East Boston Library July Meeting

VOL. 117 - NO. 30 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JULY 26, 2013 $.30 A COPY Celebrating Our Anniversary! 118 Years of Continuous Publication One hundred and eighteen the GAZZETTA had to under- ation changed as they years ago, an Italian immi- stand the slow and hard learned more about the new grant who arrived in Boston transition of men who, in land of opportunity. when he was only 16 years most cases, had been en- The Italian immigrant old saw the realization of his gaged in agriculture in the was a hard worker, a thrifty fondest dreams, to establish home country. Here, they man, a family man. He an Italian language newspa- were to work in construc- had pride. As a family their per that would be the genu- tion, factories and restau- goal was to build a future ine voice of the increasing rants, eventually emerging in America. The GAZZETTA flow of Italians to the United as small storekeepers and stressed these virtues. States. The boy was James finally the professionals, We began to publish an V. Donnaruma, the newspa- heads of business enter- all-English section which per was LA GAZZETTA DEL prises and eventually to became a real forum, dis- MASSACHUSETTS which is become industrial leaders, cussing many problems, now published in English as heads of state, people to be criticizing discriminating the POST-GAZETTE. respected by others. laws while advocating He remained at the helm If America was to some a Americanization and re- of this well-known publica- bitter disappointment, to sponding to community James V. Donnaruma - Founder Caesar L. Donnaruma tion until his demise in more it remained a great ad- needs such as the Red Cross Publisher - 1896 to 1953 Publisher - 1953 to 1971 1953 at which time his son, venture and excitement. appeals. Caesar, took over the reins There were new ways to A typical Horatio Alger of running the now famous be learned as well as new story could be repeated by national weekly newspaper institutions. There were thousands of immigrants located in the North End of speculators and exploiters to and their American-born Boston. Caesar was loyally be fought, a “padrone” sys- children who became an assisted by an ingenious tem needed to be destroyed. integral part of this great wife, Phyllis, who assumed There were churches to be country, fighting in its wars the role of publisher in built and above all, immi- and facing every national 1971, as one the nations grants took advantage of crisis. It would be impos- first Italo-American women America’s free education sible, space wise, to enu- publishers. Upon Phyllis’ while learning the process of merate the many initiatives death in October 1990, their citizenship. We devoted taken by our publication daughter, Pamela, contin- pages and pages to that very from its inception as “LA ued the tradition as the mission! GAZZETTA” to its present- third generation publisher of The GAZZETTA became, in day format as the “POST- the POST-GAZETTE. a way, a sort of guide, so GAZETTE” in its 118 years The GAZZETTA, as it was to speak, the go-between of uninterrupted publica- properly called, was very that brought American tion. We never missed an Phyllis F. Donnaruma Pamela C. Donnaruma short in financial means political life to the Italian issue, even when the going Publisher - 1971 to 1990 Publisher - 1990 to Present but had a large vision, to immigrant. Many times our was very hard. As we celebrate our anniversary, give its readers a better people were sent unknow- The moral reward, over and wider understanding ingly to work in places sub- the years of hard work, came we would like to thank our advertisers and between two countries. The ject to a strike and were in many ways when Ameri- subscribers for their loyalty throughout the years. so-called Italian Colony, or therefore exposed to physi- can presidents, senators, “La Colonia,” had to face a cal violence on the part of We couldn’t have come this far without you! complexity of problems and strikers ... in time, the situ- (Continued on Page 14) News Briefs Saint Rocco’s Annual Procession by Sal Giarratani New York Daily News Front Page This past Sunday, the NY Daily News ran a full front page photo showing Beyonce, Jay Z, Trayvon’s mother and Al Sharpton with a head- line stating “All 4 Tray.” One time I liked the Daily News but nowadays, it is nothing more than seemingly a liberal rag. The best newspaper in New York without a doubt is the New York Post. Rolling Stone is Dumb as a Rock The Boston Herald last week ran a great “Dumb as a Rock” front page story on the Rolling Stone’s ‘The Bomber” cover. The magazine seemingly gave Tsarnaev the rock star treatment. Kudos to all those businesses that are refusing to sell this issue of Rolling Stone. What About Sgt. Sean Murphy MSP? Many people are praising him for giving those photos taken in Watertown during the capture of Bomber Number 2. The Massachusetts State Members of the Saint Rocco Society gather outside of Saint Leonard Church before (Continued on Page 14) beginning their annual procession through the streets of the North End on a hot and humid Sunday, July 21st. (Photo by Rosario Scabin, Ross Photography) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, JULY 26, 2013 Stirpe by Prof. Edmund Res Publica Turiello Nostra by David Trumbull A weekly column highlighting some of the more interesting aspects of our ancestry...our lineage...our roots. The Failure of Detroit and Why It Won’t Happen Here A story is told that one day Democratic Mayor since of the White population of RUTHERFORD B. HAYES in the 1950s the Mayor 1930. Our political climate Michigan was afraid to cross of Detroit, the Governor is at least as liberal as Eight Mile Road, the division DATE OF BIRTH: of Michigan, and heads of Detroit’s. Ah, but the differ- between Detroit and the October 4, 1822 the “big three” automobile ence is Detroit was depen- northern, White suburbs. By PLACE OF BIRTH: manufacturing companies, dent on one industry and the 1980 U.S. Census, the Delaware, OH and the President of the when it declined, so did population of Detroit was DATE OF DEATH: United Automobile Workers the city. But if that were just 34 percent White. If January 17, 1893 union, sat around a table in the explanation, what about White Michiganders had any PLACE OF DEATH: Detroit — rather like the Pittsburgh. Like Boston and interest in returning to De- Fremont, OH “board room” scene in the Detroit the city government troit, Mayor Coleman Young’s SPOUSE: 1972 motion picture, “The is of the “strong mayor” response to the census num- Lucy Webb Godfather” — and decided type, and since 1934 those bers made it clear they were PRESIDENT: how everything would run in mayors have been Demo- not wanted. He declared White-flight a good thing, March 4, 1877 - the “Motor City.” The story is crats. At 300,000 residents apocryphal, but more about it it’s smaller, but, like Detroit, saying something to the ef- March 4, 1881 later. it was, for many years depen- fect that the rest should leave C.E.O. nineteen was Rutherford B. Hayes So what about the Detroit dent largely on one industry, too, because Detroit is Black Attended Harvard College in his earlier days; bankruptcy? Many conserva- steel. When steel production city. Whites heeded the Then to Ohio to practice the law, tive and Republican friends declined, so did the city. How- Mayor’s advice. Detroit is Business was so bad he wondered what for. are indulging in schaden- ever, Pittsburgh is recover- now 11 percent White. In the great Civil War, held a General’s commission, freude over the failure of the ing, due to private industry 2. Sprawl. Boston has Then into politics with the Army’s permission experiment in liberalism and government investment nearly the same population Became a staunch Republican, wasn’t easy in those days, that has been Detroit under in the core city. as Detroit, but Detroit is half- Then awarded the Presidency through some questionable ways. the seven mayors, all Demo- Three things differentiate again as large, in terms of crats, who have governed Boston from Detroit. square miles, 143 square He took the oath of office in a private hall, since 1962. Personally, I 1. Race. Whites were leav- miles compared to 90. Even Canceled the parade and even the ball; think it is in extremely poor ing Detroit for the suburbs when Detroit, in 1950, had a He bravely faced his political nagging, taste to rejoice over the pros- starting with the post-World population of 1.8 million, Even did what he could to stop carpet bagging. pect that workers may lose War II suburban boom. After many of the residents lived The wisdom of his policy was by word of mouth, their pensions, creditors will the Black riots in the sum- in houses set on large lots To end all the violence and bring peace to the South; go unpaid, and basic public mer of 1967 White-flight Then to a hot issue, a political bomb, safety services are largely accelerated.

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