LITTLE ITALY NEWS DECEMBER 2013 EDITION

www.littleitalytroy.org

troylittleitaly@gmail.com

Christmas in Little Italy

Our neighborhood group, Troy Little Italy, invites people of the Capital District to join us at our fourth annual
Christmas in Little Italy to be held on Saturday, December 7 th beginning at 5:30 pm at Liberty Square (Fourth
and Liberty) on the evening before Troys Victorian Stroll. Parking is available at the Hill Street Market Place site.
It is a family friendly event that begins with the blessing of an eight-foot Ceppo, a three-tiered pyramid shaped
structure made of wood. The Ceppo had its origin in the Tuscan region of Italy. The bottom shelf holds a Nativity
scene donated by St. Anthony of Padua Shrine Church (Troy) representing the gift of God; the remaining two
shelves contain greenery, fruits, nuts and presents representing the gifts of the Earth and Man. A member of the
pastoral care staff of St. Anthonys will offer the blessing.
An evergreen tree planted several years ago by local contractor J.R. Casale in memory of his father Angelo
(Chucky) Casale who was a long time resident of Little Italy, will serve as our community Christmas tree to be
decorated by residents of Josephs House & Shelters Hill Street Inn prior to the lighting of the tree.
Roasted chestnuts prepared by Jerry Favata will be provided during the Liberty Square festivities as Petersburgh
resident, Donald F. Lindsay, a professional piper, instructor and judge, plays a selection of traditional Christmas
carols.
A procession, called la posada, a representing Joseph and Marys unsuccessful attempt at finding a resting place in
the hours before the birth of the Christ Child, will end, appropriately, at the Hill Street Inn, as Josephs House &
Shelter Director Kevin OConnor and his staff and residents once again offer their hospitality, holiday desserts and
beverages in the comfortable community room at the Inn located across the street from Liberty Square. Osgood
neighbor Claire Porcello Davis will reprise her delightful role as LaBefana, and present the timeless Italian Christmas folk story of the legend of LaBefana. The event concludes with a showing of the classic Leo McCarey film
The Bells of St. Marys staring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman, in the lower level meeting room at the Inn
beginning at 7:30 pm.
Once again, several neighborhood restaurants, including Carmens Caf (198 First Street at Adams), DeFazios
Pizzeria (266 Fourth Street below Washington), and the Red Front Restaurant and Tavern (71 Division Street between Fourth and Third) welcome your patronage on the night of the Christmas in Little Italy event if you choose
to dine before or after our program.
Another fine neighborhood tradition will be the display of the St. Marys Nativity set in the window of the Friehofers Run for Women Headquarters at 233 Fourth Street one block south of Liberty Square. Each year since the
closing of St. Marys Church, the Chiappone family of Ida Street, designated caretakers of the set, have placed the
beautiful scene in the window of a Little Italy business. Both this year and last year, with the assistance of businessman George Regan, the crche will be located in the window of Georges Little Italy headquarters. The display
will be available until the Feast of the Epiphany.
The following day, Sunday, December 8th, the day of the Victorian Stroll, bingo players from the CYO, St. Anthony and Troy Little Italy, with the support of various local businesses, will hold a silent auction to benefit the
Adopt a Family Fund on the second floor of the Atrium in the Bingo Hall. In addition, volunteers from Troys
Little Italy will display the Sister Carmelite Germinario Remembrance Exhibit also at the Bingo Hall site. Sister
Carmelite, born and raised on Hill Street, was a Daughter of Charity for seventy years and was posthumously honored this year by Troy Little Italy with a commemorative plaque on her former residence as 63 Hill Street. Both
exhibit and silent auction will be available from 11 am to 5 pm. Access to the Atrium Bingo Hall is also available
from the Atrium parking lot.
The Remembrance Exhibit was displayed at the Italian Community Centers Festa Italiana and Pre-election Spaghetti Supper in Troy, St. Louise House in Menands, and the American Italian Heritage Museum in Albany. It is
presently on view at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 28 State Street, Troy. The final display will be in the main
lobby of St. Marys Hospital, Troy, from December 24th to January 2 nd.
See you at Christmas in Little Italy, December 7 th beginning at 5:30 pm and the Victorian Stroll, December 8 th beginning at 11 am.
Rocco DeFazio and Mike Esposito

Thanksgiving at the Visitor Center

Our street cleaners were treated to a feast by
our own Andrea Daley and Family. The workers helped by bringing vegetables and drinks.
Some of them were camera shy and didnt get
into the picture. They had a good time thanks
to the Daley family.
Rocco DeFazio and George Regan put their
heads together and decided to reward all the
workers with a gift card from Hannaford. They
were very grateful and wished everyone a
Happy Holiday.

South Central/Little Italy

News
Times Union, November 25,
2013. Cleanup planned for
former gas plant, by Brian
Nearing. The Department of
Environmental Conservation
announced plans for the pollution clean up of 1,400 cubic yards of soil containing
visual indication of coal tar
and other contaminants
which will be removed from
the former Hill Street market
site in Troys Little Italy.
The Record, November 24,
2013. Christmas in Little
Italy by Rocco DeFazio and
Mike Esposito. Announcement of the 4th Annual
neighborhood holiday event
included information on
bingo volunteers Adopt a
Family fundraiser.

Neighborhood Watch Subcommittee on Quality of Life

Subcommittee Members Josh Chiappone, Sam Chiappone,
Jr. (Chair), Andrea Daley, Mike Esposito, Marion Field, Dan
Franklin, Sam Judge, George Regan, Ken Rose, Denise St.
Onge, Chuck Valente, Don Windelspecht.
The subcommittee is establishing its credentials with the City
Administration as it presents its goal which is
an effort to work within existing city systems and programs
(code, community police, fire, vacant properties group) in a
proactive approach to effect change within our neighborhood.
Members recently received an update on nuisance abatement
and community policing, discussed the possibility of working
with the vacant properties group on a decision relating to a
particular Fourth Street building, arranged for a demonstration
of the i-neighborhood site and RADIS project, approved a
landlord mailing project, and are developing a process to work
with sellers, realtors and buyers to market real estate within
For Rent:
South Central Troy at Ida Street. Family owned and maintained, 3 BR, full bath, eat-in kitchen, stove, refrigerator,
washer, new heating stove, hardwood floors. Close to Russell
Sage College. $550 per month plus utilities (rent does include
water).
For more information please contact acheerie@nycap.rr.com

Landlord Outreach Effort

of the Subcommittee
By mid-December, the subcommittee will be sending a
letter of introduction with
two brochures containing
background information on
Troys Little Italy group and
the Hill Street Market Place
site history to 38 owners of
102 residences who do not
live in the neighborhood.
The subcommittee is planning to eventually reach out
to all out-of-town owners
who have invested in
neighborhood property to
inform them of our volunteer
efforts, to invite them to sign
up for our monthly newsletter, and to pass along helpful
telephone numbers and appropriate email addresses.
There are approximately 300
residences owned by people
who live elsewhere from
California to Rhode Island
and many states in between.
Overall, approximately 42%
of residences (on some
blocks as many as 65% of
residences) in Little Italy are
owned by people who do not
live in the neighborhood.
Over the next several months
we will attempt to contact as
many absentee owners as we
can to share information on
how we intend to reach our
goal which is to maintain
a healthy and vibrant
neighborhood by making
our area a clean and safe
place for people to live,
work and visit.

We Remember . . .
John J. Pastore, Jr. life long
Troy resident and former
resident of Little Italy died
on November 17, 2013.
John, son of the late John
and Carmella Vaccarelle
Pastore, was the father of
Kimberly and Rich Edberg,
Catherine (Ken), Dena
(Jess), John J. and Tanara
Pastore, grandfather of Jessica, Justin, Michael,
Mackenzie, Daniele, Boston
and Johnny, and twin brother
of Patrick (Ann) Pastore. He
was predeceased by his siblings Phyliss Carroll and Michael and Joseph Pastore.
John was employed by
Philip Bocketti Funeral
Home for many years. We
offer our condolences to
Johns family and his many
friends.
Anthony J. Pasinella former
resident of Little Italy and
son of the late Albert and
Jennie Merola Pasinella died
in November 2013. Anthony
was the husband of Beverly
Waitekus Pasinella, father of

Albert (Beth) Pasinella, Anthony (Diana) Pasinella, Michelle (Scott) Van Derheyden, and Gerald (Kelly)
Pasinella, and was predeceased by his daughter,
Nadine Wedro. He was a
grandfather of five and a
great grandfather of two.
Anthony, known in the
neighborhood as Slug to his
family and many friends,
was the brother of Joseph
and Tina Pasinella, Caroline
(Richard) Driscoll,
Dominick (Carol) Pasinella
and Anna Rose (Anthony)
Gross. A former BehrManning employee, he retired from General Electric.
He was a member of the Italian Community Center, former member of the Elks, a
communicant of St. Michaels Church (Troy) and
for many years St. Marys
Church (Troy). We offer our
condolences to Anthonys
family and his many friends.
Christmas in Little Italy
December 7 2013
5:30 pm

December Meeting
12/18
Neighborhood Watch
6 p.m.
Troy Little Italy
6:30 p.m.
233 Fourth Street Corner of Washington and
Fourth

How Do You Say Roots in Italian?

Part six of a personal search from Troy to Frosolone.
By Frank LaPosta Visco
We finished our transaction at Petruntis shop, which resulted in the cost for shipping the four
scissors actually exceeding the purchase price. As we stepped out of the store, there was the
Professor with Nicola Zampini, who eagerly offered to open the museum for us, and give us a
personal tour of the artifacts there.
As we entered the museum, the first object to greet us was an ancient bicycle with an ingenious
sharpening wheel, used by an enterprising Frosolonese who would ride from door to door and
sharpen the homeowners knives, razors and scissors for a fee. Also at the entrance is an authentic recreation of an ancient work area, complete with actual forge, bellows, tools and tables
even the traditional flag window named for the shape of the opening to the area, the
pole section serving as a tall, narrow passage, and the flag section providing a window and
counter for transacting business with the public. This, I was told, was what the original first
floor of the La Posta building at Vicoletto Purgatorio would have looked like. I stood in the
place where my ancestors would have stood, trying to imagine working over a hot cauldron of
molten iron every day.
What followed then was an amazingly detailed description of centuries of daggers, swords,
knives, razors and scissors in Italian by Nicola, translated into English by Michele. There
were medieval implements, revenge daggers used only to restore the honor of a cuckold,
swords of ceremony and of war, each with a fascinating history especially if you think your
ancestors had a hand in any of it.
The last artifacts we came upon were dozens of items from a private collection, in several glasscovered cases. As it turned out, the last case contained scissors. I had been hoping to see some
that bore the family name, but I had just about given up. Not my friend Rich. He looked closely
at one pair of scissors in the lower left hand corner of the case there it was, he said, and he
was right one pair with two names on it: La Posta and Frosolone! We tried to take pictures of
it me with my single use camera, Rich with his cell phone. To most observers, it was just another pair of scissors. But to me, well, I would have to equate what I felt with the same sense of
fulfillment that would have washed over a Knight of the Roundtable who had just discovered
the Holy Grail.
We thought the tour was over, but there was one more thing to view a video that recreates the
ancient method of making a pair of scissors just as my ancestors had done. Not only did we sit
and watch it, but the DVD, which also features a tour of the town and surrounding area, was for
sale, and so I proudly purchased one for ten euros. I also gratefully offered a matching amount
as a donation to the museum, and was rewarded with a generous promise from Nicola that if
and when he found another pair of La Posta scissors, he would send them to me!
As we left the museum, Nicola and Michele decided that we should see another local product,

so they led us into Carmela Colantuonos panificio (bakery), a few steps away from the museum. Inside was a beautiful display of huge round breads, looking something like giant bagels,
presided over by the owner-baker, who was a ringer for my Grandma La Posta.
The loaves, Michele explained, were examples of a unique bread, made only at Easter time, and
only at this bakery in Frosolone. According to him, the bread is made of eggs and a spice he
called canella. Even though my wife, who was a Jill of all trades including barber, builder
and baker had familiarized me with many spices when she was alive, I had to look that one
up. I discovered that its a white cinnamon.
Next: a special gift from the baker, and some wonderful meals in Frosolone.

Christmas Gift Suggestions

Our friends at the American-Italian Heritage Association, 1227 Central Avenue, Albany maintain a gift shop featuring unique gifts for Christmas including imports from Italy, Christmas
cards in Italian, Italian carols on DVD, Italian American novelties, hand made ceppos, decorations, books, LaBefana decorations and gifts, handmade crafts, religious items, jewelry, and
many more items. The museum gift shop is open during museum hours: Monday, Thursday and
Friday, 11 am to 2 pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 pm. The associations Annual Christmas
Market will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 6th, 7th and 8th. Details or questions, call 435-1979.
Claire Porcello Davis our Osgood neighbor recommends the following DVD and book. Claires
maternal grandparents, the Messineos, came to America in 1899 from Petralia, Sicily, the
home of the main characters in the film Golden Door.
Golden Door written and directed by Emanuele Crialese, was introduced for distribution to the
United States by famed director, Martin Scorsese. The story told in Crialeses beautiful dream
of a film, is hardly unfamiliar. Some version of this immigrants tale setting out from the old
country, crossing the Atlantic in steerage, arriving at Ellis Island is part of the family history
of millions of Americans. But what makes Crialeses telling unusual, apart from the gorgeousness of his wide-screen compositions, is that his emphasis is on departure and transition, rather
than arrival. His film takes its English title from the Emma Lazarus poem about the Statue of
Liberty, but the lady in the harbor, like the rest of America (apart from Ellis Island), remains
unseen as the director takes us up to the door but not through it. www.nytimes.com/movies/
movie/357162/Golden-Door/overview
Sicily: Three thousand Years of Human History by Sandra Benjamin (available on Kindle, in
hardback and paperback) written by Sandra Benjamin, who was born in Troy, NY, moved to
NYC at the age of 16, and lived in Sicily during the past decade. The book traces the complicated history of Sicily including all the groups that have ruled Sicily. It has been described at a
unique book, essential and enjoyable. The publisher is Steerforth Press, Hanover, NH.
Mike Esposito recommends the following two DVDs:
The Tree of Wooden Clogs, written and directed by Italian filmmaker Ermanno Olmi. The
film covers a period of twelve months, dividing its time between three peasant families, all of
whom work on the estate of an all-but-absentee landlord. Special emphasis is given the interrelationships between the various family members and their neighbors. Tree of the Wooden
Clogs was honored with the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival.
www.nytimes.com
Passione directed by American actor John Turturro. Passione is a musical adventure
through the beautiful, mysterious, and often misunderstood city of Naples. With 23 songs performed by Napolis contemporary musical artists, Turturro and cinematographer Marco Pontevecchio create a visual representation of the history, emotion, and perseverance captured in the
citys music. Sundance Channel

Thank You to all who have contributed to the newsletter over the past
year especially Michael Esposito who writes almost all the articles and
Frank LaPosta Visco for writing such interesting articles about his trip.
Andrea Daley and Dorcas Rose for pictures. Jean Kreuger who helps
me out of jams when I get stuck and anyone one else who sent us news
or events..
Lets make 2014 a bigger and better year for our newsletter, please send
us old pictures of our heritage and people. You can send them to
troylittleitaly@gmail.com or mvf1406@aol.com.
To all our members who work or attend our events, we could not do any
of this without you. I look forward to 2014.
Marion Field