HAPPY GRADUATION - GRANDSONS

THE PHOTO (ABOVE) WAS TAKEN AT “LA NOSTRA COSTA DAY” IN DAVENPORT LAST YEAR. THE TALL GOOD-LOOKING LAD ON THE LEFT IS ANDREW FRITTER. REMEMBER HIM IN ‘LA NOSTRA COSTA’?? “DAMN YOU MARE!! FROM THEE I SNATCH THIS INNOCENT SOUL” (Pg. 365).

ANDREW GRADUATED LAST WEEK FROM VALLEY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN JOSE. ANDREW IS INTERESTED IN STUDYING THE STARS. A TRIP TO MARS IS NOT UNLIKELY FOR THIS INDUSTRIOUS LAD.

THE OTHER GOOD LOOKING LAD IN THE PHOTO IS MICHAEL IVANO FRITTER. AS I WRITE IN THE BOOK, FELLOW STUDENTS HAVE A PROBLEM PRONOUNCING HIS MIDDLE NAME (LNC: Pg.33). EVEN SO, AT HIS GRADUATION FROM VALLEY CHRISTIAN JR. HIGH SCHOOL YESTERDAY, IT WAS A THRILL FOR ME TO HEAR HIS NAME ANNOUNCED OVER THE LOUD SPEAKER AS HE RECEIVED HIS DIPLOMA: MICHAEL ‘EYE-VANO’ FRITTER. (DON’T WORRY MICHAEL ‘EE-VANO’, ONE OF THESE DAYS THEY WILL GET IT RIGHT.) MICHAEL WILL BE ENTERING VALLEY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL THIS COMING FALL.

THE PRETTY LADY IN THE PHOTO IS MY DAUGHTER MADELINE FRITTER. SHE IS HOLDING HER DOG ‘GRINDER’ (HE DID NOT GRADUATE.) UNFORTUNATELY, MY OTHER GRANDSON WILLIE FRITTER WAS NOT AT THE EVENT AND THUS NOT IN THE PHOTO. HE ALSO WILL BE GRADUATING IN TWO WEEKS FROM RUCKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN GILROY.

HAPPY GRADUATION, GRANDSONS. BUONA FORTUNA E SEMPRE AVANTI!! *******PAPA IVANO

REMINDER OF ALVERDA'S BOOK SIGNING IN SANTA CRUZ

ALVERDA ORLANDO WRITES TO REMIND ALL 'BLAGGATORI' OF HER BOOK SIGNING EVENT ('LIME KILN LEGACIES') IN SANTA CRUZ, SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1PM TO 3 PM AT THE MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORY. SHE ALSO INCLUDES A SCHEDULE OF HER UPCOMING EVENTS. (THAT'S ALVERDA WITH THE "OLD RANCERE" IN THE PHOTO TAKEN LAST YEAR AT "LA NOSTRA COSTA DAY" IN DAVENPORT.)

Hi Ivan

Here is a list of my book activities.

Thursday afternoon Bob Piwarzak and Frank Perry will be interviewed by Bruce Bratton on the UCSC radio station. (The station room is very small so no audience except me)

Saturday from 1-3 will be a book signing at the Museum of Art and History. Good speeches and light refreshments before the main event. Everybody welcome

July 2. A book talk at the RedCross. " "

Tuesday evening July 24 a book signing at the Capitola Book Cafe.

Favorable reviews have appeared in the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Metro.

We are taking a leaf out of your book and going after as much publicity as possible.

Would you let the people on the Blog know of these dates so if they can't make one program maybe they can get to another.

Alverda

'LA NORMA' SAYS: "NUDIE BEACH FOR SALE"

Drove up the coast (la costa) the other day with an “American” friend. We drove down by the red, white and blue beach on the way home. You probably know that it is for sale – would love to buy it. The present owner has closed down the nudie beach – all chained up.

It consists of l70 acres and he is selling by owner for (are you sitting down?) …………$45,000.000.00 !!!!!! Want to go in on it……we’ll probably need few more partners!!! I know you guys used to party up there.

I spent a lot of time with Katie (Scaroni) and her brothers and helped her clean her house, etc. So many great stories – would you be interested in my doing a little story on them for the Blagga? (LNC: You bet Norma. Bring it on.)

****

Photo above: 'La Norma' with husband Al Wilson and your 'Gran Blaggatore' taken at Agnus Dei Book Store book signing event, downtown Santa Cruz, June 2006

AMICO DELLA COSTA DERRILL KERRICK'S SHARK ADVENTURE

'AMICO DELLA COSTA' DERRILL KERRICK AND HIS WIFE KATHY HAD AN AMAZING ADVENTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA. DERRILL IS A RENOWNED GEOLOGY PROFESSOR EMERITUS WHO HAS WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT. HE IS ALSO A SANTA CRUZ HIGH SCHOOL AND SAN JOSE STATE GRADUATE. ' THE 'GRAN BLAGGATORE' THOUGHT THAT HIS FELLOW 'BLAGGATORI' MIGHT ENJOY WHAT DERRILL HAD TO SAY.

Carissimi Blaggatori:

We just returned from an amazing four-week trip to South Africa. This included completing my scuba certification (open water), four fantastic days in a safari camp near Kruger National Park (saw a leopard kill an impala!), and (the most awesome of all) watching great white sharks from a submerged cage attached to a boat. We have hundreds of digital pictures and a dynamic DVD of the shark cage experience (made by a professional photographer).

On our South African trip this was a moment (photo above) when I soiled my underwear. I am in the front of the boat and my South African buddy (Russell Sweeney) is in the back...with a spear. Apparently the shark got indigestion from eating the front part of the boat...this saved us. "Amico della Costa" Derrill Kerrick

*****

LNC: The top photo of Derrill, Kathy and your 'Gran Blaggatore' was taken last year at our initial book signing at the Agnus Dei Christian Book Store in Santa Cruz. Kathy is the good looking one in the center.

MORE PHOTOS OF SCCGS PRESENTATION

'CLICCA' ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

'CLICCA ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

PRESENTATION IN SANTA CRUZ

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Photos Top: Norma (Dinelli) Wilson and Nunni Radicchi. Center: The 'Old Rancere' Presenting his 'Blagga'.

Bottom: "La Norma" and Lea (Grossi) Lambert holding picture of Family and Friends at a Laguna Picnic 'su per la costa'.

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THANKS TO ALL WHO WERE PRESENT AT THE SANTA CRUZ PRESENTATION

YOUR ‘GRAN BLAGGATORE’ AND THE ‘OLD RANCERE’ WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY’S PRESENTATION AT THE ‘LA NOSTRA COSTA PHOTO DISPLAY’.

We think that a fun time was had by all. We especially want to thank Al and Norma Wilson who were there to take pictures of the event and Roger 'Ruggero' Princevalle who handled 'special' logistics. (The photos above are courtesy of Al and Norma.) Also a special thanks to those who brought along guests to see the presentation. New faces are always welcomed. And of course thanks to Maxine McNamara and Marion Pokriots for all there hard work in setting up the event for SCCGS. Marion says that she plans to keep the 'Display' through the month of June. So, your 'Gran Blaggatore' and the 'Old Rancere' may not be there, but the photos will.

Oh yes. Thanks to Wayne Thalls the 'Duty Officer of the Day' for patiently putting up with all our antics. ivn0

REMINDER OF GUEST APPEARANCE IN SANTA CRUZ

Costantino "Augie" Gemignani ------------------'Old Rancere'
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THIS IS A REMINDER TO ALL ‘BLAGGATORI’ THAT YOUR ‘GRAN BLAGGATORE’ WILL BE MAKING A GUEST APPEARANCE AT THE SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY, 224 CHURCH STREET, DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ, ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 AT 1:00 PM. BRING YOUR CAMERAS IF YOU WISH TO TAKE PICTURES WITH “THE OLD RANCERE”. HE SAYS THAT HE WILL BE THERE.

The above photo is of Costantino (Augie) Gemignani and the ‘Old Rancere’ aka Ivano Franco Comelli. The photo was taken by Roger ‘Ruggero’ Princevalle at a visit to Augie’s house in Santa Cruz, last year. You notice that Augie swiped the ‘Old Rancere’s’ hat and placed it on his head. This is indeed a great compliment to the ‘Old Rancere’ because the hat belonged to ‘Bronco’ (my father) who worked with Augie on the Gulch Ranch “su per la costa”. The photo on the right (below) is of Augie with his wife Victoria (Ghio). Augie is holding their one year old (?) daughter Donna. This photo appears to have been taken circa 1950. (Photo found in the La Nostra Costa Archives.)

I believe that Augie is the last of the original ranceri still alive that actually worked with Bronco. I was privileged to have worked with Augie and Bronco on the Gulch Ranch in the Summer of 1953. I was 16 years old at the time and it was my first summer job. The old ‘cooka housa’ in ‘Il Buco’ was still in operation so I actually got to eat with the ‘ranceri’. Reminiscing on this, I thought it might be fun to go around the boarding room table in an attempt to identify those who sat there in the summer of 1953. Many of these ranceri, I do describe in ‘La Nostra Costa”.

The table was set facing east to west. At the head of the table (east end) a place was reserved for “La Cuoca”, ‘Sunta’ Ramaciotti. As I recall ‘Sunta’, for what ever reason, never eat with the ranceri, so the chair remained empty. Seated on what would have been her right, was Pietro “Pete” Rinaldi, ‘Il Bosso”. Almost directly across from Pete sat Bronco. Ironically, this meant that the two faced each other at every meal. (In “La Nostra Costa”, I explain that the two often did not get along.) On Pete’s right sat Dante Ramaciotti. (He of shotgun toting fame and Sunta’s husband.) On his right, sat my brother, John,who also was working a summer job on the Gulch. A rancere named Paolo sat on my brother’s right at the extreme west end of the table. (Paolo was a day laborer; I do not recall is last name.)

Across the table from Paolo (still at the west end) sat “Baffi” Campioni with his bowl of minestrone soup and French bread. (“Baffi” for some reason, insisted on eating the same thing, minestrone and French bread at every meal.) Next to “Baffi”, on his right, sat Costantino (Augie) Gemignani who appears in the photos above. (Augie was in his early 40s during this time period.) On Augie’s right sat that grizzly old rancere, Louis Scannoni. Louis was a day laborer and as described in the book, loved to soak his biscotti cookies into his red wine. (Hmmmm. Buono, Buono!!) Next to him sat Jimmy Corno, another day laborer. Jimmy operated and maintained all the mechanical farm equipment (such as the ‘carapilla') on the Gulch Ranch. Next to Jimmy, sat my father and I sat next to Bronco (far east end, next to Sunta’s vacant chair, on what would have been her left.)

All of these ranceri (except for my brother) have crossed “Il Ultimo Ponte”. All, that is, except for Costantino “Augie’ Gemingani. The “Old Rancere” tells me that Augie might even show up at the Santa Cruz Library, Wednesday. Now that would really be something. If he does show, the "Old Rancere” might have to relinquish his title for the day. ivn0

THE LEGACY OF CHARLIE AND PRINCE

IN ‘LA NOSTRA COSTA’ I WRITE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT CHARLIE AND PRINCE ( PAGES 71-74) THE TWO WORK HORSES ON THE GULCH RANCH ‘SU PER LA COSTA’. IT SEEMS FROM THE PHOTOS ABOVE, THAT MY COUSIN FERRUCCIO HAS TAKEN THEIR STORY TO HEART. HE IS NOW STARTING HIS OWN ‘CHARLIE AND PRINCE’ HORSE FARM AT HIS ROMANDOLO CLUB IN ITALY.

Carissimo Ivano,

This is Nanà, the newborn of Ramandolo Club.
On April 16th Frieda gave birth to Nanà. These are the pictures.
Please, insert the news on your “Blagga”!!
I’ll send you soon the the origin of the Dri family of Ramandolo.

Sempre avanti,

Ferruccio (Dri)


LNC: Congratulations PaPa Ferruccio.

UPDATE ON CAMERON

FIGLIO DELLA COSTA, MARVIN DEL CHIARO SENDS PHOTO OF HIS WIFE ELAINE (COSTELLA) AND GRANDSON CAMERON STANDING IN FRONT OF 'ROARING CAMP' SPECIAL#2. UNKOWN WHO THE 'OLD' CONDUCTOR IS. AS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED (ARCHIVES: 3-29-07) ON THE LA NOSTRA COSTA BLAGGA, CAMERON AGE 4, SUFFERED A SERIOUS EYE INJURY. MARVIN REPORTS THAT CAMERON IS PROGRESSING WELL, HOWEVER, IT WILL BE A LONG REHABILITATION PROCESS. OUR HOPES AND PRAYERS ARE WITH CAMERON FOR A COMPLETE RECOVERY. THANKS FOR THE PHOTO MARVIN AND ELAINE. NEXT TIME WOULD YOU PLEASE INCLUDE A PHOTO OF MARVIN. IVNO

GUEST APPEARANCE AT THE SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY

********************* IVANO AND GRANDSONS



MAXINE MCNAMARA AND MARION POKRIOTS OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT IVANO FRANCO COMELLI, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, ‘LA NOSTRA COSTA’ HAS AGREED TO A GUEST APPEARANCE AT THE SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY, ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 AT 1:00 PM.

IVANO WILL BE GREETING GUESTS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS AT THE ‘LA NOSTRA COSTA’ PHOTO DISPLAY LOCATED IN THE GENEALOGY SECTION OF THE LIBRARY. HE WILL ALSO GIVE A SHORT PRESENTATION ON HIS BOOK AND COMMENT ON THE PHOTOS CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY.


WHERE: GENEALOGY SECTION OF THE SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY
224 CHURCH STREET
DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ


DATE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 16

TIME: 1:00 PM

ADMISSION: FREE

Web: www.nostra-costa.blogspot.com