"Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night"

(Click on site below )

http://www.btinternet.com/~edward.caution/24.htm

This Blog will be closed for the Holidays....
Wishing you all a

"Merry Christmas and a Safe, Healthy and a Happy New Year"

Leave comments for any family or friends

that you may not seen or spoken to in a while..
That's what the Holidays are all about.
Enjoy!

and lets all wish Johnpaul a very Happy Birthday on Christmas day..

Ummm...I wonder if he gets fewer gifts ?

Enjoy L'il Fella,,Luv ya ...Unc

"Just a Reminder"

If you have a real Christmas Tree, Please remember to water it daily and make sure the lights do not over heat. Shut the lights when you leave the house....

A Story my father use to tell brought this to mind...

When he was about 7 or 8 electric Christmas lights were not yet in vogue and Nonna would not have bought them anyway. In those days people had real, yes real, candles clipped on the tree branches,,,the same way we string lights today. One night my father decided to light the candles and yes the tree caught fire....Luckily my grandfather got to it in time and tossed it out the window....needless to say all my father found in his stocking the next morning, was his foot.

So careful and have a safe Christmas.

"We are a Talented Group"

(Click on Site Below)

http://live.universal-collectibles.com/uu/dt/item.aspx?itemnum=112865

Dom Costanza and I were e- talking and he reminded me that our cousin Angelo Calamuso, Zia Ellen's ( Nonna's sister - the funny one that always made us laugh) son is also a very good artist. I found the above site online, showing some of his work. I think his main interest is horses and looking at his work you will see how good he is.

"My Christmas card to you all"

Click on the site below and Enjoy....Love Don

http://ecard.ashland.edu/2004admission/index.html

"My Favorite Christmas Song"

http://members.shaw.ca/cybernana/funpage/dominick/dominick.htm<http://members.sh

"No Room at the Inn"

Christmas at 1422 30th Drive

Circa 1952

We could not afford a manger so we had the Cousins Club Players stand by the tree and smile...

Angela and Marty made a wonderful Mary and Joseph

while Jimmy and Robert played Wise Men....I

I was suppose to be the third Wise Man but I had to take the picture.

Cousin Dominic (Petrocelli) was to be Baby Jesus

but he ate all the straw and was trying to pass a brick so he could not be there.

It's funny I remember our Christmas Trees as big, full and beautiful...but looking at it, in this picture ?...I guess we had vivid imaginations.

But yet, those were some of the happiest times for us.

Grandpa Hilda Miguel

This Picture of Grandpa, Hilda and Miguel was taken over 70 years ago, Circa 1934... in front of 521...I can tell by the singles ...

Grandpa was about 40 years old. He looks so young and so thin...and like me at that age, so bald...

Miguel looks just like his mom...I have a picture his parents wedding day, which I will post in the future...as you know , his father was grandpa's brother.

"Pearl Harbor Day"

66 years ago today, I remember I was with my mother, sitting in our living room listening to the radio...actually I think it was the Kate Smith Show....(don't ask how I remember, but I do) and it was interrupted and a man said that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor. My mother picked me up and we went downstairs to Nonna's apartment. We went in and all the men were playing cards and drinking wine. It was a Sunday night about eight o'clock.....my mom blurted out what had happened..and someone ( It may have been my father) said as long as they don't get us and they continued playing cards. I knew my mother was upset but did not understand why...I did not know what bombing Pearl Harbor meant, but we all soon found out what it meant.

(The above picture is the type of radio we were listening to, only I remember the station dial was round. )

"The Little Rascals - Italian Style"

Top to Bottom - Jay, Hilda, Willy, Big Don and Little Don with

Aunt Millie at the table.

Circa 1942

I am glad they made us wear our best clothes for this shoot....

This was taken at Nonna's first house in Port Washington.

I am not sure if Aunt Millie was being punished and had to watch us

or if we were being punished and were forced to sit on the Cianciaruso

home made steps and the Egyptians thought they were the best

builders in the world. Actually is does look like the

Step Pyramid in Egypt.

Everything in this picture was handmade, the table, benches and chairs

steps etc.as they say necessity is the Mother of Invention.

One thing the Cianciaruso's are is Creative.

"Gotham Ink Replies"

(Note: Read the copy in red (Below) first..then the Green Copy...The above photo is Mr. Kantor)

Hi Dominic...( also my first name)> Thank you so much for replying...and for the picture....I was born in my grandparents house at 521, in 1939...I remember Mr. Kantor and my grandmother were very friendly..she would invite him over for a meal...he loved Italian food and she enjoyed feeding him. I recall one holiday, I think it was Christmas he came over and gave her a gift of cookies and fruit. I was only 4 or 5 at the time, but I do remember she would tell me or my uncle to call Mr. Kent ( as I heard it, but she was actually saying Kantor)..She spoke broken English...I moved from 521 in 1947, so it has been many years since I saw Mr. Kantor,,,.She passed away in 1992 at the > age of 98...The pictures I sent are over 60 years old and not very clear but I am so happy that you enjoyed seeing them....I remember as a kid I loved watching the barrels being hoisted up and down to the 2nd and 3rd floors...ah, the little things we remember and enjoy.> Please thank Bill for forwarding my mail to you and Wishing you and yours > a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New year.> Dominic


----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dominic A. Raco" <domaraco@verizon.net>> To: <Dcianciaruso1@comcast.net>> Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:24 PM> Subject: Gotham Ink & Color Company>>>> Hi Don: My name is Dominic Raco and I got a copy of the e-mail you sent to Bill Olson. The pictures are great. I started to work at Gotham in 1972. Mr Samuel Kantor sold the company to another ink company, called Superior Printing Ink Company located in Manhattan. Gotham also had a plant in Massachusetts where Bill Olson works. Gotham always used the 5-19 47th Ave address, even though Mr Kantor bought the 521 lot. The company had a lab build there and also put solvent tanks underground. When the building was sold in 1992, we had to fill the tanks with concrete to eliminate any ecology problems. Gotham in 1972 bought the building across the street. This was made into the office and for material storage. In 1992 the company needed a larger place and moved to Stony Point, NY. The two buildings and the lot next to 521 were sold. I believe a silversmith is using the ground floor and there is a studio on the upper floors. As Bill told you Mr Kantor died in 1986. He was a great man and friend. I retired from Gotham in 1993. I have kept in touch with Bill , who became the general manager. It was very nice of you to sent the pictures. I made copies of them. I am sending you a photo of Mr Kantor. I'm sure you will recognize him. Next week I'm am going to the Gotham Christmas party in Stony Point. I will take a picture of the new plant and send it to you. Again thank you and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Dominic Raco.

"Another Cianciaruso filled with hot air"

Saint-Chartier 2007
2007
Le facteur Marco Cianciaruso jouant d'une zampogna italienne
Images des 32èmes rencontres internationales de luthiers et maîtres sonneurs, à Saint-Chartier.
Lors de ces rencontres, le site web du MuCEM consacré aux cornemuses d'Europe et de Méditerranée a été présenté dans l'espace des associations et institutions.
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Ron found this on line....Angela has translated it for me....(pasted below)

The musical instrument maker, Marco Cianciaruso, is playing an Italian bagpipe.Pictures of the 32nd international meeting of lute players and master bell-ringers at St.-Chartier.Ever since these meetings, the web site of MuCEM is devoted to the bagpipes of Europe and the Mediterranean during the summer, appearing in the space for societies and educational institutions.(Not sure if the last paragraph is correct)

In the Site below Click on the speaker and Note Icon and listen to him play

http://www.cornemuses.culture.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=113&Itemid=114&x=2