Magyar News, 1996. szeptember-1997. augusztus (7. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1997-07-01 / 11-12. szám
Katherine and George Revak the old days, there were many kind hearted people willing to help out. She contacted her old childhood friend who had originally encouraged her to come to Bridgeport. Rose Orbán. Mrs. Orbán gave a mortgage to Katherine and George to be able to begin construction of the three-story building, which consisted of the market, and two apartments. Apparently. Rose Orbán was always willing to help out her fellow Hungarians in need. Besides, she and Katherine were childhood pals and one day. Mrs. Orbán would be godmother to her childrea When George needed money to put in store fixtures, a philanthropic, kind-hearted gentleman named. Herman Isaacs lent him the money to put them in. The funny thing was the way the loan was paid back. Every week, Mr. Isaacs would pick up the bones and fat left from the meat sold in the market. This he used building up a vers successful soap business. I have often heard Katherine's children speak of the good old days. The favorite time of their lives seems to have been the years when they were growing up at the store. The neighborhood was close knit and always there to lend a helping hand Many a Hungarian and others frequented Revak's Market and went onto to local success. Local Doctors. Shortino. Messenger and Newtown shopped at the market. Such good customers were Drs. Newtown and Messenger that each was responsible for the delivery of the babies. Katherine and George, respectively - the little-ones. Katherine's other friends came through the store such as Mrs. Pander, who also went on to be a successful property owner in the area. The Katona family were also good friends; Mr. Katona was from the same village as George. The families spent much time together either at the Revak's house. the Katona's farm, the Panders' or the Orban's farm. Buti life was not all fun. This was a tough time, World War II era. Rationing was in effect and money and goods were scarce. People were forced to be kind to one another. As a regular practice, George Revak would invite the homeless and poor into the market for sandwiches and something to drink. They gave people food and staples of life on credit hoping that they would make good on the bills. Oftentimes they could not. But Katherine loves to tell the story about the Polish woman whose husband had died and she had four young children who were all living in one room. They had an outstanding bill of a couple hundred dollars. But Katherine and George never pressured them. After the mother's death, the son, as soon as he was able to work, paid of the debt little by little. People would come to the store because it was a family in and of itself. Strangers would wander in and become lifelong friends. One day in 1943 or 1944. a Mr. Gabor Orosz wandered into "Revak's Market", thinking that the name sounded Hungarian. He w as the manager of the meat department at the A&P. He introduced himself, and they became friends for life. On lus days off from the A&P, he would help out the Revaks. To this day, Katherine's children keep in touch with his children. Katherine and George's children became godparents to Gabor's children and the families are still friends although now in two different states. Then there was Sándor Samowitz, he was also from George's hometown. He used to come first thing in the morning to pick-up some eggs which he would sell on his way to the slaughterhouse, a business he started with the money from selling the eggs. He is the grandfather of a local politician, Lee Samowitz. The store and the neighborhood was a small microcosm of any small town in the history of the time; a close-knit supportive community. Katherine and George's neighbors on both Katherine with the next generation Katherine #2 and George, Jr. sides were the Savages and Dardanies, respectively. There were three churches that the Hungarians in the neighborhood attended. St. Stephen's in the West End. then Holy Trinity and St. Peter’s. Those were the days when churches had carnivals and brought actresses and actors in to entertain the parishioners. Those were the days of the Liberty Theatre on State Street where they showed Hungarian movies every Tuesday. Those were the days when salesmen came to the store peddling their wares, from shoes to produce. Those were the days when stock brokers came to the store because there was no such thing as a brokerage house. Siller's drugstore was on one comer and, oh how, the Siller sisters loved little George. Musanti's ice-cream parlor was across the street for homemade ice-cream and so was the Piggly Wiggly maikét. Pamela Revak r Pamela Revak, tax lawyer, granddaughter of Katherine and George V I might as well tell you that Katherine and George Revak are my grandparents I have spent my entire life hearing these stories of the old neighborhood and the store and what great times they were. My grandmother still speaks of them, my father and aunt all remember them with extreme fondness. Unfortunately, my grandfather died when 1 was only four years of age. As my grandfather got older, they sold the store and ultimately my father moved his family to Fairfield. But, Dad still likes to drive by the old neighborhood and Gram, still sees it the way it was 40 years ago. Myself I regret that I did not grow up in such a world, that was more simple, less spoiled and much more kind-hearted. I regret that I did not grow up in a community where I felt more secure knowing that if 1 needed help my friends would be there for me. What I did grow up with was a rich history of my Hungarian blood. No doubt all this will get passed on by my sister Katherine (No. 3) to her son, Jack. Page 5
