LITTLE ITALY NEWSLETTER

Website: www.troylittleitaly.org

MAY 2016
Email: [email protected]

LITTLE ITALY SUMMER SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Bocce Tournament
Italian Community Center
1450 5th Avenue
(Details to follow)

Swing Dance Party

Music by Nitro Jive Swing Band
Friday, July 22, 2016 from 6-8:30
MarketPlace on Hill Street

Vintage Car Show

MarketPlace on Hill Street
(Details to follow)

Community Garage Sale

MarketPlace on Hill Street
(Details to follow)

All events are open to the public and presented by the Quality of Life Committee
Troy Little Italy in cooperation with the City of Troy. We welcome neighborhood associations and their members throughout the city to join us at the events
as a means of continuing to build a sense of community in Troy.

Troy Boys and Girls Club

Comfort Cuisine
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 is the Troy
Boys & Girls Club spring fundraiser
Comfort Cuisine! Enjoy samples of
the Capital District area's top chefs
favorite comfort food, a silent auction,
great food, music and fun while raising
money for a great cause at Revolution
Hall, 425 River Street, Troy Help assure
the growth of the youth in our city and
surrounding area. Comfort Food Cooks
and Comfy gifts for auction prizes are
needed. Tickets are only $25 each or 5
for $100 pre-sale. Contact Patrick Doyle
or Tracy Moore (518) 274-3781 or learn
more at www.tbgc.org

Remember the CYO campaign

The CYO is a beacon of light in our
neighborhood. Support their annual
campaign. Call 275-2630 or mail a
contribution to the Troy Youth
Association Inc., P.O. Box 867, Troy,
NY 12181. Frank Merola, Rensselaer
County Clerk is this years campaign
chair. As a youngster from Fourth Street
Frank used CYO services. Lets help the
CYO go over the top. CYO also has a
GoFundMe page to make giving easier.
Check it out at:
www.gofundme.com/troy cyocenter

Troy 100 Forum Meeting

Monday, May 16, 5:30 pm, Bush
Memorial, Russell Sage College, 65
First Street. Contact Francesca LoPorto
Brandow at [email protected] or call
(518) 271-7000 to RSVP
The Troy 100 Forum is a twice annual
meeting where members of the business
and political community gather to
discuss Troy NYs business, political,
community, educational, religious, and
cultural topics of public concern.
It's an open conversation where those
who attend discuss their views,
concerns, and hopes for Troy.

SAVE THE DATE for Troy Little

Italy Neighborhood Meeting:
Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 6 pm
Joe Fama, Executive Director of the
Troy Community Land Bank will be our
guest speaker. Q & A to follow. Check
out: www.troycommunitylandbank.org
Location - Italian Community Center,
1450 Fifth Avenue - Second floor (Enter
at the south entrance and take the stairs
or elevator to the second floor)
Parking is available at the ICC. Hope to
see you at the meeting. Bring a friend!

Dont forget the annual hidden

garden tour
The Friends of Prospect Park invite you
to attend the 2016 Hidden Garden Tour
which will be held Thursday, May 26, 47:30 pm, rain or shine. The self-guided
tour is a fund raiser for projects at
Prospect Park and showcases beautiful
gardens of downtown Troy.

Memorial Day, Monday, May

30, we honor all Americans
who gave their life in the
service of our country.

For additional information, please

contact Nina Pattison at (518) 274-5933
or Peter Grimm at (518) 273-1500.

Thursday soup kitchen at ICC

The weekly Soup Kitchen sponsored by
the Italian Community is held every
Thursday from 4:40 pm to 5:30 pm at
the Centers headquarters, 1450 Fifth
Avenue, Troy with the cooperation of
volunteers from the former St. Marys
Parish organized by Sam Chiappone.

Gift for Josephs House

TNAC - Troy Neighborhood

Action Council Meeting
Thursday, May 12, 6-7:30 pm
Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club, 113th
St. & 4th Ave.
U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian is
guest speaker. In addition the program
includes information on Breathing
Lights Project, Troy City Council
Presidents Priorities, Turning
Vacant Buildings into OwnerOccupied Homes, Transport Troys
Upcoming Plans and much more
For more info: [email protected]

Clients and staff of Josephs House Hill

Street Inn were the recipients of a huge
chocolate Easter egg donated by Fourth
Street businessman Rocco De Fazio who
presented the gift to Patti Tullgren
(right) and a member of the Josephs
House staff.

The Alamo is open for business

The Alamo provides Troy residents with
a convenient, safe outlet to get rid of
items that should not or cannot be
disposed of through typical garbage
pickup. The site located, on Main Street
near the Rensselaer County Jail, will be
open the 3rd Saturday of each month
through November from 7:30 am to
noon for city residents with
identification. At the Alamo residents
may dispose of yard waste, tires ($3/tire)
and bulk trash (furniture, carpets, etc.).
No regular garbage, recycling or
hazardous waste will be accepted.

Online complaint forms

Troy residents can now report any
number of concerns to the appropriate
city department by filling out an online
complaint report on pot holes, street
lights out, water or sewer back-up,
traffic lights out, garbage pick-up,
junk/bulk items, code enforcement, etc.
Forms are available on the city website
at www.troyny.gov. The author filled out
a form recently on vacant buildings at 63
Ida and 342 Fourth that need immediate
demolition. They have been vacant from
6 to 8 years and pose a threat. We
encourage residents with internet access
to review the City of Troys webpage.
You will be surprised at the amount of
helpful information available on the
website www.troyny.gov

Flag Day Parade June 12, 2016

Members of the Italian Community Center

march in Troys Flag Day parade each year
(Courtesy of ICC Archives)

Troys annual Flag Day parade will be

held on Sunday, June 12, 2016
beginning at 1 pm. The parade route is
Fourth Street. Tens of thousands of
people are expected to attend the 49th
year tradition. The late James Pasinella,
pictured below, a United States Marine
veteran and retired postal carrier,
organized the first parade in 1967 by
enlisting the assistance of veterans
posts and community organizations.
Jimmy was born and raised in Little
Italy. Local residents are proud to have
the parade march thru the neighborhood.
Please donate to keep the tradition alive.
Visit www.troyflagday.org for details.

James Pasinella (Courtesy of Ed Verillo)

Neighborhood business of the month:

Joseph P. Mangione Locksmith, Inc.

Gary M. Mangione is standing at the interesting

exhibit of locksmith memorabilia on display at
his Fourth Street shop. (Photo by Andrea Daley)

Philip O. Mangione stands in front of his

locksmith shop at 189 Fourth Street in this 1921
photograph. (Courtesy of the Mangione Family)

Joseph P. Mangione Locksmiths is located at 187

Fourth Street, Troy, NY (518) 272-4080 (Photo
by Andrea Daley)

Philip O. Mangione arrived in Troy in

the early 1880s from Frosolone, Italy.
The family first resided in a modest
brick building located on William Street
between Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue
not far from their locksmith shop. Since
1885, four generations of Mangiones
have operated the family business at
Fourth Street. The present owner is Gary
M. Mangione. It is one of the oldest
continuously run businesses in Troy.
In addition to a wide range of locks,
keys, and dead bolts, Mangiones
provide camera systems and burglar
alarms, home and commercial safes for
fire and burglar protection, digital door
locks, installs and services automatic
doors and installs most types of doors
and frames for residential and
commercial use.

Families of Little Italy

A feature of each newsletter honors longtime residents of our neighborhood, whether
they still live here or not. If you want your family included please send a photograph to
[email protected]. Include the family name and the names of the first family
members to live in Little Italy. Most likely they were our grandparents. Identify each
person in the photo (by row, from left to right) although at times we may not list each
person due to space constraints. We would also like to know the name of the street where
family homestead was located. Use the following photo descriptions as a guide.

Germano Family. Members of the extended Germano family join Laurenza and Angelo Germano
(seated, center of photo) to celebrate the 1966 wedding of their son Jerry Germano to Doris Dee
Bonefant (standing behind Laurenza and Angelo.) The Germanos and their siblings are longtime
residents of Third Street (Courtesy of Mary Ann Coli)

Valenti Family. Antoinette Casale Valenti, at 95, sat proudly among her family at a 2009
reunion. Antoinette and Clarence Valenti were the parents of Ralph, Amalia Millie, Frances
Fran, and Theodore Terry. In 1954 Clarence opened the popular area restaurant Rafaels. The
family homestead was on Washington Street until sold recently. (Courtesy of Fran Valente)

Colucci Family. Steve and Angeline Colucci are photographed at their home at 189 Hill Street
with three of their four sons: Steven is standing next to his mother, and in the front are Robert
and John. Dominick was not present when the 1945 photo was taken. (Courtesy of Bob Colucci)

Angela Moscatiellos story is very appropriate for Mothers Day, Sunday, May 8, 2016

A Life of Sacrifice for the Family

By Prov./Cav. Philip J. DiNovo
The following interview took place around 2006. Here is Angela Moscatiellos courageous story as
recorded at that time. Sadly she passed away months afterward. Angelas story, recently reprinted in the
April 1, 2016 edition of the Post-Gazette: The Italian-American Voice of Massachusetts, is featured in
our newsletter courtesy of the author, Prof./Cav. Philip J. DiNovo, founder and President of the
American-Italian Heritage Association and Museum in Albany.

I once heard a psychologist give an estimate that approximately 50% of

Americans are narcissists. How did we get from the person I am going to tell you about to
the many people who feel entitled, opting for an easy life and demanding happiness for
themselves? During the last decade I interviewed a woman named Angela Moscatiello
whose remarkable life exemplified sacrifice. One of thirteen children, she was born in
1909 in Cervinara, Provencia Avellino, Campania, where life was difficult. Angela
married at the age nineteen and had five children. It was extremely hard for her husband
to put food on the table from their ten acre chestnut farm so he joined the Italian army in
1940 with the hope that he could support his family and stay in Italy at the same time.
Instead, he was sent to North Africa in 1941 to fight in World War II and was
subsequently killed in Tripoli, Libya. It was many months before Angela received the
news that her husband had died. She now had to be the sole provider for her five children
in addition to taking care of her mother-in-law. Life during the war was very difficult
because both money and food were scarce. Angela chopped wood to sell and did this
strenuous work, especially difficult for a woman, as a way to make money to buy food.
Her children were all too young to be of much help. Her son, Michael, recalls one time
when all they had to eat for a long while was a bag of onions that his mother had
purchased, coupled with a scant amount of bread.
Angelas father immigrated to America in 1900 and became an American citizen.
However, he returned to Italy a short time later because he found staying in America too
unbearable in spite of the fact that a large number of people from his old hometown also
lived in Troy, NY. In 1954 Angela found life in Italy more than she could handle, so she
sent her two oldest sons to New York to live with her aunt in Troy. Life was very hard
after World War II and it was during this time that a large number of Italians came to
America, as did Angela in the fateful year of 1956. She booked passage on the SS Andrea
Doria for herself and her two youngest sons (her only daughter married and remained in
Italy.) As is well known, the passenger ship collided with the Swedish Liner Stockholm

in the waters near Nantucket, MA. The Andrea Doria sank and forty six people lost their
lives. Angela, in shock, was initially separated from her children and did not know
whether or not they were alive or dead. She later found them in New York City safely
gathered with other survivors. She settled in Troy, NY where her aunt resided and found
work as a seamstress with several Troy firms. Then, tragedy struck again, when in 1958
her son Michael began to drown in Snyders Lake. His brother Luigi jumped into the
water to save him; but, that brave boy never emerged after hoisting the drowning child to
safety making it possible for Michael to get out of danger. Mothers never expect to bury
their children. It was a terrible heartache for the whole family and has been very difficult
for the surviving brother, I would imagine, even today.
Angelas three sons have done very well and her daughter is still in Italy with her
own family. When I asked her how she was able to make so much of her life, she would
often say that it was with Gods help and through hard work that she fed her family and
kept them together. Right up to age 88 she walked fourteen blocks to work at her
daughter-in-laws shop. This amazing woman had a pacemaker and was a cancer survivor
who did not look or act her age in spite of dealing with serious health problems. At the
time of the article, Angela had one sister 94, another sister 92, and her baby brother who
was 89. She lived in the first home her family bought in South Troy, and her sister lived
on the first floor. It was once a very Italian neighborhood much like living in Italy, and to
this day is considered Troys Little Italy.
When I interviewed Angela, I thought of my own grandmother and of their heroic
sacrifices for their children. Most parents give up many things for their children. Life was
extremely difficult for the immigrants, requiring many more concessions of them than of
other people. That is why I worked so hard to open our American-Italian Heritage
Museum & Cultural Center in 2014 where the past generations stories can be told,
chronicled, honored and rightly so. They say ignorance is bliss. Not many people in this
country have gone hungry on a regular basis or were made to work more than twelve
hours a day without benefits. In the old days people died young because they were forced
to work until becoming gravely ill, eventually succumbing to death. I was not able to get
Angelas full story in the scant hour we spent together. Nor is this short article sufficient
to explore all the details of the many sacrifices she made in order to survive. I know that
the Italian family has always been strong, a truly fine example for present day American
society. The family demonstrated that in giving we receive and older members were not
only loved, but taken care of as well. Angela had been urged to move in with one of her
children, but she wanted to be independent and live in her own home. Her children were
there to help her whenever necessary; the love and respect they had for her has been
worth more than gold. In turn, she gave each of them a sum of money that they never
wanted or needed. She lived simply, receiving much joy from being able to give to her
children and grandchildren. I wish I had all the right words with which to demonstrate the
breadth and depth of the sacrifices Angela made throughout her life for the benefit of
others. She never asked for anything except the opportunity to make a better life for her
family.

Angela, along with most immigrants, showed by her actions how blessed we are
to live in the United States of America. They, each and every one, are examples of what
made this nation great and how to live a full and blessed life. Jesus was the model. He
came to serve. We surely need more people to serve the greater good, starting with being
exemplary parents. Life has never been easy and we need to prepare the younger
generation for this reality. Money is not everything! I would say that Angela Moscatiello
was a very rich woman by having her priorities straight. Her hard work certainly paid off
with a long life, a loving family and a bright future for her grandchildren. She definitely
set a positive example for them, and this nation has been soundly blessed by Angela and
her fellow Italian immigrants.

We Remember . . .
Anna Serao Mantello (Clifton Park) 92, former longtime resident of Fourth Street, died on April
6, 2016. She was the daughter of the late Pasquale and Nobile Serao and wife of the late Dominic
Sailor Mantello. Anna was a faithful member of the Italian Community Center, the Ciccarelli,
Rea, Agars, Bevevino Veterans Post and the American Committee on Italian Migration of the
Diocese of Albany. She is survived by her brother Pasquale Serao and many nieces and nephews
including Nobile (Ken) Ring and Anthony D. (Ruth) Necco.
Tory Pasquale Lanzillo (Wynantskill) former resident of Fourth Street, died on April 7, 2016.
He was the son of the late Michael and Mary Lombardo Lanzillo and husband of Gloria Casale
Lanzillo. Tory was a U. S. Air Force veteran who served during the Viet Nam War. Tory is
survived by his sons, Michael (Michelle), Pasquale (Tina), Carmine (Justine), and Albert
(Monica) and daughters Nicole (Sean) Murray and Francesca Harrington, a brother James
Lanzillo, two sisters Mary Felicia May and Michaelanne DiBianco and ten grandchildren.
James J. Tedesco (East Greenbush) 78, former resident of Third Street, died on April 11, 2016.
He was the son of the late Fiore and Virginia Merola Tedesco and husband of Helen Cassidy
Tedesco. Jim, a member of the Troy High School Hall of Fame, was a retired zone Sgt. of Troop
G, New York State Police for nineteen years, and later served 14 years as a U.S. Deputy
Marshall. He is survived by his children, Mary Ellen Tedesco, James Patrick (Violet) Tedesco
and John Cassidy Tedesco, two grandsons, James Patrick Tedesco Jr. and Justin Fiore Tedesco,
three brothers, Wallace (Sally) Tedesco, Fiore Tedesco, and Troy Police Chief John (Char)
Tedesco, his aunts, Martha and Anna Tedesco, and Virginia Tedesco Merola and several nieces
and nephews.
Saverio Sam Valenti 87, longtime Fifth Avenue resident died April 19, 2016. He was the son
of the late Angelo and Maria Valenti and husband of Jean Perez Valenti. Sam was a lifetime
member of the Italian Community Center and was employed for many years at Adirondack Steel
Company. In addition to his wife Jean, Sam is survived by his children Catherine (James)
Germain, Jennifer Case, Saverio (Susan) Valenti Jr., Joseph (Judith) Valenti, Anthony Valenti,
Antoinette (Michael) Yamin, 16 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. He is also survived by
his sister Mary Bevevino and sisters-in-law Mary Phyllis and Elaine Valenti. Sam was
predeceased by his siblings Rocco, Gennaro, Louis and Ralph and sisters-in-law Mary Jane and
Bea.

Our condolences to the Lanzillo, Mantello, Tedesco and Valenti families

COMMUNITY EVENTS POSTINGS