Magyar News, 1994. szeptember-1995. augusztus (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1995-04-01 / 8. szám
:: it I Let’s not forget Mr. Határi who every Saturday night at 11 o’clock would visit these places with an armful of roses, stop at every table where there was a woman and offer roses. How could a guy refuse to buy? Little Hungary catered many weddings and funeral receptions, also all kinds of birthday, anniversary and Christmas parties. You name it, they did it. December was always booked solid for factories like Bryant, Bead Chain, Hemco, Casco, Hubbell, Metal Goods, to name a few. Speaking of weddings, Paul Kurmay, Jr.’s reception was the biggest at Little Hungary with 175 guests. Paul is now Probate judge in Stratford. His father, Paul Kurmay, Sr., was a great, great singer and sang every time he stopped in. Several Hungarian Fraternal Insurances had their main office in the West End— American Life, Woodman, Rákóczi, Szti László. When delegates and/or directors came to meetings, Little Hungary was the favorite place for lunch and dinner. During WWII defense factories brought in many workers for neighboring states. Some of these workers became daily diners and would return to their family weekly or bi-weekly until they could relocate to this area. John Koi and Andy Lakatos come to mind. Some of the notable Hungarians who visited were: Paul Lukas (Lukacs), Hollywood actor who was performing in town; Julius Kessler, whiskey distiller, would come in quarterly. Stephan Dohános, famous artist, and his wife made many visits, as did Steve Zakos, owner of the Clam Box restaurant in Westport. Others come to mind. Joe Nagy, Realtor, Frank Nagy’s uncle; Dr. Hooper, pediatrician; Dr. Buday, dentist; Bill Ratzenbcrger, who later opened Donald Duck Diner on King’s Highway; Mike Szilágyi, owner of Grasmere Tavern; Joe and Rose Boyce, radio repair; Julius & June Dobler—-Julius’ father was a great tinsmith. He put the gold facing on the Chrysler Building in New York and the State Capitol in Hartford. And there were the “Batchler Brothers”, Ted Somogyi, Joe Stiber, Julius Varga, Johnny Buda, and a real spark-plug fun guy, Andy (Mac) Fedor. Vernie Sáray called them the Zacskó Brothers (Bag Brothers) because they were always together, and the name stuck. Remember the Wednesday Amateur Nights? Wednesday was a slow night, so “Mac” Fedor put a bug into Vemie’s head and Vernie twisted Julius Varga’s arm to M.C. the program. The full band came in and the fun began. The word got out and the following week the house was packed. Prizes were given, it was corny but lots of fun and lasted for several weeks—ran out of talent. And let’s not forget Rev. Bessemer, pastor of United Church of Christ. After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution many refugees came to the United States. Rev. Bessemer would frequently go to New York and bring back refugees to re-settle in our area. He A table of guests in 1943 Bill Sáray and Mary Cuddy (right) Bill Sáray and Paul Forgács in 1939 (below) would take them to Little Hungary for a good home-cooked meal. Many of them became good customers and good friends with the Sárays. But all good things come to an end. The neighborhood began to deteriorate and the new generation of customers did not perpetuate the Hungarian customs and heritage. Bill sold Little Hungary in 1973toBranko Klancsics, who changed the name to Europa. Being a new owner, Branko had to abide by the new law and partition off the bar from the dining area. Needless to say, this became the end of Little Hungary. Today the building is gone, the lot is empty. As we shed a tear or two and get a lump in our throat, and say good-bye to the fond memories and the joy of good Hungarian times,Many thanks to the Sáray family for providing the nourishment and ambience to help keep dtir Hungarian awareness alive. Julius Varga and Joe Stiber 5
