You Know Your Italian If:

I get the impression from another thread that many Italians here don't consider themselves Italians. Well of course I'm American but have great pride in my Italian roots and my heritage and will always be of Italian descent. AND proud of it!!

Anyway, not sure if this was posted earlier or not but it's sure fun to watch. I can relate to nearly all of it. Have fun.

SB, I am sure you'll relate to many of these.


TIS


[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rYg5Gg4FOo[/video]

You know you're Italian if you are quite patient and willing to wait to get your revenge.

You know you're Italian if you call tomato sauce "gravy."

You know you're Italian when you have to warn your non-Italian friends that your family is not yelling, that's just talking

You call sausage "sauseech", mozzarella "moo sah rel" and a sandwich a "sangwich"

Plastic slipcovers on your grandmother's couch for thirty years, drinking wine out of old jelly jars, a picture of the Pope in between pictures of Sinatra and The Virgin Mary---in the kitchen, at least one uncle who never got married and lived at home until he inherited the house, then turned around and sold it to pay gambling debts, and at least one aunt who never wore anything but a muumuu. But you know me, I don't like to stereotype .

However, being a proud Italian-American myself, I admit that sometimes the stereotypes are true. EVERY stereotype has at least a little truth to it, no matter who you are or where you come from. Sorry, liberals .

We used to go nuts when Ma cut her home made bread. Big knife move towards her as she cut the bread.

No place to put the home made ravioli so she laid them out on the bed. Put a cover over them.

New Year's Eve at home as kids. Our noise makers were hitting pots with spoons.

We had it in for a tenant in the building. Put horse shit in a paper back. Then light a cheery bomb put on the back out side his door then knock on his door and run.

After New Years throw the Christmas tree out the window to get it out of the house. We set fire to it first.

You know TB, I never heard it called that until the Sopranos. Maybe it has something to do with our being Napolitan.

You know TB, I never heard it called that until the Sopranos. Maybe it has something to do with our being Napolitan. [/quote

Oli, I hadn't ever heard before either. I think it possibly is a NY or EastCoast thing. My family ALWAYS called it sugu.

Can't remember exact quote from clip, but "No matter what illness, virus, disorder, etc it's ALWAYS cause you didn't eat. LOL I so can relate. Every single time any of us said we didn't feel well, my mom would ask "Did you eat?{"

Tho this tradition was before my time, I do remember my parents saying that wakes were held in the home.

Lunches: I remember bringing eggplant sandwich or such to school, and tho I would have friends ask with a puzzled look,"what's that", I really enjoyed the food and didn't care that what they thought. Beat their PBJ sandwich. ha ha

TIS

It's a New York/New Jersey/Connecticut thing, Oli. And one of the dumbest arguments in the history of the world. I love it when someone says, "No REAL Italian calls it gravy." Meanwhile, the moron saying it was born in White Plains. See the irony?

We always called it gravy if it had meat in it, sauce if it was just a basic marinara (garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and spices). And another thing, calling pasta macaroni was completely acceptable if not the norm when I was a kid. It's these idiot "foodies" who think they know everything about everything because they watch Mario Batali every day who start these silly arguments.

Oh, as an aside: Mario Batali, who would have you believe that he invented all things Italian, is of only half-Italian descent. His Mother is French Canadian, and his great, great grandparents on his father's side arrived here in the 1880's. Which makes him something like fourth generation Italian-American on one side of his family. Plus, he grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Point being, Batali has as much to do with the New York City "Italian-American Experience" as Osama bin Laden had to do with a Seder table.

Talented guy, no doubt about that. But if it wasn't for a chance encounter with the Bastianich family, he'd still be working the saute station in a forty seat restaurant downtown. Either that or he'd be back in Seattle smoking pot 24/7.

Btw, the plastic over the furniture. OMG, my mom. Our living room could only be used when we had company AND it would take an act of Congress (mom) to God forbid eat in the living room.

I am sure I'm not the only Italian who grew up with the basement fixed up like another house, with kitchen, family room, bathroom, bedroom, etc.


TIS

This may be the best thread ever...

Your freezer is loaded with trays of frozen Lasagna, baked ziti and Mainicotti in case friends dropped in and needed to be fed a meal.

Grandma would make Pizza Gain' and Gazadeel (Casatella) for Easter.

You've been drinking wine since you've been 3 years old. When you were teething as a baby they put scotch or whiskey on your gums to numb the pain.

You had five Uncle Joes, a cousin Big Joe, Little Joe, Little Little Joey, Baby Joey, Jo Jo, and a few Aunt Jo's. One of your cousins was named Joe but your Uncle was smart, he called him Duke.

Lol TIS and Beanshooter

Pizza it was always gravy and macaroni for us too.

And there was always plastic on the furniture even the lampshades

When we moved into our first house we had plastic covers on the living room set. Had Icelandic sheep skin rug on the living room floor. On top of it was a glass iron coffee table a bar on one side of the room and a red ceiling

In the basement we had a full bar like in a regular bar, poker table, juke box, pool table, and a safe under the floor and a small room with a false wall. That was my man cave.

When I was a kid the pressure cooker top blew off we had Pasta Fagioli all over the kitchen ceiling.

Gravy and macaroni for us too. I still call it that

Whats your favorite macaroni? Mine was the ones that look like accordians

You eat like you're going to the chair every Sunday, go watch TV, loosen up your pants, nap for a little while on the couch and wake up to a delicious assortment of cold cuts and coffee, cookies and cake,

Probably penne (rigate) or rigatoni

Can you eat that whole wheat macaroni? I can't.

We ALWAYS had to have some kind of dessert in the house. Many times my sister and I took turns making a cake.\

Oh, and did everyone have to eat bread with each meal? My dad would always say 2 slices of bread per meal.



TIS

Fusilli. The real fusilli, the long ones. The short ones are to be called rotini, but a lot of companies box them and call them fusilli. Wrong!

And my co-favorite is rigatoni. The old fashioned wide ones wth the lines. And coincidentally, a lot of companies have the balls to box penne rigate and call them rigatoni. Wrong again!

TIS, In the late '70's my mom would visit her sister for coffee and bring an Entenmans cake. They still are delicious.

Entenmann's was good. There is this bakery in Jersey in Hackensack that makes THEE BEST crumb cake ever!!! Is it called L & B or something like that? That was always a favorite next to the Italian pastries from my Grandma's cousins place in Ridgefield, Rispoli's.

Edit: B & W Bakery in Hackensack makes the BEST crumb cake ever

We called Rigatones sewerpipes.

True. But the best "packaged cookies" are still Stella Doro. They don't make cakes, so I'm not comparing them to Entenmann's. I'm just throwing it out there. I drove a truck for them for a couple of years when I was a kid (and when I say kid, I mean like 18 and 19 years old).

I remember the Srella Doro factory of the Deegan. What great smells came out of there. I loved their Annisette cookies and breakfast treats

That's where I pulled out of, Beansie. My route was from the North Bronx to White Plains. Basically, Central Avenue all the way up to the Westchester County Center.

Some of my father's friends in the neighborhood he knew since he was a baby. All were Italian. So they grew up as if they were cousins or brothers as the families were close. Many years later one of them became the town fire chief. When my Grandpa got sick with cancer and needed to go get chemo my father's friend would send two firemen over to physically pick up my Grandpa to bring him down the stairs to the car and when he got home from chemo they'd bring him back up the stairs. Like they say, it was done out of respect.

I always love that story. Friends from cradle to grave.

Not an Italian exclusive, PB,I can assure you.
In general, treating your living room sofa as if it were a museum piece (and forbidding your kids to sit on it) was a general working-class thing, like rolling up the carpets for the summer, wrapping them in brown paper with mothballs, and storing them upright in the hallway closet.

You know you're NOT Italian when both your mom's sisters marry Italian Americans and then when they refer to 'gravy' it's actually not the kind you put on Turkey on Thanksgiving

I've heard people around where I live (Chicago), call sauce "gravy" but many including me just call it sauce. I think it's mostly an east coast thing.

I'm in a once-a-month discussion group that meets at a nice nearby Italian place. I've been on a kick recently for their bowl of rigatoni with crumbled spicy sausage. So 48 hours in advance, I'm already planning on not getting any sleep on Tuesday night.

Every Italian household used to be equipped with at least one of two old women: one would always be speaking inordinately loudly in Italian on the phone next to an open window, and the other would be sitting on the front porch (or if no porch, the sidewalk) in a kitchen chair, sullenly watching the world go by.

Growing up, my cousins were a bit older than me. They knew all the curse words in Italian by heart.

They would give us younger ones money if we would run into the kitchen and yell them out as loud as we can in front of all the grandmas and aunts cooking.

When you are 5 or 6, vafanculo usually came out like; "Bah-Svengoolie!"

(Svengoolie was a late night horror movie host on the weekends in Chicago)

My kids want me to eat that I don't enjoy it so no.

The thing I remember was thanksgiving. My brother and my cousin wanted the turkey legs. I never liked the dark meat. But because they wanted a leg I want a leg.

So Ma to shut me up had a third leg for me I never ate it

[quote=Alfanosgirl There is this bakery in Jersey in Hackensack that makes THEE BEST crumb cake ever!!! That was always a favorite next to the Italian pastries from my Grandma's cousins place in Ridgefield, Rispoli's.

Edit: B & W Bakery in Hackensack makes the BEST crumb cake ever


[/quote]

A-girl we had to detour on our way home to stop at B&W. The crumbs must have come from heaven.

My mother in law has never worn blue jeans. My sister in law is 70 years old...she is still Baby Helen.

I really tried but it tasted like cardboard. Even though it was Barilla, it was still very gross.

@MaryCas Their crumb cake has to be the BEST on the planet as far as I know.

True story: I was the editor of a company newspaper for a very big corporation with HQ in suburban NJ. The company had extensive grounds, and they put up a bocce court. A bocce league was formed and playoffs were held. The winning team was a group of mid-level managers, all WASPs, who called themselves the "Fun Ghouls." They sent me a blurb on their win to be published in the company newspaper. I had to tell them I couldn't because of what their club name meant. They were astounded--none of them had any idea of what they were calling themselves.

Stop the presses!
That is funny.

Friggin' WASPs. But that IS the funniest thing that I've read all week .

Did you use ONLY the Italian words to refer to certain parts of the body? I didn't know the English words for the parts of the body until I was much older If you were referring to your butt you said "goolie". And I'm not going to talk about the other parts of the body. Ha ha.

Lol! I remember "peeshadool" getting a big reaction from the ladies in the kitchen! Lol!

Lol Mark.

Your Grandpa sang:
Seesaw, Knock at the Door
Who's there? Where are you?

...while your Grandma was cooking in the kitchen. Then he sang an old folk song in Italian that he learned when he was a kid. You still remember all the words and now you sing it to your kids. (True story)

From Alfanosgirl's Kitchen with Love

Well yeah, you're a kid until you're 40.

I have acquaintances my age (35) and younger who bitch about how they are getting "old", it annoys the fuck outta me. Some of these geniuses are still in their 20s.

People who live their lives like that often end up letting life pass them by. I have twenty years on you, Ivan. I'll be 56 in the fall.

Anyway, the guys who like to wax poetic about the old days when they're only 35 will deeply regret it when they're 55. You can't live your life in the past or in the future. You can only live in the now.

Great advice PB.

@Alfanosgirl. That looks amazing!

Oh Man that looks Great,,,,

We had the same thing today with our Best friends, at home.

Knowing it was going to rain, we planned the sauce loaded with Sausage and Brociole.

And you know you might be Italian,,,, when you know how to oder all the favorites at the Pork Store and your Irish Brothers call you Guido.

LoL

Yes, please!

Meatballs... my Kryptonite!

Get this my kids have been on me to eat better for years. My wife makes a terrific meal. My daughter comes over early to make me stuff that she says taste good but is better for me.

First she shows me to bottle of juice like products that has vegetables in it. She puts some in each cup and puts a cover over it. Because she thinks the cover is a turn off. Actually they both taste pretty good. They have to be served cold.

Then my daughter makes me something that looks like over done spaghetti that has stuck to get her. It is made from a squash. She puts some on my dish with my wife gravy and meat balls.

Well it was ok anything is ok as long as it has my wife's gravy and meat balls on it.

So my kids are happy that I ate the shit she made me and those two drinks.

What they don't know after they left I ate reg macaroni. I would never have the shit she made.

On this two drinks they tasted ok, but I can't drink anything too cold anymore. I drink everything at room temperature or I get the freaking runs

I just made it to the bathroom.

Kids there a pain in the ass.

I still get entemanns donuts with the devil cake for my wife. I used to like their black out cake I don't think they make them any more.

There used to be a company Embenger something like that made good cake they had there own stores went out of business.

if you owned your route that would be decent money for a young kid.

My friend Johnny had his own route beer distributor.

I owned a both ends of a Minnie medallion taxi as a kid. 2 cars. I ran them 20 hours a day. I got 200 dollars a shift. Each car had two shifts per day total 800 dollars a shift per day. 6 days a week. I had the owner of a local gas station maintain the cars. Drivers paid their own gas also had the drivers put down a thousand security if they got in an accident.

Had one guy driver one a shift nice kid. But this guy was a prejudice bastard. He was Irish he came here from Ireland he hated the English. I have a story about him that you would never believe so I will not tell it.

Anyway I quickly found out he was an equal opportunity hater. He hated everyone. He might have even hated me so I had to let him go.

Entenmann's Raspberry Danish is the best.

Does anyone else have the memory of waking up on Saturday morning to fresh homemade Italian bread coming out of the oven? Mmmmm. My mom made 8 loaves a week

We'd always have some form of bread for lunch. Mmmm

TIS

Madonne! Yes. Mom made it like crazy and my Dad was absolutely amazed at how fast we ate it up. From time to time I make it although now I get to eat just about all of it since the kids are grown and gone.

Guys, thanks for the kind words.

TIS, you are making me hungry just thinking about fresh homemade bread. Yum.

Foots, you always have good stories.

Oh, and my Uncle Frank (the bachelor uncle who married later in life. Don't all Italians have that?) lol would without fail come for lunch Saturdays to enjoy the fresh bread.



TIS

We got ours on Sunday then we got donuts jelly and cream donuts 4 or 5 cents a piece. Some times I would go in big SAMs club and play cards with the older guys. I actually think I miss big Sam.

I remember my mom buying the donut dough you deep fry. When I tell my kids/grandkids that was breakfast, they can't believe it. LOL All the pasta, bread, sugar, I am thankful I am not 300 pounds. Ha ha ha!

TIS

I could eat the picture.

I'm going to Florida next month to visit my sister and then to Pittsburgh to visit another sister. Both will make all the stuff in the pics above. I can't wait. Mom taught them well!

Oh yea Oli. Going to ANY Italian household meant a good meal.


Btw, I remember my mom's Uncle Frank (my great uncle) on a couple occasions coming to visit us from Detroit. He didn't speak real good English, but would go to each of us kids, pinch our cheek, and ask how old we were. We told him and he gave us $5.00. Obviously we loved that uncle.


TIS

I love how every Italian woman can have an impromptu 6 course meal on the table in 30 minutes or less... with little to no advance notice.

Every Italian guy can relate to that scene in Godfellas when Tommy's mother fixes the boys a full meal in the middle of the night!

That is SO Italian!

Whenever ANYONE came to visit it was an unspoken rule that you'd have to offer something to eat. On the occasion I was home and my mom wasn't, and company came, when mom walked in the door you could bet she'd ask me if I offered anything to eat.

TIS

Me and my guys could show up at any time, mostly the wee hours of the morn usually a mess from partying , gambling, working or all of these things and my Da would cook us a full meal, either breakfast or a full feast of pasta, sauce meatballs, sausage steak, whatever he had.

Funny thing , if we woke up the Italian, she would come down and tell him everything he was doin wrong, takeover and he would sit, hang and be served with us.....lol, they were perfect for each other.

Miss them, good parents.

Sunday mornings...peppers and eggs

You got hit with a wooden spoon for being "fresh"

You didn't realize that ANYONE of your aunts had permission to hit any of the children until you saw your cousin get hit by an aunt while his mother was too busy in the kitchen. Lol.

Not sure if this was an exclusively Italian thing but my grandma and aunts used to save their empty prescription bottles and fill them up with coins for us kids. Cha-ching!

I like that idea Mark lol a quarter could buy you a candy bar, cost only 2 cents for bazooka gum, 15 cents for a scoop of Thrifty ice cream...change went a long way for a kid

Oh, heck yes! The wider bottles always contained quarters... jackpot!

How many Italians here are named after their grandparents? Firstborn boy/girl after husband's parents; 2nd girl/boy after wife's parents.

A few years back I took my daughters to MI for a wedding on their father's side of family; By the time the evening was over, I had introduced them to 3 cousin Tony's, all named after the same grandfather, as was their own father. LOL They asked "How many Tony Noto's are there? Ha ha Oh, and I have a brother and cousins named Tony as well. Big name in Italian circles.

TIS

Madonne! Do I remember that. My mother could wield a wooden spoon like a samurai wields a sword. She could strike from anywhere in the kitchen whether she was stirring sauce or pancake batter. I still have the scars.

They were all named Peter or Paulie and they were all married to girls named Marie...

LOL Mark! My brother is Paulie, and my sister is Marie. ha ha



TIS

I mistakenly put my wisecrack in your quote but I guess it worked either way!

No problem Mark.


I gotta say, tho I am aware of Italians using the ol' wooden spoon, fortunately (it would seem lol), that's one tradition that was not in my immediate family.



TIS

It hurt like hell.

We had a small grocery store literally just steps behind our house. We constantly went to buy candy. Candybars 5 cents; gumball a penny. One time I spent my whole "quarter" allowance on a bottle of nailpolish (without permission). I made a big mess on my fingers/toes and the porch. My mom sent me to get my money back. Ha ha ha, which of course they wouldn't do with an opened messed up bottle.


TIS

Our neighborhood store was Mary and Sal's. I was sent there for Italian bread, Camels, and Lucky Strikes. On the way home from Corpus Christi school, we stopped at Vento's for pizza and a coke: 15 cents total. Of course, neither I nor my sisters could afford even that pittance (which, of course, was not a pittance at the time). Sometimes one of our friends would take pity and give me the money.

I remember my dad sending one of us out to buy a cigar? That would never go today. I can't say I ever remember buying more than 1 cigar at a time for some reason. Yet, I remember my mom using old cigar boxes (RG Dunn comes to mind) for various purposes or she'd just hang on to them in case she needed them. ha ha


TIS

The lunch you took to school could feed 4 people

You put "the baby" to sleep singing Nonni Non, Nonni Non, Nonni Nonni Nonni

You thought you could catch a cold from a draft

Lord, do I remember that lullaby and I've sung it endlessly to each of my grandchildren.

About catching a cold from a draft, add catching one from being out in the cold or being wet (especially your hair). I don't know why these myths persist, but they do.

Don't think this was only an Italian thing but remember having to wait an hour to go swimming? I hated that. An hour was so long. Nowadays I don't think anyone follows that rule.



TIS

Yes, that was a big deal. But it is physiologically good advice.

I know a Tony Noto he was with us when I was with the Brooklyn Italians soccer club. I think he is living in New Jersey now.

You know you're an Italian American when there are males in your family named after their fathers who get the suffix 'boy'

Nicky Boy, Johnny Boy, etc.....

True story...

My cousin, Joey, was in a motorcycle accident in Berwyn long before cell phones, etc. When the ER nurse from MacNeal Hospital called the house to tell my aunt, she said (and I quote exactly...) "Madonna mia! I hope he was wearing clean underwear!"



All he had was a broken leg and his underwear was clean BEFORE the accident but definitely not after!

Oh yes, clean underwear was a must! LOL "Madonna Mia" was a common phrase in my family as well.

Speaking of underwear, My sister and I would alternate doing ironing as part of our chores. I use to hate that my mom would make us actually iron underwear. Madonna Mia!!!!

Foots,

This group of Notos are from MI and as far as I know have no relatives in NY. But, hey, you never know. I looked up my last names (both married & Maiden) name in NYC and there are lots of listings for each of them.

TIS

A follow up to the story is the entire family got to Joey's room at the hospital and they were all carrying in something for him to eat. By the time it was all said and done, that nurses break room looked like a banquet hall catered by Tufano's! The night shift ate very well that evening!

I don't remember the hour wait before going into the water. I remember them waiting with the towel AS SOON AS your feet left the water. Sometimes having to even use two so you don't catch cold.
Also, I do remember my Great Uncle not wanting to wash off the salt water after swimming in the ocean. He'd say it's great for your body. He's 86 maybe he knows something.


That's so sweet Oli that you sing the Nonni song too.

Lol I love that story Mark, that's hilarious. So Italian.

This thread is so cozy. Speaking of saying Madonna Mia...

Did anyone have the nervous Aunts and Grandmas? Where if there was a real emergency they'd be running around the room, pacing back and forth saying oh Madonna Mia or praying to some saint instead of helping the situation. That nervousness and anxiety can really take its toll on a person.

None of my Great Aunts drove except for just one. And they were the WORST back seat drivers. They didn't even know how to drive a car but they would point out what the men were doing right and doing wrong. Lol.

They were afraid of EVERYTHING.

If you were feeling poorly the treatment was "give him something to eat." If you had a stomach ache and couldn't eat, my mother would warm up olive oil and put it on her thumb and continuously make the sign of the cross with her thumb across my stomach all while repeatedly saying the Hail Mary.

Talk about being nervous, upset and pacing... don't forget they would always be holding their Rosary Beads and praying!

Madonna Mia!

A-Girl, I know what you mean about "nervous" relatives making doom/gloom out of every situation.

My mom didn't drive until she was 40ish but none of my aunts/great aunts and for sure my grandmothers never learned to drive.

The video I posted mentioned how Italian households had pictures of the Pope, Sinatra, etc. My grandmother had a huge picture of Moses (of all people) hanging on her bedroom wall. Thing is it was loosely hanging from the wall enough so it tilted forward. When we's spend the night we'd sleep in her bed and I always thought it was a little scary. Didn't want Moses to fall on me. Ha ha ha!!


TIS

Edit to add: Some of that tradition DID stick. I do have a couple crucifixes hanging in my house, along with a Pope Francis Holy card, palms from Palm Sunday. I have the holy cards from both my mom/dad's funeral mass which has their picture on it, on my dresser. I guess it does rub off to an extent.

Stomach ache take some coke. I mean coke soda and shack the fizz out of it.

Olive oil is the best thing since bullets.

Ginger Ale was the stomach ache drink in my house.




TIS

7Up at my Nona's house.

How many crosses of Jesus do you have in the house. I have too many.

I have two crosses


TIS

This is an east coast thing for sure. I knew 2 guys in the Navy, both Italian, one from NY and other from NJ and they swore by this, Foots.

One over every bed back in the day.

One item I was given after my parents passed away that I had to hang on the wall. That is a small plaque of "Our Lady of Trapani" which my parents bought when they visited Sicily. My father was born there. Very special to me and I had to hang it on the wall.



TIS

Who remembers the concave statute of Jesus face that would follow you as you walked across the room? Also, the wooden crucifix with a compartment that held a candle and palm?

Food was always the answer. How your mother prayed for you when you were sick is just so beautiful. So calming.

One of my grandfathers raced pigeons, you can't get much more Brooklyn Italian than that....

Except for my grandmother's white couches with the plastic covers

I will tell you one thing about Italians in Harlem in the old days. All the Italian mothers were prejudiced. God forbid a Puerto Rican girl called the house wanting to speak to her son

Everyone was prejudiced against everyone back then. I always believe that every individual has a life lesson to learn and my grandma certainly learned hers.

I was sitting on the couch at my aunts house waiting for these two nurses to come in to help my Great Aunt who had Alzheimer's. As soon as the door opened, in walked a black lady and a Puerta Rican lady. My grandma stood up went over to them, gave them both big hugs and told them she loved them. I was like huh uhwhat is happening here ??? My grandma who was ONCE prejudiced against anyone who wasn't Italian actually LEARNED that all races are made up of beautiful, wonderful people not just Italians. She learned her life lesson. Those two nurses took such great care of her sister.

My cousin who was born around 1950 wrote this when we were talking about growing up Italian on fb:

my cheeks are still black and blue from all the pinching they got from our aunts. never was in their houses more than 10 seconds before some food was put into my hands, even if i just finished a meal. no wonder i was always fat as a kid. was given red wine as a 4 year old and told that it was medicine. my swim suit was called trunks. i was always petrified of getting sick because the first treatment was always an enema. at birthday parties we would pack 35 people into a 9 X 11 kitchen. getting ashes on Ash Wednesday was the most important sacrament. anyone not italian was referred to as amerigan if they were white, if not they were moulignons. most women outside the family were either a gypsy or a putana or a sphacime. whenever a relative saw me as a small child they would say "oh, he's an Alfano." until i was about 12, i thought they were referring to me as some sort of dinasaur. favorite days of the week were wednesday and sunday because that's when we had macaroni for dinner.

How beautiful TIS. My friend's family comes from there too. I have my Great Grandma's gold stud earrings she brought over from Italy in 1909. She wore those everyday. My other Great Grandma brought over her mandolin from Italy with her in 1886 that's mine too and my Great Grandpa's bible from 1903 and right now I'm fighting with my cousin for my Great Uncle Tony's collection of swords and knives. I'm into antiques and heirlooms. Of course, all my parents stuff too

Yea A-Girl I cherish the few heirlooms I do have. My Uncle (dad's brother) who is 91 years old, gave my older brother my grandfather's Italian Navy uniform jacket. When I was there I put it on just because, I guess. I never knew him.

Story goes, that both my dad & uncle were in the army at the same time. My grandfather I'm told who constantly worried for them often said, "I just wanna live long enough to see my boys come home." My dad came home first and not sure how long after, my uncle came home. It was a matter of days after my uncle was home, that grandpa passed away from a massive heart attack at 52. My grandmother would always warn, be careful what you wish for.

Oh, and btw, that same grandmother wore black for the rest of her life, until she passed away some 35/40 yrs later.


TIS

TIS what a very sad story about your Grandpa and how he passed away so soon after his boys got home.


So true about how the women stay dressed in black for the rest of their lives.

I always REALLY ENJOY all your wonderful stories. Keep sharing them.

I had a recurring staff infection called cellulitis infection in my leg. All of a sudden you go from normal temperature to 104 or 5. You become freezing cold so all you want to do is stay under covers. You start to hallucinate. You don't want to leave the house so you won't go in an ambulance so they call the cops. You find yourself starting throwing punches at the cops. They have to cuff you to get you to the emergency room. When you get their you can't hold your water or anything else. So if your under wear was clean when you got there. That changed real fast.

There is no such thing as "Forgive and Forget" in the Italian male DNA.

You're not allowed to EVER throw food in the garbage. Never. It has to be eaten. You have to wait until everybody is either not paying attention or asleep and then you sneak outside to throw it away.

So, "Fuhgettaboutit" is not literal?

Not sure if this was only an Italian thing,(don't know anyone else who had one) but do any of you (ladies mostly) remember the mangle iron? A large contraption. My sister and I had to Iron mostly sheets on it. LOL





TIS

We had one of those. It may have been my Italian grandmother's originally, she had some sort of rooming house in the 1920s or 30s. I only saw it in use a few times, but my sense is that the roller could be pretty dangerous if you didn't know what you were doing? We also had a wringer washing machine - it was a big day when the automatic washer and dryer came to the house.

Oh yea, they were huge and could be dangerous. Looking back, my mom must have taught us well how to use it cause we were young when we were doing the ironing.

She too had the wringer washer. All laundry was in the basement and I think there was a clothes line down there too. Thank God, by the time I got married, automatic washers were the thing. I never used a wringer (I mom thought that was dangerous which I can see, if you get your hair caught- ouch!!)

TIS

Have you ever seen Nonna Paola? Have you ever had to teach an older person to use a phone or anything electronic? Well, then this video will make you laugh. I was cracking up. Her son scooches her but she's a good sport.

Nonna Paola

Siri And This Italian Grandma Don’t Get Along

http://youtu.be/dpFUdfxth6s

She seems like a sweet lady. Here is the longer vid from her own channel http://youtu.be/KWYfLChSZQg

My mother could not do anything after Daddio died. That is how Daddio had the power over her.

She could not even write a check on her own.

Then when I moved back in she wanted my brother and I to do everything for her. Daddio trained her to always be dependent upon him.

She had a hard life.

I taught my Grandma how to start up the car and how to turn it off. It was the funniest thing. None of the women drove. She never sat behind the wheel before and there she was revving up the engine.

I also taught her how to play a slot machine. She didn't like it in the beginning but when we started winning a little bit, she really enjoyed herself. We were playing dimes lol.

Every smart Italian should have somebody to start their car... just in case.

In my old neighbor hood very few people drove a car or had one.

Everyone took public transportation. The only people who had cars were mob guys and bigger store owners.

When I first saw rebel without a cause I thought all these kids have money. They own their own cars and their parents owned their own houses.

I could not get over that.

I liked the knife fight at the planetarium. I was very surprised that dean didn't fuck him up when he got the drop on him.

Neither of my grandmothers drove. Someone would always pick them up to take them somewhere. My mother didn't get her driver's license until she was about 35/40.

Anyone remember having to stay in your church clothes on Sunday? I have movie film of my riding my bike up/down the street. I KNOW it was Sunday, cause I had a dress on. LOL NOW, they wear anything to church.

Couple other random tidbits:

My father-in-law would always do the sign of the cross if he drove past a Catholic Church.

Speaking of Sunday, Sunday dinners at my house was always around 1:00 in the afternoon as opposed to 6:00 p.m. during the week.


TIS

I remember if I fell and messed up my school uniform I caught a beating.

I definitely remember both of those. I always crossed myself.

Sunday dinner at my grandparent's house usually lasted from 1 p.m. TO 6 p.m!

And there was always plenty. If company came over, another plate/s was set and they were forced to eat something. If company said they weren't hungry my dad would always say, just nibble. They HAD to eat something LOL
It would be a mortal sin not to have enough food. Ha ha


TIS

Not having enough food in an Italian household would be a sin lol.
Did you ever have dinner plans as a young adult but still had to sit down to eat just a little beforehand? Have a plate... What's the difference, I made all this food here and you're going out? Why must you go out to eat? Then you had a plate set aside for you when you got home. D'ya eat enough at dinner? I got your plate here for you now, you hungry? I'll warm it up. Lol. It's like they think you're going to starve in a four hour time frame. Too funny.

If there was a "spontaneous" gathering of young people, my mom could make ten pizzas in a night. Long slices of mozzarella laid on, instead of little shavings.

And anchovies - everyone loved anchovies.

Oh yea, I love anchovies. Nowadays I never find anyone who wants anchovies on pizza.

TIS

Right on target, AG! This is how the future Mrs. Mark was introduced to the Italian way of life. We would be getting ready to go on a date for her fave Chinese and we would get all those comments including the one we still laugh about and ridicule to this day, "With all this food on the table!?! Madonna Mia!!!"

Did you get the phone calls and messages too after you got married? Hello, this is us, your mother and I got all this food here, who is gonna eat all this food? We can't eat it all, so just come over.
You get a second phone call. We're waiting here for you. What time are yous coming? Give us a call. AND A third call. Where the hell are yous? We've been waiting here all night. Click.

You call back. We were out of town remember?
That's right, we forgot. I got your food all wrapped up so you can eat it tonight, tomorrow, whenever, it don't matter. Just come pick it up. I'll wait up

Even after I was married, with a family, I loved going to dinner at my parents (and my in-laws were Italian as well). They'd stock me up with leftovers for two more meals.



TIS

When I'd tell my parents I was going to visit them from Texas, one of the first thing they'd say was "What do you want to eat when you get here?"

Food was such a huge part of an Italian family life. I remember my mom planning menu for the week in detail. (Damn, she knew tons of different ways to make pasta.)

One of my favorite snacks (tho I've made meal out of it many times) was usually a Sunday night bedtime snack (LOL) It was very simple and always on hand in my house. Black (Greek) Olives,green olives seasoned/pickled provolone cheese, pepperoni and/or salami and fresh Italian bread. Mmmm I'd take a bite of everything and pig out. Every now & then I will go to the Italian Deli and stock up.

Heck, even up until I lost my parents, whenever I'd visit MI, my dad would haul out cheese, pepperoni, olives, etc. and put it all in front of me and watch me eat, as he smiled. LMAO If my plate was getting empty, he'd fill it.

Btw, any Italian here ever have Caponatina(I did have to look up the correct spelling)? It's an eggplant/olive/celery/olive oil type sidedish which was common with my family/relatives.

TIS

I don't think I ever had caponatina, sounds delicious. We were lucky to eat so well. I wanted to mention to you and anyone else who is in our local area a couple upcoming events. I knew some of these people from San Diego personally because we would have our annual Italian picnic and bocce tournament with everyone in the state affiliated with the ICF. They were a lot of fun, most are Sicilian.


09/05-09/07, Sat.-Mon. – Labor Day Weekend West Coast Stickball Tournament
Come and watch the streets of Little Italy come alive with the good ol’ American (East Coast) past-time: STICKBALL. Every year local teams come together to play for the right to call themselves the king of the block; the champions! This year San Diego Stickball League will be hosting guest teams from New York and Puerto Rico. Come and enjoy the taunting, heckling and good ol’ fun on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am to 6:00pm on Columbia Street, between Beech and Cedar Streets, and State Street, between Ash and Beech Streets. This event was made possible by the Little Italy Association of San Diego. For more information, please call Joey Centanni at 619-471-7375.


10/11, Sun. – 21st Annual Little Italy FESTA!
Little Italy Association is proud to make the Little Italy District come alive. Come and enjoy over 180 Italian Food & Crafter Booths, 3 stages of entertainment, Gesso Italiano (Italian Chalk): Little Italy’s Chalk Painting Event, a Stickball Tournament and a Beer & Wine Garden. Load up the family, friends & pets and come to the Largest Italian Festival on the West Coast. This event is held on India Street between Ash and Grape Streets from 10:00a.m. – 6:00p.m. For more information, click here

http://www.littleitalysd.com/events/little-italy-festa/

Yes. Yes. Yes! Absolutely true! After a holiday or a family function, there are leftovers for days! We were all expected to be there everyday after until they were all gone. One time, a newlywed Mrs. Mark referred to it as Day 4 of the Roman Feast!

Yes! I remember that well. We would put a big scoop of that on a piece of Turano Bread and make a meal out of it! Love that bread! Not sure if this was only big in the midwest?

Mark, not sure I know that bread. My mom would make her own (8 loaves a week) But yea, bread would be a must.

I especially remember on holidays, after having at least a two course meal, dessert, not to mention food readily available all day, the table would be set one more time for a night snack. Damn, I really should weight about 300 lbs I think.
Then of course leftovers distributed.



TIS

Oh, heck yeah! Nobody left my grandma's house without half a trunk of leftovers to bring home! Every car owned by an Italian has a cooler in the trunk for just such an occasion! I'm surprised it wasn't added to the basic design of every Cadillac that rolled out of Detroit!

Oh, do I remember my mother making copious amounts of bread ... and pizza too,

A-Girl my daughters and I are thinking about checking out the Italian Festival in San Diego. I see they dropped the Sicilian Festival and are combining the two. I've never been to it. If nothing else it should be good food.




TIS

The best of both worlds. My grandma was from Napoli and my grandfather was from Palermo. I grew up seeing it all. I am blessed for sure.

TIS, I think it will be fun. I'm going to make it by business to get down there too. The food will be delicious and the music should be good.

When is it? I may try to make it down there.

Sunday, October 11
Here's info:
10/11, Sun. – 21st Annual Little Italy FESTA!
Little Italy Association is proud to make the Little Italy District come alive. Come and enjoy over 180 Italian Food & Crafter Booths, 3 stages of entertainment, Gesso Italiano (Italian Chalk): Little Italy’s Chalk Painting Event, a Stickball Tournament and a Beer & Wine Garden. Load up the family, friends & pets and come to the Largest Italian Festival on the West Coast. This event is held on India Street between Ash and Grape Streets from 10:00a.m. – 6:00p.m. For more information, click here

http://www.littleitalysd.com/events/little-italy-festa/

My oldest sons newest mother in law is like that her son or my son has to drive them every where. Or they don't go any where.

We always have company on the weekends. We want them to come early so they leave early

They come go in the pool. Then we eat play with the grand kids and they leave and we can enjoy the rest of the evening.

I think they come because they think they will get the house when we are not around anymore my wife always see the need to see at least some of the kids and grand kids.

I am not like that they come they come they don't they don't. My wife is taking one of my grand daughters to see Aladin on broadway on the 16th.

I think of it is more time to myself.

Pizza you going to Harlem for the Giglio lift next Sunday?

Talk about Italian. Just got back from my sister's in Florida. I have a load of her sauce and meatballs in the freezer. She makes it just like mom used to make.

Olivant, how many pounds did you gain from all the eating you did with the family on your trip? Sounds like you are going to be eating well at home too. Good stuff!

Didn't gain that much, but tried to. Madonne! I will eat well for quite awhile. I had about 7 meatballs tonight.

Only 7? Amateur...

I have to make them last.

The Stages of Spaghetti Sauce:

1. Covert dipping from the pot;
2. Spaghetti (or whatever);
3. Leftovers (whole different thing);
4. Meatball sandwiches; and,
5. Pizza sauce.

At the end of the meal you open up your pants to make room for more.

Good stuff Mustache Pete. My favorite is the leftovers.

So I figured I'd put this Italian song medley up I made a while back for my YouTube channel. (lt was taken down by the Roselli family.) Anyways...It is very old school Italian. Your Nonna and Nonno's type music.

Don't blame me though if you get the urge to make sauce or gravy, or put on a pinkie ring, or start reciting Goodfellas, or plant a fig tree in your yard or get yourself a gumad. Maybe it's just best to do none of the above and just listen to one of the best Italian-American singers we had.

http://youtu.be/ajdt2FKk8pY

If you're not into the old school stuff I put this song up too.
Angelina vid of sexy Italian girls

http://youtu.be/CLzEFzhAI8Q

I needed a new furnace so I called up a company. They said 10k to replace it. I called Pops, he says that's too much; I got a guy. So I get it done at the right price. Italian men don't pay retail. (Neither do their kids) They always have a guy.

Brava!

Hey Marky Mark, you know what? You're not gonna ever believe this but I have 690 subs and that Doo Wop playlist I made back in May got over 70k views, that's thousands not hundreds lmao. These older ppl like my stuff. You know the "Almost 50 and above range" people on YouTube giggle giggle Meow Quack

Ok back to the Italian stuff...

Grunt Grunt... yes, us old 50 year olds do like your stuff, AG. Good tunes that bring back sweet memories of people we loved who cherished this music. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

Does anyone play bocce? I do, but for fun. Occasionally, I used to compete in tournaments but that was years ago.

Yesterday, I had my kids and my niece and nephew outside playing. I see a lot of potential in them. A few months ago they all stunk but I think I got myself a future bocce team lol.

Bocce in the Olympics! Spero.

Oli,

I remember when I was a kid we'd have a yearly family reunion picnic. Many of the then, old timers would play bocce.

Another tidbit, I remember from childhood, upon hearing a cousin or relative got engaged. The first question asked would be "Is he(she) Italian?

TIS

This is when you really feel Italian and back home.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/bOA0ucMuLFE
_________________________
only the unloved hate

Foots, thanks for sharing. I wanted to take my kids to see it, but it didn't work out going to NY. Bummer. Maybe next year.

TIS I always felt sorry for the new girlfriend or boyfriend who was invited to one of the family events. I always tried to make him or her feel comfortable. Italian or not, it's hard to fit in with a tightly knit Italian family. Everybody is considered an outsider. At least that's how my family was. They never trusted anyone "new". Lol

Mrs. Mark was way too skinny and my nonna filled her plate many times!

Oh yea, bringing a non-Italian into an Italian family can be interesting, to put it mildly. LOL I know my family always tried to make the new person comfortable. One of the first things I think they notice is how much and how often we eat.

Plus,Italian families, at least my family (mom's side especially) talked extremely loud. Newbies thought they were yelling. ha ha ha

You know, looking back there's a lot I cherish those days


TIS

I agree TIS. We were always eating too. My family is so loud, you have to hold the phone a foot away so you don't go deaf while trying to have a phone conversation. Thank God for texting. It saved my hearing.

The bickering was very common too in our family. When I watch Seinfeld, I feel right at home watching George's parents bicker and yell at each other.

Don't you miss it. I'm going back to Jersey in November. Can't wait

Speaking of Bocce:

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/my-gene...es/201508130017

No I don't even like to be around those old crazy fucks.

I take my Grand daughter and wife to my local park. They have doowop shows at my local park in the summer. One was Frankie Valli brother Bobbie, Joey dee of the star litters and someone else.

So we are sitting near the Bocce court. Then they are arguing and they are using the f word.

I told the guy to watch his mouth I got my wife and grand daughter here. He says something to me which I did not like. So I sent my wife and my little Mia away to get closer to the music. Then I showed him and his friends what cursing is all about. I am right in his face then gave him a real close look at my fingers and left

I remember thumb tacking the palm leaves we got at church to the wall over our beds during Easter time. Not sure why I remembered that in the middle of summer but there you have it.

I don' thumb tack them but hang them around pictures. I always thought it was neat how some people could braid them into a decent looking cross.

Does anyone celebrate St. Lucy's Day with rice balls? Might not be a popular tradition with everyone.

TIS

Same here we had them on pics and crucifixes on the wall. I do not remember St. Lucy Day. I do remember St. Joseph's Day and helping set up the table in the church hall. My parents were in charge of it for years.

Yes, I remember them around pics of Jesus and Saints. It's nice to toss out these memories and fill in the blanks of things forgotten.

Did any of you have the statue of Jesus face? It's the one with the concave face and the face would follow you around the room when you looked at it.

It really freaked me out.

Rice ball recipe

God wants me to pass this around


Landi's Pork Store Rice Balls Recipe

1 & 1/4 lbs- Rice
1 & 1/4 lbs- Mozzarella Cheese, finely diced
1/4 lbs- Ham, finely diced
1/4 lbs- Pepperoni, finely diced
1/4 lbs- Salami, finely diced
1/4 Cups- Dried Parsley
1/4 lbs- Grated Locatelli Cheese

Allow rice to cool before mixing.
Grind up the meat and mozzarella then mix together with rice.

Mix until it is easy to roll into a ball.

Then coat each ball with flour, dip in egg, then bread crumbs.

Fry until golden brown.

Italians aren't the only people who give you a lot of good food to eat. Italians and other ethnic immigrants usually came to America one step ahead of either starvation or annihilation in some war. So, when they became established, they showed hospitality and their newfound security by serving enormous quantities of food. That value extends even into second- and third-generation ethnics. If you go to a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant's home, they serve you one slice of Oscar Meyer bologna on two slices of Wonder Bread (with the crusts cut off), or watercress sandwiches. But they serve it on 200-year-old China.

I've been looking for a good recipe for Rice Balls. Think I will give it a try this weekend. Thanks for posting Foots.

Thanks for the recipe Foots. I think I have a recipe somewhere but have NEVER made them.

I had a great aunt who almost went blind (I wasn't born at that time and don't know the circumstances) and she prayed to St. Lucy (patron saint of sight/eyes). As it turned out she didn't go blind. From that day on, on Dec. 13th we'd have riceballs (I think it relates to St. Lucy in some way. Maybe she worked in rice fields? I'm not sure.) Anyway, even to this day, my sister and a few other relatives always make riceballs on St. Lucy's Day.



TIS

Funny I have asked my wife to make Landi rice balls recipe for me. She tells me why we can get them from Landi's when we want them?

That was funny Turnbull.

I've got one for you, TB. Here it goes. True phone conversation. I'm always getting yelled at.

Hello, where are you? You're home. What are you doing home? You know, everybody is over here. Your sister's here with the kids, Sal's here, the neighbors are here. Everybody is here BUT YOU AND YOUR KIDS. You should be here.

Well, I guess I could drop the kids over to play and say a quick hello but I'm in the middle of making meatballs. Remember, YOU are coming here for dinner??

Oh that's right. I forgot. (Click)

Foots, good stuff. I wonder if we can find that cheese here in CA.

...variations of that theme were, uh, not unknown in my family...

Are any of you aware of the Italian trio Il Volo? I just happened to come across them on channel 13. Now, that's Italian!

My nonna always had tons of these on hand. Anise candy rocks!

There kids they appeared at the Beacon a while back. I had no urge to see them il Divo I would go see they always have very good guest singers with them.

I just hate when they sing My Way they mess around with the song.

Hard candy that you had to eat sitting down so you wouldn't choke God forbid

Found this old e-mail my cousin sent a couple years ago:




PATSY, THE ITALIAN FUNERAL DOG


An Italian woman was leaving a convenience store with her espresso
when she noticed a most unusual Italian funeral procession approaching
the nearby cemetery. A black hearse was followed by a second black
hearse about 50 feet behind the first one.

Behind the second hearse was a solitary Italian woman walking a dog on a leash.

Behind her, a short distance back, were about 200 women walking single file.

The woman couldn't stand the curiosity. She respectfully approached
the Italian woman walking the dog and said: "I am so sorry for your
loss, and this may be a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a
Italian funeral like this. Whose funeral is it?"

"My husband's."

''What happened to him?"

"He yelled at me and my dog attacked and killed him."

She inquired further, "But who is in the second hearse?"

The Italian woman answered, "My mother-in-law. She was trying to help
my husband when the dog turned on her."

A very poignant and touching moment of Italian sisterhood and silence
passed between the two women.

"Can I borrow the dog?"

The woman replied, "Get in line."




TIS

That was funny TIS. Get behind the 200 women already waiting in line

You don't only marry the man you marry his mother and the whole family

Which is worse to deal with as an in-law, an Italian father or an Italian mother?

Hey MB I thought you'd be all over my last post with your jokes where's the funny?

This had my laughing. Enjoy.

http://youtu.be/raiEwBhMsOc

Funny and so true AG! Thanks for posting.

A-Girl. I can relate.

My grandmother was the food police, making sure NO dish was empty. Ha ha AND yes, my mom was one who had plastic on the living furniture. Heaven forbid if we ever ate anything there, let alone sit on the furniture. Ha ha

Very funny!!


TIS

Same here TIS. My grandma and all the aunts were that way too. My Dad was like the wrap up ninja he talks about in the video

When I was a baby the doctor asked my Mom, what are you feeding this kid? Give her SKIM milk from now on. My Grandma and all her sisters had to take care of me as a baby because my Mom almost died giving birth to me, she was in the hospital for months. I was the community family baby Who knows what they were feeding me!!

I hated the plastic on all the furniture. We weren't allowed to eat anywhere but at the kitchen table. Weekend nights we could eat in front of the TV eating TV dinners lol watching Deney Terrio on Dance Fever Those were the days!

Your going to dig this

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/tYk6TWFfICI

Cute Foots. Look at those hands go lmao

Ha ha, that's hilarious Foots.

You learn from a very early age how important it is to use your hands when you speak. It's in our culture. I swear if my parents/grandparents (and maybe even myself) had their hands tied down while speaking, it would really cramp their style.


TIS

TIS, I find myself using those gestures even in my classes (as well as some Italian expressions)

My Grand children have a tendency to imitate some things that I do.

My youngest grand daughter try's to imitate the way I dance. My middle grand daughter says things I like to say when they ask her to imitate Grand Pa.

My grand son Henry who lives in Germany is the most like me. He is 5 and is teaching his friends English and he slips in some dirty words and thinks it is hilarious when they repeat them.

My oldest grand daughter loves my wife's baked ziti. We were waiting for my youngest son to arrive before we eat. I see her take a taste out of the serving tray and she puts her finger over her lips so I would not say any thing. Then I did the same and she laughs.

That's cute Foots. It sounds like you really are enjoying being a Grandpa.

Foots, that one was beautiful. Just beautiful!




Signor V.

Foots did you get to read the reply. I hope so. Hate for you to miss it.

TIS and Faithful
This Sunday is the San Diego Festa. I'm just wondering if you may be going. This is a busy weekend for me so there's a fifty percent chance of me going.
If you do go and if you find the zeppole then shoot me a pm lol as I will drive down there just for the zeppole but last time they didn't have them. (No zeppole at an Italian feast? Crazy)

Faithful- I bet you would enjoy seeing the old San Diego jail down in Seaport Village. They have mug shots of the inmates on the wall. Many were in for possession of opium, trafficking back in the 20's, 30's 40's. Italians, Mexicans, American men and women, interesting. My son enjoyed himself looking at the jail cells, etc. Maybe you've already been there.

Hey A-Girl,

I am aware of the Italian Festival this weekend. I am not sure if I am going. I want to drive out with my daughter and she's not sure she can go. IF I do go, I'll check for the Zeppole AND I'll eat one (or 2 or 3) for you.

TIS

TIS If you do go then I may see you there. That would be great!! You know where to find me, right next to the zeppole booth

You know you're Italian if your grandmother or great-grandmother perpetually wore black, and made sure to attend every wake, always muttering, "peccato...peccato."

You know TB, if there's one thing that I associate with older Italian women, it's wearing black dresses. E vero.

My grandmother wore black the rest of her life when my grandfather died at 52 (I never knew him) My grandmother lived into her 80s. To see her in a bright colored dress (her request) at the funeral was so strange.

I remember old timers of that generation taking notice of Italian widows who didn't wear black for a year or (God forbid) at all. )



TIS

Edit

Italians are pretty similiar to us, Croats, in a lot of ways. I recognize a lot of these things haha.

Foots, are you going to video or take photos of the Festa? Read your pm.

One thing that many Italians don't realize is that Italy is just a short trip across the Adriatic Sea to Albania and the mix of other ethnic based slav countries. I had a student from the east side of the Adriatic who worked in an Italian restaurant and spoke broken Italian. I called him Quasi-Paisan.

Of course. Slovenes too are very similar to native Italians.

You know you're Italian if you're more embarrassed by "Saturday Night Fever" than by "The Sopranos" or "The Untouchables."

So true. Giggle.

You know you're Italian if you had to ask a staff member at Barnes and Noble to get a book down for you on the top shelf because you were too short to reach it.

Boy, can I relate!!! I have a step stool to reach the top cupboards.



TIS

Talk about short. My paisan mother was just 4'11".

Listen to Patrizio Buanne




https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LinbIqpVhuA

I like when he plays Bella Bella Signorina and does his dance. Meow. But I didn't see it in the video. He has such a fun energetic personality and his singing is pretty good. Thanks for sharing, Foots.

YOU too TIS!! I'm glad I'm not the only one

Look at this video of Jerry Vale when he was only twenty making his first appearance on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour in 1950. He's such a nice young man huh. RIP

https://youtu.be/IjyzTqqJNcw

Jerry vale use to buy his suits in Italian Harlem some place near or on 3rd ave and a Hun 6.

When I got older I bought mine in the same place I bought my first shark skin suit from that place.

I saw him at the Copa years and years ago.

I heard Patrizio on the Wiseguy show on radio when he introduced that album. Like they had that video in the coliseum. But the scaffolding took away from the beauty of the place. They could have had the same affect doing it outside the coliseum without that stuff.

Yes alfanosgirl I will have someone make a video of the Giglio feast at Mt, Carmel. You know what's crazy I have been looking for a three bedroom apartment near Rao's. So I have less traveling to get to the fiest and to Rao's.

I saw a place on 2 ave and a Hun 16 street. Then I go on one of my soccer sites that I post on. There is a picture of the place that I am interested in renting on that site. I went wild I can't look up something on the Internet without every advertiser on the Internet knowing about it?

I hate that shit.

A-Girl,

My parents loved Jerry Vale. One of my dad's favorites. In later years I believe they saw him perform on cruise they went on.


TIS

I get a call from my older brother Ralphie yesterday he is almost 80. I stopped talking to him almost a year ago. He has words with my oldest son and wants me to tell a grown man to apologize to him. I told him my son is a 45 year old man it's between you and him not me.

So he gets upset with me and tells me he won't talk to me again. I said that up to you.

He called to tell me he had a triple bypass a month a go. He is okay now he was walking and stuff last week. He was always a weak willed person. I guess he thought he was going to die so he wanted to get back on speaking terms with me again.

I ask him if he got laid since he has been home. He tells me no. So I ask him did you get the nurses to jerk you off doing the bed bath. He laughs tell me he did think of it. I say you are getting old.

So I say lets go lift the Giglio at mt Carmel on August 14.

He tells me I just had triple bypass I say so? If you die I can't think of a better way to go.

Another feast comming up in Brooklyn Santa Rosalia on 18 ave. from August 18 until August 28.

A different feast every minute here. I go to all of them. No soccer tournament unfortunately.

Ok, great thanks Foots. Please don't get anybody in the video that doesn't want to be seen. I don't want Johnny Fingers to come looking for me Then, I can put it on my channel or link to it. I am very interested in capturing the giglio and at least one Neapolitan song if you can manage that for me, I'll be all smiles. Anything else would be a plus! This is the same feast that they used to do in Cliffside many years ago when my family would take part in it. So it means a lot to me.

In 2014- At the Saint Rocco Festa in NYC, I got Cha Cha to say a few words for me. It made my video better. RIP Cha Cha. So if someone wants to commentate a little bit that would be nice.

You can rent an apartment over there for the weekend?

Yes but you can also rent it for the year. It's not cheap. I think I will find out if Roastbeef is comming in for it. If he does he can comment on it.

Ok, Foots, sounds good. Thanks.

You know you're an Italian girl if you NEVER had your date kiss you good night at the front door. You had to park 3 blocks away to do your kissing there. This was to ensure your date would get home in one piece.

Isn't he so wonderful! That must have been so nice to go on a cruise AND get to see Jerry Vale perform. Wow!

Yes, A-Girl, they were thrilled to have been able to see Jerry Vale. Tho not Italian, they saw Steve & Eydie once too. They liked them as well.

Not sure if this was only an Italian thing or not, but back when I was a kid, for special occasions Italians rented a Knights Of Columbus or American Legion Halls. My sister and I (we're a year apart) made our confirmation at the same time. My parents rented an American Legion Hall for the occasion. Heck between both sides of the family, Aunts/Uncles, 1st, 2nd cousins, there'd be at least 100-200 people.

My wedding (way way back) was at a Knights of Columbus Hall.
Nowadays, I'm not even sure where or if they are still around.




TIS

We had both. We attended christmas parties at the Legion Hall. But we also had the Italian Club where they held a heck of alot of festivities.

TIS, I really like Eydie Gorme's voice. She sings with Los Panchos too and together they sing two of my fave Spanish songs, "Noche de Ronda", and "Nosotros". I think she is part Italian. But I'm not 100% certain. If you ever get a chance listen to those songs, they're just beautiful .

Yes, renting out the halls is what my family did too. And their yearly bash was always for New Year's Eve. Some of the men would come in dressed as women swinging their pocketbooks. And then one of the uncles would dress up in a diaper and hat like the Baby New Year. Then, they'd dance and parade around. They were a bunch of nuts I swear. I actually have a few pics of the party so I'll share one so you know I'm not making this stuff up

Seems like you had a huge family too. Those were the days!

Here's one of the pics.

A lot of Croatians who live in Istria region of Croatia(and the better part of Dalmatia) speak fluent or broken Italian. Real Istrians speak fluently, but those who live in Dalmatia speak broken Italian. It's because Istria is(still today) in some part owned by Italy, as well as Slovenia and Croatia, although majority of the territory belongs to Croatia. However, Italians had a stronghold in Istria for quite some time and the language was, as it goes, passed on generation to generation. In Dalmatia, the tourist center of Croatia, they have to speak at least a little bit of Italian because of the tourists.


Yeah, there's an entire section filled with Italians in a smaller part of Slovenia, but Slovenia was also under Italy's rule at one point in history, just like Istrian/Dalmatian part of Croatia.

Paolo Maldini, great Italian center/full back was of Slovenian descent.

It's great fun eating or drinking al fresco in Italy and watching the waiters trying to attract customers.

It's like watching a performance. It's very entertaining.

Ha ha ha!!! How fun! Some of those old pictures are wonderful. When I look back there are certain photos, that I treasure.

I know you Italians know that drink that was always served in a shot glass at weddings? Anisette? (Didn't Vito Corleone have a shot?) Anyway I never did care for the taste of it, but was quite popular at old-time Italian weddings.

TIS

There's a book entitled The Avenue by Andrew Cecere based on his and his brother's upbringing on Larimer Ave in Pittsburgh back in the 30s-40s. That's in East Liberty which used to be the Little Italy of Pittsburgh and where my parents and I grew up. Give it a read.

Hi TIS, Most of the time after a big supper, even now, we'd drink a little anisette and crack open walnuts, peanuts or if it's in the winter time roasted chestnuts. I actually like anisette.


I remember too, all the yummy Italian cookies would be at the weddings and the candy coated almonds. Of course, the busta "boost" was a must and was always HEAVILY GUARDED by all the great aunts if the bride needed to set it down

CB,

Do you know if the Canadian boxer George Chuvalo is ethnically Italian? His family is from Croatia(I think) but I always thought that he was Italian.

Also, the pics that AG put up remind me of a publicity stunt that GC did where he dressed up as a "washer woman" and upstaged Muhammad Ali.

I had no idea about this, but after you posted I checked it out and you're right. Like I said, some parts of Slovenia and Istria still have Italians who keep their culture. Smaller parts, but there's still some.



Chuvalo(or in Croatian Čuvalo) is definitely a name from Balkan. I just read on Wikipedia that both of his parents are from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is right next to Croatia. His mother's last name is Kordić. Definitely not Italian.

The same way that many Italians changed their first and last names(Francesco became Frank etc), Balkan people changed theirs. So Ivan became John, Jura became George, as well as last names. Čuvalo became Chuvalo(the letter Č in our alphabet is read the same as the mix of CH in English). George is definitely of Balkan descent, not Italian.

CB,

Thanks.

Has anyone ever seen or heard of this band? Ernesto Mancini Quartet. My Dad saw them when he went on a cruise. I used to listen to this record as a kid.

Went to Mt. Carmel feast in east Harlem Sunday normally I would lift the Giglio. I could not do to hot for me. Had a fight with people home about going because of the heat. So I went myself here is a video in the church thats all I have. The few friends I have there did not go heat.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I3xOk4ZaDms

Thank you Foots for sharing a video. Very NICE! I looked up the weather over there, it said 97 that day, that's hot and miserable weather. No wonder people didn't want to go! Hope nobody got heat stroke! Thanks again!

You know you're Italian if your nonno had a plaster flamingo on his lawn.

That's cute Turnbull. I remember my Nonno would have a compass and a couple statues attached to his car dashboard. He'd always get lost driving if he had to leave his 5 mile radius. So the family would give them to him thinking the saints will help him out lol They never did. He'd still get lost.

Giggle. Pat Cooper joke.

We're Italian. Who we got, Papa?

http://youtu.be/hvNHlen6ltg

Hey New Yorkers! Down here in Texas there are any number of Spanish language tv and radio stations. Are there Italian language tv and radio stations in or around NY?

I remember my Grandma and the older aunts listening to a radio program in Italian early in the morning on the weekends. I'm not sure if that channel still plays the Italian music.

I'm sure you got more of Italian radio shows than we did in MI when I was young. I can't say I remember any. My grandmother loved it when any Italian was spoken on tv/movie. My parents took her to see GF/GFII (which had a lot of Italian with subtitles). She was always judgmental and critical as to how good their Italian was.

Speaking of you know if you're Italian, I remember way back when relatives would get engaged, first question asked was, "Is he/she Italian." That was a real plus. Ha ha

TIS

On tv they had Ezio Pinza.

I told this story before my brother picked up a Spanish girl. She asked him for our telephone number they thought Italians gave phoney names. So she calls my mother can tell she is Spanish then asks her who she wants she tells her my brother name. She says their is no one here by that name and not to call again.

We would go to a tenement in Spanish Harlem to get laid it was 10 dollars. Get into the apartment I was 13 the girl was around my age. Her mother was in the room with us.

lol I like how she was so critical of the Italian spoken in the film. That's funny.

My cousin just got engaged to a Sicilian girl from Brooklyn. They're both in their early forties, second marriage for both. She's a REAL Brooklyn girl. Just perfect for him

I just read this post, so I searched for an Italian language radio on the web and found one in Rochester, NY. Mixes with English.
Here's the address:

http://tunein.com/radio/Italian-Talk-g150/

Thanks for posting, Olivant. I was listening to that station last night. Very NICE. Right now, I'm listening to a beautiful Christmas Station called The Standards. It plays all the music I used to hear during the holidays as a kid (in addition to the Italian records.) Thanks so much for telling me about the app. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Buon Natale!

Fun fact. Frankie Avalon and Al Martino



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laFu8PfQsOM&sns=em

They need a station like that on satellite radio. The closest thing is Siriusly Sinatra. Yet there's K-pop (Korean), Bollywood, and many Spanish stations and at least one French-Canadian.

Remember that time Paulie Walnuts says salud to the Italian men in that one episode of The Sopranos and they give him a withering look and ignore him?

He also said commendatore. They probably thought Madonne! Uno Americano.

I thought this was pretty funny. Mickey Rourke was such a gentleman but it was funny when he had enough and was asking how to say shut up in Italian and when he told the guy to shut the #%^* up and relax . See what you think of it.

https://youtu.be/t7tm_UFe_LM



Edit: I didn't realize this is eight years old lol

You're so short that people can elbow you in the face

You bring a tall friend with you to go shopping so that she can reach the items on the top shelf for you.

This is what old school Italians did outside men kiss their male friends, but they never kiss their wives outside. They wait to they get indoors.

Pretty funny I met Mickey Rouke before he got his face messed up. He is a nice guy and introvert. I guess you can see that from the video.

Foots, wasn't that funny?!! It's too bad that Rourke ruined his looks. He was such a good looking guy. Sexy man.

Remember the really fat Italian men and women years ago? Every family had at least one or two of them. I remember being in the city down in Little Italy back in the 80's and we couldn't fit at the table because this YUGE man took up three seats. And he had on the table what looked like half the menu. It was like a family style eatery. And I've seen some heavy Italian ppl in my life but that guy was the biggest I've ever seen.

It was well worth the wait!! Yummy food.

This is totally me. Found these on the internet lmao TIS, you'll like these. Is this you too? Ha ha

Footreads, are you going to the feast? The weather looks cooler this year. Can you record the giglio for me please?

When I was a kid we used to go to Canonsberg out side of Pittsburgh to visit relatives. Almost all of the elderly women were born in Italy, spoke, at best, broken english, and wore black. However, I don't remember that any of them were fat. I don't remember the men that well.

I will be going but just on lift day. I will meet my cousin Rosie there. Rao's is closed on that day. But we got the entrance to the place to sit there in the shade. Normally I rent an apartment for a week this week. Expensive you can't rent a three bedroom place a block a way for less then $5000 for the week. Kids are in NJ my Henry is back in Germany. My other grand daughter is not allowed to see my son because the Gold digger ex wife wants more money. Every time my kids get mad at their ex's. They tell me to do a drive by on them to they calm down my wife told me to do it to a dentist who gave me two black eyes when he worked on my teeth. I did not feel anything when he did it. Then my kids said it. So some minority guys mugged him when he left his office. I needed to find a new dentist I heard he can't be a dentist anymore.

Rosie I told you the story how we all went to the clay Cole show and the kinks were performing live. Ray Davies thought she was hot and grabbed her ass. I saw it and rapped him. Started a little riot at the studio just before it was going on the air. She is not hot anymore she is 70 now

I like going on Saturday because the kids lift the little giglio on that day. I did it when I was a kid.

My mother was heavy set from Naples. My dear departed father was not Italian and skinny about 140 lbs all his life loved a bigger women. Some of his brothers lived in Pittsburgh. Too bad he had an uncontrollable urge to hurt the people he supposedly loved.

God I am listening to an oldie I love. Love, Peace and Happiness by the Chambers brothers. The song never gets old to me.

Just saw tickets here at the amphitheater here in Coney Island. Temptations, four tops, Mary Wells and Martha Reeves on the 24 of this month. Before that Gargiulo's maybe I will meet the Bishop there they have a ton of catholic clergy that dines there.

I was at Coney Island last week. Honestly me and my lady had a really good time. I'm 32 shes 29 and the music on the boardwalk and all the different types of people had us in a good vibe. They have that section where the graffiti walls are... Really dope (I'm dating myself with my slang sorry) were doing gargioulo's next week or the week after when we go back. It's a day without the kids where we can really do our thing Ya know? Good time. Enjoy.

Just got back from the feast. Had a nice time talking to my cousin for the first time in over 40 yrs. it was fun a beautiful day. They were short tall lifters for the back of the Giglio. I told them to call DeBlasio he is tall. It would have been fun to see a guy lift the Giglio in a suit had a lot of fun telling stories.

Very nice, Foots. Did you record it? I'll have to look at YouTube. Last year there was a really nice vid someone took.

Yes but I only recorded six minutes in the church and the lift. Got to figure out how to you tube it. No fireworks displays this time. Too bad I love the smell of gun powder in the afternoon.

I am talking to an older women sitting with us at Rao's. She is a Harlem girl about 83 yrs old I started talking about when they made west side story the movie here. She told me she was an extra in the movie. I asked her did they give her the 50 dollars a day. She said yes that is what they offered us we told them no. Our rent in the tenements at that time was 30 to 35 dollars a month. So that was a lot of money back in those days.

I saw only a small video of the lift as yet on you tube. The one you saw might be the 2017 Brooklyn lift.

We were joking around at the feast yesterday I said a lot of names in our family sounded a like. There was Aunt Fannie, my mother Annie, my uncle funzi , and my Godfather Nunzi. So you had Fannie, Annie, funzi and Nunzi my cousin Rosie was funzi daughter

Went to the concert last night it was ok. I was not feelin good yesterday , but went any way want to know why? I knew my wife would not go with out me. Why I can not understand I would have went without her if she did not feel well. I told her when we got home. What will you do if I die before you not go any where? Saturday we are going back near there to An Italian restaurant near there for her annual reunion with her Brooklyn friends. I like her friends but we have to split the bill with them. I am not used to not picking up the check when I go with them.

A movement to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day has gained momentum in some parts of the U.S., with Los Angeles in August becoming the biggest city yet to decide to stop honoring the Italian explorer and instead recognize victims of colonialism.

Austin, Texas, followed suit Thursday. It joined cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, that had previously booted Columbus in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day.

But the gesture to recognize indigenous people rather than the man who opened the Americas to European domination has also prompted howls of outrage from some Italian-Americans, who say eliminating their festival of ethnic pride is culturally insensitive, too.

"We had a very difficult time in this country for well over a hundred years," said Basil Russo, president of the Order Italian Sons and Daughters of America. "Columbus Day is a day that we've chosen to celebrate who we are. And we're entitled to do that just as they are entitled to celebrate who they are."

Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed a committee to evaluate whether monuments to certain historical figures should be removed, prompting a backlash from fellow Italian-Americans who vowed to defend the Columbus statue that has stood over Manhattan's Columbus Circle for more than a century.

Many Italians who migrated to the U.S. initially had a rough time. In 1891, 11 Italians were lynched in New Orleans by a mob that held them responsible for the death of a local police official.

At the end of the 1800s, Italians began to link themselves more with Columbus. Italian-American businessman and newspaper owner Generoso Pope was among those who worked to get Columbus Day recognized as a federal holiday in 1937.

In Akron, a city with few Native Americans and a large Italian-American community, an attempt to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous People's Day on Sept. 11 split the all-Democrat city council along racial lines. Five black members voted to rename the holiday and eight white members voted against it, following a debate that devolved into shouting.

But Councilman Jeff Fusco, who is Italian-American, said, "It's a celebration of Italian heritage. It's very similar to other days throughout the year that we celebrate for many other cultures."

States and municipalities aren't legally bound to recognize federal holidays, though most do. Columbus Day is already one of the most inconsistently celebrated. Places that choose to replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day may give their own workers or schoolchildren a day off, teach in schools about Native Americans instead of Columbus, issue proclamations or mark it in other ways.

Columbus is celebrated in Latin America, too. A massive monument to the explorer, the Columbus Lighthouse, opened in 1992 in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico commemorates Discovery Day on Nov. 19, marking the day Columbus landed there.

Ralph Arellanes, chairman of the activist group Hispano Round Table of New Mexico, said that as a Hispanic, he supports Columbus Day. "It was the marriage of two peoples creating a new people, in a new land," he said.

There celebrating it in DeBlasio territory NYC the German needs the Italian vote. If he did not he would stop it.

He is using his Italian first name again to be re-elected. No Italian is going to vote for him now. He wants people to look into changing the parade name and Columbus circle the communist hump. I think I am going to live somewhere else definately not New Jersey or anywhere on the west coast.

To avoid celebrating a genocidal rapist, we tell our kids it's Columbo Day. We just finished lighting candles on our Peter Falk memorial.