A little clarification for the records. When we were on Long Island for Jake's wedding, we were looking through Pat's albums and she has this picture also. It was interesting for me to note that her picture is just a little bit different from this one--just shifted a little bit to show the people a little differently. It taught me to look at things very carefully for just such differences which can lead to great discoveries.

OK this discovery isn't a "great" one and I guess it's not even technically a discovery nevertheless....in her album Pat has a copy of a letter from Anna describing the people in the picture which corrects, clarifies and verifies identities.

Uncle James would be Giacomo Manzelli a barber who lived on Hamilton St with his brother's family (Joseph and Jennie Manzelli). Grandma and Grandpa would be Giuseppe (Joe) and Giovanna (Jennie or Anna).

"Your Mom and Dad" are James and Marguerite Coffarelli.

I think she means Aunt Dolly Emily Manzelli.

Housekeeper from New Rochelle (not a second wife as I earlier suspected).

Uncle Joe must be Joseph Manzelli her brother who was about 5 years older than her.

She is in the picture as well.

So that helps clear some of that up!

Little surprises in unexpected places

About a month ago, I was picking up my newspapers at the store and decided to bring home 4 yummy ice cream pops. When I got home I could only find 3 of them and just assumed I'd left one behind on the counter. Well, today I found that lost ice cream pop in the side pocket of my book bag. A little surprise in an unexpected place. A big surprise would have been if the ice cream pop had leaked all around the inside of my bag.



It occurred to me that I've been enjoying lots of these little surprises lately. On our way home by way of the back roads the other night, we saw a bear in a driveway. I tried to get a picture but it was dusk and he wasn't in the mood to pose. I think the last time I saw a bear around here was when Robert and Bobbie were visiting. We were riding up the highway and there he was in the median. This one was definitely bigger but probably still a "little" surprise.



Another surprise James asked me to share with you but (somehow) it slipped my mind--after three years, the Mustang is up and running and road ready! Nick was a big help but it is definitely a surprise to actually see that thing on the road and out from under a tarp. Yahoo (I guess).



And here's another little surprise I found during one of my occasional random Dalpiaz Google exercises--I think this might have been taken in Utah. Look carefully.

Bates Motel anyone???

35-62 9th

It was really great to see everyone last Sunday at Jean's for the "once-a-decade-or-so" Coffarelli reunion picnic. I was disappointed in the pictures I took so I hope the rest of you will be sharing yours soon. Pat and Nick. I'm sorry we had to leave so early but I felt like I came away with a great deal even if my time was short.

There were a couple of things I was eager to share with Uncle Johnny and I was really hoping to jog his memory to release some stories--and it worked! I feel like I have some great background now to be able to put together some of the pieces of the puzzle of the Coffarelli family story.

Your grandparents married in June of 1923 at St. Rita's (the scene of many family events infamous and joyful as well). Marguerite was the oldest of 9 children and James was the youngest. That pairing must have made for an interesting relationship. Just about nine months later, Uncle Johnny was born in Freeport. And four years later Regina was born.

This is a picture of Marguerite in front of the house on Sagamore Street. Uncle Johnny vividly remembers the large front sun porch which you can see a bit of behind Marguerite in this picture. Looks like a pretty good size house to me! Sometime between James' death in 1934 and Marguerite's in 1938 the family left Freeport apparently to live at 35-62 9th Street Long Island City. .

13 Sagamore Street was quite a ways from New York Hospital (now NY Presbyterian Hospital) in Manhatten where James was being treated for his leukemia. Uncle Johnny says he could see the hospital across the river--must have been from 9th Street

He recalls that the mortgage for this house was held by a furniture dealer who called the loan forcing them to move. Circumstances suggest that James' death probably forced this. I do not know the situation but at first I wanted to "boo-hiss" the furniture dealer but it is likely that Marguerite struggled financially after her husband's death at the height of the Great Depression. Yet another example of how history repeats itself and today's economic difficulties in many ways echo that time.

Uncle Johnny also recalled playing stickball in the neighborhood. He had no idea what kinds of things your mother was doing for entertainment while he was hitting a tennis ball with a mop handle. When I asked what were some of his favorite foods, he said he ate whatever was put in front of him. Days of the week dictated the menu--Sundays were chicken. I have noticed that the women in the family usually recall more specific details about such things but Uncle Johnny did not lack in detail describing stickball or other ball-bouncing games.

One interesting tidbit I'd like to follow up on was that he identified Aunt Betty (perhaps Elizabeth Coffarelli) in a picture as someone who lived with them and carried him out of a house fire! I imagine this had to be while they were living in Freeport but I hope to hear more of that story!

I've learned time and time again that these stories weave themselves in and out of time and it brings great comfort. As I was looking at my papers to get ready to put this post together, I re-read Marilyn Sheerin's letters and noticed that Aunt Claire and Aunt Marie's address was 35-62 9th Street Long Island City. More than 50 years later and the same address for the Manzellis. Probably someone told me that a long time ago, but it jumped right out at me today.

As Uncle Johnny was describing his sun porch on Sagamore Street, I was remembering Kathleen telling us that she has always wanted a house with a porch. Echoes of the past such as this add such richness to the story of your lives that it's difficult to let it go.

Summer 2009 except it doesn't really feel like summer just yet. We had a great visit with Kathleen and Nick. This sign about sums up the visit. Things didn't quite go together the way we were planning, but it was a great match up regardless.

My mother was an only child but my dad had two brothers. He was 13 years older than his next sibling, my Uncle Peter. We didn't get to see much of our uncles so whenever they visited it was a big deal for us kids. Even when we were older, it was a special event if Uncle Tim and Aunt Emmy visited.

So even though Ryan was with his new best friends the Marines for Boys State and Amy spent much of the week wrestling otters, it was a special week for us also. We toured wine country between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes (not rainy but not warm either); James cooked hot dogs on the grill (nearly in the rain); Kathleen took Amy and Ryan for ice cream (probably in the rain) in downtown Harpursville. We explored a covered bridge; saw some baseball--Ryan's team played better than the Binghamton Mets; and enjoyed the rainbows the rain brought (nearly every day).

We are pleased to have been one of the stops on the Great Northern Tour of 2009. That's a huge undertaking for Kathleen and Nick--thanks for taking the trip and we will see you soon at Jean's!