Photo by Shayla Love
by Shayla Love
As the 45th anniversary of the Jolly Tinker passes by, the Norwood News met the man for whom the birthday is just another notch in the wood.
Kenny Franklin leaned against the weathered bar of the Jolly Tinker and looked at the photos and relics that line the walls. “We must of done something good,” he said. “We’re still here 45 years later.”
Franklin pointed to a picture above the bar.
“That’s Buffalo,” he said. “He was 420 pounds, but the nicest man you’ll ever meet. When he died, he lived in South Carolina, but his wife brought his ashes up here. I know all these faces. I recognize everybody.”
Hearing a bar’s history through the eyes of its oldest regular is a rambling of names, chuckles and stories that start with, ”This one time…”
“Cardiac Jack” got his name from faking a heart attack. A bartender named Joanie still served drinks after a fire. An Irish family, the Hanons,
Photo by Shayla Love
lost a son in a car crash. Bartender Annie got her master’s degree. John eats his lunch in the corner every day. Dates and years are fuzzy, and Kenny doesn’t pay attention to them. The memories and people gather like the photos on the wall and the only thing that matters is it happened at the Tinker.
He gestured to a picture of a man in brown suit, caught in action, standing on the bar.
“That’s me up there,” Franklin said. “I was the last person to dance on this bar. When they saw that, they said the next person, with this old bar, would end up in the basement.”
Franklin loves to dance. A lot of his memories involve girls, the jukebox and a Dean Martin song. Right now, his favorite tune to play is “Sweet Caroline” and his favorite dancing partner was Mary Prendergast, the wife of the owner Michael Prendergast Sr.
“When Mary was in the hospital, I went to see her,” Franklin said. “And I sang to her, ‘I’ll be down to get you in a taxi honey,’” from Dean Martin’s “Downtown Strutter Ball.” Mary was in a coma, but a smile still spread across her face.
The Jolly Tinker is run now by Michael Prendergast Jr. and serves a younger clientele, mainly from the nearby Fordham University campus.
“They call me the old guy, but that don’t bother me,” he said, “I am old!”
One of the students wrote his thesis on Franklin, and got a good grade, he said. Maybe that student will be explaining Franklin’s picture on the wall one day. But until then, Franklin is here to do the job.
“With the anniversary, I’ve got to thinking about all the guys that were in here, girls that were in here, who passed away.” he said. “You just gotta say, ‘God rest their soul.’ I’ve had a lot of good friends. I’ve loved all of the people in and out of here.”
Does Franklin think that heaven looks like the Jolly Tinker? Franklin said, with his raspy voice. “If it doesn’t, I’ll make it look like it. All I need is a bar and a jukebox.”
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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Rather sad story about a person who never grew up. If there was more to be written in this article it would be Franklin would be totally lost if this gin mill closed. Sounds like he needs a constructive hobby away from the idiot juice.
Brother Kenny knows the score, he’s been there awhile, next time ask him about how he met me there LOL! I’m a Tinker of 45 years, 1st. place I walked in to when I came home between tours in Vietnam. I now reside in South Carolina and gave up the Shamagara but most of my life’s memories revolve around The Tinker. Slante!
Hey Den Walker….. Can you speak of any friendships for 45years??? You should grow up & find some friends who may tell you not to judge someone without knowing them. Kenny is a wonderful person who would be there in a heartbeat if you needed him. So, learn to shut your mouth & not pass judgement on someone you don’t know!
Kenny is an 8 year Navy veteran who also served on a base in Vietnam (1966-67), worked every day of his life, and has the right to relax and spend the rest of his life any way he wants, without some smart mouth trying to say something he knows nothing about.
I second Kathi. Den, you certainly don’t know Kenny. I’ve never been to the Jolly Tinker, but I’ve met Kenny. A fantastic man, with a big heart. Seems to me, Den, you could learn a lesson or two about life, friendship, and judging other people. Happy St. Patty’s, Kenny!!!
Hey Den , I’m gonna lay it straight out . You got a big mouth about a man you wish to know . You would NEVER , in any way , shape or form be close to a man like Kenny . He earned with blood,sweat and tears to live the life he lives. Hey Uncle we all love you. XO
Den Walker you wish you could be half the man my uncle is. You don’t know what cards life dealt him and he always fought back hard. If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, then don’t say anything there is enough negativity in this world.Why don’t you get a life. Oh you do, the internet !!!
This is an amazing man that would do anything for anyone. He has a heart of gold. I am lucky to have known him for so long because I married his nephew. I have video and pictures looking at the same pictures he is showing and I enjoyed every minute of it. I have pictures dancing with him, and just sitting talking about life. I have a Jolly Tinker shirt I am so proud of. He danced at my wedding and I would dance with him anytime. I love you Uncle Kenny:):)
Theresa Mulligan March 28th, 2014 10:18 pm
This is an amazing man that would do anything for anyone. He has a heart of gold. I am lucky to have known him for so long because I married his nephew. I have video and pictures looking at the same pictures he is showing and I enjoyed every minute of it. I have pictures dancing with him, and just sitting talking about life. I have a Jolly Tinker shirt I am so proud of. He danced at my wedding and I would dance with him anytime. I love you Uncle Kenny:):)
Does Patty Tierney still hang out there??