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Chapter 05: Kingston

By The Architect of NextBlock City February 27, 2026

77 East Chester Street

After returning to Goldens Bridge failed — the principal, Mr. Lazzaro, punched Julian in the face, later reported as Julian punching him — and after sitting home in Mount Kisco from January to April 1961 because the school wouldn’t admit him, his social worker Mr. Tutson drove him to Kingston.1

Three years, two months, and twenty-six days.

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • The Only One

    “That first night I cried, realizing I was the only one in my family that was being sent away.”1

    The school had about 500 children. Most had some sort of behavioral issue. Counselors managed daily routines — activities, meals, bedtime. They would wake boys in the middle of the night to funnel them to the bathroom to reduce bedwetting. Julian was discovered sleepwalking — he once walked down the aisle of the church in the middle of the night as if attending mass.

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • The Richest Kid

    Daily grades — red star for good behavior and completed chores, green star for demerits. Six red stars Monday through Saturday plus good behavior on Sunday earned a gold star and the full allowance of $4.00. Kitchen workers received an extra bonus, bringing the total to $5.00 on a perfect month.1

    “I became known as the richest kid in the school. I made the most and spent the least.”

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • How to Be a Bully

    Andy Simuel — dark-skinned, short, muscular, from Long Island. He taught Julian how to be a bully: “To be a bully you never beat someone you know you can beat. Go after the biggest and baddest, then you only need to fight once.”1

    Andy defeated the resident bully Harold Gobble with a single uppercut in the basement. He was kind to everyone afterward, knowing no one would challenge him. He later ran away, robbed a candy store, and was sent to reform school. Julian never heard from him again.

    “Now I was a bully.”

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • Moose

    Dennis “Moose” Ellis — the gentle giant from Liberty, New York, a farm community. About 6 feet tall, 190 pounds, all muscle. When the current bully punched him in the face on his first day, Moose barely flinched and walked away.1

    He got the name from the Archie comics character — when someone suggested it, he paused and said “Ok.” He once carried a boy who fell through ice all the way back to the school.

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • The Cat Burglar

    Fred Klein was a cat burglar who would sneak out at night to crack parking meters, vending machines, and safes. He and Julian became partners — burying stolen shotguns in sand, raiding the pantry at night.1

    The handyman Dan installed a new lock and proclaimed “I defy anyone to get in now.” Klein opened it with two butter knives. Julian was the lookout. Klein was the operator.

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • Right from Wrong

    Robert Kennedy visited Kingston and gave a speech. Julian stood high on a statue and watched him walk past. The crowd called him “carpetbagger.”1

    “What I learned the most there was how to steal and be deceptive. So here I am, this Catholic kid from Westchester County with all the disciplines of the church, knowing right from wrong, always trying to do my best.”

  • Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

    • The Rubber Boots

    Julian left Kingston on June 25, 1965. All he cared about were his Goodyear rubber boots.1

    He’d stashed his earnings in the toes all winter.

    1. Julian Reis, memoir. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

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