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Cork Young: My
name is Cork Young I played at Tony Marts with a
band called Fast Cookies. What a great memory I
have. I see Sid once in a while. He had some
very serious health issues which left him with a
pace maker. But he pulled thru and is still
playing. I think he now is playing bass. Bob is
still playing and is as incredible as ever. I
ask Sid about Dana and he pretty well dropped
out of contact with everyone and I am pretty
sure he quit playing. I am still playing and
planning to start a new band. If anyone reads
this who we became friends with please contact
me on facebook. Once again I have memories that
will last forever.
Vic Stretton: I worked at Tony Mart's,
Bay Shores, and the Anchorage 1972-1980.
Fran Wagner: In (about) 1986, after TM's
was gone, I had drinks w/ Carmen Marotta and a
few others. I had attempted to paint a picture
of TMs and I presented it to Carmen at that
time. Remember? Long live Tony Mart's, glad
this tribute exists.
Tony Mart Replied:
We remember, and it's hanging in our house.
Thanks!
Bob Petrilla: In
1955, I spent the summer washing dishes and
being promoted to "salad boy" at the great old
Lincoln Hotel in Ocean City, just up the street
from the ChatterBox. One of our fellow grunges
had a great voice. One night a week, maybe
Wednesdays, Tony Mart's put on a singing
contest. Our guy won several weeks in a row.
The house band at the time was Dave Apple and
the Applejacks. They packed us in three deep
around the bar. It was a great time. The male
to female ratio in dry OC was supposedly 7 to 1
that summer. A few of us who had cars loaded
them up and went to Somers Point as many times a
week as we could afford on peasant wages.
Across the street and down a bit from Tony
Mart's was Bayshores, featuring Mike Peddicin
and his band. I know we can't go back, but to
really appreciate the scene that summer, you had
to be there!
Lee Martin: Friday nights reunion party
at the Boatyard was a smashing success, The
weather was beautiful and of course the music
was fantastic. Thanks to the Elks and Carmen and
Nancy for a very special night. The food was
excellent and I never tasted better potato or
macaroni salads. I'm looking forward to the
next get together. Everyone should come out and
relive great old times and feel a wee bit
younger again.
Danny Charles: I
read these stories and most talk about the early
years and the later years. I played at Tony
Mart's in '62 and '63. Our band was the
Roof-Toppers. I played bass. Other bands in
that era were - The Fall Guys, The Kit Kats,
Pete Carrol and the Carrol Brothers, Jack and
the Beanstalks, The Four Fables, The Emcees,
Bobby Brown and the Curios, And many, many
more. We would work the whole season. Remember
Charlie's snack stand in the back? I'd ask for
a meatball sandwich and he'd ask, "You want
two?" We lived upstairs all summer. Best years
of my life. We then went to play at the Dune's
. I loved the crowds, the bouncers, the Point
Diner, the whole deal.
Harry Wallace: I was with the Monkeymen
during their 2 summer reign at Bay Shores, I
think 67 and 68. Sam, James, Ricky, Bobby and
and myself Harry then in 68 Fred Morris on drums
in. Great times stayed the Anchorage one year
and some motel the next. Played at the Dunes
with the The Insects I think and Johnny Caswell
to start then moved up to Bay Shores. Played
with Malcohm and the Bonnevilles one of those
years. Sam and Bobby have passed. Fred, James
and I are still here.....have no idea why! They
were the fastest times of our lives and will
never forget. After the Dunes we would drink
beer and played pool at O'Burns which was on the
way to the Dunes. The Monkeymen had one record
under the name The Luv Bandits. We had to use
that name because The Monkees were hot then and
the label was afraid of being sued. Google The
Luv Bandits if you want to hear it. James and I
also did a few albums later Google CDbaby and
look for The Monkeymen Then and Now or Google
The Monkeymen or Itunes.
Lee Martin: I just want to thank Carmen
again for allowing me to be small part of Tony
Mart's history. Steve Wright (another alumnus
7yrs!) were at the reunion concert Aug 18th. We
thoroughly enjoyed it. We're looking forward to
Sept.. We hope to see many of you there. When
I worked at the Mart my first summer in 1981,
there was a barmaid named Tracy. We
"affectionately" referred to her as Weaselina.
I hope she has been having a good and happy
life. No hard feelings? We were all young and
crazy. Unfortunately some of our Tony Marts
family are gone now and they are missed. They
will never be forgotten. Every night was a
loud, rowdy, sweaty, sometimes rude rock 'n roll
adventure. It would be great if we could see
more of the people from that era. Joe Stone
where are you? Rosine and Heidi no love for us
anymore? Come on back to revisit the best days
of our lives, We won't be carding.
Sam: For several years (too many, by any
sane accounting) I spent nearly all my
after-sundown hours on the strip, or after
closing, at the Dunes. My life was work
(reluctantly); surf; party - I'm not certain
when (or if) I slept. What little "downtime" I
had was typically spent at the Fish Market
coffee shop around the corner resting my ears on
acoustical picking and drying out a bit. I seem
to recall that over the inside of the doors to
Mart's was a large wooden plaque that read
something like this: "Through these doors pass
the most beautiful women in the world." Was that
plaque salvaged, and are its current whereabouts
known?
Chuck Williams, 103.7 FM The Shark: Was a
Tony's regular in 1978-81. On my part of
The Shark Website, I have a tribute to
Tony's and The Cruisers. Thank you for the
memories.
Donna Wright: The memories of Tony Marts
will always bring me joy. I remember when the
band Mace played there. When the bar closed and
was torn down it was a sad day for Somers Point.
Gone but never forgotten.
Roger Evoy:
Around 1958 I heard my first live band at Bay
Shores. There were many week ends when my
friends and I enjoyed the Somers Point scene.
When I finally reached legal drinking age I
moved most of my attention to Tony Marts where
there was lots and lots of fun. In 1967 I
took an apartment in Ocean City and spent every
Friday night, every Saturday matinee, every
Saturday night, every Sunday matinee and every
Sunday evening at Tony Marts. Every time,
without exception, I had the best time of my
life. During most of my pre-marriage times, I
came to Wednesday Tony Marts too. Those great
times continued into my marriage and until the
end of TM. The last night Carmen “hired” me to
stamp peoples wrists for reentry; he paid me
with three Tony Marts T shirts. Over the years,
my friendship with the Marottas has continued to
grow; they are the nicest. I am so grateful to
Carmen for continuing to create great musical
events whose times are publicized on this web
page. Thank you Carmen.
Judy De Vries: Lived in Ocean City for
the summer while going to Keystone College in
Scranton in the late 70's. Mays Landing,
Wildwood, Atlantic City, The Anchor Bar was the
best deal. 7-7-oz. drafts (a round of beer) for
a buck! And 2 snake bites for a buck. You could
get hammered for under $5. And the ABC was right
on the circle. I love watching "Eddie and the
Cruisers" for old times sake.
Rex White: I
worked at Tony Mart’s in the late 1960’s with
The Fendermen. The original Fenderman were
country (Mule Skinner Blues) but the group at
that time was an R&B horn band. We worked
opposite Gunther’s Bus and they were excellent!
I remember sitting in with them on trombone and
even though they were not a jazzy, horn band
kind of group, they were great to play with!
They really inspired me during my solos. Great
group. Then there were the apartments upstairs.
Those stories I can’t print. The diner across
the circle, Dunes till dawn. Those were the days
my friend! Great club! Great staff. Great
memories!! Thanks!
Debi Riley Carty: Back in the middle 70's
Tony was the place to go. At that time drinking
age was 18 so everyone came from New York and
Philly to be there. Mace and Marach were the
bands at that time. I was still in high school
but hung with both bands. I wish I could go back
to those years where times were just fun. Tony
Sr was a hoot sitting at the empty back by the
front door watching every one came in. Tony and
Carmen were the bartenders at that time. I love
going every weekend and
sometimes during the week all summer. 12th beach
in Ocean City is where every one went from
there.
Bill Brumage: During the summer of '64, I
made my first of what would be eight summers of
working in Ocean City (just across the bay from
"The Point" and Tony Marts, Bayshores, and
Steel's Bar). Being only 17 at the time I was
much too young to get in to Tony Marts. I
worked those summers at a pizza shop on the
Ocean City Boardwalk. Some guys came in to the
pizza shop who looked like true bodybuilders.
We found out they were football players from
Grove City College who worked as bouncers at
Tony Marts. Some free pizza and good
conversation allowed a few of us to go to the
mecca of rock and roll. The bouncers told us to
go in stand in a far away corner and try not to
attract attention. We were in heaven. Tony
Mart's!!! We stood and just soaked in the
atmosphere and joy of living in the innocence of
1964. We also made it into Bayshores and the
Dunes to just listen to bands. Oh, to be back
at the Point in the 60's!!
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