Monday, November 22, 2010

LA NOSTRA COSTA (OUR COAST) - NOW IN E-BOOK FORMAT

IVANO SAYS: IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR BOOK "LA NOSTRA COSTA" (OUR COAST) IS NOW AVAILABLE IN E-BOOK FORMAT.


IT IS AVAILABLE ON LINE AT AMAZON'S KINDLE BOOKSTORE:

AND ALSO AT BARNES AND NOBEL'S NOOKBOOKS
AND ALSO AT:





HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY



SEMPRE AVANTIPosted by Picasa




AND HERE IS A SPECIAL THANKSGIVING MESSAGE FROM CATHY BROVIA (BELOW ON THE RIGHT) AT JOE BROVIA'S INDUCTION TO THE PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE HALL OF FAME.

Happy Thanksgiving Ivano and family....

I was watching Channel 25, and watching a Japanese fellow from Watsonville (professor or something).. He was talking about living in Watsonville at the time of the war with Japan.... how they were treated etc., and forced to move to the camps... was sooooo interesting and heart breaking at the same time for me. I can not remember his name, but he spoke of so many people like Norman Mineta, Harry Truman, and so many politicians etc.....

Then...... all of a sudden, BOOM!!!! Davenport Historical moments came on, and there YOU WERE!!!!!!!!!! I think it was 2010 reunion at the berry farm. I got interrupted with a call from my firefighter grandson Nick... He is Joe's grandson, and is with the California Firefighters. He lives in Carmel Highlands, and wanted me to go down to his home for Thanksgiving... I am just not up to it this year... Guess that is why I did not attend the Berry farm reunion.... was in the hospital twice in july, and am still feeling crappy.

Just wanted you to know I really enjoyed the video, and you are handsome as ever. Hope you got to sell a few books.

It looked to me like there was a picture of Joe in front of what I thought was you in uniform.... Like I say, I got interrupted, and I heard you mention his name. I am so happy he is always remembered...

Anyway, thanks for the Costa Nostra News... i so enjoy reading it...

Happy Thanksgiving, and like the old saying goes.... YOU OUTTA BE IN PICTURES!!!!! Singing those old songs.

I am sorry I just could not make it this year... But I REALLY, ENJOYED WATCHING THE WHOLE TV PROGRAM especially all the beautiful Italian songs!!!! I remember listing to Joe's dad sing those beautiful Italian songs at holidays, and I always had tears in my eyes. He had such a beautiful voice.... I miss him so much along with Maria, and of course my dear husband.

Keep up the good work,

Sempre Avanti,,,,, Cathy

IVANO SAYS: Sempre Avanti Cathy. And yes, I did have a photo of Joe (Brovia) on the Photo Display Table. I never go to an event without at least one photo of Joe. I'm always asked the question, "Who is the baseball player", which gives me the opportunity to tell the story of the famous "Davenport Destroyer".

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

MORE PHOTOS - LA NOSTRA COSTA REVIVAL II

Nov 22, 2010 - "Il Vecchio Professore Buffo" has sent me another photo that should be included in the group photos. Again we have Zia Lina and Nunni Radicchi at the front. This time Stan Prolo, seated at the right, has his face to the camera. On the left hand side seated behind Nunni we can see Florence Bell SCHS Class of '55 and member of the Bianco Clan "su per la costa". Seated on her right is her husband Earl Bell. If someone can ID the two pretty "gals" seated on the left , please let me know. Thanks "Buffo". Keep them coming. ivno
Above: Standing at the counter: Derrill Kerrick, brother of "Il Professore Buffo" and my partner in "Turbulent Quest" movie venture; his wife Kathy Kerrick-blond seated at right, Anna (Petroni)Orsini seated at front. Below The 'Old Rancere" and Sister-in Law Shirley. Shirley, who is not in the best of health, drove herself and husband Tony from Morgan Hill, over Hector Pass (in the all that rain and slick road) To come see the "Old Rancere" do his 'stuff''. Thanks Shirley. You are a marvel.
Standing in blue dress at the right (same photo), Patty Morelli, Davenport Native and LNCDR Committe member.
















Below: The "Old Rancere" and daughter Suzanne (looking somewhat bewildered).


Below: LaNorma, she of the Dinelli- Neri clan and Jim Ceragioli , he of the Ceragioli-Fistolera clan "su per la costa". Next photo: Zia Lina (singing?) with her friend Nunni Raddichi (left) and Davenport Historian Alverda Orlando on the right. Muriel and Stan Prolo (she of SCHS Class of "55 fame; he of Eugene Prolo Chevrolet Co. in Santa Cruz fame) are seated directly behind Alverda. Then Nunni and Zia Lina (not singing?). Muriel Prolo can be seen seated directly behind them.































Below Al Fehn of SCHS Class of '55 football fame. Then David Harra (facing camera) SCHS Class of '55 with fellow classmate Jim Ceragioli . David has just revealed that he was a closet Italian in High School. He now admits being part Italian (on his mother side of the family).





















IVANO SAYS: ABOVE PHOTOS TAKEN AT THE 'LA NOSTRA COSTA DAYS REVIVAL II:




COURTESY OF JERRILL 'VECCHIO PROFESSORE BUFFO' KERRICK. IFA YOUA NO LIKA DA FOTOS, BLAMA HIMA. E plezza speaka uppa if youa seea yourself. Nome plezza. O -youa

canna clicca on foto to maka bigga.







AGAIN, A BIG THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR BEING THERE. IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT YOU. SEMPRE AVANTI. IVNO

Friday, November 12, 2010

LA NOSTRA COSTA'S "OLD RANCERE" HARD AT WORK





THE OLD RANCERE AT 'LA NOSTRA COSTA DAYS REVIVAL II - OCT. 17, 2010
(GRANDSON MICHAEL IVANO ASSISTING WITH TECHNICALITIES)


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THE OLD RANCERE AND GRANDSON KRISTIAN AT GUGLIELMO WINERY IN MORGAN HILL - "CORK EQUITY FESTIVAL" -NOV 6, 2010




LEFT- PLAYING THE s "SHAVOLA" - SAME EVENT





HOPEFULLY, THIS WILL DISPEL ANY NOTIONS THAT THE "OLD RANCERE" IS RESTING ON HIS "LAURELS. SEMPRE AVANTI. IVANO

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

FIGLIO DI SANTA CROCE - JOSEPH ARMANINI ON HISTORY CHANNEL - NOV 10, 2010

IVANO SAYS: LEN KLEMPNAUER FORMER SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL REPORTER AND SCHS CLASS OF '54 GRADUATE ADVISED ME OF THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BY NADIA DRAKE APPEARING IN THE SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL: www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16509428

SANTA CRUZ -- During World War II, Santa Cruz native Joseph Armanini frequented the skies over Europe, a member of the 8th Air Force's famous "Bloody 100th" bomb group.

"Big Joe" Armanini was lead bombardier for the squad. Their task? Destroy the German Luftwaffe. Armanini flew more than 25 missions, was one of the few members of the Bloody 100th to complete a tour and returned home a decorated war hero.

On Nov. 10, the History Channel will air "World War II in HD: The Air War," a two-hour special narrated by Rob Lowe that features Armanini and three others during the battles leading up to D-Day. Young Armanini will be voiced by Casey Affleck. The show is a follow-up to the highly rated 10-part "World War II in HD" series broadcast last year.

"Joe dominates the show," said producer Liz Reph.

Reph said she decided to focus on Armanini, one of the original members of the Bloody 100th, after speaking with a historian from the group. Of the people in the 100th bomb group, "Joe is one of the rare individuals that made it through," Reph said. "Only 25 percent of the people who set out to fly 25 missions succeeded. The other 75 percent were killed, captured, wounded or suffered mental breakdowns."

Armanini, 94, was born and raised in Santa Cruz. He graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1934, then went on to San Mateo Junior College, where he played football and was student body president. He then attended Dartmouth, where he majored in romance languages and graduated with honors in 1940.

On Jan. 25, 1941, Armanini joined the Air Force.

"I loved the idea of flying," Armanini said. But he didn't complete pilot training, and instead became a bombardier. "Everyone wanted to be a pilot or navigator. Not a bombardier. It wasn't as romantic."

Armanini was assigned to the 349th squadron, 100th bomb group -- the Bloody 100th -- and based in Thorpe Abbotts, England. He dropped bombs from B-17s, the four-engined "Flying Fortresses" that carried a crew of 10. The Bloody 100th became the basis for 1949's "Twelve O'Clock High," starring Gregory Peck, and the movie's screenwriter, Col. Bernie Lay, flew with them.

The squadron was tasked with daylight bombing raids before fighter escorts could accompany them to targets. As such, few flight crews survived to complete the required 25 missions before they could return home. According to Armanini, the graphic moniker is appropriate.

"We sustained such tremendous losses. We had a more than 80 percent casualty rate," he said.

Armanini, who now lives in El Cerrito, said mission days often started at 4 a.m. -- with the noise of engines warming up. Breakfast was at 6 a.m., followed by a meeting in the war room explaining the mission.

"There would be a big map of Germany and a pin maybe 600 miles in. The longer the mission, the more dangerous," Armanini said. "You're flying for 12 hours, and you're under attack from the time you leave the British Isles."

Armanini's first mission was to Bremen, Germany, on June 25, 1943, aboard a plane named El Pisstofo. The Bloody 100th lost seven planes that day.

On Aug. 17, 1943, the squadron sent 19 planes to Regensburg, where the target was an aircraft factory. The Bloody 100th flew in the unenviable position of "tale end Charlie" during that mission, or the bottom-most part of a flight formation. They lost nine planes out of 20, and Armanini's plane arrived in Libya minus an engine and plus 200 bullet holes.

"But nobody was injured," he said. They returned to England by way of Marrakesh, in a different plane, similarly unsuited for battle. "The whole Plexiglass nose had been shot off, and was covered in plastic," Armanini said.

By this time, Armanini was part of Sammy Barr's crew, aboard Torchy -- a plane named after navigator Jim Brown's "good-looking wife. She was a redhead," Armanini said.

Armanini flew in the lead plane on at least five missions, an especially precarious position.

"They always wanted to knock down the lead plane," Armanini said. "It was the only one dropping bombs on the target."

And while some missions, like the one targeting Bremen, were significant for the squadron, others are etched in Armanini's memory for a different reason, like one targeting Leipzig, where they only lost one plane. In that plane was Armanini's friend William Griffith, a classmate of his from bombardier school.

"We had more fun together than you could shake a stick at," Armanini said. He didn't find out what happened to Griffith until he was back in the United States after the war was over, when he learned that Griffith drowned when his plane was shot down.

When he came home, Armanini worked for several years at Bank of America.

"After all that exhilaration, the bank was kind of tame. You didn't know what the hell to do with yourself half the time," Armanini said.

He then worked as an executive at British Motor Cars and for Maserati Imports until 1985, when he retired at age 69.

Armanini returned from the war with a Bronze Star, two Flying Crosses, the French Croix de Guerre and numerous Victory and Air Medals. Despite the decorations, he doesn't think his role in the war was any more significant than anyone else's.

"It was just a matter of luck that you finished," Armanini said. "If you ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. ... You had to be lucky."

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IVANO SAYS (CONT'D): Although I would not begin to compare anything that I did as a Police Officer, with what Joe had to go through, I did write the following regarding police survival tips in my book "La Nostra Costa"(pgs. 335 - 336):

"Experienced police officers worth their salt will have their own personal short list (held in their minds, at least) to augment survival techniques taught during their training. Having said all this I still must admit I truly believe the ultimate determiner of survival is just plain luck. In retrospect, I was very lucky, regretably, Richard was not." *

* San Jose Police Officer Richard Huerta was killed in the line of duty, August 6, 1970. For articles on Richard and the circumstances surrounding his death, type his name in the search block at the top left hand corner of this page and click on the spy glass.