Rosy Glow – Cousin Louis Fata

By Andrew DeMarco

Recently, my cousin Louis Fata passed away and I would like to tell everyone a bit about him. Louis was what I would affectionately call a character and a good one. He led, what many would call, a roller coaster life filled with more ups and downs than most people could handle, but Louis did.

Louis settled down and married a beautiful woman named Carol and had a son Louis Jr. He was leading the life most people would envy but Louis like all of us was not perfect. He let some of his weaknesses and demons come out and get the best of him. It cost him his marriage and I must admit I lost touch with him during this dark period. I will always wonder if I could have helped him during his dark days. But Louis being who he was overcame his demons and got his life back on track. He found himself again, started a new career and became a store manager at Caldor’s. Putting his past behind him, he was back to being the Louis which I remembered.

Because of this strength Louis was a hero not only to me but was also a real-life hero, not just once but on two separate occasions. The first was while he was in High School when he witnessed an older woman being mugged. Louis proceeded to chase her attacker through the snow and according to him losing his shoes in the pursuit. He caught the attacker who was arrested and for this act he received a Citation from the NYPD. The second time happened after his comeback which I previously mentioned. While working at a Caldor’s in Queens, a group came in after closing to rob the store of the day’s proceeds. When one of the thieves tried to sexually assault one of the female employees, Louis stepped in and was beaten to within an inch of death by these cowards. He had to learn how to walk again, and his motor skills would never be the same and for the rest of his life lived in constant pain. Through all of this he managed to keep his spirits up and still strove to live life to the fullest or as he would say “La Dolce Vita”

The key to Louis’ life and probably the source of his strength besides his family were his lifelong friendships, which was very much apparent at his memorial. We all know the old saying you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. Louis got stuck with me because I am family, but he chose very wisely as far as friends were concerned. At his memorial, there were a lot of friends even some who I remembered from our childhood days together. There was Danny Caruso, Eddie and Andy Polchinski, Marty Capuano, Steve Mioto and Bob and Dave Santini and many many more. These were friends from his old neighborhood and some going back to his Grammar School days. I learned that they were with him during his crazy days and during his tough times. I found this amazing since I can think of only about 2 of my childhood friends that I am still in touch with. This brings me to the best unspoken line in any movie it happens when Clarence the Guardian Angel leaves a copy of Tom Sawyer for George Bailey with the inscription, “No man is a failure who has friends”. Louis fit this bill by overcoming all his trials and tribulations due to his own strength and with the help of all his friends, he was far from a failure he was a wonderful success.

As I mentioned earlier, Louis was family so he got stuck with me and I with him. I can only hope he would have chosen me as well as he chose his friends if he had to. I know that I had it better than his friends, because he was family and I would not have changed that for anything. I also know that whenever I think of Louis, which will be often, since I do have a lot of great memories of him, it will give me the feeling that Cousin Bob would call that….Rosy Glow!