I believe this man, Joseph Szafranski, is my uncle. I never met him, but my aunt Irene told me a lot of what she knew. In 1994, I worked at a medical bill collection agency in NY. I had access to many records from the area hospitals in NY, including NYC. I had many conversations about Joe, and I got the idea to search my company's computers to see if I could find him.
My aunt had his SSN and I was able to find records of him. Unfortunately, he died in 1993. The records showed him living in the Hell's kitchen area of NYC, and that he was indigent. Since the date of death and that he's interred in Potters Field, I am pretty sure it is him.
Joe's father was John Szafranski. I am unaware of his mother's name, as she died in the 1920s when he was very young. John remarried a woman from Poland, my grandmother, Julia.
Joseph had two full sisters, Irene and Helen, and three half-siblings, Francis, John, and my mother Adele. They lived in Brooklyn, and his father had a candy store. Life was not easy for them. John divorced (or separated) from his new wife as she developed mental illness and was institutionalized.
John faced raising the children on his own. Luckily, Irene, Helen and Joe (kids from John's first wife) were about 10 years older than the children from the second wife, so they helped take care of the younger children.
But, as my aunt told me, Joseph created a lot of problems at home. He was always getting in trouble and getting into fights. This continued into Joe's young adult life. Joseph was always needing money from his father, and one day, probably in the 1950s, this led to a big verbal fight between Joe and his father. The father basically told him to never come back to the family, and he never did.
My aunts and uncles never stopped thinking about Joe and were saddened that they never saw him again. My aunt was hoping to reconnect with his in the 1994 as she was in her 70s, but it was not to be.
My aunt described him as a nice man and a good brother, but that he was on the wild side. I am sad that I never got to meet this man too.
My aunt had his SSN and I was able to find records of him. Unfortunately, he died in 1993. The records showed him living in the Hell's kitchen area of NYC, and that he was indigent. Since the date of death and that he's interred in Potters Field, I am pretty sure it is him.
Joe's father was John Szafranski. I am unaware of his mother's name, as she died in the 1920s when he was very young. John remarried a woman from Poland, my grandmother, Julia.
Joseph had two full sisters, Irene and Helen, and three half-siblings, Francis, John, and my mother Adele. They lived in Brooklyn, and his father had a candy store. Life was not easy for them. John divorced (or separated) from his new wife as she developed mental illness and was institutionalized.
John faced raising the children on his own. Luckily, Irene, Helen and Joe (kids from John's first wife) were about 10 years older than the children from the second wife, so they helped take care of the younger children.
But, as my aunt told me, Joseph created a lot of problems at home. He was always getting in trouble and getting into fights. This continued into Joe's young adult life. Joseph was always needing money from his father, and one day, probably in the 1950s, this led to a big verbal fight between Joe and his father. The father basically told him to never come back to the family, and he never did.
My aunts and uncles never stopped thinking about Joe and were saddened that they never saw him again. My aunt was hoping to reconnect with his in the 1994 as she was in her 70s, but it was not to be.
My aunt described him as a nice man and a good brother, but that he was on the wild side. I am sad that I never got to meet this man too.