I Have Often Walked

Kew Gardens Hills was primarily developed by the Wolosoff Brothers, starting in 1937. After the breakup of the Arrowbrook and Queens Valley golf courses, a floodgate of development occurred all at once.

The problem was the community had everything but a school. With much pressure placed on politicians for one, a school was approved by the planning board in 1946. A site had to be found and developed as much of the best land was already bought for home development. A sand pit that had been overlooked by the developers was found at 77th Avenue and 137th Street and purchased by the city.

A wine and cheese bar called the Rainy Nighthouse opened in 1972 at 248-14 Union Turnpike, in the quiet, family-oriented community of Bellerose. Located on the site of an old bicycle repair shop, it was a big hit and a much needed nightspot for the residents of the area to unwind. Management later added comedy, with John “Jackie the Joke Man” Martling doing stand up there. He went on to write for the Howard Stern show.

But there was no joke about what happened outside the club on the night of Dec. 11, 1975. Two or three white girls, who were 15 and may have had too much to drink, decided to beat up a 12-year-old black girl. Frederick Pirone, 52, a subway clerk, tried to break up the fight. According to initial reports, the attackers then turned on him, struck him in the head and kicked him when he was down.