The Shirts were, and are, about Brooklyn, NY just as the Ramones were about Queens. They are about neighborhood, street-level family. Back in 1972, Robert Racioppo and Artie Lamonica were concerned to 'carve out our own culture' in Sunset Park, and were the Shirts' acorn. Two years before, Artie had played drums (his first time) with Bob in a free outdoor concert in Sunset Park organized by an earnest, idealistic teen: Ronnie Ardito. Also that summer, Ronnie stopped traffic at 39th Street and Fifth Avenue by sitting in the middle of the road with his 12-string guitar singing Where Have All The Flowers Gone. Ronnie joined the band July 18: 'in what seemed to me a religious ceremony, I was inducted into the group in the back alley of the storefront.' Next up was Annie Golden, through a mutual friend who, 30 years later, would introduce Kathy McCloskey to the 21st Century Shirts. She bumped into Artie at a down-home bar (conflicting memories recall it as either Banana Fish Park or The Gallery) that had music downstairs and a jukebox half-way between. At that time, the band played cover tunes, particularly those of the Stones, and Artie remembers her singing Rip This Joint and then accepting his invitation to join. Johnny 'Zeeek' Criscione was playing in a different band (having met on the subway), a large affair featuring horns managed by a dodgy hustler who would 'guide' the Shirts for a short while. The bands joined, and the Shirts' life as a big band started: nine players,