Al Young

Al Young


Born:



Died:




Career
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)



Source:


Stats:

Dave Williams

Dave Williams


Born:



Died:




Career
CCNY (College)
1948-49 New York Rens (Independent)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)



Source:


Stats:

Ed Whalen

Edward Whalen


Born:



Died:




Career
St. Michael's High School - New York (High School)
1946-47 St. Francis Xavier - Brooklyn (CYO)
1946-47 Prospect - Brooklyn (YMCA)
1947-48 Long Island University (College)
1947-48 Prospect - Brooklyn (YMCA)
1948-49 Long Island University (College)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)

1949-50 Waterbury Coppers (EBL-Ct)
1949-50 Wallingford Vets (EBL-Ct)
1952-53 Terriers - Brooklyn (Independent)

Some programs for LIU say he is "James Whalen" but newspaper articles say "Ed Whalen"

6' 170

Source:


Stats:

Stan Starkman

Stanley "Stitch" Starkman


Born:
April 2, 1925
New York, NY

Died:
May 7, 2007
Pompano Beach, FL


Career
1942-43 Monroe High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)



Source:


Stats:

Tony Sisti

Anthony William Sisti


Born:
August 9, 1925
Queens, NY

Died:
October 7, 2005
Rockville Centre, NY


Career
1942-43 East Rockaway High School - New York (High School)
1946-47 Seton Hall University (College)
1947-48 Seton Hall University (College)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 New Jersey Reds (Independent)
1949-50 Bristol Tramps (EBL-Ct)
1949-50 Schenectady Packers (ABL)

6'4 200

Sisti later wound up being a sportswriter for Newsday, working there for 40 years covering harness racing. He would be elected to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.

Source:


Stats:

Shaw

Shaw


Born:



Died:




Career
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)

Unidentified player for Brooklyn, three games

Source:


Stats:

Ira Shain

Ira J. (or L) Shain


Born:
February 12, 1926
New York, NY

Died:
October 3, 2017
Paramus, NJ


Career
1942-43 Midwood High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1945-46 Brooklyn College (College)
1946-47 Brooklyn College (College)
1947-48 Brooklyn College (College)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)

The 6'5 190-pound Shain played basketball and baseball at Brooklyn College. He would go one to work in the chain drug industry for many years.

He and his wife, Sylvia, had one daughter and two sons.


Source:
Obituary, Schoems Chapel

Stats:

Walt Kaplowitz

Walter Kaplowitz


Born:
June 24, 1924
Bronx, NY

Died:
August 22, 1998



Career
1946-47 Pratt Institute - New York City (College)
1947-48 Pratt Institute - New York City (College)
1948-49 Saratoga Indians (NYSL)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Paterson Crescents (ABL)
1950-51 Bridgeport Aer-A-Sols (ABL)

Walt started the 1949-49 season with Brooklyn, but finished the season with Paterson. Walt tried out with the Hartford Hurricanes in 1949 but didn't make the club.

Walt's cousins, Ralph and Danny, also played pro basketball.

Source:


Stats:

Allen Friedman

Allen Friedman


Born:
May 19, 1926
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
December 12, 2010
West Palm Beach, FL


Career
1946-47 Mohawk Redskins (NYSL)
1947-48 Mohawk Redskins (NYSL)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1949-50 Wallingford Vets (EBL-Ct)

6'3 from Brooklyn, Friedman had a tryout with the Syracuse Nationals in the BAA but was optioned to Mohawk out of camp.

Fairly certain I have the correct guy identified, given the height and city off of a military draft card,

Source:


Stats:

Jack French

Jack Hamilton French


Born:
July 30, 1924
Meriden, CT

Died:
November 29, 2004
Meriden, CT


Career
1941-42 Meriden High School - Connecticut (High School)
1942-43 Meriden High School - Connecticut (High School)

1945-46 Meriden Speedboys (CSL)
1946-47 Long Island University (College)
1947-48 Long Island University (College)
1948-49 Long Island University (College)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1949-50 Wallingford Veterans (EBL-Ct)
1950-51 Wallingford Veterans (EBL-Ct) Head Coach / Player

French served in the Merchant Marines during World War 2. The 6'5 athlete played basketball at LIU before leaving the team in February of 1948 to join the Brooklyn Gothams. He worked at MRM Industries for many years.

He married Ruth Howland (1928-2013) and they had one daughter and three sons.

Source:


Stats:

Costigan

Costigan


Born:



Died:




Career
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)

Not sure of this man's identity. Could also be "Castigan."

Source:


Stats:

Jim Cascia

James Joseph Cascia


Born:
December 3, 1926
New York, NY

Died:
March 20, 2001



Career
St. John's University (College)
1948-49 Schenectady Packers (NYSL)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Bridgeport Newfield Steelers (ABL)
1949-50 New York Celtics (Independent)
1949-50 Long Island Bombers (Independent)
1950-51 Philadelphia SPHA's (Independent)



Source:


Stats:

Charlie Bollinger

Charles G. Bollinger


Born:
July 28, 1928
New Jersey

Died:
July 22, 2014
River Edge, NJ


Career
1944-45 St. Cecila's High School - Englewood, NJ (High School)
1945-46 Holy Cross (College)
1946-47 Holy Cross (College)
1947-48 Holy Cross (College)
1948-49 Holy Cross (College)
1948-49 Hartford Hurricanes (ABL)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1952-53 Jersey City Titans (Independent) 

Born to Charles and Marth Bollinger, Charlie graduated from Holy Cross (where he played on the 1947 National Champions) in early 1949 and signed with Hartford. After a couple games with the Hurricanes, he was released and picked up by the Brooklyn Gothams.

Bollinger work for many years as an accountant for Texaco.

He married Margaretta Foss and they had eight kids.

There was a Charlie Bollinger who played minor league baseball around the same time, but it appears to be a different guy. The pitching Bollinger was from Lanier, Georgia.

Source:
Obituary, Record/Herald News, July 24, 2014

Stats:

1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)

1948-49 BROOKLYN GOTHAMS
AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE (II)
10-30 .250, 7th place

The Gothams struggled mightily through the season, enduring two seven-game losing streaks and one six-game skid. Hank Baietti, who averaged around 15 points per game, was one of the few bright spots.

Head Coach:  

• Bob Greenberg ( - )

PLAYERS: 

• George Babich (December 3, 1920 - February 14, 1981)

Biography

• Hank Baietti (October 1, 1920 - June 26, 2006)

Biography 

• Charlie Bollinger (July 28, 1928 - July 22, 2014)

Biography

• Milt Breenberg (September 25, 1923 - February 13, 2017)

Biography 

• Jim Cascia (December 3, 1926 - March 20, 2001)

Biography

• Costigan  

Biography

• Ted Delson (December 5, 1916 - September 15, 1995)

Biography 

• Norm Drucker (July 4, 1920 - February 6, 2015)

Biography

• Jack French (July 30, 1924 - November 29, 2004)

Biography

• Frido Frey (October 26, 1921 - May 16, 2000)

Biography

• Allen Friedman  (May 19, 1926 - December 12, 2010)

Biography

• Herbie Gershon (October 30, 1916  - September 24, 1997 )

Biography

• Bill Goebel (September 16, 1921 - December 25, 1998)

Biography

• Jackie Goldsmith (January 18, 1921 - October 23, 1968)

Biography

• Marv Haspil (February 11, 1924 - October 26, 2004)

Biography

• John Isaacs (September 15, 1915 - January 26, 2009)

Biography

• Walt Kaplowitz (June 24, 1924 - August 22, 1998)

Biography

• Tony Karpowich (August 20, 1919 - June 3, 1972)

Biography

• Sol Kopitko (September 28, 1912 - May 1971)

Biography 

• Ira Shain (February 12, 1926 - October 3, 2017)

Biography

• Shaw  

Biography

• Tony Sisti  (August 9, 1925 - October 7, 2005)

Biography

• Stan Starkman (April 2, 1925 - May 7, 2007)
  

Biography

• George Syby (November 26, 1915 - December 27, 2000)

Biography

• Lester "Knobby" Walsh (December 21, 1919 - August 11, 1996)

Biography

• Ed Whalen 

Biography

• Preston Wilcox (December 27, 1923 - August 12, 2006)

Biography

• Dave Williams

Biography

• Al Young 

Biography

Preston Wilcox

Preston R. "Sy" Wilcox


Born:
December 27, 1923
Youngstown, OH

Died:
August 12, 2006
Harlem, NY


Career
Morehouse College (College)
CCNY (College)
1947-48 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1950-51 Bristol Tramps (EBL-Ct)
1950-51 Saratoga Harlem Yankees (ABL)

One of the first black players in the ABL, Wilcox, born in Youngstown, Ohio, would eventually move to Harlem where we would become a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the 1960's. He was a popular speaker and leader in the Harlem community, and would often work with Malcolm X on various black issues. His main focus was on education, working to maintain a high level of education not just in school in predominately-black Harlem, but in other black neighborhoods elsewhere in the country. He had gotten his Masters Degree from Columbia in 1956, and taught there for many years. He founded Afram Associates in 1968 which collected at cataloged thousands of sources of black history and culture for future citizens to read, review and learn. In 1970, he was seriously injured in an auto accident. He had fractures in his spine, and his recovery was slow and painful. He suffered from osteoporosis later in life.

Professor Wilcox died in 2006.

Source:
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 17, 1948
History Pin
blackpast.org
Topica.com
Interview with Abdul Alkalimat

Stats:

Warrick

Warrick


Born:



Died:




Career
1947-48 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)

Supposedly played on game for Brooklyn, scoring six points. Cannot find much else, but there was a Duane Warrick who was a good player at Lafayette College 1946-48. Fairly certain it is not him, though.

Source:


Stats:

Cass Rosenman

Cass Rosenman


Born:



Died:




Career
1944-45 Prospect Park YMCA - New York (Independent)
1945-46 Prospect Park YMCA - New York (Independent)
1946-47 Coney Island A.C. - New York (Independent)
1946-47 Brooklyn Visitations (Independent)
1947-48 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)



Source:


Stats:

Bill Pless

William Gustav Pless


Born:
June 3, 1928
Far Rockaway, NY

Died:
October 25, 2001
Bellmore, NY


Career
Cortland State Teachers College - New York (College)
1947-48 Trenton Tigers (ABL)
1947-48 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Troy Celtics (NYSL)
1948-49 Danbury Fedoras (EBL-Ct)
1948-49 Cohoes Mastadons (NYSL)
1949-50 Schenectady Packers (ABL)
1949-50 Meriden Sons of Italy (EBL-Ct)
1950-51 Allentown / Carbondale Aces (ABL)
1950-51 Meriden Sons of Italy (EBL-Ct)
1951-52 Carbondale Aces (ABL)
1951-52 Scranton Miners (ABL)
1952-53 Pawtucket Slaters (ABL)

The 6'6 athlete was one of the many youngsters signed during World War 2 to play baseball with the diluted talent pool. He was 17 when he made his debut for the Phillies' farm team in Wilmington in 1945, and would pitch over the next few seasons. He never got higher than Class A. During the off-season in this period, he would play pro and semi-pro basketball, including three seasons in the ABL.

Minor League Baseball Stats
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=pless-001wil

Source:


Stats:

Barry Kreisberg

Barrett Gerald Kreisberg


Born:
January 7, 1925
Manhattan, NY

Died:
December 29, 1997
White Plains, NY


Career
1940-41 James Madison High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1941-42 James Madison High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1945-46 George Washington University (College)
1946-47 George Washington University (College)
1947-48 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Utica Olympics (NYSL)
1948-49 Cohoes Mastadons (NYSL)
1949-50 Wallingford Veterans (EBL-Ct)
1949-50 Washington All-Stars (Independent)
1949-50 Brooklyn Paramounts (Independent)
1950-51 York Victory AC (EPBL)
1950-51 Meriden Sons of Anrachy (EBL-Ct)  

Born in Manhattan to Davis and Beatrice Kreisberg, Barry graduated from James Madison HS in Brooklyn and served in the military during World War 2. He graduated from George Washington where the 6'5 athlete played basketball, and he played pro basketball for a few years following. He would practice law, working in civil rights and was also the president of the Harkness Foundation for Dance. He died of a heart attack in 1997.


Source:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1998

Stats:

Tony Karpowich

Anthony B. "Butch" Karpowich


Born:
August 20, 1919
Freeland, PA

Died:
June 3, 1972
Rover Edge, NY


Career
1936-37 Freeland High School - Pennsylvania (High School)
1937-38 Freeland High School - Pennsylvania (High School)
1938-39 Seton Hall Prep (Prep School)
1939-40 Seton Hall Prep (Prep School) 
1940-41 Fordham University (College)
1941-42 Fordham University (College)
1942-43 Fordham University (College)
1943-44 Fort Knox (Military)
1944-45 Fort Knox (Military)
1945-46 Fort Knox (Military) 
1946-47 Fordham University (College)
1947-48 Scranton Miners (ABL)
1947-48 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1948-49 Brooklyn Gothams (ABL)
1948-49 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1949-50 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1950-51 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1951-52 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1952-53 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1953-54 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1954-55 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1955-56 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1956-57 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1957-58 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1958-59 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1959-60 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1960-61 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1961-62 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1962-63 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1963-64 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1964-65 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach
1965-66 Xavier High School - New York City (High School) Head coach 

Karpowich set a school record for points in a single game with Fordham, scoring 29 in a game. He served in the Army during World War 2, and then after returning and graduating from Fordham, he played in the ABL for a few seasons before taking a teaching job at Xavier HS in New York City. Aside from teach, he would coach basketball and baseball while there and eventually would oversee the school athletic department. Karpowich died unexpectedly at home in 1972 at the age of 52.

He was married to Mary Rajca and they had five daughters and two sons.

Source:
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 25, 1954
Standard Speaker (Hazelton, PA), June 9, 1972
Standard Speaker (Hazelton, PA), January 25, 1977

Stats: