By Larry Bohan

This is a group of primarily Somerville residents who have gotten together every year on a Saturday afternoon after Christmas/New Year’s.

We all meet for lunch at a local restaurant. We originally went to a place called Barneys, located in East Boston. We continued to go there until it closed many years ago.

In Barneys, the entire staff enjoyed our group, including all the many waitresses through the years, and also a little old lady who did the cooking. She would make it a point to come see us when we arrived.

When Barneys closed, we went to the Midwest Grill in Cambridge, Floramo’s in Chelsea, Oliverass on Washington Street in Somerville, and this year, Nappis in Medford.

It was first started in 1974 by a Somerville kid named Tony Coccoluto when we were all about 18 years old, and continued through this year, 2025. Tony Coccoluto died in 2003 of cancer, but he started this group, made up of mostly Somervillians, and attended every year until his death.

The group has continued to get together yearly with many others who have come to this celebration.

Originally, we were a group of friends who, when we were young, most worked part-time at Bradlees and played softball together. Now we are older, most in their 70s with wives, children, and some grandchildren. Most have retired or soon will, but through the years, we have continued the tradition started by Tony Coccoluto.

Bradlees is now just a Somerville memory. We are all in or approaching our seventies, our softball careers are distant memories, but the group still gets together yearly! It has been a great ride!

The picture depicts the group. Front Row from left to right: Bill White – Rosmore Street (formerly a Somerville Councilman), Paul Tucelli – Ten Hills Road. Back Row from left to right: Joe Papagno – Flint Street, Joe Cocculto – Mansfield Street, Wayne Hulbert – from Whitman, Larry Bohan -Temple Road, Jack Rosini – Mansfield Street, Ray Santilli – Medford, but married a Somerville girl from Bonner Ave., John Coccoluto – Mansfield Street, Mike Murphy – Bonner Ave.