Locals Reflect on Fond Memories at North Lanes

North Levittown Lanes closed its doors for the final time on Saturday evening, but not without a celebration in honor of the local bowling alley.

Past employees, bowlers, Levittown residents and others gathered to reflect on the good times they had at North Lanes. While some recounted stories of how they met their respective husband or wife, others looked back to the good friends they made while bowling at the alley. Though North Levittown will be closing, South Levittown Lanes will remain open to serve the community.

Patch asked those at the party what they are going to miss the most and what is their most fond memory of North Levittown Lanes:

“I started here the day of the ice storm of 1979 handing out shoes at the front desk for $5 a day. I worked 22 years. I met my wife here – she was the snack counter girl and I was a manager. I married her. A lot of good times here. My whole bowling life has been here for 40 years.” - John Gino, of Levittown.

“I pretty much grew up here – started bowling here when I was six. I started working here when I was 14. I’m very sad to see it go. It is like a second home to a lot of people.” - Darien Barlow, 27, of Levittown.

“Of course, this place is like the neighborhood. I live right around the corner so it was an easy travel. I’ve come home with some nice trophies, some nice prize money, but I am going to miss it. It is a local place you can come to once or twice a week and see everybody, know everybody… I’ve got tons of friends who are really going to go all over the place on the island and I won’t see them that much. We used to make this our local hang out – we always had a lot of fun here.” - Eddy Socha, a Levittown resident since 1975. 

“I had just moved out here and I came in to the woman that was working here and said, ‘I haven’t bowled in 20 years and I wanted to bowl with a league.’ She said ‘I have the perfect team for you.’ Laurie Jean was a friend of hers and she said ‘I have a friend of mine, a really nice girl and you are going to get along with really, really well.’ Six years later we are good friends.” – Levittown resident Diane Desanto explained on how she met her friend, Laurie Jean Ballon, at the North Levittown Lanes.

“I’ve been here ever since my parents started bowling. I was little, they would bowl, I’d be in the nursery. I started bowling the bumper leagues and I bowled in other leagues – with the high school, we practiced here. I got my first job here. Definitely had a good learning experience – everything I learned in bowling, I learned here. I guess everything has to come to an end eventually.” - Michael Landini, 24, formerly of Levittown. 

“We had a lot of good times here – a lot of good people over the years. We have all stuck together, we were like a mini family.” - Steve Sckalor, of Massapequa, who was the head mechanic for a period at North Levittown Lanes.

“We moved to Florida, but we lived here for a long time and my wife worked here for a long time. You hate to see local businesses go under. It is the only place kids have to do anything to stay off of the streets.” - Joe Klapthor, former Levittown resident and current resident in The Villages, Florida.

“I’ve worked here, I’ve bowled here, I grew up here. I’ve known the Marmandos since I was about nine. Between South Levitt and North Levitt – it was home. I met my husband here – a lot of memories, a lot of great memories.” - Diane Kingdon, of Levittown.

“I grew up here. I started at North at the snack bar and ended up being the general manager of South for 16 years. I met all of my best friends here.” - Michelle MacFarlane, currently lives in Pennsylvania, but formerly a Levittown resident.