I was 5 years old when my mother first started going to the original Copa. The one that just closed on West 34^th Street was but a mere replica of the original on East 60^th Street which was the one featured in Martin Scorsese's mob classic "Goodfellas," "Raging Bull" and in the Dustin Hoffman film "Tootsie."

My mother had hundreds of photos of herself at the club. This one is the last surviving photo. Mom is the woman in the black dress. I have not a single clue who the other people are. We moved at least a dozen times since 1952 and it seems every moving would swallow up one or two mementos of your life. This has led me to believe in the Sock Devil. This wily beast is the most insidious of all the creatures in Demonopolis. It is also the most difficult to spot. While most demons can be detected by the harmful effects of their evil acts, such as boils, tumors, scabs or blindness, one can only surmise the existence of the Sock Devil by what is not there. For example, how often have you lost a sock in your dryer? Yes, the work of the Sock Devil.

But I digress. My mom always went to the Copa with her friends leaving about 10 o'clock at night and would stay to watch the midnight show until about 1:30 A.M. I was always awake then watching the Late Show on channel 2. She was never too tired to describe what it was like that night and who was entertaining. Since my mother did not know the words to Spanish songs (or English ones for that matter) she would pretend to be one of the Samba Sirens but would sing instead the Russian romantic songs, Dark Eyes or Chrysanthemum [mp3]. My parents only spoke to me in Polish when I was growing up so I did not understand the words, yet when she sang to me in Russian, tears would well up in my eyes. If my mother had had a balalaika [mp3] I think I would have died.

I've always wanted to go to the Copa, but sadly, by the time I was ready it had turned into a discotheque in the 1970s.

When I uploaded my mom's last Copa photo I thought that as long as my webhost's servers kept running, the memory of the Copacabana would never die; however, in truth, I have but to close my eyes and I can hear the voice of Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante, the comedic repartee between Martin and Lewis, feel the beat of the conga music, be hypnotized by the spectacular sets, enthralled by the Samba Sirens in their dazzling costumes twirling in the spotlights - I can hear and see it as if I were back there now in 1950.

You may wonder how it is I can feel nostalgic about a place I have never been to, but actually, I've been there hundreds of times, in my heart where my mom put it.

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On Tuesdays and Wednesdays I host Open Trackback parties. This allows bloggers who have interesting posts to share them with my readers and therefore, presumably, a wider audience. My normal rules for linking, Bernie's 8 Rules, are suspended. That is, there is no set topic and as long as the post is not a splog entry, you can link whatever you like especially if it is offensive to Islam. Nothing linked here indicates that I either agree with or support or even like the opinions being expressed. But these bloggers generously host some of my insane, disgusting writings and I hope to repay them with this courtesy.

Give the following bloggers a read:

The July 4th Knucklehead Marathon Part Eight
Excerpt: Our eighth winner today is Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda.
Weblog: The Florida Masochist

The July 4th Knucklehead Marathon Part Four
Excerpt: Our forth winner today is Enrique Alcantara.
Weblog: TheFlorida Masochist

The July 4th Knucklehead Marathon Part Twelve
Excerpt: Our 12th winner today is the United Kingdom's JusticeMinistry.
Weblog: The Florida Masochist

The Declaration of Independence
Excerpt: Cross posted from Third World County.The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and
Weblog: The Amboy Times

Happy 4th of July!
Excerpt: Have a fun-filled, safe Independence Day Holiday!President Calvin Coolidge, on July 4th, 1926 gave the following speech:About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is oft...
Weblog: No Apology

The July 4th Knucklehead Marathon Part Sixteen
Excerpt: Our sixteenth winner is actress Kim Yun-jin.
Weblog: The Florida Masochist

God on the Fourth of JulY
Excerpt: There is a reason why the Ten Commandments, Scripture quotations and beautiful artwork depicting biblical scenes are in this country’s Capitol, the Supreme Court and other federal buildings.Our early U.S. presidents were strong believers in God.
Weblog: Woman Honor Thyself

The Pledge Of Allegiance by Red Skelton
Excerpt: In honor of it being Independence Day, here is Red Skelton’s wonderful interpretation and explanation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Weblog: The World According to Carl

Happy Independence Day
Excerpt: Remember the sacrifices to give us freedom, remember the men and women who fight for it and always remain evervigilant. The tyranny of government is still very much alive and the more the beast grows, the more tyrannical it becomes.
Weblog: Big Dogs Weblog

Do we really understand Independence day?
Excerpt: Do we recall that we went to war against Great Britain for 7 years following our proclamation? Do we recall the 50,000 or more that died in that war? Do we recall the years afterward as the nation was slowly forming and recovering? The declaration...
Weblog: Leaning Straight Up

Declaration of Independence
Excerpt: think on those things that were cause for its adoption. Today, we have congresscritters and a president who are as adamantly opposed to fulfilling their duties to the citizens they have pledged to serve as the colonists found their king to be opposed...
Weblog: Third World County

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[Click on image(s) for larger view]

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For more of my articles like this see Personal, -1951-1960, Open Trackback

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