Schack

Memory (Imrey):Mrs. Midonick was older, a bit stiff, and kind underneath her formality. But unfortunately my most dominant memory is of her undoubtedly well-intended morning injunctions, as we left for first period, along lines of: “Boys, do well today, and remember that all you do counts on your permanent record.” Not what a teenager wants to hear, and an attitude I spent much of college and grad school reacting against.

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PENZER, ABRAHAM

Julius Rothenberg c. 1968 (Alfred Schaefer on left)

ROTHENBERG, JULIUS 8L, Rm504

Ken Baumel, Herbert Blatt, David Braverman, Barry Cohen, Henry Comiter, Ron Ehrenberg, Franklin Goins, Howard Grahn, Simeon Grater, Steve Green, Harvey Kadin, Howard Landon (Lipschitz), Howard Lantz, Johnny Lynn, Michael Marmor, Ben Mittelman, Kenneth Mittler, George Model, Michael Phillips, Bruce-Sean Reschen, Warren Rouse, Rick Silverblatt

Memory (Green): Julius Rothenberg was a total doppleganger for Groucho Marx.
Memory (Silverblatt): Two memories of Julius  Rothenberg come to mind: I had heard back then that he was a writer for Mad Magazine (not confirmed but that was the story). Also, during the morning recitation of the pledge of allegiance (Mr. Astrachan would come on the p.a. system in the  morning to announce this) Mr. R. said that if the FBI were to come around, he would report any boy who doesn’t say the pledge seriously. Those were the days.

Memory (Schaefer): Julius Rothenberg did write occasionally for Mad Magazine. The one piece I remember was about spelling mistakes. One that I remember was, “He was so trussworthy.” That was accompanied by a cartoon of a guy struggling with a safe on his back. If I remember any others, I’ll post them also… Another misspelled word I remember him submitting was “embareassing”. It included a cartoon of someone with his ass sticking out.

Memory (Baumel): JGR said that he had material published in Mad Magazine, but was not a regular contributor. JGR retired and went to Italy to live for a few years because it was cheaper to live there. He was attracted to the language, weather, culture, art, and landscape. But, he was not happy there and came back to live in the Bronx with his brother or a relative. During 1962, he told us he would be retiring. I asked him not to retire so soon because he was such a great motivator and cared for each of us so much. I thought he needed to share his passion with a few more classes at least. Teaching was his ministry. He was an inspiration. Because he retired so early, he could not qualify for the better pay and pension system that came when the teachers union became a national force. I think his retirement package was too modest and placed a great financial burden on him the rest of his life. It was a great pleasure to see JGR and Mrs. Barron at the 25th.

Memory (Mandell): I had Rothenberg for English one semester. I think I recall more funny stories from that class than from any other. He used to bring out a violin and crying towel for stories about why you didn’t have your homework. However, if you came up with an excuse he had never heard before, he’d give you an ‘A’ for that assignment.

Memory (Imrey): Mr. Rothenberg was, indeed, remarkable. The phrase I remember most vividly is “diarrhea of the mouth.” Behind the pugnacious persona he cared very seriously about disciplined writing, and I’m certainly grateful for the class(es) — I think it was a year — I had with him.

“(Rothenberg) He brought out a violin and 

crying towel for stories about why you

didn’t have your homework. If you came up

with an excuse he never heard before,

he gave you an ‘A’ for that assignment.”

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SCHINDELHEIM, SAM  8C, Rm215

Efrom Adler, Nicholas Belsky, Robert Bornfriend, Allen Cooper, Emmanuel Coplit, David Danow, Arnold Elman, Gimley Farb, Alan Feigelson, David Goldstein, Artie Hecht, Marshall Hilsberg, Peter Jarvis, Thomas Kalfa, Teddy Kaplan, Marty Karlin, Hyman Katz, Fred Mercado(d), Stanley Klein, Milton Koch, George Krasilovsky, Jon Latunik, Richard Lippman, Harvey Mate, Steven Parnes, Vincent Pellitteri, Martin Penzer(d), Irving Perlman, Jesse Rabinowitz, Michael Radetsky, Gary Roebuck, Bruno Santonocito, Eddie Sutton, Ronald Thomas, John Wechsler

Memory (Motzer): Sam Schindelheim was the best chemistry teacher (Qualitative Analysis) that I ever had (and that includes chemistry courses for three degrees, attending other University courses to keep current, and numerous workshops and seminars in a 35+ year career.   Not only that, he was a Mensch.
Memory (Roebuck): I phoned him prior to the 35th, when we were thinking of inviting some still living teachers. He was 88 and living in Boca Raton. When I said to him that you probably don’t remember me, he replied that not only did he remember me… but quickly named Nick Belsky, Bruno Santonocito, Tommy Kalfa, Milton Koch, etc. The guy was amazing and had a wry sense of humor.

TALLMAN, MARJORIE

Alan Amira, John Anselmo, James Bardunias, Edward Berla, Wayne Block, Neil Bookman (d), Bob Bourne, John Connor (d), Hank Duval, Steve Fishman, Jed Goldart, Steven Goldenberg (d), John Gray, Bob Gross, Johnnie Geida, Neal Hurwitz, Kenny Ligot, Jerry Maravegias, Louis Mettey, Steve Meininger, Russel Miller, Randy McKee(d), Rick Pearl, Phil Radomsky, Keith Schaefer, Charles Schwartz, Pete Shkymba (d), Kenny Werner, Steve Ziegler

WOLFE, WINSLOW 4D

Fred Brosowsky, Mark Chernoff, Donald Cutler, James Dale, Alan Dombrow, Peter Georgopulos, Woody Goldstein, Pete Grauna, Peter Jarvis, Tom Kalfa, George Krasilovsky, Jon Latunik, Richard Lippman, Howard Lipshitz aka Landon, Arnie Netka, Teddy Papahatzis, Bruno Santoncito, Bernie Savedoff, Larry Traub, Curt Yamaolka, Stan Zinner, Jeff Zwerin

Memory (Heyderman): RememberJake Lieberman?  LSMFT.

Memory: How about Peter Gioberti in mechanical drawing (always drew a hangman if a line hung out too far or a ship going thru a canal if it didn’t quite go far enough), or what about Mr Cavalero in gym?  Mr Haas in Spanish class, he was a funny piece of work, but at least he could write forwards and backwards on the blackboard simultaneously.