By

Andrew DeMarco

About a month ago I attended my second family reunion in two years and this one was on the other side of the family. Before I go any further, I would like to thank Mike, Chris, Krisie and Colin for hosting us at their beautiful home and making this reunion possible. With the most recent reunion, I had the benefit of I won’t say comparing but rather to see what makes either side unique. Well, I am here to report that there is no real difference and if anything, there is so much in common.  In June of 2022 I wrote a Rosy Glow about the first family get together which was with my cousins on my father’s side and I talked about how the family has grown and how the next few generations turned out well.

The same can be said here that the family has indeed grown and if anything we are just getting bigger and better. I looked around the room and realized that everyone from my generation has done well for themselves and all seem happy with where they are at this point in their lives. I am sure that that there were bumps along the way which everyone experiences, but that in no way stopped any of them. I also learned from these get togethers that we may not agree on everything, but we are able to discuss our differences in a civil manner and respect one another’s thoughts and opinions which is something that was passed down to us by previous generations. It is also something that some of today’s “leaders” can learn from.

Looking at the next generation, the same can be pretty much said about them. There is not one who is not doing well and all seem happy. I can honestly say there is not one black sheep among them. Looking at my cousin’s grandchildren, some of whom have kids who are older but it was with the younger ones that I saw myself and my cousins when we were younger. Watching the youngest generation of cousins playing with one another and being so attentive to each other brought me back to my grandparents’ homes when I was young. It also got me thinking how each succeeding generation was much like the previous one. This got me thinking how well our grandparents taught our parents and our parents taught us. They taught us ethics and a sense of family and most importantly to love one another which made us successful and will help make future generations of our family just as successful.

This also brought to mind something from a few years back when people were saying how it takes a village to raise a child. Boy were they ever wrong! It doesn’t take a village it just takes a caring and nurturing family to raise a child. Family is the foundation upon which a village is built and if that foundation is strong, that village will be just as strong and so will the society and morals that go with that village.  

This Thanksgiving when you sit around the table take a good look at the family that is with you and hopefully you will see what I saw at those reunions which is a family that is strong, thriving, growing, loving and has a promising future. Once you realize this, I am sure it will fill you all with that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

By

Andrew DeMarco

During Black History month I have written about lesser-known African Americans who have made significant contributions to us all. In the past, I have written about Nathan Green, Dovey Johnson Roundtree and “Stagecoach” Mary Fields. This being October, which is Italian American Heritage Month, I thought I would write about some lesser-known Italian Americans.

Today I would like to tell you about Guiseppe Piccirilli and his family. Guiseppe was a stone cutter and carver from Massa-Carrera in Italy and emigrated with his family to the United States in 1888. He along with his wife and seven children, six boys and a girl settled in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. It is there where Guiseppe and his sons all of whom followed in his footsteps as marble cutters and carvers set up shop. The Piccirilli Brothers created some original works but were mostly known for doing the heavy lifting for other sculptors and architects, that being the actual cutting and carving of the architectural designs of others. They became so in demand for their talents that today there are few places in New York where you cannot help but walk by the work of these brothers. From the New York Stock Exchange, the U.S. Custom House, The Washington Square Arch, The Brooklyn Museum and the New York Public Library to name a few. It was their blood, sweat and hard work that brought the design of others, who get all the credit, to become a reality.

The Piccirilli brothers’ works were not confined to New York. There other works include The Dupont Circle Fountain in Washington D.C. and the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery and others. But perhaps their best “unknown” work for which they receive very little credit is one of the most visited sites in Washington D.C., and that is the Lincoln Memorial. Their work the statue of Abraham Lincoln is carved from Georgia white marble, the sculpture weighs 175 tons and had to be shipped in 28 separate pieces from their Mott Haven facility. It was then reassembled piece by piece like a huge jig saw puzzle in the memorial itself. Daniel Chester French the architect who designed the memorial and statue always seems to get the glory while the Piccirilli Brothers are rarely mentioned or given any credit for their efforts.

So, this month while Christopher Columbus and others are under attack by the cancel culture mob and those who seek to change history, This Italian American Heritage Month I would like everyone to think about the Piccirilli Brothers. These proud Italian Americans who did great work in their adopted country while toiling in anonymity and have made a difference just like those others I have written about in the past. If we take some time and learn more about our past, good or bad, we will all be better for it. The story of these brothers is one which should fill us all as Americans with that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow!

N.B. It is said that one of the great losses in American art history occurred when the Piccirilli Brothers studio quietly closed in 1945 and no move was made to secure their records, so many more of their accomplishments were lost.

By

Andrew DeMarco

I have always been an advocate of learning from history whether it is good or bad, as there is always something we can take away and learn from it to make all our lives better. So recently, when I read about Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey it piqued my interest. Hinchliffe Stadium is a National Landmark which was a breeding ground for some of the most famous names from the old Negro Baseball Leagues, during baseball’s segregated era. Future Hall of Famers included Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Martín Dihigo which all played in Hinchliffe. Locals such as Monte Irvin and Larry Doby, who played at East Side High School in Paterson all passed through Hinchliffe Stadium as well.

After it closed in 1997, this National Landmark fell into disrepair so much so that no one would ever know about its Landmark status let alone the history behind the Stadium. However, about 10 years ago, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri got involved and a restoration of Hinchliffe Stadium which broke ground in April 2021 began. The new Stadium features a multi-sport athletic facility, a preschool, a restaurant and event space, parking, affordable senior housing and a museum devoted to Hinchliffe’s glory days from the 1930s to the ’80s. This new Hinchliffe will also help to revitalize the neighborhood.

So, while I applaud these efforts to educate us about a time in our history which many consider a dark era of baseball, it begs one question. Why is it good to rebuild some monuments from our past to teach about the “evils” of our country while tearing down others that we can also learn from? I have talked about this in previous postings and the links are listed below.

So, on this Memorial Day, while remembering those who gave their lives, I would like to mention some monuments and memorials that we can all learn from. Let’s start with the Saratoga Battlefield where our War for Independence took a decisive turn and where all the monuments are dedicated to all the Patriots who gave their lives so this country can have its new beginning. From there we can move on to Gettysburg and Antietam. At Gettysburg, where for three bloody days men on both sides of the divide, Americans all, gave their lives for something whether right or wrong that they truly believed in and same can be said for Antietam the single bloodiest day in American History.  All the monuments on these battlefields are dedicated to both sides of a country divided, a country which was able to heal those wounds because of the sacrifices of these men.

Finally, we come to what is in my opinion the most solemn place and ultimate monument in these United States and that is Arlington National Cemetery. Within this cemetery are the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Maine Memorial which along with all the perfectly aligned graves are some of the most incredible monuments and memorials we have. While walking through these grounds nothing more needs to be said except maybe one more thing by another Unknown:

“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”

So, this Memorial Day lets all take a step back and remember and more importantly honor those who gave their lives by learning from our monuments and memorials. We should all come to realize that these monuments were erected for a reason and whether you agree with it or not we can all learn from them. Once we come to realize the importance of these remembrances and lessons, it should give us all that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow!

Rosy Glow – Monumental Lesson

Rosy Glow – Columbus Day

A Letter to Cancelled Presidents

By

Andrew DeMarco

With the Easter Season upon us, I would like to talk about something I rarely do and that is religion. I consider myself a Non-Practicing Roman Catholic (N.P.R.C.). I think all those years of parochial school took its toll. I still have faith one that I find without all the trappings and ceremony of the Catholic Church and find peace in my own way. Today, however, I would like to talk about a new religion that seems to be gaining ground especially among institutions of higher learning and the supposed intelligentsia of our society and that is the religion of the Woke or Wokeism. Wokeism is being aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice. A favorite tenet of wokeism is changing the way we speak to be more inclusive and supposedly less offensive. Michigan State University just came out with new guidelines on words to avoid and what to use. The list is much too long to fully get into here, but I would like to give you some examples.

A brief portion of Michigan State’s new guide states that in the winter and spring this new religion of woke says to avoid specific references to religion such as merry, Christmas Tree, wreaths, holly, gifts and reindeer to name a few. It also suggests that bunnies, eggs and chicks should be avoided. As I mentioned earlier, wokeism is predicated on the premise of being less offensive but appears to be offending those with Christian beliefs. Although I no longer practice my Catholic faith as I once did I will never forget my Christian roots. These roots have produced strong family bonds and we still as a family gather for these holidays and enjoy one another’s company and it provides a way for me to find peace. I do not denigrate those who practice their religion whether it be  Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or whatever their belief might be, they are probably better people for doing so.

But I digress and I would like to remind all those who choose to practice the religion of woke, that whether they realize it or not they are infringing on my rights to practice my religion as I choose, a right guaranteed by the First Amendment of our Constitution. A right which they too can enjoy even though some will think that their beliefs are way out of whack, you do have every right to believe in whatever you want.

So, with that in mind, I would like to wish all those woke practitioners a Happy Easter and when I gather with my family, we will all enjoy that chocolate Easter Bunny as well as those marshmallow chicks. I would also like to wish you all in advance a very Merry Christmas and I will be thinking of you when we put up our Christmas Tree, decorate the house with wreaths and holly and wrap gifts.

One thing I know for certain is that you woke disciples will not experience that feeling as we will, the one that Cousin Bob calls that…Rosy Glow.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

N.B below is a link to Michigan’s Inclusive Guide.

https://brand.msu.edu/storytelling/inclusive-guide

By

Andrew DeMarco

Every February during Black History Month, I usually write about some lesser-known African Americans whose lives are both interesting and groundbreaking. In the past, I have written about Nathan Greene, Dovey Roundtree and this year I would like to tell you a little about Mary Fields, known to many as Stagecoach Mary.

Mary Fields was born into slavery in Hickman County Tennessee. The exact year is uncertain, but it is estimated to be the early 1830’s.  Unlike most of the African Americans of that time, Mary was taught to read and write and was friendly with one of her owners daughters Dolly. Upon emancipation in 1865, Mary stayed in the employ of the Dunne family and Dolly had moved on and became an Ursuline nun in Ohio. When Mary was about 30 years old, she received a letter from Dolly to join her in Ohio. A short time after Mary’s arrival, Dolly who was now Sister Amadeus, was reassigned to Montana where she was to open a school for Native American Girls. For some reason Mary chose not to join her there. Only when Mary received a letter saying that Dolly was gravely ill did she then head out to Cascade, Montana. After Sister Amadeus’ recovery, Mary stayed on at the Mission school in Cascade and became the forewoman and defender of the school. Later on, Mary was discharged from the school by the archbishop after getting into a gunfight with one of the employees who did not like taking orders from a black woman. But Mary was far from done and this is when she became a groundbreaker.

In 1895 when Mary was in her sixties and with money she had earned over the years, she secured a Star Route Contract with what was then called the U.S Post Office Department, now known as the U. S. Postal Service. A Star Route was like a franchise and the holder would be responsible for the delivery of the mail in a certain area, many of which were dangerous. Montana isn’t known for consistently clear skies and Mary drove her stagecoach through blizzards, snowdrifts, baking heat, across swollen rivers as well as fending off wolf packs and other wildlife. Attempting to rob Mary wasn’t advisable since after her gunfight she was never without her trusty .38 and a shotgun was always nearby and some say a jug of her favorite whiskey and yet the mail always got delivered.

While not a direct employee of the Postal Service, this job made her the first African American woman to deliver the mail. When she finally slowed down in her 70s, the Mission School of St. Peter helped her establish a laundry service.

The town so loved and respected Mary that on her birthday they even closed the schools to celebrate the occasion. She was well over 80 years old when the townspeople laid her to rest at the foot of the mountain trail that led to Saint Peter’s Mission.

So, here we have another African American pioneer woman who didn’t let the initial hand which she was dealt get in the way and became a legend as well as a beloved human being. So let’s all toast Stagecoach Mary with a sip from her jug which should give us all that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow.

P. S. I would like to thank Cousin Joe Pascento, a member of the U.S.P.S for telling me about Stagecoach Mary.