Police Boys Club

Final arrangements were made by Bethpage residents for the organization of a Police Boys Club in 1940. Members of the temporary committee was Fred Kramer (chairman), Rev. E. H. Bohm, Jack Gifford, Albert Bogner, Harry Belscha, Louis Donnelli, Joseph Ellinger, James Norman, John Nowack, Buddy Mazzara, Sal Greco, Joseph Lorenz, Dr. Louis S. Luttge, Albert Lang Sr., John Maggi, Louis Maggi, Chick Rozzi, Tom Rozzi and Henry Strauber.

(Information from The Farmingdale Post 4/4/1940)

1950 Bethpage formed its own charter for the Bethpage PBC as it was given up by Nassau County. The trustees were: Raymond Asher of the hardware store, Tex Suprise who was with the town, Bill Albers who owned a liquor store, and Gaspar Procida who had barber shop.

When the PBC started after the war, our first patrol man was James Looney. Before we obtained our club house we met in a store on Station Plaza. It had one ping pong table and a pool table. An adult chaperoned every night. They acquired an army barrack from the Air Force Base at Mitchel Field and it was moved to Stewart Avenue.

(Information from Gaspar Procida)

Today the PBC (Police Boys Club) is known as PAL (Police Athletic League) an organization for both boys and girls, and an additional building is next to the original army barrack on Stewart Avenue. The building was the model home for the senior housing built on the once Grumman runway, and moved to the new location.