VOL. 113 - NO. 19 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, MAY 8, 2009 $.30 A COPY ABRUZZO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUNDRAISER Held at Filippo’s Ristorante from Publisher, Pam Donnaruma and the Staff of the Post-Gazette News Briefs by Sal Giarratani How Come I Never Knew That? What do Superman and Zorro have in common? On TV back in the fifties both superheroes were played by Italian-American actors. Engine 8 Ladder 1 of Hanover Street, Boston collected money for the victims of the “Superman” George Reeves Abruzzo earthquake. They stopped by Filippo’s and presented a check for the fund. was born George Bassello From left to right: Filippo Frattaroli owner of Filippo’s Ristorante, Firefighter Joe and Zorro’s Guy Williams Mullen, Lieutenant Eddie White, Director of Education Consul General of Italy Boston’s was actually Armand office, Dr. Carlo Cipollone, Firefighters Brian Summering and Dan Considine (back), Catalano. Info on these two Dominic Candelieri and Alberto Mustone. guys and other Italian – Americans can be found in “Italactors: 101 years On Sunday, May 3, 2009, tims in Abruzzo, Italy. Earthquake Relief Fund. of Italian-Americans in U.S. Entertainment” by Filippo Frattaroli opened his Guests were treated to a lav- Many gathered together Michael Bacarella. You can contact the author restaurant Filippo’s on ish buffet through the gen- within the Italian American at 200 North Greenwood Avenue, Park Ridge, Causeway Street, North End, erosity of Filippo. Donations community and also many IL 60068. Boston for a fundraiser to were made to Lions Club political figures joined in to benefit the earthquake vic- Sulmona and the Abruzzo support this worthy cause. Met a Trin-Italian (More photos on Page 5) Italian-Americans are one of the largest eth- nic groups in America. Christian Kulikoski who is planning on a race for the District 1 City Council seat this year is half-Italian. Aaron Michelwitz running for State Representative in Mayor’s Column rd the 3 Suffolk special election is one-eight Ital- by Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston ian. Talk show host Michele McPhee is half- Italian. D.A. Dan Conley is half Italian. I’m half Close to 200 leaders from a spectrum both large and small, and our response Italian. Finally I met the first Trin-Italian the of government agencies, businesses, to swine flu concerns showed this plan- other day. Boston University Public Safety and nonprofit organizations gathered ning in action. Even before news of any Officer Vernessa Mohammed has two grand- in Boston last week for a summit to reported cases of the flu hit Boston, the parents from Italy and two from Trinidad. The promote cross-sector communication Boston Public Health Commission bunch of us could form our own sub-ethnic group around planning and response to un- (BPHC) was actively coordinating with but usually we just think we’re Italian. anticipated emergencies. When my health care providers, first responders, administration began meeting with and state and national agencies, such Ayers Riding to Brandeis leaders to plan this event, no one as the Centers for Disease Control and Listening to some of those Brandeis students could have predicted that we would Prevention, to monitor the situation who invited Bill Ayers to speak on campus, one be grappling with an actual large-scale around the clock. When it became clear would think this guy was some sort of modern emergency in the midst of the sum- that Boston would eventually be directly day Paul Revere. He’s not. The unrepentant ter- mit. However, for guests at last week’s impacted, we made sure that residents rorist and former fugitive member of the conference, the swine flu crisis served knew the necessary precautions to take Weather Underground spoke on campus on April as a perfect example of how important in order to avoid the illness. Since 30. One sophomore Liza Behrendt of Democracy it is to establish effective partner- discovering probable cases in the City, for America, the student group that invited ships and lines of communication in the BPHC has worked with institutions Ayers told the media. “Even with a past of some order to prepare and respond to crisis to take the appropriate steps to mini- immoral actions, students still have something situations. mize the potential of spreading the valuable to gain from interacting with him.” In Boston, over the last several years, illness. These steps have not only Hopefully, she’ll grow up before she graduates we’ve reached out to residents and the helped to reduce the impact of swine private sector to strengthen our emer- (Continued on Page 14) gency preparedness efforts for crises (Continued on Page 15) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office will be open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, MAY 8, 2009 Kenneally Opens Campaign in Eastie Stirpe by Prof. Edmund by Sal Giarratani Nostra Turiello A weekly column highlighting some of the more interesting aspects of our ancestry...our lineage...our roots. HIND, BOAR AND COW CHIPS We have covered the cir- became so terrified that he cumstances surrounding hid from the hero. the birth of Hercules, his The fifth labor of Hercules early education, physical was a humiliating assign- training, the events which ment. He was required to led to the imposition of his clean the stables of King famous labors and the first Augeias in one day. The two of those ordeals. king owned vast herds of The third labor required cattle, and the dung from Hercules to capture the these herds had been depos- Cerynithian hind, a golden ited so thickly on his land, horned deer with hoofs of that it was no longer able to brass that roamed the for- be cultivated. Hercules ests of Attica. This beauti- made a separate deal with ful animal had been dedi- the king, agreeing to clean cated to Diana, the goddess the stables in return for a of the hunt, and was sacred payment of one tenth of the to her. Consequently, it had cattle. Revere City Councilor Anthony Zambuto, Alex Bulla, Dave Doyle, Cheryl Bulla, Boston to be captured alive and un- After the contract was City Council Candidate Andrew Kenneally, Dawn Doyle, former City Councilor Attorney harmed. Hercules pursued signed, Hercules broke Diane Modica, Neffo Cappuccio, Maggie Atanasov and Eric Carco. the deer for a full year be- through the walls of the fore running it down. One stables and diverted a Andrew Kenneally, an- the campaign is coming report states that he caught nearby river, flushing the other one of those Gaelic up in West Roxbury where it in nets while another says area with its water. As was Garlic politicians is winning Kenneally was born and that he crept upon it while suspected, Augeias refused over voters in East Boston, raised. There are lots of it slept. Following proof of to honor his agreement, his adopted home. Folks Kenneallys over on that side capture, the animal was re- claiming that it was the duty stopped by Spinelli’s in Day of the city and Kenneally has leased unharmed. of Hercules to perform the Square for his Kick-off event. more than his share of police The fourth labor required work without pay. Threat- He is gaining attention officers in his family tree. of Hercules was to capture ening revenge, the strong citywide in a crowded field of I’m sure that time will be just the Erymathian boar, a large man returned to Tiyrns only city council at large candi- as great as this most recent beast that ranged over to find that he was doubly dates running for two vacant one in Eastie on April 30th. Mount Erymanthus and rav- repaid for his cleverness seats. City Councilor Sal It appears, Andrew has aged the territory all around when King Eurystheus, au- LaMattina from District 1 adopted a “bookends” strat- northwest Arcadia. The ani- thor of these labors, refused was there as was former Dis- egy. Start in opposite cor- mal was tracked into the to honor this last ordeal on trict 1 City Councilor Diane ners of the city (East Boston deep snows of its mountain- the grounds that it had been Modica. The makers and and West Roxbury) and have ous territory and brought undertaken for hire. shakers of Eastie politics as toward City Hall and the back alive to the king who NEXT WEEK: Bird and Bull well as many of Andrew’s council chambers. friends from his time as an A candidate from East aide to former City Council Boston who appears to be President Michael Flaherty. uniting all the different Passoni Campaign Ironically, one of the two factions in Eastie politics vacant seats up for grabs is toward his campaign makes Boston City Council candi- Gears Up for Final Stretch Flaherty’s who is running for him instantly one of the front date Andrew Kenneally mayor this year. running candidates. By the with former Boston City With the Special Demo- nered from the Massachu- My friend Kristen Langone way, he also has two of the Councilor Diane Modica. cratic Primary less than two setts League of Environ- was there and is working best parade groupies in weeks away, the Passoni mental Voters and the hard on Kenneally’s cam- Boston politics on his side. Kenneally believes he can campaign says it feels confi- Sierra Club Massachusetts paign.