DATE: Sunday, November 2, 1997              TAG: 9711010252

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 25   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   67 lines

BOYHOOD PALS RETURN TO OLD NEIGHBORHOOD

A boating accident involving four Portsmouth youngsters over 55 years ago created such a strong bond that three of them recently met again, for the first time in four decades, to reminisce about growing up in Portsmouth in the late 1930s and early '40s.

Joining them were three other boyhood friends who also spent their childhood in the section then known simply as downtown, but now known as Olde Towne. Together, the six found much was still familiar despite almost six decades of change.

Enrico ``Rico'' DiPaolo, who lived on Glasgow Street; Clifton Savage and Jimmy Early, of Dinwiddie Street; and James Robert Brammer, of Washington Street, were rowing a small rowboat that capsized in the Elizabeth River at the foot of Middle Street in 1942. The boys, 11 to 13 years old, nearly drown. All survived the mishap, and their dramatic rescue was the subject of a newspaper account at the time. DiPaolo still has a tattered copy.

On Monday, Oct. 27, DiPaolo, now 65 years old; Savage, now 66; and Early, now 64, met again to rekindle their childhood friendship. They were joined by DiPaolo's brother, Antonio, 70; Fred Brown, 65; and Tommy Wilkinson, 65.

``I sort of initiated it,'' said Enrico DiPaolo, who lives in Port Haywood in Mathews County. ``What brought it about was Cliff paid me an unexpected visit in Mathews County. I showed him the article. He said it would be nice if I could get ahold of Jimmy Early and Jim Bob Brammer.''

Enrico DiPaolo and his brother, who still lives in Portsmouth, got on the phone and called the others. Savage and Brown still live in Portsmouth. Early now lives in Roanoke and Wilkinson makes his home in Suffolk. They were unable to locate Brammer and learned later that he had died in April 1979.

The six met at Waffle Town on High Street for breakfast before beginning a walking tour of their old haunts.

``We were all raised in the same neighborhood,'' said Early, ``and played together as kids. We'd play around Swimming Point. I'm grateful we didn't have television.''

``We haven't kept in touch,'' said Enrico DiPaolo. ``We haven't seen each other - for about 40 years.''

Added Wilkinson: ``It's been over 40 years.''

The DiPaolos moved to Portsmouth from Scotdale, Pa., in 1935. The others were born in Parrish Memorial Hospital, then located at the foot of Court Street, not far from where they lived.

Originally an apartment building, the hospital later became a hotel and is now long gone. Growing up, several delivered newspapers throughout the neighborhood.

``As children,'' said Wilkinson, ``we watched the construction of the State Theater and the Commodore Theater.''

As boys, they were also familiar with the building at 400 Court St., on the corner of Court and Glasgow streets. Currently an apartment building, in those days it was Wise's Store.

``It was a general store, selling canned goods, candy, and cigarettes,'' recalled Antonio DiPaolo. ``Inside, it had a juke box and a soda fountain.''

On the wall of the building facing Glasgow Street, starting in the early '30s, many who grew up in the neighborhood carved their initials into the brick. Among the more-than-30 sets of initials that are still visible, the group found where Antonio DiPaolo, then known as Tony, had carved ``TDP'' into the brick, as well as eight other sets that they recognized, from over half-a-century ago. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS

Antonio DiPaolo, Tommy Wilkinson, Enrico DiPaolo, Cliff Savage,

Jimmy Early and Fred Brown meet in Olde Towne after a 40-year

separation.

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