Old School Southie – The City Point Wildcats circa 1950
Before Instagram, before Pop Warner, and before Gatorade came in 20 flavors — there was the City Point Wildcats.
Founded in the 1930s and thriving into the early ’50s, up until the Korean War, the Wildcats were part of an organized neighborhood, a “perennial sandlot powerhouse in both football and baseball.” Besides the City Point Wildcats, the Southie teams included the Hawks, the Mohawks, the Strandways, the Willows, the Barnboys, the Columbians, and the team to beat, the Mercers. There were also teams from Dorchester and Roxbury. You can read the history below!
In this photo: Front row — Herbie Quill, Dickie Long, Freddie Kussman, Jake McKinnon, Larry Eyre, Smiley Moran. Back row — Charlie Rull, Eddie Fitzgerald, Buddy McGonagle.
And yes, Harry Uhlman, the local legend the Bandstand at Marine Park is named after, was a Wildcat, too.
The photo was taken at the Perry School yard in 1950. Almost everyone in this photo went on to serve in the Korean War.
Another local legend, John “Dudso” Foley, wrote the following history of this group:
A special thank you to Ed “Herbie” Quill for sharing the photo and history and to my good friend Patty (Foley) Shields, who shared her father’s history and reunion photo.
If you have an old photo and a little neighborhood history to share with Caught in Southie, reach out to [email protected]
Maureen Dahill is the founder of Caught in Media. Once a longtime wardrobe and prop stylist for brands such as Rue La La, TJ Max & Hasbro, she is a devoted lover of vintage clothing, Martini Mondays, Castle Island, AND a 4th generation South Boston native. Mother of three, married to Peter G.
Thanks much, Maureen.
Maureen: One key bit of history I forgot to mention: Our football coach was John (I think his first name was John) Wacko Foley. Nuff said.i
Awesome picture, “Dudzo ” Foley (hockey coach)and Ed Donovan AA mentor and great Police officer and both good friends of Southie. These guys exemplify many men of that time in our prideful Town ownership!!
Curtis Carroll mentions a prominent City Point Wildcat with his well-known nickname, Dudzo. I have a few I’d like to name that Southie teams must have had in those days and no doubt today: These were Wildcats:
Ducky Foley, Hardbar Hardy, Herky Hines, Herky Harnes, Manhole McKinnon, Pauly Prep Provasoli, Dutch Stapleton, Pudso Barry; Lucky Connelly, Dunny Donovan, Mousey Feeney, Flash Feeney, Woozy Fiasconaro, Willy Flynn, Dudzo Foley, Red Hayes, Wacko Hurley, Ike Isacson, Herky Kearnes, Beefy Klumpp, Shaper Manning, Muzzy Marsden, Buckeye McCabe, Buddy McGonagle, Jake McKinnon, Spike Menslage, Moe Monahan, Jobie Mullin, Bayso Norton, Shorty Parenteau, Herbie Quill, Bumso Ridge, Bunnie Sands, Pablo Smallcomb, Springy Spring, Fat Swain, Herman Torsney.
I’m sure I’ve missed some. Southie, afterfall, is the land of nicknames, as Rep. Brian Wallace proved a few years ago in a Southie celebration booklet, The Great Southie Reunion (2000).