A nickname the late radio legend Don Imus gave himself many years ago because he was born with three testicles instead of the usual complement was “Tres Huevos.” I may be a little unobservant, but I seem to be seeing fewer and fewer pawnshops around New York City these days, so a painted ad for one on Jamaica Avenue and 93rd Avenue in Bellaire, Queens stands out for me. Perhaps some readers might not be familiar with the “three balls” symbol at all.
This traditional symbol originated in the Middle Ages in the Italian province of Italy, where pawnshop banking originated and practitioners suspended three gold spheres, supposedly imitative of gold coins, above their shops. The symbol came to be associated with the Medici family, which adopted it as their family crest.
I don’t know where this one was located but it may have been in the storefront just behind the ad on Jamaica Avenue.
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7/5/23
5 comments
Back then it seemed there were a lot of them on 3rd Ave.if Im not mistaken.
Also put me in mind of the old R&B song “Three Ball Sam the pawnshop man”
by Pearl Taylor.A lot of double entendres on that song of course
This Queens-born, but Long Island-raised ol’ boy had a heckuva time finding this building on Google Earth! Odd how 93rd is truncated eastbound near the Hillside LIRR facility, but picks up again in a little triangle where Carpenter and Hiawatha converge! Was 93rd ever contiguous?
I had heard that the three gold balls represented the three young women St. Nicholas of Myra provided a dowry for, St. Nicholas being the patron saint of pawnbrokers as well as December 25 deliveryman.
I’m surprised New York doesn’t have more pawnbrokers as their main competitors payday loans and car title loans aren’t legal.
because of state law the interest rate on a pawn loan is so low not worth it to do for the pawn broker.