My father would tape a large sign in the front picture window of our house at 109 Avenue & 126th Street in Richmond Hill that said "FREE MONEY". Every Thanksgiving at 11:00 AM about 500 to 700 kids would assemble in front of the house and my father would throw money into the crowd. The police would place wooden horses on each side of the block to detour traffic.
Girls and very young children were separated so that they would not get hurt. He would get the crowd wild. Every once in a while he would throw out a silver dollar. (Candy was 3-5 cents then.) When he emptied one bag of coins he would tell the kids that's it. As the crowd would start to break up he would come back out on the stoop with another bag. This would happen about 4 or 5 times. No one knew when there was no more money left. Dentist Rocco Morelli was one of the young kids that attended. Everyone had a fun time.
No one knew what to expect in the Peri family. When a person left the house, a bucket of water would be dumped on you. In our country home (San Remo) we would have to escape the attack of a large white rooster to enter the house. Every week end was a party. If the house was robbed, there was a burglar party. Several times I would come home to find a stranger (f/k/a a bum) taking a shower and then wearing my father's clothes. My father wasn't even home. Of course, he was also a great businessman.
I have been reluctant to tell family stories because no one believes them.
