When Edgartown Rolled All Year And Coo Cavallo Held Court

Eric L. Peters Thursday, January 11 2018 - 12:10pm

It would be hard for many Islanders today to un derstand that 40 years ago Edgartown was a vibrant year-round village.

It would be hard for many Islanders today to understand that 40 years ago Edgartown was a vibrant year-round village. The post office was on North Water street, where Murdick’s Fudge is today. On Main street, the Fishers ran the Edgartown Hardware Store, Brandy Harrison ran the Edgartown Market, and Gino Courtney had the paper store. Also on North Water street, in the store front that once was Jordan’s Barbershop was the Barbershop Deli run by Robert M. (Coo) Cavallo.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Barbershop Deli was a center of daily Edgartown social activity and the place to go for lunch or coffee any time of day, stopping in before or after getting the mail. You could spend 10 minutes or an hour. There was always someone to talk to, whether it was just Coo at a quiet time of day, or any of the regulars.

Even though there were only five small tables, two by the front window, Coo’s steady customers included Edgartown’s finest. They included Chief Bruce Pratt, George Searle, John Rogers, Chris Gompert and David Steere and John Edwards the harbor master, with stories of the latest rescue or misadventure on the waters.

There were politicians like Ted and Bob Morgan, or Rick Prada, stopping in for coffee from oil deliveries, his daughter Mary, the summer meter-maid, his brother Ed Prada and Ed’s daughter Cathy Ward. There was Coo’s childhood friend from New York, Norman Rankow. George and Susan Gamble were regulars. There were electricians like Jimmy Brown and Mike Dolby, dockbuilders Jack Carbon and Steve Ewing, Steve’s brothers Doug, Colin, Scott, and their father, Harvey Ewing, the Cape Cod Times reporter for the Vineyard.

Other regulars included Huck and Peter Look and their children, Andy and Paul Thurlow, Don and Eric Kip, Hank Smith, Faye and Geoff Kontje, Jackie Shaw, Susan Reidy, Mel and Joan Dunayer, Will Ware, Tuna Ross, Paul Bagnall and his sisters Gina and Noel and their mother Queenie, Coo’s second wife, Donna Goodale, Katie Nevin and her sister Barry and brother Rob, the McCarrons, Tom Engley, David Alton, Dennis and Sandra Arnold, Bob and Gail Avakian, Bob Enos and his sister Cindy, George Brush when he was a housepainter, Coo’s brother Puppy, Ivory Littlefield, Elaine Allen, Froggie Greene, Fran and Debbie Davis, John Donnelly, who looked like Blackbeard the pirate and ran the Square Rigger restaurant and bar, Jamie Gaspar, Timmy Thomas, Donny Benefit, Dick Hathaway, Patti Linn, Louis (Jim) Goodwin and his father, Louis — and Mel Levinson, who ran the Edgartown Cafe where the Wharf Restaurant is now.

My brothers John and David were also regulars; David recalls that Coo used to let him run up a tab at the beginning of the summer when he would come to work at the Shiretown Inn. The list could go on and on with town employees, the tradesmen and local shop owners and others from around the Vineyard. I know I have forgotten many.

The day’s conversation was local politics, gossip, the weather, the fights the night before upstairs in Lou’s Worry, a bar next door, what the fishermen were catching, construction jobs. And then there was sports. Coo was from New York and a Yankees fan and loved to argue baseball with the Red Sox fans. Reggie Jackson and his team kept Coo happy for many years. I grew up in New Jersey, so I enjoyed the ribbing and shared a suspicion of Boston sports fans. Coo once told the Martha’s Vineyard Magazine for a story: “Most Red Sox fans are really Yankee haters rather than true Red Sox fans.”

There could be old stories, such as the time Bob Morgan told me how he took apart Sonny Norton’s old camp at Short Point and towed it in pieces across Edgartown Great Pond to build a house at Katama off Herring Creek Road in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Lenny Marchant, in his later years, would shuffle down Main street from his sister Betty Sanchez’s rooming house across the street from the Dr. Fisher House. Lenny would come into the Deli and Coo would hand him his broom from over the counter. Lenny would sweep the sidewalk out front, earning his free cup of coffee from Coo. Lenny had a limited vocabulary, but if you said, “Nice day Lenny,” he would always agree and reply: “It certainly is.”

In the summer, there was Coo holding court with the tourists, answering their questions, with banter often for the benefit of us year-rounders already seated. He charmed the ladies, young and old. He loved to gesticulate and tap his large carving knife on the top of the stainless-steel deli meat cooler for emphasis as he talked.

In those days, for many of us in Coo’s generation, our social life was in the Barbershop Deli by day and the Square Rigger by night, especially Thursday nights. Breakfast at the deli was English muffins or bagels and cream cheese. For lunch there were Reubens, Scissors or Monte Christos.

There was always a smile on Coo’s face. He was present for you. He never missed a beat. His bright shining eyes and his generous personality, full of heart, drew us to the deli to hang out with him and with each other.

By the mid-1980s, the post office moved out of town, the beginning of the decline of the tight-knit Edgartown village community. Eventually, Coo shut down the deli and worked for the sheriff’s office. He later bought Mel Dunayer’s Edgartown Paint Store on Upper Main street. I moved to Vineyard Haven along the way and saw less of him in recent years, but enjoyed every minute when I did.

I don’t know whether Coo would rather make sandwiches or sell paint in heaven, but, when I find him there, I will ask for at least one more Reuben sandwich with mustard (hold the Russian dressing), just like the good old days at the Barbershop Deli.

Eric L. Peters is an Island attorney, formerly of Edgartown, living in Vineyard Haven.

Comments

Thanks Eric well done thanks

Tom Engley West Tisbury

Thanks Eric well done thanks for the memories.

Love this. Edgartown was my

MarthaMagee

Love this. Edgartown was my first introduction to the Vineyard. I once stayed at Mrs Marchant's Rooming House and remember her sweet high pitched voice.

Great article I knew that I

Bonnie Baptiste Bassett Hinsdale NH

Great article I knew that I remembered Coo from somewhere thought of the VH Deli,thanks for setting me straight I should have known I lived in Edgartown for many years. I never knew him personally but who could forget that face with such a smile ! I also knew Betty and Lenny ....beautiful people !

Thanks, Eric, for this

TOM HODGSON West Tisbury

Thanks, Eric, for this excellent trip down Memory Lane.

Oh the names, Coo, Tuna, Huck

Chip Coblyn OB

Oh the names, Coo, Tuna, Huck, Puppy—one can just imagine the wonderful personalities that went along with them. And there’s even one I know (George Brush) so the connection from your story feels all the more real. Thanks for the trip back in time!

Back in day when I worked at

Peter Rollins Camden, ME

Back in day when I worked at Murdick's I'd often head to the Barbershop Deli for a Scissor sandwich. Best ever.

What a great write up about

Jim Chirgwin Longboat Key

What a great write up about Coo and all the characters who were the fabric of Edgartown life.

Thanks for sharing! Great

Julie Fkanders Chilmark

Thanks for sharing! Great piece.

So many memories. Thanks,

Gail Avakian Edgartown

So many memories. Thanks, Eric for helping turn back the clock. We didn’t realize then how special every day was. Let’s remember to laugh and smile at the good old days.

Thanks so much Eric.. your

Blue Cullen Chilmark

Thanks so much Eric.. your words really bring back amazing memories of "old" Edgartown and all it's cast of characters.
The crew at Tashtego (where I worked then) all went for our daily lunches at the deli and Coo was the best! Those were the days...

Thanks for the extra insights

Shelley Christiansen Oak Bluffs

Thanks for the extra insights into the charming guy I interviewed for the MV Magazine article. Alas, there's one less Yankees fan on the island. Now I must root for two.

Thank you, Eric, for the

R. Smith Chilmark and NYC

Thank you, Eric, for the reflections of life in Edgartown that exists now only in memory. From the photo I easily reimagined the interior of the small space that was the Barbershop Deli in the late 70's: the wallpaper, the coffee by the register, meats and cheeses in the cold case, and Coo at the center of it, with that big bearded grin.
RIP Coo.

Coo would always make my

Sandra Luce Alestra Edgartown

Coo would always make my “regular” which was roast beef and Canadian bacon with lettuce, tomato, mayo, on white toast. The best sandwich ever!!

Well written Eric it brought

Brian Edgartown

Well written Eric it brought a tear to my eye. I wasn't on Island when the deli was open but I did hear some real cool stories about it when Coo hired me at the paint shoppe after I moved here. I lived above Puppy and Dee's Soigne and spent my mornings working for the most loving husband, father and friend anyone could ever hope to have or know. The banter around the paint shoppe was always interesting for me (a washashore) as the endless cavalcade of painters and friends stopped in.. sometimes to buy something but mostly to get their daily dose of Coo. Whether it be Yankees talk (I too am a fan) or a Monday morning review of weekend events it was never a dull moment around him. Today I say that Coo saved my life twice. Once when he gave me work and a wonderful work environment. And second when it was time to say goodbye to me he did so with love. If he didn't I never would have gotten the help I needed. I owe my new life to him. Rest easy Coo. Thanks for the memories. Oh and GO YANKEES!

Thanks Eric for the wonderful

Gina Bagnall Lincoln Niantic, CT

Thanks Eric for the wonderful memories of Edgartown when it was a magical place to live. It's true that Coo and the Barbershop Deli were part of the heart and soul of the village... Godspeed old friend, my sandwich in Heaven will be meatloaf please !!!

Lovely.

m renczkowski edgartown

Lovely.

I managed the Old Stone

MEL Bendavid 73 Forest Ave

I managed the Old Stone Bakery 81-84 An would go to Coo’s Delli regularly ! He was warm, welcoming an made you feel loved! I will miss him❤️

Great article. It was our go

Conny Young Hingham via Edgartown

Great article. It was our go to after school. I’ll always remember the quarters shellacked on each of the tables. Wonderful memories.

When (and how) did Coo pass

Christine Powers Waltham

When (and how) did Coo pass away? This is a wonderful article, full of memories of my time on the Vineyard.

What a lovely article about

Donna & Bob Enos Chappy

What a lovely article about an equally lovely guy. What a loss for everyone.

Allways upbeat, with a huge

Jennifer Stix VH

Allways upbeat, with a huge heart and personality he was the best of the best. This lleaves me awash in nostalgia, maybe I'll frame it. Condolences to Puppy (I have to use the old nickname) and all Coo's family.

Those were wonderful times.

Pam Gardner Beverly, MA

Those were wonderful times. Still the best deli that was ever on MV. Great memories!

One of the best.

Scott McDowell Menemsha

One of the best.

Nice article Eric! I visited

John Alley West Tisbury

Nice article Eric! I visited the place often as a County Commissioner and friend. Reminded him often he looked like a young George Henry Mederios! Did he evr tell you why he kept his air conditioning unit at a higher level on warm summer days?

Eric, This is a beautiful

Jim Murphy Sheridan, Montana

Eric, This is a beautiful piece and captures the wonderful times I had with the Animal Crackers and dock builders over coffee and a bagel. Coo was a wonderful and welcoming person. Thanks so much for the memory.

Sure brings back memories

Linda (Jimmy) Brown Maine

Sure brings back memories from when I worked at the Colonial Inn and the later years. This is just perfect. Thanks for all the great remembrances!

Linda and Jimmy

We were married Edgartown in

Betsy Langley Stabler

We were married Edgartown in '89. Had a fabulous wedding, but like many couples, left our own reception famished, after all the socializing and dancing. When we headed into town after our reception in my parents backyard, our first stop was the Deli. Coo knew us both from working summers at the Shanty and Fligors, when we told him we had just been married, but were starving, he made us the best Scissor snadwiches and treated us to our first meal as a married couple...I'll never forget it! He was a true gem of a guy

I agree this is a great piece

Paula Preston Ma

I agree this is a great piece and I remember most of the characters back when I worked down at the drug store for Paul...loved the close knit Island community and still miss it. Rip Coo...

The best times I had!

Susan Reidy

The best times I had! Hanging out and working at the deli! Coo held court. Definitely miss how connected we all were. You captured it well Eric. Nicely done. I will be asking for a Scissor. :-)

Oh how we will miss Coo! He

Deb & Steve Rusckowski New York

Oh how we will miss Coo! He was one-of-a-kind! Great article and tribute.

So nice to read this, it

Craig Nash Scotland

So nice to read this, it instantly brought back great memories of Coo. He was very good to a small group of English and Kiwis that lived on the island in the mid eighties, we hung out there a lot

so many familiar names (some

John Fuller Vineyard Haven

so many familiar names (some related) - thanks Eric!

You’ve unleashed a flood of

Diana Roberts Paris, France

You’ve unleashed a flood of memories. I lived on the as-yet-undeveloped, isolated and windswept plains of Katama in 1978 and 79. The big event of the day was to take my two year old Orion to the post office to get the mail, to the hardware store to say hi to May Wanamaker, then on to Fligors to look at toys. We first met Coo and Donna and the boys (and the Gambles) thru Island Children’s School. What huge hearts and smiles he and Donna had. His toddler boys were mini-Coos. We were all so young and just starting out in life. Sigh. This article proves you CAN go home again. Thank you for naming names.

Growing up in Long Island, I

Lourdes Ferrer Diaz Florida

Growing up in Long Island, I attended Our Lady of the Angelous Catholic school. And one of the coolest guys in my class was Coo. We spent 8 years together, from 1st through 8th grade. It was our formative years and since our classes always stayed together, we became like one big family. I look back at those times with great fondness and cherish the friendship that I had with Coo. To this day, I stay in touch with many of our OLA classmates and Coo's memory still lives in our hearts. We love you Coo. May you rest in peace in the arms of the Lord.

Those were the days...I

Quita Atchley Schillhammer Watertown

Those were the days...I worked at Lilly Pulitzer on Dock Street every summer from 1970-79 and often enjoyed a scissor sandwich for lunch. My sister Abby was a regular at the deli until she died in 77. Thank you for reminding me of so many old & dear friends, some who I still see every July when I return, now to Chappy, since our Edgartown house sold in 2013.

Coo in the Barbershop Deli, the day after the blizzard of 1978.

When Edgartown Rolled All Year And Coo Cavallo Held Court

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