Per Niente Published and Edited by Joe Di Leo La Primavera duemiladieci Associate Editor Joey Giambra Volume VI Issue II Spring 2010 Email [email protected] Luigi Del Bi- anco, an Italian introduced Luigi to Mount Rushmore designer Gut- zon Borglum. “Bianco”, as Borglum affectionately Immigrant, called him, began working at Borglum’s Stamford, played an im- Ct. studio and the association of the two men con- portant part in tinued until Borglum’s death in 1941. bringing to life a great American Throughout the 1920’s Luigi assisted Borglum with the Governor Hancock Memorial in South monument. Yet, Carolina, Stone Mountain in Georgia, and the Wars many authors of America Memorial in Newark, NJ. Because of on the subject of Luigi’s strong stature and classic Roman features, Rushmore have Borglum used him as a model on 20 of the figures chosen not to on the Newark sculpture. mention Luigi In 1933 Borglum hired Bianco to be chief stone and his many carver on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. contributions to Luigi’s job was to carve the “refinement of expres- the work. sion” or detail in the faces. He was paid 1.50 an Luigi Del Bianco hour; a considerable sum for the Depression. Chief Carver on Mt Rushmore It was “Bianco” who carved the life-like eyes of Abraham Lincoln. In a 1966 Interview with the Her- Luigi Del Bianco was born aboard a ship near ald Statesman in Yonkers, NY, he said about carv- La Havre, France on May 8, 1892. His parents, Vin- ing the eyes, “I could only see from this far what I cenzo and Osvalda, were returning from the United was doing, but the eye of Lincoln had to look just States to Italy. When he was a small boy hanging right from many miles distant. I know every line and around the wood carving shop of his father in Me- ridge, each small bump and all the details of that duno, Pordenone province, men of the village used head (Lincoln’s) so well. I would do it again, even to say, “How curious the little one is!” Vincenzo Del knowing all the hardships involved. I would work at Bianco became convinced that his son was inter- Mount Rushmore even without pay, if necessary. It ested in carving and had more than ordinary ability. was a great privilege granted me.” He took the 11 year old boy to Austria to study un- der a skilled stone carver. After 2 years in Vienna, It was “Bianco” who also singlehandedly saved Luigi studied in Venice. When cousins in Barre, Vt. the face of Jefferson; a task Gutzon Borglum would wrote that skilled carvers were needed, 17 year old have entrusted to no one else. In Judith St. Luigi boarded the La Touraine out of Naples and George’s book, The Mount Rushmore Story, she headed for America. writes: “Luigi Del Bianco, one of the best stone carvers Rushmore ever had, patched the crack in In 1913, World War I broke out and Luigi re- Jefferson’s lip with a foot deep piece of granite held turned to Italy to fight for his country. After the war, in place by pins- the only patch on the whole sculp- He emigrated back to Barre, Vt. in 1920 and after a ture, and one that is hard to detect even close up.” year of work as a stone cutter, he settled in Port Chester, NY where he met his wife, Nicoletta St. George goes on to reinforce the value of Cardarelli. “Bianco”: It was his brother-in-law, Alfonso Scafa, who (Continued on page 2) Luigi Del Bianco Page 2 (Continued from page 1) By 1941, funding for the memorial had run out. “At least he ( Bor- The breakout of WWII also slammed the lid on any glum) now had the further carving. Luigi returned to Port Chester and funds to hire skilled his stone cutting shop where he carved approxi- carvers, a lack he mately 500 tombstones out of rough Vermont mar- had been bemoan- ble. ing for years. But to his surprise, with the exception of Luigi never forgot his roots. He made many a Luigi Del Bianco, pilgrimage back to Meduno to visit relatives and few of the carvers old friends. Meduno takes great pride in its native worked out.” son and has included in its local museum many photos and memorabilia of Luigi Del Bianco and his time at Mount Rushmore. In 1935 Luigi brought his wife Luigi working and 3 sons, Silvio, The citizens of Port Chester, NY also remem- on Mt. Rushmore Vincent and Caesar ber Luigi well, as the dapper gentlemen with the to live in Keystone. fedora on his head and the gleam in his eye, who The boys went to school, rode horses, became loved to walk the Italian section of Washington blood brothers to the Sioux and swam naked in Park and share stories of his adventures on the the nearby streams. A daughter, Gloria, was born mountain. in 1946. She fondly remembers her father as "Charming, funny and very handsome." Gutzon Borglum with FDR at the unveiling of the Jefferson head. Luigi met FDR who asked him, “Mr. Del Bianco, are you Italian?” Luigi threw out his chest and proudly replied, “100 percent!” Editor’s Note: In searching for information on the Italian influence in America, I discovered http://www.luigimountrushmore.com. The web page was designed by Lou Del Bianco, Luigi’s grandson who granted “I know every line and ridge, every small bump and permission to reprint this article. The web page is very interesting and if all the details of that head so well!” Luigi Del Bianco you like to read more about Luigi Del Bianco and view other photos I recommend it. Joe Di Leo A Per Niente Profile Page 3 The Per Niente Club is honored to have Periodontology at the University of Pennsyl- as a member, Dr. Robert (Bob) Genco, a Distin- vania in 1967. He was one of the first den- guished Professor at the school of Dental Medi- tists to receive intensive training in the cine, Oral Biology and Microbiology at the State emerging field of molecular immunology. University of NY at Buffalo. A significant contri- The Genco American legacy in America began in the bution he made to Buffalo 1890s when the Genco broth- Dentistry was his training ers: Giuseppe, Salvatore, of graduate students who Michelangelo, Filippo, and later impacted dental Michele, left Valledolmo, Sicily schools and institutions for Western NY. Eventually world wide. each returned to Sicily and brought their sweethearts here to marry them. He has collected many honors: The Ameri- can Dental Association’s Giuseppe (Bob’s grand- Gold Medal for Research father) and his brother Mich- ele, married two sisters, Mari- (Norton Ross award), the etta and Rosita Can- Research in Peri-odontal narozzo. Giuseppe and Mari- Disease Award from IADR, etta had 11 children, Bob’s Dr. Robert J. Genco and an Honorary Doctorate father, Joseph, was one of from Georgetown Univer- them. sity in 1990. Like many “Valledolmesi” Bob’s grandpar- He received the Henry M. Goldman ents, Joseph and Marietta, settled in the Fredo- Award as the outstanding graduate student nia/Silver Creek area. Bob’s grandfather was a at the University of Pennsylvania in periodon- furniture maker and Bob’s Dad, Joseph, was the tics during the first 25 years of the program in superintendent of a large machine shop in Fredo- nia. 1980. Bob, who grew up in Silver Creek, has a He is one of 25 dentists honored by brother, Gordon, who still lives there. A sister, their election to the prestigious Institute of Marlene, lives in Florida. In 1959 Bob married Medicine of the National Academies of Sci- Sandra Clarke, his high school sweetheart, with ence. whom he had three children and who died in 2001. In 2005 Bob married Francis Doherty. Despite efforts to pry him from Buffalo, Bob stays rooted and active as a periodontal Bob Genco attended Canisius College and researcher. graduated from the University of Buffalo School of Dentistry, cum laude, in 1963. He also re- ceived a Ph.D. from the University of Penn- sylvania, in Microbiology and Immunology in 1967, and completed residency training in Article submitted by Bob Mangano SEVENTH STREET, TONY MILITELLO AND LES PAUL Page 4 By Joey Giambra copyright © 2010 govia, Militello, who studied with Maestro Rosario Millonzi, gilded our sensitivities such as we couldn’t explain. The exotic, syncopated etudes lingered in our young minds as we worked in and out of the lower West Side, an integral part of our daily activity.” [1] Gone are the old Italian neighborhoods whose streets were filled with the well-practiced sounds of musicians: artistic prowess pouring from modest homes. Backyards were adorned with fig trees and grape arbors nestled in small, colorful vegetable gardens. There, on warm sunlit days amid the airy smell of tomatoes budding from good earth, wet clothes were gracefully hanged to dry on sturdy In 1933, though tattered by the Great rope supported by a long bamboo stick. Depression, Buffalo, New York, was one of the most vibrant of America’s ten biggest cities. It was a mecca for solo pianists, guitarists, and other musi- The great musicians and the music have van- cians playing in combos and big bands. Many of ished. What remains are ghostly, decrepit dwellings these creative artists were Italian immigrants and or whose busted glass resemble shattered teeth. Their young Italian-Americans, who, with a singular pur- broken windows are akin to bruised, blackened eyes pose, entertained Buffalo’s varied citizenry in a myr- etched on metaphorical wooden faces and filled with iad of venues.