Donkey’s Place

Russell Lloyd

Description

The emotional story of a 3rd generation family and a 79-year-old cheese steak business that is beloved by the city it resides in and by its passionate customers.
This book was written for the Lucas family and for the fans of “Donkey’s Place” in Camden, NJ. The iconic business was founded by Leon Lucas in 1943. Leon was a boxer who won a medal in the 1928 Olympics. He became a Camden, NJ legend. Leon earned the nickname “Donkey” because his punch was compared to being kicked by a Donkey, a common sight in Camden, NJ when he was young. Leon invented a cheesesteak sandwich that is still made today exactly as it has been for the last 79 years in the same building. Not only has this legendary treat been passed down through 3 generations of the Lucas family but also through 3 generations of its customers. Many of them reminisce of when their parents or grandparents took them there for the first time to share the experience together. The love of Donkey’s Place is ingrained into Camden and the love of Camden is ingrained into Donkey’s Place.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Leon Lucas
• Boxing
• Camden
• Xian de Boxing
• History
• NJ

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 10 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781663245526
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

DONKEY’S PLACE

1223 Haddon Ave.
Camden, NJ 08103


(Russell Lloyd took all the above photos with Lucas’s family’s permission)
Written by RUSSELL LLOYD for the LUCAS family





Donkey’s Place


Copyright © 2022 Russell Lloyd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.




iUniverse
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.


ISBN: 978-1-6632-4551-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6632-4552-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022916779



iUniverse rev. date: 11/09/2022









CONTENTS
NOTE: OTW = ON THE WALL
Having your picture ON THE WALL at Donkey’s Place is an honor and acknowledgment of your contribution to Camden’s arts, athletic competition, and history.
THAT SMELL
INTRODUCTION
THE PONY STEAK!
THE PONY STEAK GUY
THE LEON LUCAS ERA
THE DEATH OF A SON
WHY A DONKEY?
DID MICHAEL JACKSON EAT A DONKEY’S STEAK?
THE GOLDBERGS
ON THE WALL – JERSEY JOE WALCOTT
VINCE CREAM
ON THE WALL BUDDY HACKETT, DEAN MARTIN & TYRELL BIGGS
ON THE WALL – JACK JOHNSON VS. JAMES JEFFRIES
ON THE WALL – MIGUEL FIGUEROA
ON THE WALL - GENTLEMAN JIMMY HALE
ON THE WALL - BILLY PAUL
ON THE WALL – OLYMPIC LEGENDS
ON THE WALL THE OLYMPIC SEMICENTENNIAL DINNER
ON THE WALL – MICHAEL BUFFER
ON THE WALL – JOE LOUIS VS. BUDDY BAER
ON THE WALL – JOE LOUIS VS. BILLY CONN
ON THE WALL - JOE LOUIS VS. MAX SCHMELING
ON THE WALL – JACK DEMPSEY VS. GEORGES CARPENTIER
ON THE WALL – HAROLD CARMICHAEL
ON THE WALL - MIKE ROZIER
ON THE WALL – DAVID ROWE
ON THE WALL - DAMONTE ANDERSON
ON THE WALL - OREST KINDRACHUK
ON THE WALL – HERB ADDERLEY
ON THE WALL – 1981 CAMDEN HIGH BASKETBALL
ON THE WALL – THE CAMDEN BULLETS
ON THE WALL – FRANK STEPHENS
ANTHONY BOURDAIN
THE EUGENE BUTLER INTERVIEW A FRIEND OF DONKEY’S PLACE
THE DENNY BROWN INTERVIEW
THE JAY PHILLIPS INTERVIEW
THE ROBERT E. JOHNSON INTERVIEW
STANDING ITS GROUND! BY RICK NICHOLS
DANNY TREJO
THE CHRIS CAPP INTERVIEW
MISC COMMENTS
BOB, THE ROBERT LUCAS SR. ERA
THE FAMOUS BULLET HOLE
ROB, THE ROBERT LUCAS JR. ERA
NURSES AT DONKEY’S PLACE
THE EVESHAM POLICE ENJOYING DONKEY’S STEAKS
THE JOE LUCAS ERA
DONKEY’S PLACE TOO,
DONKEY’S PLACE DOWNTOWN
DONKEY’S LOCATIONS, PAST & PRESENT
MEMORABILIA & CLOTHING FOR SALE
THE ORIGINAL SIGN
DONKEY’S ON THE ROAD
DONKEY’S PLACE LOVES CAMDEN!
BILL COSBY VISITS DONKEY’S PLACE
MEMORIES OF CAMDEN
THE ADMIRAL WILSON BOULEVARD
SEARS, ROEBUCK & COMPANY
OUR LADY OF LOURDES HOSPITAL
FINAL WORDS



THAT SMELL
You first notice that smell when you walk into the iconic Donkey’s Place. It overwhelms you and prepares you for the unique experience of eating a Donkey’s cheesesteak. Anthony Bourdain has described it as “ SUBLIME .” As you enjoy your steak, your eyes will wander to the pictures hanging on the inside of Donkey’s Place for as many as 79 years. We call that special place “ ON THE WALL .” You will find most of them in this book and a short explanation of the subject’s accomplishments. It is a homage to all the notable and famous people that have honored us with their support.
Leon Lucas (Donkey) was a boxer. He hung the pictures of the earliest members of the “ON THE WALL” club himself. Many of the subjects were known personally by Leon from his time as a professional boxer.
As the years passed, the Camden school system produced many outstanding athletes in the major sports. They are now “ON THE WALL” at Donkey’s Place, where pictures feature many of them and other famous athletes that have adopted Donkey’s Place as their own. They are joined “ON THE WALL” by celebrities of many types. The OTW designation means that they have accomplished something beyond the ordinary.
Leon’s son Robert continued the practice of hanging the “ON THE WALL PICTURES” when he took over after his father’s passing, and now his son Rob Lucas, the third generation, continues the tradition.



INTRODUCTION

What is it about a Donkey’s steak that has earned our customer’s loyalty?
What is it that keeps them coming back repeatedly for over 79 years?
Why is Donkey’s continuously voted the # 1 cheesesteak in the Delaware Valley area? Let alone in the entire United States.
It is the passion of their loyal customers!
Gwendolyn Brown : “I’m not supposed to want this. I’ve got high blood pressure. I will
sneak it into my apartment and take a blood pill before I eat this. I was here three times last
week! I will continue to come here until they take me out in a body bag.”
Here is a story that will help you understand why……………………...
On a day not too long ago, a woman walked into Camden’s “Donkey’s Place” in the middle of a hot and humid August day. She sighed in relief when entering the air-conditioned bar. The woman looked to be middle-aged. She was bent over and clutching her stomach.
Walking gingerly, she spied an open seat at the bar and sat down slowly as if she was in great pain. Once seated, she moaned softly while lowering her head into her hands. Most of the other customers at the bar looked up from their steaks when she moaned a second time.
Seeing this take place, the waitress, Mandy, came to her and asked, “Are you all right? You seem to be in pain.” The woman at the bar mumbled, “I’m fine. Cheesesteak with everything.” She then placed her head in her hands.
Mandy, “Are you sure you are all right?” Should I call an ambulance?”
“No, just bring my damn steak!” the woman hissed loudly through her clenched teeth.
Mandy, “I think I should call that ambulance for you. You are obviously in pain. What is wrong with you?”
She gritted her teeth and spat out, “I’m Pregnant, in labor, and my water just broke.”
“Oh my god! I’m calling that ambulance.”
The woman reached over and grabbed Mandy’s apron. “Bullshit! Not before you bring my f--king steak. You won’t.”
When I am out, I have asked hundreds of people why the Camden Cheese Steak they love is called a Donkey’s steak. Most of the conversations started when they noticed I was wearing a tee-shirt advertising either the original Camden location or the Medford one. Very few of them could answer the question correctly, quickly acknowledging that they had no idea. Taking the opportunity, I would tell them, “It is Donkey meat. That’s what gives it the distinctive flavor.” Then I would wait a few minutes to let that sink in. A quizzical look and then a smile would come over their faces. I wish I could have photographed that look. Then, after a pregnant pause, I would tell them the real story.
“Leon Lucas, Donkey’s founder, was a boxer. A remarkably successful boxer. His fans and the media nicknamed him “Donkey” because his punch was like getting kicked by a Donkey!”
Camden was enormously proud of their native son, Leon Lucas, considering him royalty. Leon’s athletic career was followed closely and celebrated in the city. More about that later.
Let us revisit the don key meat issue. Donkey’s Place was established in 1943. Donkey meat and horse meat were sold in many United States butcher shops. Today, neither of them is on the shopping list of Americans unless they own a farm or work at a Zoo. I assure you that for over 79 years, only the highest quality meat has been purchased for a Donkey’s steak.
That distinctive taste mentioned is created by the quality of the beef smothered in onions, the cheese, and the poppy seeded rolls made especially for them to be used in preparing your sandwich. The seasoning is a family secret, safely locked up in the family home. If you wonder, armed guards are employed to ensure the recipe never falls into the wrong hands.



THE PONY STEAK!
Yes, some have tried to duplicate the seasoning recipe only to fail miserably. Once, a local idiot, using his familiarity with the Lucas family and their business savvy, decided to market a “Pony Steak.” Clever name, don’t you think? This chap believed he could cash in the rapidly expanding market created by Donkey’s Steaks. “Pony Steak” was explicitly designed and marketed to steal some of Donkey’s thunder.
This nin compoop worked hard to create his own secret seasoning believing he could mimic Donkey’s legendary flavor. The public was not fooled. The “Pony Steak” was horrible. It suffered a quick fate, failing miserably. Nincompoop (again, I love calling him that) was forced to remove the “Pony Steak” from his menu for the following reason: The “Pony Steak” stunk from a mile away through a closed door. OK, I admit that was a little harsh. The “Pony Steak” just wasn’t memorable. No one forgets the taste of a Donkey’s Steak. It is unique and cannot be duplicated.

(From the Lucas family archives)
Our beloved Elsie Lucas (1952-2020) works at the Donkey’s Place bar. She was the loving spouse of Robert Lucas and the mother of Robert Lucas Jr, Joe Lucas & Lisa Lucas.

Elsie