for another date and I made a date with him in 2 weeks. Tom went to NYC for theWorld Series and my date with Swimmy was coming up the following Saturday night. The next day Tom called me from NYC in a panic and told me NOT TO GO OUTWITH SWIMMY, because he was part of THE MAFIA and a henchman for Russell Buffalilno, who owned the drapery company. I told him I had a date that Saturday night. He told me to cancel, which I did. The following night Tom came home from NYC and gave up his chance to see the World Series to make sure I did not keep that date. I realized Tom loved me and so did I, that was in September. Right after Christmas we all went to Florida - Miami - my first trip. I fell in love with Miami. We did not live together, as I am old fashioned. I got an apartment at 24 St on the bay. The owner only rented to attractive females (believe it or not). Airline stewardesses, actresses, dancers, etc. There were a variety of lovely girls there. One was a call girl. We all became fiends. Tom taught me how to swim in that pool. I was so tan, people on the bus used to speak to me in spanish. Tom got a job at Stacey Rowell Ford and I got a job in the Hialeah as a bartender in the day time. Mostly beer and wine, but I had a cocktail book to look up drinks and I did. I hate to brag, but I increased the day business so much that the owner wanted me to get dressed up and come in at night. Tom was so skeptical, he showed up there. My employer wanted me to sit at the bar and when customers came in and would want to buy me a drink, I would talk to them. But my drink was ginger ale. Stupid! I quite the next day. Tom was livid. My next job was at the Deuville Hotel, Miami Beach. I taught Latin dancing a the pool. In the afternoon I taught the old Jewish busbanas and my par tner taught the old Jewish wines . At night in the lower lounge, my par tner and I would dance together and the couples we taught would dance with each other That was fun. I remember doing cocktail work in the upper lounge also and the black piano player who would play “Two Different Worlds” every time I came in. One night I got $100 tip and didn’t want to take it and the other girl forced me to. From then, they called me “TheWaitress with the biggest tips in town.” Before we left Florida,Tom called my mom and told her he wanted to marry me even before he told me. I was not excited about ever getting married again since I had had a very unhappy experience already. I knewTom was a good boyfriend, but I did not think he would be a good husband. 5Years of Hell Frank and I were married Sept 23, 1950 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Scranton, PA. I was 18 yrs old and he was 24. He and his mother never let me forget it. Even though I was as mature as I am now, it was as though he was married to his mother and I was just tagging along for the ride. I did not want to burden my mom with the expense of renting a hall so we had the reception in her home. Frank’s dad was a peach of a guy and loved me from the start. On my wedding day he told me he finally got the daughter he always wanted. I loved him. Frank’s mom was another story. I always felt that she did not like me and she interfered in everything we did. So on my wedding day,
I spent the reception going up and down the stairs because she had all the gifts displayed in one of the bedrooms and insisted that my job was to take each and every guest up there to view the gifts. That is what I remember about my first wedding - going up and down all night long. Oh yes, I do remember cutting the cake. I had 3 bridesmaids and 3 groomsmen and wore a white lace gown with veil. Janet Sullivan Shafer, my best friend in high school, was one of the bridesmaids and the only one still alive today. We talk regularly. She lives in PA. While kneeling with Frank at the altar at the ceremony, I turned to the side and looked down and noticed Frank had on red socks with his formal attire. That was my first sign of danger ahead. We left that night for our honeymoon to the Pocono Mountains. I had planned to meet my dad a the designated spot to say good-bye and we did as he did not want to come to my mom’s house. He was in the back of the church for the wedding and my hear t hur t because of the situation between him and mom. I loved them both so much! There I was married at 18, the first one of all my friends. I was the one who was going to NYC to get a job dancing, never had any thoughts of marriage - damn,Tommy Por tanova! and his ring! Our honeymoon was lovely and we had a magical time. I even road a horse. The day after we got home which was a 2nd floor apt in the Hill section (classy area) Frank went to work and I went shopping at a grocery store which was several blocks down the hill from our apartment to buy staples. I had to walk up the hill with 2 large grocery bags (no car) and by the time I got home, Frank was home from work and irritated because he said I was late for his mothers dinner of which I was not aware. He was so nasty about it that I finally said, “If that is the way you feel about it, I am not going.” That’s when I got Marilyn & Francis Joseph Brust Wedding Party
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