After nearly 50 years of operation, Woodhaven Lanes held its last day of bowling on Sunday, May 18, as longtime bowlers there rolled their final games in farewell.Jim Santora, president of the Ball and Chain bowling league — the largest league at Woodhaven Lanes, which boasted no fewer than 44 teams — had already been bowling since 11 a.m. when he began what he said was his final game at around 4 p.m.
“I really feel bad for the community because it’s losing a meeting place that it had for the last 50 years,” he said.
Santora said he wanted to leave after that “final game,” despite the fact that the alley would still be open for several hours. It was too difficult to stay, he said, even though he never wanted to leave.
But when that game was finished, it seemed he and his wife, Donna Fazio, secretary of the league, could not help themselves from bowling another. Then another.
Santora and his wife had been at the vanguard of efforts to keep the space a bowling alley over the preceding months. Their last hope was a deal between owners and a potential buyer, John Laspina, owner of four other alleys in the New York area. Just weeks ago, the deal fell through. Once the alley is dismantled, the site will be used for retail space.
“I really thought at the last minute that something would happen,” Fazio said, with tears in her eyes. “I really thought we’d hit a home run.”
