Hundreds of people celebrated The Bronx at the Manchester branch Saturday.
The party grew out of two very successful programs held last year, said Principle Library Assistant Maria Colon, who organized the party. Building upon that success she expanded it to include a mozzarella cheese making demonstration by Dave Greco, owner of Mike’s Deli on Arthur Avenue and a slideshow with artifacts from The Bronx Historical Society. The Roustabouts closed out the party with a musical tribute to Bronxites Bobby Darin and Dion and the Belmonts.
“Now this is like I died and went to heaven,” said one reveler after she bit into one of the cheese samples Greco passed around.
Watching him prepare all that food, share the stories from the old neighborhood and pepper his discussion with easily recognized Italian phrases made Senior Librarian Sabrina La Spata smile. It reminded her of childhood Thanksgivings, she said, where there was constant chatter around the home in Italian and a busy kitchen where food was joyfully, and lovingly, prepared for the family.
“These cheeses are all excellent,” Joe Cesta, a library volunteer who lives in Leisure Village West, told Greco.
“When I was in high school I worked in a grocery store in The Bronx,” he said, “and I used to do the same thing. This is great.”
The program brought back the old times, Cesta said, and he enjoyed the memories.
“You guys gotta thank Maria,” said Greco. “Not because she’s a Bronx chick, but because without her we’d never be here.”
“To me, they’re (Mike’s Deli) The Bronx,” said Maria. “Arthur Avenue, I grew up in that area. Every Saturday I would go shopping in their market with my mother. We’d walk 40 blocks to get there and then 40 blocks back. It wasn’t so bad going but coming back we’d be loaded down with bags.”
“While Mom shopped she’d eat their olives. I’d say, ‘Ma, stop,’ but she didn’t care what I said.”
“They were the first people I contacted and they responded immediately that they’d do it,” Maria added. “Once I heard that I knew it would be successful.”
Two days after the party, Maria wrote:
Hi Larry!
I have a great story for you.
I gave people nametags for Saturday and told them to put their name and where they went to high school. Two women started talking because they both went to Walton High School. One woman said, “I was hoping to meet someone from my graduating class so I bought in my yearbook.” It winds up they both graduated in 1941 and the woman without the yearbook signed that woman’s yearbook!! They haven’t seen each other since they graduated from high school, didn’t remember each other, AND….THEY LIVE A FEW BLOCKS FROM EACH OTHER!!! THEY’RE GOING TO MEET FOR LUNCH!!
That’s what I wanted for this party. I wanted people who didn’t know each other to meet and Bronxites to find old friends.
