Hoboken Memories And More: 'Write What Should Not Be Forgotten'

Written By Dennis Sevano

HOBOKEN, NJ — Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers future National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback, hosting the legendary game show Jeopardy for two weeks would make a dear friend Bobby happy in that Aaron allowed the show to be the Super Bowl rather than himself.

Robert would be put to the test with a $200 Hoboken sports question if he could come up with
the correct answer to the following clue: His teammate at Hoboken High School in two sports in the mid-sixties, a Secaucus resident for many years where Bob recently made his home,
A Most Valuable player in baseball and football at Hoboken High School in 1964, as well as
playing guard on the North Hudson Championship basketball team in the same year while graduating third in his June academic class.

Frank played three varsity sports with All County honors in addition to demanding course work from trigonometry to foreign languages. Mr. B did some heavy lifting both academically and athletically in the Red Wing halls, courts and fields. Perhaps his mark has
unintentionally strayed from the noteworthy value of the Mile Square past but Frank’s career is surely an accomplishment. Not many are aware of recruits from West Point and the Naval Academy scouting him in senior year at Hoboken High School but decided to stay at a local teaching college called Jersey City State College.

“Butchy” a Jeopardy fan himself, tended bar at the Spot Tavern in Union City for a number of
years while playing football and coaching the sport at JCSC. After finishing his degrees landed a teaching position in the Secaucus Public Schools that eventually lead to a counselor’s slot in the early years at the district’s high school. Serving Secaucus far beyond expectations as a football and girls’ softball coach and head counselor for 33 years before retiring in 2003. At this point Bob could click to identify the right answers as Frank Bartletta!

Some memories never fade of seeing an average size athlete excel in three sports at the high
school level and maintaining excellent grades as well. It was a pleasure to rewind the fortune of
watching him play. Frank’s success can be attributed to the early coaching he had in the Mile Square and the instruction he received at Our Lady of Grace School and Hoboken High School.

Many would say while Jack Muraca layed the brick and mortar for “Butchy” as a quarterback. Frank was the landmark for future ball handlers like Pellechia, Addeo, Milne, Forcum and Casey.

Frank had a balance of hobbies including cooking, golfing, watching “Blue Bloods” and singing
tunes (much like his dad professionally did moons ago). In his younger years, Butchie looked like a cross between Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid. (Robert Redford)

Could Bobby provide “Double Jeopardy”answers to the following questions: the number of his children, names of his grandchildren, and the former nurse at Secaucus High who he married?

From the Mile Square city to Myrtle Beach their summer home, reminiscing Frank’s success
could be summed up with the master of all coaches and a former high school teacher himself the late John Wooden of UCLA, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Frank Bartletta followed that creed.

Dennis Sevano

The views expressed here are the author’s own.