September 2023 : Volume 23 - Issue 6

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Mid-Island Plaza was more than just an assortment of stores. It was a place where people could shop for a variety of goods and services in one area. Gone were Huettners and Spiros Department Stores, and the widening of downtown Hicksville was on the horizon. Malls and shopping plazas were designed as social hubs, places where people could come together, spend time, and, of course, shop.

The Early Days

In 1956, shopping malls were starting to dot the landscape on Long Island. St. John’s Protectory was an abandoned property on Broadway which once housed the boy’s orphanage. The 68-acre property would become Long Island's third shopping mall designed by the Walter Stackler & Leonard Frank of the Stackler and Frank Company.

The property was once owned by Bernard Earle and in 1890 was deeded to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn for an orphanage and farm.  Saint John’s Protectory was operated by the Sisters of St Joseph, under the Diocese of Brooklyn as an orphanage for boys, as well as a vegetable and dairy farm. The orphanage raised produce that was shipped, along with milk and dairy products, to St. John's and St. Joseph's Homes in Brooklyn.  For many years there were 200 orphan boys at the Protectory.  The older boys worked the farm and tended a herd of about 50 cows. EverySt. John's Home Sunday, Father Fuchs would be picked up by one of the older boys in a cart to offer Mass at the home before the first Mass at St. Ignatius. In 1937 the boys were transferred to Brooklyn and the orphanage was shuttered. Today, the only thing that you can find left over is the priest's home, which was moved to Burns Avenue.

In 1949, the Hicksville population started to boom and it took 15 years before the land was sold. Town leaders were able to secure a good portion of the property for the Burns Avenue Elementary School and in February of 1952, ground was broken. It would be January 5, 1953, when students were greeted by Allen Davis, Principal for Burns Avenue. During the same year, the Hicksville Fire Department held its annual Labor Day Tournament on Burns Ave with the grandstands erected on Burns Avenue, across from the School property.

Mid-Island Plaza' s Beginning

The Mid-Island Shopping Plaza would cost over $40 million dollars to build, and was an open-air mall that was anchored by the 5-level, Queens-based Gertz Department Store. This department store opened for business on October 12, 1956, along with an initial eleven stores selling various goods and services. Among those stores were J.J. Newberry, Bond Clothes, Oppenheim-Collins, National Shoes, Flagg Brothers Shoes, Lodge Coffee Shop, Famous Fashion Shop, a Horn & Hardart Retail Store,  S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 and Mid-Island Plaza Before the Enclosuretwo supermarkets, Food Fair and First National Store.  First National store later morphed into a Shop Rite and then became Pathmark in 1968. Finally closing for good in late1978. Food Fair was rebranded as a Pantry Pride in 1972 and a Hills in 1977 which was finally shuttered in early 1979. 

After the initial eleven stores that opened in October 1956, the Mid Island Plaza would be the home of the following stores, all opening in less than a year.

Mid-Island Plaza  1957 - 1967

In 1957,  Mid Island Plaza was granted permission to use Burns Ave. school's property for a right of way entrance from John Street into the Plaza parking field.  Starting in July 1957, and for the next 10 years, Mid-Island Plaza was the home of the July 4^th Hicksville Community fireworks display. At its height, an estimated 20,000 people oohed and aahed when the Mid Island Plaza Merchants Association presented their community fireworks display.   That September of 1957,  the nearly mile long truck tunnel beneath the mall was designated as a Civil Defense Operational Headquarters. This facility could have provided emergency accommodations for over 9,000 people.  

Before the plaza was enclosed, some Plaza fans may recaMetal Arch with Starll the metal arch, which suspended a large lit multi-color star.  It stood as an iconic symbol of Mid-Island Plaza.  When the arch was dismantled, it was stored in the rear of the plaza by the Burns Avenue School, next to the Nassau County sump. Some remember when the star was illuminated,  it was so tall and bright, it could be seen at night from far away. Each Christmas season,  Mid-Island Plaza would put a real large tree, dubbed “Christmas Around the World” directly under the star.

On September 28, 1960, Vice President Richard Nixon, while enroute to Grumman Aerospace, made a stop at the Mid-Island Shopping Plaza. He was running for President and gave a campaign speech there.  The volunteer fire department members were part of a contingent that stood by and welcomed the Vice President. Over 10,000 residents greeted Vice President Nixon at  Mid-Island Plaza.

In 1963,  the New York Mets, sent three members of their newly crowned Baseball Team  to  Mid-Island Plaza.  Baseball's all-time greats, Duke Snyder, Gil Hodges and the newly signed Ed Kranepool, appeared in person on June 6^th between Gertz and Newberry’s. Duke and Gil had surprises for the youngsters, including autographed pictures and baseballs. On hand to help greet the Mets was Miss Rheingold 1963, Loretta Russell. The Hicksville High School band played the ‘‘Mets’’ theme and the crowds roared in approval as the guests arrived on the platform. 

In 1964 about 300 shoppers were evacuated when a fire broke out in the huge Gertz department store.  There was an estimated loss between $125,000 to $1,000,000 not only to Gertz but other Mid Island Plaza stores, including a total loss of the Brown Cow Restaurant. This stubborn fire broke out on the 5^th floor stock room and the heat of burning foam rubber, carpeting and other goods set off 160 sprinkler heads in the windowless building.

1964 Fire

The first addition to the shopping center was built as a freestanding structure at the north end of the Plaza. The 2,000 seat Town & CountTwin Theatersry Theatres, Twin Theatre North  and South showed its first features on May 27, 1964 with Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra” in the Twin North Theatre. It was one of America's first shopping mall multiplex venues. It was later taken over by Fox Eastern Theatres. A 1968 advertisement shows the South Theatre playing “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 70mm Cinerama exclusively on Long Island. In 1973 it was taken over by Mann Theatres.

Also in 1964, Attorney General, Robert Kennedy attended the Fire Department Labor Day Parade that ended at the Mid Island Plaza in September, and he addressed the crowd of thousands.

1964, Attorney General, Robert Kennedy

During the 1960’s  Mid Island Plaza was host to Paul Miller’s “Big Top Animal Circus”.  It was advertised as "The Greatest Show".  It was a real big-time circus with wild animals performing in a caged outdoor arena, fabulous carnival rides, daring aerial, knife throwing and unicycle acts, and of course           clKing Bros Circus Flyerowns. The entire Circus was free to all, except for a nominal charge for rides. There were seventeen thrill rides including: two giant Ferris wheels;  scrambler; roller coaster; merry go round; flying scooter; kiddie rides, and more. The circus continued for several years and was presented by Pickwick Magic Circus and King Bros Circus.Circus

A Big Change

Big changes were about to take place. In 1968, the shopping center was enclosed.  A second north-end expansion added a 3-level, New York City-based S. Klein department store. It would later become E. J Korvettes.  S. Klein was built as part of a renovation that enclosed the mall.

Mid-Island Plaza Map Circa 1960

Mid-Island Plaza Map Circa 1970

The Music Under the Stars program was hosted by the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County. However, July 9, 1969, Mid Island Plaza, being ahead of the curve, hosted their “Music Under the Stars” with the Long Island Banjo Society. The event was held in the parking lot of the Twin Theaters.

It was July of 1970 when Nathan’s Famous opened its doors at the Mid Island Plaza. Nathans opened its new $250,000 restaurant as their first franchised store to debut on Long Island. It was a bright, color splashed eatery that took the hot dog to new levels. It would bring 80 employees working two shifts to keep customers happy.  Nathans was fully equipped with 200 seats. It had a projected sale revenue of over $2 million dollars.

April 8, 1972, a fast-spreading fire gutted four stores and heavily damaged a fifth store at Mid Island Plaza. The first alarm was sounded at 11:35 AM, with mutual aid requested from the Jericho and Westbury fire departments. The fire spread quickly to the cockloft above the stores where it was difficult to combat. Firemen were hampered by heavy smoke that built up in the mall when automatic opening windows failed to open. Firemen were forced to break many of the windows.

1972 Fire

Less than 8 months later on Wednesday December 15, another alarm was sounded for a fire at Mid Island Plaza. The alarms were sounded at 7:21 a.m. for a fire of undetermined origin which heavily damaged the glass blowers’ shop. The owner suffered burns of the arm and hand. Firemen were hampered when the entire area was filled with smoke.

Another highpoint came in 1972, WYankees Visit Hicksville 1973alt Frazier, star of the NY Knicks basketball team, appeared at the mall to sign autographs and meet some of his fans. A year later, on August 8, 1973, members of the New York Yankees, Thurman Munson, Ron Bloomberg and Sparky Lyle, arrived to signed autographs. It was sometime in the mid or late 70’s, when the Bay City Rollers arrived at the Plaza, I think it was in the Korvettes Record area.

In 1975 the Nassau County Municipal Bus service was granted use of Mid Island Plaza as a bus stop and depot. It was a pickup point that took many to Jones Beach for $0.75.

Buses Waiting at Mid-Island

Buses at Jones Beach

Some may recall in May of 1976 when a little-known actor from “Welcome Back Kotter”, John Travolta (Vinny Barbarino), would arrive on the roof of the mall. An estimated 2,000 screaming fans showed up to get a new record album autographed by the star. The crowd was much larger than anticipated and several people passed out and were treated by the Hicksville and Jericho fire department and transported to Syosset Hospital for heat exhaustion.

In 1977 an international adventure in shopping commenced at Mid Island Plaza and its focus was to increase attention into an exciting ten-courtyard design concept with the innovative international theme: ‘‘Islands of the World.” Authentic replicas of scenes from such diverse islands  such as the Far East, the Caribbean, Great Britain and a Grecian isle in the Aegean Sea gave shoppers the chance to stroll through a realistic Japanese garden or rest beneath a palm treed tropical oasis.  Shoppers could ample the native wares of any of ten exciting islands all while doing their regular shopping without leaving the mall.

The $8 million dollar "Islands of the World" project was completed by late 1979. However, it seemed that the idea was a bust. By 1983 many of the original store leases expired which allowed an $80 million dollar refurbishment to take place between 1983 and 1984. Vacated areas were gutted and reconfigured, with smaller store spaces created. In 1985, the owners of Mid-Island Plaza, Stackler & Frank, agreed to sell to the Delco Development Corporation, Allen Yudell and his brother, Martin, pumped in about $10 million into renovating and expanding the center.                                  

Mid Island Shopping Plaza was renovated between 1987 and 1991 and renamed Broadway Mall in 1989. It was completely redeveloped in 1995 and now goes by the name Broadway Commons. The once community friendly shopping mall no longer does much for the community it serves, as it once did.

  I haveFiremens drills many fond memories of the plaza from the days of firemen’s drills, shopping during holidays and living within walking distance of the plaza.  

There is ONE constant that has survived 67 years, The Plaza Barbers. While it’s not the original owners, it has been passed down through the generations to those who have worked there. At one point the shop was owned by Silvio, Gregorio, and Horst. It was a real old-fashioned barber shop, completed with straight razor sharpened on a leather strap, hot shaving cream, hot towel, and massager. I have been getting my “buzz” cut there since 1967 and it now costs a whopping $22. 

Finally, for me, the stores that stir up happy memories are.Pizza D'Amore

Pizza D’Amore was owned by “Manny” It was when pizza cost 25 cents a slice. I remember the square slice with the piece of cheese in the middle with the right blend of cheese and sauce.

The Game Room was a place that I could go and get lost in a Pinball Festival with throngs of people fighting for a turn to play their favorite games. Pinball was a national pastime with complex visuals and sound effects. Enthusiasts still spend hours basking in the frenetic beauty of the blinking lights and irrepressible randomness of the ball’s movements. It was also at the height of “Tommy” the movie in 1975. It was based on the rock opera by the rock-n-roll group “The Who".  It centered around Tommy's odyssey through life, punctuated by encounters with all sorts of weird folks, of whom the most seductive is Tina Turner as the Acid Queen. Then there's the great pinball tournament, which is the movie's best single scene: a pulsating, orgiastic turn-on edited with the precision of a machine gun burst. Elton John, wearing skyscraper shoes, is the defending pinball champion. 

KresgKresgese’s was a place that held warm memories.  The Christmas holiday centered on Dad and Mom taking the children out to U.S General at Mid Island Plaza to choose the right Christmas tree. After tying the tree to the ’67 yellow Chevy Impala, the next step would be a stop for hot cocoa at S.S. Kresge’s. In the summer, playing little League Baseball, Dad would take us to Kresge’s to throw a dart at the balloon board. It was my chance to win a free ice cream sundae served in a baseball helmet. My team was the New York Mets.

Long’s Chinese Restaurant had an entrance from inside the plaza at the backend and an entrance from outside, where Target Store now stands. The entrance from the mall was the restaurant, where the outside entrance brought you into the kitchen area. That was also the area for “to-go and pick up”. Inside that kitchen area you were greeted with a happy hello, and you could watch the cooking in progress. Whether it was a Friday or Sunday dinner, the adults would have a quick drink at the bar, while the order was placed. I can still hear the clanging of pots and pans and the aroma of Chow Mein and egg rolls.

Gertz In February 1983, morphed into another Allied Stores division, Paramus, New Jersey-based Stern's. My mom, Adeline (Brigandi) SGertzchweitzer worked for Gertz before retiring from Sterns. The store would later become "Macy’s in May 2001 and close a few years back and remains empty. Gertz had a great “Garden Restaurant” on lower level, that would transform into a “Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre” event during the summer months.

Pathmark memories are driven with thoughts of my brother, Marty (Schweitzer), Class of 73. He started as a “Cart Boy’” at the age of 14 and parlayed that into a 51-year career, ending as a butcher in Shop Rite. Shopping with mom was a Saturday ritual.

Car Lin Bake Shop was part of the weekly tradition growing up.  On Sunday’s, when we attended mass at St. Ignatius. we needed to stop and get dad his “Star Rolls” for his peanut butter. We would go in the bakery and buy the best chocolate cupcakes, apple squares and great donuts. What I remember, the access to the bake shop was on the outside of the mall, where Target now stands and it was a tight fit when walking into the shop. There wasn't a lot of room in the store. If you walked through the front door,  you had an area of about 8-foot-wide  to stroll in front of the showcases and pick out your favorites. The showcases, filled with colorful goodies, were set up in a long glass row, and there was a walkway behind the showcases for the workers to gather your goods. The Plaza was closed on Sundays (back then stores weren’t allowed to open). Many hearts were broken when they closed their doors.

Here is an incomplete but thorough list of stores that occupied the Mid Island Shopping Plaza, Mid Island Plaza, The Plaza at Mid Island, and limited to Broadway Mall from 1956 through 1985ish.

National Shirt Shops	Lofts Candies
Gertz and Shop Rite	Horn and Hardart
Mid-Island Sign with Band	VP Nixon Visits Hicksville 1964

1959 was a busy year; Fidel Castro came into power, the Barbie doll was launched, Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states respectively, most of my classmates, the class of '77, were born, and Wetson's Hamburgers began.  

History

That year, Herb and Erol Wetanson started the first Wetson's in Levittown, NY.  Herb Wetanson's father had been a restaurateur so he had grown up in that environment.  Herb had been on a trip to California where he visited his first McDonald's.  That visit gave him the inspiration to start his own fast food restaurant.  When Herb returned from the military, he began working on opening his own Hamburger stand.  Herb and his brother Erol choose Levittown because of its post-war boom. They opened their first Wetson's in an old coffee shop, and as they say, the rest is history.

Wetson's opened in Hicksville on Old Country Rd and Levittown Parkway in May of 1963.  They sold Hamburgers  for 15¢, and fries for 10¢.  Wetson's also had two clowns Wetty and Sonny who were the mascots.  They were modeled after Ronald McDonald.  

The hamburger meat was purchased from Schloesser & Weingartens.  At the time, the Federal government required hamburgers to have no more than 30% fat, but Wetson's burgers had anywhere between 18% - 22%. That may be why people loved them.  Schloesser & Weingartens also sold fried chicken to Wetson's. By 1964, Wetson's had 14 locations on L.I.  Altogether, there were 72 locations in NY, NJ, and CT.  Unfortunately, by 1975 Wetson's merged with Nathan's.  It was the end of an era. 

Memories

 In 1968 my parents bought a Levitt house in the 'B' section of Hicksville.  We would drive out from the Bronx every weekend to prepare the house for day we would move in . Each weekend, we would stop at Wetson's for lunch which consisted of hamburgers, fries, and drinks.  Their burgers were good, but their fries were AMAZING!!!  They were wonderfully  crispy on the outside  and  creamy on the inside, and they had just the right amount of salt.  I remember my dad driving our 1959 Chevy Impala into the parking lot and parking the car.  We would walk up to the window to order our food.  There was no seating in Wetson's at all, not like fast food restaruants today.  We would take our order, pile into the car, and drive to our new house on Bobwhite Lane.  The smell would permeate the car and by the time we got to the house, we were starving.  We would find a place to sit, whether it was on the floor or a folding chair and chow down on that deliciousness. 

While looking  through social media posts concerning Wetson's,  I noticed a lot of people loved the fries and the shakes.  There were quite a few people who thought that Wetson's hamburgers, especially the Big W, were better than McDonald's.  What do you think?  Where their hamburgers better than McDonald's? 

Some reminisced about hanging out with their friends in the parking lot, going to Wetson's on first dates,  celebrating birthdays, and even working there at 16 yrs old.   What are some of your memories of Wetson's?

Jim Clark remembers working there the summer of '64 when he was 17.  He told me  that the owner of the Hicksville franchise would peel and cut the potatoes for the fries.  They were soaked in water overnight and then cooked in lard at 600 degrees for a few minutes.  They were made fresh for every order. He also said that the lines on the weekend went on for hours.  

Karen Ulbricht, a classmate of mine, remembers the whole family piling into the car and sitting at picnic tables that were there to eat their meal. 

Susan Schular-Nolan, another classmate of mine, shared her memories of Wetson's too.  She loved Wetson's Fried Chicken and would always ask for it when she went there with her family. Susan also shared that her husband worked for a short time at a burger place called Burger Square. One was located in Syosset on Jericho Turnpike.  That restaurant was replaced by a Wetson's. 

Afterwards

I do want to send a BIG Thank You to Susan Shular-Nolan for the follow-up to what happened after Wetson's closed.  When Wetson's went out of business in 1975, it became Titus Oaks Record Exchange.  As a matter of fact, my husband was one of their customers.  People would turn in used albums that they didn't listen to anymore and get credit to buy new or used albums they wanted.  

Titus Oaks Record Exchange (Check out the Sign on the Building)

After Titus oaks closed, it was razed and now a Dunkin Donuts stands where Wetson's used to be.  Instead of ending their night with a burger and fries, hanging out with friends, or having a first date,  people are now starting their day with a donut and coffee.  Those of use who knew Wetson's miss those simpler days. I know I do. 

Dunkin Donuts Photo by Susan Shular-Nolan

Looking Toward Levittown Pkwy Photo by Susan Shular-Nolan

Resources: 

LongIsland 70s kid. - Information on Wetson's 

Newspapers.com Newspapers.com - Advertisements

Wikipedia - Information on Wetson's

NY Times June 4, 1972 - Article about Schloesser and Weingartens