Charlie was clearly the black sheep of the family, although no one would come right out and say why. When others use to badmouth him, I would ask why because I enjoyed seeing him in operation. The reasons given were "he isn't good to his mother" or "he is the only son who was not a member of the Knights of Columbus". I assumed the real reason the family had was his career as a wealthy big time gambling Czar in Philadelphia. He played this role with an Irish arrogance as evidenced by some of his comments I remember. He pointed to the suit he was wearing and said "Your father never owned a $200 (1940) suit like this". He owned a horse named Sea Admiral jointly with John O’Malley’s wife. At a family funeral (probably Aunt Sarah's) he was accosted by one of the relatives who had bet on it earlier that month. She said “Your horse didn't win". His memorable answer was, “It wasn't supposed to win”.
Charlie was involved in the Philadelphia political hierarchy primarily through his friend Chief Magistrate John J. O'Malley. But in the early 1950's the Democrats won a city office (Attorney General) for the first time in 62 years. The Republican party offered up 0'Malley as a sacrificial lamb for all of the wrongs committed by the machine during those past 62 years. Charlie was called as a witness and under oath admitted to making a salary of $65,000 the previous year. I attended parts of the trial as part of a law class assignment at St. Joseph's College, but that goes beyond the context of a Barry family history.
Most readers of this history will remember the pictures taken at Nellie and Garrett's 50th wedding anniversary. One was the couple with their seven sons, and one was a large group picture of every one there. These were arranged through Charlie’s influence with a Philadelphia Inquirer photographer. He had arranged to get the photographers’ ticket fixed for taking pictures in an illegal location.
Charlie and Mazie invited our family (only 3 children then) to spend a week at their Atlantic City apartment but again this is hearsay as I do not remember it. It was in Atlantic City later on in 1937 that one of the biggest tragedies struck the family when their son Charles, age 12, fell from the third floor of an apartment building and was killed. This happened on the day St. Matthew's Church picnic was held in Riverview Park. John, as usual, was Chairman. Marie knew about the accident as it was in the Inquirer. She hid the paper from May and John throughout the day and only when we left did she tell them.
Charlie was involved in the Philadelphia political hierarchy primarily through his friend Chief Magistrate John J. O'Malley. But in the early 1950's the Democrats won a city office (Attorney General) for the first time in 62 years. The Republican party offered up 0'Malley as a sacrificial lamb for all of the wrongs committed by the machine during those past 62 years. Charlie was called as a witness and under oath admitted to making a salary of $65,000 the previous year. I attended parts of the trial as part of a law class assignment at St. Joseph's College, but that goes beyond the context of a Barry family history.
Most readers of this history will remember the pictures taken at Nellie and Garrett's 50th wedding anniversary. One was the couple with their seven sons, and one was a large group picture of every one there. These were arranged through Charlie’s influence with a Philadelphia Inquirer photographer. He had arranged to get the photographers’ ticket fixed for taking pictures in an illegal location.
Charlie and Mazie invited our family (only 3 children then) to spend a week at their Atlantic City apartment but again this is hearsay as I do not remember it. It was in Atlantic City later on in 1937 that one of the biggest tragedies struck the family when their son Charles, age 12, fell from the third floor of an apartment building and was killed. This happened on the day St. Matthew's Church picnic was held in Riverview Park. John, as usual, was Chairman. Marie knew about the accident as it was in the Inquirer. She hid the paper from May and John throughout the day and only when we left did she tell them.