L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 6 From the Hills of Naples to the Hall of Fame A True Servant to the Oregon Italian Community A Message from Carlo "Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind." –Leonardo da Vinci This quote by Leonardo da Vinci sums up the journey that defines Antonio "Tony" Russo's life. Although by looking at him today, you'd never know it. Trophies, congratulatory let- ters, and piles of newspaper arti- cles, fill the scrapbooks, and line the walls and display cases of the schools and wrestling rooms where Tony Russo was head wrestling coach. His Tigers of Newberg High School won eighteen confer- ences titles, seven Oregon State Championships, and eight Oregon State Dual Meet Championships. The nation took notice and Amateur Wrestling News ranked them as 2 nd in the nation during the late 1980's. By the end of Tony Russo's reign as head coach, the Newberg Tigers had become a multi-generational sports dynasty. All of this brought with it accolades. To name a few, Oregon All-Sports Coach of the year, Wrestling Coach of the Year, Cultural Exchange All- Star Coach, and a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "None of this would have been possible without the athletes and their dedication and hard work," Russo said. "They have to trust you as a coach, they have to understand that there is a higher purpose for the grind that you are putting them through. The ones who understood this bene- fited greatly." Russo coached over twenty athletes to individ- ual state titles during his career. As an athlete himself in the 1960's Russo had an acclaimed career, winning a conference title for the Arizona State Sun Devils and wrestling his way to an alter- nate position on the 1964 Olympic team. "Wrestling opened doors for me that would have never been opened otherwise. It allowed me to go on to higher education. Wrestling made that happen for me," Russo stated. "The influ- ence my coaches had on me was huge. The sport of wrestling gave me more than anyone can realize today and I wanted to pass that on to young athletes. I knew that if the sport of wrestling could make such a dif- ference in my life, then it could make a difference in the lives of others, and I wanted to be a part of that." Rewind to 1940's rural Italy. Young Antonio Russo was climbing trees, chasing birds, and working on his family's leased farmland. Too busy being a kid to understand his mother's wish for a better life. "In Italia, i ricchi sono sempre più ricchi e i poveri sono sempre più poveri." In Italy, the rich are always richer and the poor are always poorer. Antonio heard his mother speak these words over and over, but even so, noth- ing prepared him for what would happen the summer of 1951. That summer his family board- ed a bus and traveled to the Bay of Naples. Once there, they put ten-year-old Antonio aboard the SS Independence headed for America. Antonio would be traveling alone, his only comfort the salami and provolone cheese his mother had stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. On August 15, 1951 Antonio disembarked on New York soil and began a new life in America. "I knew I was in America," Tony said. "I had heard about the Statue of Liberty, and I rec- ognized her right away, but this was the most frightening thing I had ever experienced, and to this day it makes me nervous to think about it. Even when my family took me into their homes, it didn't feel right. In New York, I didn't fit in, I was nervous and there was no stability. It wasn't until my Uncle Tony and Aunt Gladys sent for me and gave me a home in Portland, Oregon that I started to feel comfortable." His aunt and uncle enrolled him in school and despite the language barrier, his academic struggles, and social turmoil, Tony found one thing he excelled at – the sport of wrestling. After high school, further edu- cation was not an option finan- cially, and thus he entered an apprenticeship program at Ladd Wholesale Meat Company. This would be his career and he felt comfortable pursuing this as he had participated in the pig slaughter every year as a young boy in Italy. His family's spe- cialty salami was Soppressata, and it's still his favorite today. Antonio worked his way up the ladder but he could never shake his love for wrestling and he continued to participate at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland. In 1963, preparedness and opportunity collided when he received a letter from the head wrestling coach at Arizona State University, Ted Bredehoft, asking him to come to ASU and try to wrestle his way on to the team. The rest is history. In 2012, Tony wrote a memoir with his daughter published by Gemelli Press titled, Wrestling with the Devil; A story of sacri- fice, survival and triumph, from the hills of Naples to the Hall of Fame. TONyA RuSSO HAMILTON In 1968, Tony breaks a sweat while working out with his athletes April 27, Sun. – Tuscan Association of Oregon Monthly Meeting at 3:00pm. Located at Carvlin Hall, St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 2408 SE 16th Av. in Portland. This meeting features a look at how Italy's World Cup soccer team reflects the country's culture. For information, contact Audrey Perino at OregonTuscans@gmail.com or visit the website at www.OregonTuscans.com. April 30, Wed. – Vancouver USA Sons of Italy Italian Study Group at 7:00pm at the Felida Fire Station, 11600 NW Lake Shore in Vancouver, WA. Filomena Forsythe is the instructor. For information, contact Sharon Sorensen (360) 574-3994. May 1, Thurs. – Amici d'Italia Regular Meeting in Balestra Hall, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 424 SW Mill Street in Portland. The meeting begins at 7:30pm and features guest speaker Jeff Briley. For information, contact Kerry- Lynne Demarinis Brown at 503-287-3255 or difamiglia@aol.com May 4, Sun. – Italian Hour on KBOO 90.7 FM from 9:00 to 10:00am. Hosts Lucia Galiza, Andrea Scasso and Robert Iannacone play contemporary and classic Italian music. Featuring news of the local Italian community. Also listen online at www.kboo.fm May 6, Tues. – Italian Businessmen's Club Meeting at Ernesto's Italian Restaurant, 8544 SW Apple Way in Portland. For information, contact Robert Iannacone at robert202@comcast.net May 7, Wed. - Vancouver USA Sons of Italy Hats for Headstart Group from 1:00 to 3:00pm to knit/crochet/loom Hats for Headstart at Liz Haught's home at 1320 Ashland St., Kalama, WA. Contact Liz for more information (360) 673- 1320. Carlo Ilio Mannocci has repre- sented the Oregon and Washington Italian community for many years, particularly in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area. He held the office of Honorary Italian Vice Consul from 1997 until 2003 when he passed the title to Andrea Bartoloni. "Serving in the capacity as Honorary Vice Consul of Italy in Portland has been indeed an honor and a privilege," Carlo stated. "The Consular position has created an entryway in the Italian-American community of Portland and Oregon and, above all, given me the opportunity to better serve the needs of the Italians and Italian-Americans living in the state of Oregon. Normally a smooth sailing but in a few occasions even some rough waters. It has been a way to better serve the community." Serving the Italian community has always been a high priority for Carlo. In 1996, the same year that he was starting the Tuscan Association of Oregon in Portland, Carlo began serving as the Oregon/Washington corre- spondent to L'Italo Americano. Over the years, he has attended many events in the Italian com- munity in order to present Oregon Italians and Italian Americans to subscribers. He also encouraged others to take up their pen (and later their com- puters) to write their own arti- cles. He has been a good friend to all and a mentor to many. "Serving as correspondent of L'Italo-Americano has been a great social experience," Carlo said recently. "In 2008, I attend- ed the 100th anniversary gala in Los Angeles where I realized that there is so much to do to keep the newspaper alive and be able to use it properly to benefit the Italian-American communi- ty." Carlo retired from his corre- spondent duties this year and handed the responsibilities over to Kerry-Lynne Demarinis Brown, another person encour- aged by his example and friend- ship. Kerry-Lynne currently serves as president of Amici d'Italia and co-editor of Il Pappagallo. "In the summer of 2013 I requested to be replaced by a person with knowledge of Italian life. I sincerely think that a per- son of Kerry-Lynne's caliber can do so much, using the Italian-American associations as a launching pad to spread the circulation and make the news- paper a strong mean of commu- nity information and network." Carlo may have retired but he will continue to be a happy influence on us all. Dear Readers of L'Italo- Americano: After almost twenty years as Correspondent of L'Italo- Americano for Oregon and Washington, I have requested to be replaced due to serious health issues. As it is said, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." During these years I have given my very best to keep alive the Italian legacy and our beautiful language, a small contribution but a sincere one. Kerry-Lynne is the ideal person to continue the quest, she has a great knowl- edge of "cose italiane" in the Portland area and she is capable of motivating people to reach goals. I want to say to all of you, "Arrivederci"; and to Kerry- Lynne and L'Italo-Americano, "Best wishes for continued suc- cess." Sincerely, Carlo Ilio Mannocci

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