Code,999013
Subject,Salvatore Ronald Felice
Date,
Interviewer,Mark Tebeau
Abstract,"In this undated interview, Salvatore Ronald Felice, retired purchasing and stores superintendent of CTS and later RTA, talks about his experiences with mass transit in Cleveland from the early 1950s until the time of his retirement in the late 1980s.  Mr. Felice, who was born in Alliance, Ohio, in 1935, came to Cleveland with his family in the early 1940s, living on the east side near the intersection of Cedar and Fairhill Roads.  This was an Italian neighborhood and he talks about what the neighborhood was like in the 1940s.  Felice attended St. Marian's grade school, Cathedral Latin High School, and John Carroll University.  He began with CTS as a ""track checker,"" later operated a trolley bus, and, after graduating from college, went into management with CTS.  Mr. Felice recounts many interesting stories about mass transit in Cleveland during his working career, and also talks about the vibrant downtown and East 105th street areas of Cleveland in the 1950s.  Mr. Felice moved to Parma in the 1960s and adds stories about the Parma he knew in the 1960s and 1970s."
Special Notes,
minutes:,83
0,"Born in Alliance, Ohio,  October 24, 1935.  Came to Cleveland in 1944 with family when father got job with WTAM radio station at 815 Superior Bldg."
1,"Earliest memory--living near Cedar (10909 Cedar) and Fairhill--across from the CTS ""Streetcar barn.""  It was a ""mixed"" ghetto--everyone Italian, but from different parts of Italy."
2,"St. Marian's parish.  5 min. away from ""Little Italy.""  Attended grade school at  St. Marian's; then high school at Cathedral Latin--a block away.  Was a ""Cleveland News"" paperboy; got to know the streets.  Very warm and happy neighborhood.  ""On Sunday mornings, you could step outside and literally smell the tomato sauce.""  Played baseball and football on ""any flat spot"" in the neighborhood.  Attended baseball games."
3,
4,"Attended a lot of games at Municipal Stadium.  Remembered a game attended with his father, uncle and cousins--uncle almost caught a ball."
5,
6,Memories of winning the 1948 pennant and then the World Series.  He was 13 years old.
7,Neighbor had a TV--entertained the whole neighborhood.
8,Memories of 1945 VE Day for him.  Father born in Chicago (his father from Sicily); mom born in Italy.  Mom and Dad met through produce industry.
9,
10,About his father's family and jobs that his father held.
11,Memories of watching TV at WTAM - Milton Berle.
12,Memories of listening to the radio.
13,Discussion about the CTS streetcar barn at Cedar and Fairhill.
14,Streetcars v. Trollies.  The difference.
15,"Keeping the ""kite"" on the trolley line in the downtown network of lines.  His experiences driving a trolley."
16,
17,Getting the trolley ready to go at 4:30 AM.
18,
19,Trollies ended in 1954 or 1966--last trolley line was the Madison line.
20,Was attending John Carroll; worked at CTS.  How he got job; what jobs he did at CTS.
21,Traffic-checking job - 1954 to 1959.
22,
23,The No. 6 route on Euclid Avenue; buses were crowded and ran every minute.
24,
25,People taking the bus to the entertainment places at E. 105th.  A lot of minorities riding the line; dressed up. No one dressed casually.
26,
27,"After graduating from JCU, couldn't go to medical school--no loan programs then.  Stayed with CTS and got into management and claims."
28,Managing the CTS print shop. (Around 1960-1961)
29,Making the printed timetable schedules.
30,
31,"Story about producing ""counterfeit"" passes at the Print Shop."
32,
33,
34,
35,
36,Sent out to San Francisco to observe Diablo Test Track--testing new types of tracks and track  equipment for a new rapid transit in S.F. area.
37,
38,Conducting safety tests on the Windemere Rapid line.
39,
40,These trains are still operating under the Bay in S.F.  Issues of drivers or not.   Similar to eliminating elevator operators.
41,
42,
43,
44,Cleveland's movie houses of the 1940s.
45,Watching Indian ballgames on the big screen at the Alhambra theater.
46,Various entertainment places at 105th and Euclid.  Downtown Dept. stores.
47,
48,"In 1964, family moved from 10909 Cedar to 16411 Lotus Drive in Harvard-Lee area."
49,Getting around Cleveland on buses.
50,June 1958 - military service as 2d LT.
51,Stationed in San Antonio.
52,Discharged and back to Cleveland.
53,1975 CTS became RTA.  He retired in 1987.
54,"1967, left CTS for 3 years to do transit consulting."
55,Returned to CTS in 1970.  Later became Superintendent of Purchasing and Stores; responsible for all buying of goods and services.
56,Lived on Lotus until married in 1959.  Moved to Buckeye Road--128th and Buckeye--over a bowling alley.
57,Hungarian ethnic neighborhood--good restaurants--Balaton and Settler's Tavern.  Then moved to Shaker Heights--130th and Larchmere.
58,Moved to Parma in 1969.  Liked the openness.  Good for his 6 kids.  Built a house.
59,
60,
61,What Pleasant Valley Road was like in the 1960s.
62,Taking the bus from Parma to Downtown Cleveland.  What State Road was like in Parma in the 1960s.
63,
64,1404 East 9th Street location of RTA.
65,
66,
67,Eating lunches and walking around the Old Arcade.
68,Moved to State Office Building --West 6th and Superior.  Places to eat lunch around there.
69,Entertainment at the Hanna Fountains.
70,Meeting with bus suppliers.
71,"Euclid Avenue--a ""beautiful place to go""."
72,"""All of a sudden, Euclid Avenue looked trashy.""  Even Prospect (""third rate street"") started to look better."
73,
74,Where the Hanna Fountains were--just west of the Convention Center and next to the County Administration Center.  Doesn't know why they were taken out.  Later music at the Chester Commons--but not as nice as the Hanna Fountains.
75,Walking over to the Coast Guard Club at E. 9th.
76,He's always used mass transit.
77,"The ""club"" that always rode the bus he rode."
78,
79,
80,
81,
82,What people did while riding the bus.  Interacting with other people on the bus.
83,END OF CLIP.
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