LITTLE ITALY NEWS MAY 2012 EDITION

www.littleitalytroy.org

troylittleitaly@gmail.com

Weekly Market Returns on Tuesdays

Troy Little Italy is pleased to announce a return in June of the popular weekly market
- this year a combination of farmers market and flea market - once a week, now on
Tuesdays, from 2 pm to 6 pm to the historic Hill Street MarketPlace.
Marion Field (with assistance from Joe Popson and Jerry Favata and Jean Kreuger)
has been contacting vendors who can provide local shoppers with a variety of quality
food and wares.
Also returning to the weekly market will be the memory station a place and space
for former and new residents and visitors, to stop by and talk of the past, learn a bit
of neighborhood history, and share their stories and photos in a comfortable, casual
environment.
Frank Visco and I often shared the space, occasionally alternating, depending on our
weekly schedules, but always enjoying the exchange of information with those who
stopped by to chat.
I have had the opportunity through articles in the Records Troy Treasure columns
and the Little Italy Newsletter and the publication of the book, Troy Little Italy, to
write about the neighborhood - its history, its people, and its businesses - topics often
suggested by residents during casual conversations.
Please join us in our efforts by volunteering for one of our events, attending our programs and meetings, suggesting ways to improve our neighborhood, and keeping
informed about what we do. Our monthly newsletter can be sent to you by providing
us with your email address at troylittleitaly@gmail.com A limited number are available in print at DeFazios Import Store, 264 Fourth Street, Troy and will be available

Vendors Wanted
Farmers vend for free
$10 fee for all other vendors
( must have your own tent, table and chairs)
We are looking for fruits, vegetable, eggs, baked goods
flowers, crafters, specialty items, and garage sale
items.

Contact: Marion 266-1406 or Jean 867-5023

troylittleitaly@gmail.com

We Remember . . .
Giovannina Milanese
Memmo, 95, former Jefferson Street resident, passed
away on April 10, 2012, at
Van Rensselaer Manor. Giovannina was born in Cervinara, Avellino, Italy, the
daughter of the late
Giuseppe Milanese and
Maria Teresa Marro, wife of
the late John Memmo and
sister of the late Angela
Moscatiello, Filomena
Godio, Girolamo and Carlo
Milanese. She was employed
at Cluett, Peabody & Company and Russell Sage College and was a member of
St. Mary's Parish and the
Washington Park Senior
Citizens in Troy. Neighbors
remember Giovannina as a
gracious and thoughtful person. Survivors include three
step-daughters; Rosa
Maddalla of Rensselaer,
Josephine Gimondo and
Gloria Pacella of Alany; a
sister, Nicolina Palma of Albany, and many nieces and
nephews. We extend our
condolences to her
family.

May Meeting
5/16/2012
Neighborhood Watch
6 pm
Little Italy 6:30 pm
233 Fourth Street
Corner of Washington
and Fourth

South Central Troy Neighborhood Watch

April Update
Our last meeting was held on April 18th. We welcomed our
new Community Police Officer Kevin Sessions. Officer Sessions has served as a CPO previously in the North Troy area
and his experience will be put to good use in our neighborhood. Officer Sessions reviewed some key events that happened in March and April in our area and answered resident
concerns.
If you need to report anything, please feel free to reach him at
(518) 270-4683 or by email at
kevin.sessions@troyny.gov. Our next meeting is scheduled
for Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 6:00 pm at the USTA Headquarters at the corner of Washington and 4th Streets. We hope
to see you there!
13th Annual Hidden
Garden Tour in Troy
The 13th Annual Hidden
Garden Tour, organized
by the Friends of Prospect Park, will be held,
rain or shine, 4 to 7 p.m.,
Thursday, May 24, 2012.
Parking and check-in is
at the Russell Sage parking lot located at the corner of First and Division
Streets in Troy. Admission for this self-guided
Tour is $10, and proceeds from the Tour
benefit Prospect Park.
Maps of the participating
gardens are available at
the check-in table. Contacts: Marilyn Haliski at
haliskim@verizon.net or
Lisa M. Kelleher, 518961-0026.

Earth Day 2012

Jane, Otto, Heather Hamlin, Joe
Popson and Jim Martin made
this years clean up a success. A
lot of bags, gloves, shirts and
shovels were handed out. This
years format was different,
people came and got their supplies and then went and cleaned
around their house and alley.
A special thanks goes out to
Mayor Rosamelia and the DPW
crew. The city trucks made constant
rounds picking up large items, making sure all city trash cans were
emptied and the bags of debris were
picked up immediately.
Great job by all !!!!

First Ward WWII Memorial Project

By Mike Esposito
Two years ago, during the last stages of planning for the refurbishing and rededication of Troys Eleventh Ward
WWII Memorial, members of the committee began a discussion of other neighborhood war monuments as future
projects. The committee, chaired by Ida Street residents Sam and Kellie Chiappone, included their son Josh, Sams
three sisters, Barbara McMahon, Blanche Rivers and Mary Barnes, brothers-in-law Jim Rivers and Brian Barnes,
and Judy Brearton, Robert Caprara, Mike Esposito, and Dan and Jonathan Carroll. Jonathan, a member of Boy
Scouts Troop 502 organized and coordinated the plan for the Third Street war memorial which was rededicated on
Veterans Day, November 11, 2010 before an assembly of 200 neighbors. The Chiappone familys interest in the
project was also in memory of their father, Cpl. Sam Chiappone who served with the 83 rd Infantry, and was involved in a battle at Hurtgen Forest on the German-Belgian border where he was seriously wounded, undergoing a
number of surgeries over a two year period. His is one of 286 names inscribed on the Eleventh Ward memorial.
The second project, the First Ward WWII Memorial which contains the names of 363 veterans is located in a small
park on the northwest corner of Third and Division streets, adjacent to the Red Front Restaurant and Tavern. The
earlier committee has reassembled along with several new members. Matthew Donnelly will organize and coordinate the rehabilitation of this site as his Eagle Scout project. The project will consist of a professional cleaning of
the monument and the walkway leading to the monument; raking and cleaning the entire green space around the
monument, trimming or replacing hedges; repairing or replacing the bench adjacent to the monument and the flag,
flag pole and light; and painting or repairing and replacing the fence fabric and poles. The rededication ceremony
will be held next month, on June 6th (D-Day) at 5 pm, Third Street corner of Division. The public is invited.
The site of the First Ward WWII memorial was for many years the home of the Washington Volunteer Steam Engine Company which, on December 31, 1872, occupied a two story brick engine house at the northwest corner of
Third and Division streets. Washington Volunteers were the third volunteer fire company formed in what was then
the village of Troy. They incorporated May 26, 1812, first located on Fourth Street just north of Fulton and moved
several times as the city grew. On January 23, 1922 all volunteer fire companies were disbanded by an act of the
Troy City Council and replaced by a paid workforce (Troy Fire Department). In the 1940s, at the time a committee
was formed to place a war memorial in the First Ward, the plot at the corner of Third and Division streets was
owned by the Pasquale Lanzillo family. They donated the land in memory of Mary Lanzillo a deceased member of
the family. The Honor Roll Committee was chaired by Morris Koenig. Amelia Carletta was Treasurer, Mary
Koenig was Secretary and committee members were Mary Mariano, Virginia Allen, and Bessie Basen.
As a reminder, the boundaries of the First Ward were approximately as follows: on the north, those residences on
the south side of Ferry Street and parts of Congress Street; on the south, those residences on the north side of Liberty Street; on the east, residences on Fifth Avenue from Ferry to Liberty; and on the west, the Hudson River from
Ferry to Liberty. A list of all 363 names on the monument is available. As many families as possible will be contacted prior to the rededication. If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Sam Chiappone at 272-6819. Please check the June 2012 newsletter for a follow-up article on the rededication ceremony as
well as the Sunday, May 27, 2012 Troy Treasures column in The Record for a more thorough article.

Looking for
family members
If you think you have a relative whose name is on the
memorial and want to check
it out. You can contact the
names and numbers in the
above article or contact
Marion Field and I will send
you a copy of the list which
was sent to me by Judy
Brearton.
mvf1406@aol.com

30 Artists VIE
for Trip to Italy!

The stage is set, the teachers and artists are ready, and the project is in motion!
During the month of May, 30 talented artists from the capital district will be creating authentic fresco paintings to be displayed all around Troys Little Italy neighborhood
throughout the summer. The initiative is part of the Bella Vita project, which translates to
Beautiful Life, and aspires to enhance local communities through art.
Andrea Daley, owner of Restoration Specialists, a resident of Troys Little Italy, is the originator of the project, and was inspired after a recent trip to Italy to bring the beauty she
witnessed back to her community. She along with another artist, Jan Murphy will be training the artists in Buon fresco techniques, which use special paints on wet plaster, typically
with rich natural tones (in contrast to brightly colored murals). Frescoes are known for
their beauty and longevity.
From June through early September, visitors to Troys Little Italy will vote for their favorite frescoes. The grand prizewinner will be announced at Troys Italian Community Centers fall festival on September 16th, and will be the lucky winner of a trip for two to Italy.
The frescoes will be auctioned at the festival. Auction proceeds will be used in part to support similar community projects in upcoming years. Ms. Daley plans to offer competitions
for Italian murals in the summer of 2013, followed by a competition for three-dimensional
Italian wall sculptures.
This years project sponsors include Pioneer Bank, National Grid, Bingo Green of Troy,
Troys Italian Community Center, Troys Little Italy Neighborhood Association and many
others. Additional sponsors are welcome to support this community project.
We are a group of people coming together to make a difference, one project at a time,
said Ms. Daley.
For more information please visit: www.diyRestoreIt.com/BellaVita.
Look for the listing of competing artists and their work. Soon their frescos will be uploaded.
Please contact Ms. Daley at 518-470-7369 for more information.

Bocce is the new in thing

The game is making a comeThe Troy Cougars(CYO Center) U12 5th & 6th grade boys
back in New York City and
AAU travel Basketball team are on their way to the National
other parks in the United
Championships in Hampton, Virginia May 12th-15th.
States. This article was in the
The team is made up of youth from Troy, Watervliet, & Cohoes New York Times. Click on
areas.
the link and read the story.
The team had worked very hard to be able to attend the Nationals Anyone interested in using
It is a wonderful opportunity for the youth to experience.
the bocce courts. Contact
Any money donation would be greatly appreciated.
Rocco DeFazio 274-8866
You can go to our web site (see below) & click the Paypal donate
For an Old Italian Game, a
butto
Crescendo of Sorts
www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=troycougars

"Friends

and Family
Community Fun

. BLOCK PARTY
JUNE, 9, 2012
11 AM TO 3 PM

The Carnival will start on May 8

and run through May 13.
The hours are Tuesday thru Friday
6 - 10, Sat. 1 - 5, Sun. 1 - 7

COME ONE COME ALL !!

Apt. for Rent
1bdrm, 80 Division St., 2nd fl., 850sf., balcony and backyard, convenient
location on bus rte. Above Allblues sewing Service. No smoking on premises. Single preferred, references rqd., adults only, no dogs, $550/mo +
gas, elec. First moth's and last month's rent plus $200. cleaning and damage deposit due upon signing of rental agmt. Call 518 867 5023 for info

146 first street, Troy

between Washington and
Liberty street. The block
party is a community event
sponsored by the Agape
Church .
There will be different
community services in attendance such as Wellcare, Triple AAA, a local bank,
YMCA, Northeast Parent
and Child Society and more.
15 LOVE will be showing
the children how to play tennis, (3) bouncy-bounces, (2)
piatas, a puppet show,
AGAPES children's singing
choir, and a book booth for
kids to get free books to take
home.

Looking for Books

The Agape Church is collecting used childrens books
in good condition for their
free give away. If anyone
has any they would like to
donate contact Anthony
Lewis at 518-813-8840 for
more information.

Watch next week for Special Edition on the Stickball Tournament report and pictures