In 1919, the United States banned the sale of alcohol, the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series, women gained the right to vote, and Brooklyn’s own Rosalie Davi entered the world.
100 years later, Davi celebrated her admission into the centennial club with friends, family, and a beer during an uproarious birthday bash at Gargiulo’s in Coney Island on Sunday!
The Sheepshead Bay resident’s birthday celebration was one for the history books, according to her grandson, who said the evening featured a disk jockey, a Frank Sinatra impersonator, and custom made hats and mugs featuring a cartoon version of his beloved grandma.
“We did an Italian dance with her where she was in the middle and was spinning around in her wheel chair,” said Dominick Davi. “It was awesome — massive amounts of fun.”
The last century has since plenty of changes, and the mother of two and grandmother of nine described an old-timey Brooklyn filled with fond memories.
For one thing, the streets were nice and empty, and Davi recounted care-free days riding her horse Julie through dusty roads, back before cars took over the borough.
And stuff used to be dirt cheap, according to Davi, who recalled how a single dollar would buy a day’s worth of fun at the People’s Playground.
“We would pay ten cents to ride it the first time and five cents for the second time,” Davi said.
These days, family members try to discourage the beloved Sheepshead Bay gal from spending too much time watching local news, saying anytime Mayor Bill de Blasio pops up on the screen means trouble.
“I can’t stand him,” Davi said of De Blasio. “He’s the biggest jerk!”
And the birthday girl stills loves a drink, saying that neither age, nor her auspicious birth amid the heyday of Prohibition have curbed her appetite for a cold beer, which she described as her favorite beverage.
With 100 years behind her, Davi doesn’t attribute her old age and high spirits to anything like diet and exercise, instead giving all credit to the man upstairs.
“I walk with god,” she said.
