May and John Gissell. were among the first settlers of what is known as East Brentwood. May was born in 1902 and John we think was born on November 16, 1893. John and May’s parents were born also in New York. The Gissells came here with their three children who were all born in Brooklyn. Clifford was born in 1917, Charlotte, and Lillianwas born in 1918. They rented a home in Brooklyn before they moved to what is now known as East Brentwood in the winter of 1929-30.The family lived in a small home on Jerome Avenue, near Motor Parkway. They became very successful and popular members of the community. Lillian later became somewhat prominent when she married John Fromm, the Fire Commissioner. They were still living in East Brentwood as of 1950. John Gissell died in February 1973. He was living in Bohemia, NY at the time.
You may be wondering where East Brentwood is. It’s the area between Washington Avenue, Route 111, Suffolk Avenue, and Motor Parkway. It is located near the Brentwood Country Club. The area was developed by Cadman H. Frederick in 1929, and covers 2,013 acres. The first residences were covered basements, shacks, and small homes. In addition to the Gissells, other early residents included the Fromm, Breen, Nelson and Ferreira families, as well as Jean Cabell Herbert. Over the years, East Brentwood has grown into a large and prosperous community. The community has its own fire department, band, as well as many successful businesses.
-N. Ziino, Local History Room Newsletter, August 2009
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