FROM PEN TO PAPER
By William E. Cleary Sr.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: THE ENIGMATIC VISITOR
• July 17, 1989
• August 18: Lyons Preps Bevan for Meeting
• The Investigation Begins
• Face to Face with the South Jersey Building Contractor
• Sit-Down with New Jersey State Police
• Smith Demands a 99-Year Lease
• Smith Issues Stern Warning About Tommy Holt
• July 26: Document Pickup
• August 4: “A New Beginning for Gloucester City’s
Waterfront”
• August 17: Smith’s Demands Escalate
• Unanswered Questions
• Retired FBI Agent Says, “You’re the Target, Bill!”
• The Target Is You, Bill!
Read more: CNBNEWS Editor Shares Lessons from a Lifetime in the NewsroomCHAPTER TWO: THE MAN WHO INSPIRED ME
• The Fire Whistle
• A Life Forged in Tragedy
• 1950: A New Beginning
• The Crusader
• The Urban Renewal Battle
• Passing the Torch
• The Long Goodbye
• The Legacy
CHAPTER THREE: MY SUMMER LOVE BECOMES MY WIFE
• The Front Porch Conversation
• Answering the Call: Joining the National Guard
• The Rifle Range
• Early Married Life
• The Postmaster’s Offer
CHAPTER FOUR: THE BATTLE OF NEWARK
• The Convoy North
• Into the Inferno
• Day Two: The Coward Lieutenant
• Radio Operator
ii• The Convoy Ambush
• Thoughts of Home
• Day Three: The Phone Call
• The Return Home
• What Really Happened
• Author’s Note
CHAPTER FIVE: ELEVEN YEARS OF JUGGLING TWO WORLDS
• Working with Dad
• 1978: A New Chapter Begins
• 1984: Taking the Leap
• Pushback from the Establishment
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CHAPTER SIX: OUR FIRST REAL HOME
• The Neighbors at 706 Powell Street
• The Tar Bucket Incident
• Frank and the Purple Feet
• Goosy Lucy
• The Neighborhood
• William Hamacher
• Porky the Pig
• What Powell Street Meant
CHAPTER SEVEN: CHRISTMAS IN GLOUCESTER CITY
• Teenage Christmas Celebrations
• What We’ve Lost
CHAPTER EIGHT: ENTERTAINMENT BACK IN THE DAY
• Dick Lee: TV Star, Singer, Entertainer, Night Club
Owner, Coach, and Great Dad
• The Geator, The Boss with the Hot Sauce
• The Geator’s Legacy
CHAPTER NINE: 50 TAVERNS, THE 3 PM MANHATTAN GANG, THE PUB CRAWL
• Gloucester City’s 50 Taverns
• The 3 PM Manhattan Gang
• The Pub Crawl in Gloucester City
CHAPTER TEN: OUR BEST FRIENDS
• Trooper (1967)
• Misty and Bear (1973-1975)
• Sheba, Nikki, Lacey, and Erica
• Erica (2002-2015)
• Peyton (2015-2025)
• Sweetie (July 2025)
iv• Stay With Them Until the End
• The Last Battle
• Final Thoughts
CHAPTER ELEVEN: MY ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
• Memories of Our Dune Buggy Adventures
• American Bald Eagles Flying and Nesting in Gloucester City
• Whitewater Willie and Rafting Down the Lehigh River
• How to Celebrate Your 80th Birthday
o Thirty-Seven Track Bay
o The Road to Coudersport
o Finding the Elk
o Heading Home
• Hunting the Grey Ghost
• Tommy Turkey Finds Me Attractive
• Crossing Brigantine Bay Nearly Cost Us Our Lives
• Duck Hunting Adventures
CHAPTER TWELVE: THE POLICE BLOTTER
• Sonny Riccobene Found Dead Behind Brooklawn Diner
• Gloucester City Businessman Arrested for Operating Drug Lab in Bellmawr
• Chatham Square Tenant Files Libel Charge Against
Cleary’s Notebook News
• Little Nicky Gets a Speeding Ticket
• Monk Schaffer’s Body Found in a Car Trunk
o Booby-Trapped Car Kills Witness
o Those Who Knew Him
• GCPD Arrests Long-Time Journalist Bill Cleary Sr.
• The Clearys Charged with Stealing a Broken Bench;
Trespassing on Public School Property
• Cleary’s Court Case Canceled Again
• Director of NJ Police Chiefs Contacted Seeking Investigation of the Gloucester City Police Chief and
Upper Echelon Officers
• Comments from the Public
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: SPORTS LEGENDS OF GCHS AND GHS
• 1960s Gloucester High Gridiron Coach Enshrined in
College Football Hall of Fame
• Gloucester City Memorial Athletic Assn. “Mustangs”
Celebrate 60th Anniversary
vi• The Beginning – 1946
• Former Rams Basketball Coach John McCarthy Inducted
into Camden County Sports Hall of Fame
• 1971 Gloucester Catholic HS Football Team Honored
• Saint Mary’s Junior Guild
• Turkey Day Football: Gloucester City High School vs
Gloucester Catholic High School
• The Lions vs. Rams Thanksgiving Classic Continues
• Two and One-Half Hours
• 1993: Renewal of Friendship
• Gloucester’s Game
• 1957: Rams Over Lions, GCHS Wins City Title Again;
Beat Gloucester High 12-7
• Joe Murphy: Alumnus, Athlete, Coach, Teacher and
Friend of Gloucester Catholic
• Memorial Garden and Gazebo Dedicated In Honor of
Pearl Kowalski
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: A HODGEPODGE OF ARTICLES
• Memories of Gloucester City
o Obituary Writer for Philadelphia Daily News Appreciates Article About Gcity Businessman
o Fond Memories of Gloucester City
o Shaffer’s Creamy Waffles
The Homing Pigeon Shuffle
o Gloucester City Redevelopment
o Believe It or Not…Another Miracle by St. Anthony
o The Last GCPD Crime Report Published Was in 2020
o A Man to Be Remembered
o What We Had
o Look Whose Photo Appeared on a Cheerios Box
o Discovering Cleary’s Notebook: The Heartbeat of South
Jersey Journalism
The Origins and Evolution of Cleary’s Notebook
Meet the Man Behind Cleary’s Notebook: William E. Cleary Sr.
Content Highlights: What You’ll Find in Cleary’s Notebook
The Community Impact of Cleary’s Notebook
Why Cleary’s Notebook Stands Out in Digital Media
Looking Ahead: The Future of Cleary’s Notebook
FAQs
Publisher: CLEARY’S NOTEBOOK NEWS
Https://www.gloucestercitynews.net
Author: William E. Cleary Sr.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Title: FROM PEN TO PAPER
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
in any form without permission from the author.
To request permission, contact the author (wecleary@gloucestercitynews.net)
CREDITS
Author: William E. Cleary Sr.
Editor: William E. Cleary Sr
Cover Design: William E. Cleary Sr.
Computer consultant: Geoffrey Gettings
CONTRIBUTORS:
Jack “Bomber” Bennett
Bruce Darrow
Tom Bowe
G. J. Ferguson
Lorraine Hutchinson
Lee Koros
Jim Mahoney
Hank Miller
Gus Ostrum
John Reynolds
Howard “Butch” Shaffer
Bill “Wibby” Yeager
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