Home Hudson Ralph 'Chick' Affuso: a TRIBUTE

Ralph 'Chick' Affuso: a TRIBUTE

Saturday, 30 January 2010 22:51 Jerry DeMarco

I've written countless obituaries, but precious few of people I knew. So the words don't come easy here, as I embrace the warm memory of a man who was nothing but kind and open-hearted to me.
chick
Chick
If you lived in North Bergen back in the day, you knew Affuso's Dugout. And if you knew "the Dugout," you knew its ever-smiling, joke-cracking proprietor, Ralph "Chick" Affuso.

Chick was everything about my hometown, the "old" North Bergen  -- lunchpail, do-what-you-gotta-do, wouldja-get-a-load-o'-this-guy? material.

He never asked for anything yet always was the one to say "I got it." Never looked for trouble, but God forbid you messed with him or his loved ones. Didn't command respect as much as he earned it.

A stand-up guy.

It's what set the mood and the atmosphere at Affuso's, a neighborhood joint where you could enjoy a reasonably priced meal, watch the ballgame, shoot the shit. Chick made his business an anchor, a safe harbor, a place where working-class stiffs and hot shots alike could find an evening's peace.

Chick knew good food and good people, neither of which he was never long without. And his laugh -- maddon! From way down in his belly, up through the ceiling.

As he moved through life, becoming a bus inspector for the township and, later, retiring to the Jersey Shore, Chick looked out for his amazing wife, June, tolerating her Giants football fever, slipping in the zingers with just the right timing, making her smile. He embraced his family, becoming the kind of grandfather the kids flocked to. Loving. Open. Accepting. Safe.

In a world that needs to keep its old shoes -- warm, comfortable, dependable -- we just lost one. At 75, it was way too early, and far too painful.

My heart goes out to you, June, as it does to your beautiful Dianna; to you, Janet, and that big mush of a nephew of  mine, Michael; to Alex and the rest of the Ivanov brood; to Ralphie and his family; and to those Affusos I never met.

Hours at Vanieri Funeral Home are 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Kennedy Boulevard, corner of 59th Street. Mass is at noon Monday, Our Lady of Libera R.C. Church, one block south.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, ATTENTION Laura Danbeck or Patricia Hauser, Grateful Patient Program, 10 Plum St. Suite 910 New Brunswick NJ 08901.


 

Comments (3)add comment
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed

Gina Gaffney said:

Gina Gaffney
 ...
Beautifully written. Chick was a great guy.
 
January 30, 2010
Votes: +2

Trish McCabe said:

Trish McCabe
 ...
Wow... some of my earliest memories are of going to The Dugout with my Mom and her boyfriend. Chick and June were both really sweet to this five-year-old girl. This tribute brought back a lot of warm memories. Thank you for that. He was a great guy.
 
January 30, 2010
Votes: +2

Sam said:

Sam
 ...
The Dugout was a great place to have good food and a great time. Chick was the reason why.
 
February 01, 2010
Votes: +2

Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.

busy
 
eleganttileadvertisement2
gotnews
cpsearch

kyrakvernophotography

robad

lynnparetportraits

cpvad1

bergenspaad001

ahad1

goldcoastappraisal2

mmgad1

robongiad2

tenadog

Public Safety

 

National Preparedness Month: It's not a celebration

September brings us not only the anniversary of the worst attack on U.S. soil: It’s also National Preparedness Month, a time when those responsible for our safety ask whether we’ve done what we can to help protect our families. So: How about checking this list to see how YOU measure up?

 

Critics of Bergen's first gun buy-back program are off-target

Naysayers are firing criticism at a gun buy-back program that netted more than 700 firearms this weekend, but Bergen County Sheriff Leo P. McGuire says they’re way off the mark.

 

Amber Alert nixed, Terry Dusseault and son found

UPDATE: Terry Dusseault and his 8-year-old son have been found, and New Jersey State Police have cancelled an Amber Alert.

 

No 'Kyleigh's Law' decal repeal: 6-month study instead

If Gov. Chris Christie goes along with it, state authorities will have six months to evaluate an unpopular law that requires young drivers to have red decals on their license plates -- a far cry from the repeal sought by several Bergen-area lawmakers and tens of thousands of New Jerseyans.

 

Firefighters helped catch wanted serial bank robbers

ONLY ON CVP: It’s no coincidence that New Jersey has the highest percentage of bank robbery arrests in the nation, not when there are people like the firefighters who helped lead to the arrest of two accused serial bank robbers.

 

String of high-figure bank jobs solved, FBI says

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Nathaniel Barreto of Newark admitted to being "the Black Stocking Robber" and Juan Perez of Clifton the wheelman in a string of bank holdups in Paramus, Boonton and elsewhere from North to Central Jersey that ended when they were tracked down following an armed robbery Tuesday, the FBI said.

 

Cops find new tactic: The Facebook perp walk

Posting mug shots on Facebook seemed a sweet idea for police in a small New Jersey town within spitting distance of Philadelphia -- only some people aren’t too crazy about it.

Connect

twittertagfeedtagfacebooktag

Shout Outs

 

Muscle Maker Grill celebration in Edgewater

No reason to let the weather keep you indoors. Muscle Maker Grill in Edgewater is celebrating an extremely successful first year down in Edgewater.

 

US judo champ Toni Marie Geiger of Dumont aims for 2012 Olympics

ONLY ON CLIFFVIEW PILOT: Because U.S. Olympic athletes don’t receive government funding, Toni Marie Geiger of Dumont -- the #1 ranked female judo athlete in the U.S. and a member of Team USA -- has to raise the money she needs to train, travel and compete herself to qualify for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

 

Hot on the teen scene: North Jersey's hard-rocking Odd Man In

Remember the days when you and your friends dreamed of starting a band? Well, it’s wonderful to watch a group of kids pursue their collective dream today -- which, in the case of Odd Man In, is a record deal. What makes it sweeter: The oldest is 15.

 

Beloved Union City educator taught students to believe in themselves

Jack O'Connor is being remembered with intense love and affection by hundreds of former students whose lives he touched. "He was a true man's man," former student John ODonnell Rosales said of one of Union City's most popular educators.

 

Ex-Passaic sheriff Englehardt, 80, 'sharp as a tack' after heat sends him to hospital, Speziale says

ONLY ON CVP: Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale was driving on Route 80 when the radio crackled with the report of a disoriented driver who had blown a tire hitting a curb on Garrett Mountain. Imagine Speziale’s surprise when he pulled up to discover the motorist was his predecessor, perhaps the most legendary of all Passaic County political figures.

 

Those who knew Justin Sanchez recall 'that beautiful, bright smile'

ONLY ON CVP: Among those trying to make sense of the death of Justin Sanchez is Lucille Stanziale, who was there when the happy-go-lucky teen suffered a freak accident that killed him.