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On Friday nights in the early spring of 1950 the small crowd would gather, in front of Jacobs Radio and Television, 15 minutes or so before ten o'clock. Dave Jacobs had a Magnavox console television set in his window, and he would leave it on all evening. The idea was to show potential customers how interesting TV could be. Only a tiny percentage of homes -- those that were connected to the New York cable -- had television sets in 1950, though a growing number of families ate their supper at folding TV tables so they wouldn't miss Milton Berle, the Colgate Comedy Hour, or Ed Sullivan on their 17-inch screens. In the afternoons, children gathered at the home of a lucky friend who had TV and watched Howdy Doody. On Friday evenings, even on the last day of March, 15 or 20 men, and sometimes boys, might stand outside Jacobs's store window to watch the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports and wait for Bobby Addy, the ring announcer at Madison Square Garden, to introduce the boxers in the main event.
"This should be a good fight," Livey Jones was saying to his son. "Janiro's fast and has a good right hand. Graziano's a real slugger."
His son agreed: "If he can knock out Janiro, he'll get a shot at Jake LaMotta for the middleweight crown."
"I don't know. Janiro's never been knocked out in--what?--85 fights I think. He's got an iron jaw."
"Janiro's a goddamn playboy," the man standing next to Livey remarked.
"Says he's given up the bright lights, Stashu," Livey laughed.
The railroader waved his hand dismissively. "My ass!" he said. "That cold wave of his gets him around." He riffled a hand on his own gray hair.
"Here it comes," Livey interrupted.
The glowing letters of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports had appeared on the black-and-white screen, and the commercial jingle:
"Be sharp and listen mister: How are ya fixed for blades?
Please make sure you've got enough,
'cause a worn out blade makes shaving mighty tough.
How are ya fixed for blades? Gillette blue blades we mean!"
Then they heard the voice of the announcer Jack Brickhouse:
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen…."
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