L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 www.italoamericano.com 10 Dear Readers, More February finds with an Italian connection: Mario Cuomo, the former three-term Governor of New York, who left us last month on the first day of our New Year, personified the Italian American immigrants "American Dream" come true. Born in New York City in 1932, he was the fourth child of Andrea and Immacolata Cuomo. His par- ents, penniless and unable to speak English, had come to the United States from the province of Salerno, south of Naples, in the Campania regione of Italy. When Mario and his wife Matilda Raffo Cuomo visited Italy in 1993, they were warmly greeted and applauded every- where they went, but Mario didn't take it personally, he explained they were really clap- ping for themselves. Following are Mario Cuomo's thoughts on the trip, as printed in the pages of L'Italo-Americano upon his return home: "Matilda and I were fortunate to visit Italy recently as the guests of the Italian government. The trip was designed to build on our "Due Case, una Tradizione" agreement, and has produced some significant achievements, including agreements to collabo- rate on health research, pro- mote educational and cultural ties, and expand tourism and trade. New York is already a major trading partner of Italy. We account for 10 percent of all that the United States exports to Italy. We receive 40 percent of all Italian imports to the U.S. The two offices we've set up in Milan and Rome are sure to increase these investments. In addition to our official duties, Matilda and I were afford- ed a wonderful personal experi- ence, and I would like to share some of my thoughts on the trip. Italy is a country of lavish history, culture, art and manners. We are quite literally bathed in all of it, and it is difficult not to feel generally soothed and improved by the experience. Throughout the visit, I was struck by the beauty and power of the place: The view of Rome's glorious antiquity from the terrace of our hotel room early one morning. The clean, crisp modern beauty of Milan, built alongside its ancient mag- nificence. The thousands of years of Italian history. The spectacular beauty and impact of its art. The self-assurance and dignity of its people, all of them- the mightiest in their splendid, palace-like homes; the stylish men and women on their way to work at a Rome bus stop; and the people of Nocera and Tramonti, where my parents are from, with the sun-creased faces and their rough, strong hands. All of them, cumulatively, had a tremendous impact on my emotions and my mind. We visited by mother's house, the bottom floor of which is dirt, with no running water and no electric lines. It was damaged by the terrible earthquake in 1980. We visited the village where my father's father was born in 1868 in mountains outside Salerno. Cuomos and Giordanos, my mother's people, were in there parts for thousands of years. A tremendous sense of rever- ence and belonging passes through your mind when you stand in front of your mother's home or the church where your father's family went and the fam- ily before them. As productive as the trip was from an official standpoint, and as enjoyable as it was to Matilda and me, one of the most memo- rable and rewarding aspects was our reception from the Italian people, who overwhelmed us with their attention, affection and respect. Wherever we went, crowds sought to shake our hands and wish us well. I have thought a lot about why we were so well-received throughout Italy and I've con- cluded that they saw in me some- one who has achieved a measure of success and who has never denied his Italian heritage, and in fact, they were cheering them- selves, a strong, proud people who have contributed so much to the world. Mario Cuomo Governor, New York State *** Mario recalled that although there wasn't a lot of "palship" he had a happy childhood. His mother and father owned a gro- cery store that was never opened less than eighteen hours a day. Mario's' father went to a din- ner once in his life at the request of an Armour salesman. He never went to a ballgame. He never did anything but work for the kids. He recalled that "the day I got married they were still in the store. As a matter of fact, the Saturday morning of my wed- ding, my brother Frank and I stood in the store in our tails and waited on customers. We were there just for kicks. And the store was open during the wedding. We brought some people in to run it for a few hours. My father went back in the afternoon, but inci- dentally, I don't ever remember meeting anyone from my family- and work-oriented neighborhood who needed a psychiatrist." *** Our Chinese neighbors in the shrinking "Little Italy" sections of cities throughout the United States and Canada will be cele- brating the Ram this year. The Year of the Ram cycle will run from February 19, 2015 to February 7, 2016. In Chinese culture, the ram or male sheep, is a sacred animal of good fortune, kindness and jus- tice. Those born under the influ- ence of the eighth creature, in the zodiac of the Lunar New Year, are caring, sensitive, artistic and intuitive. They long for beauty and want to see the world. They have the special talent of being able to turn challenges into oppor- tunities. According to Chinese folklore, and Emperor invited all the animals in his domain to share in his New Year celebration. Only twelve came and they came in this order: the Rat, Ox Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Serpent, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and the Boar. If you were born in 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003, you were born in the Year of the Ram. *** In Sicily, inside Palermo's "Parco della Favorita", a long- wooded expanse at the foot of Monte Pellegrino are formal gar- dens on grounds originally bought by the Bourbon King Ferdinand in 1799, during his exile from Naples. For three years he lived there in the "Palazzina Cinese", a small Chinese-style pavilion, just inside the main entrance, beyond the Piazza Niscemi. Next door is the "Museo Etnografico Pitre" popularly called the "Museo Cinese", a misnomer because there are no Chinese exhibits there. The Ethnographic Museum, next to the Palazzina Cinese, has a collection of about 4,000 exhibits, documenting Sicilian life, traditions and folk art. The first rooms feature local embroi- dery, weaving and floats dedicat- ed to Santa Rosalia. The Sala dei Presepi features more than 300 nativity scenes, some by the 18th century artist Giovanni Matera. Most exhibits are of Sicilian folklore and culture on the island. There's all the work traditionally associated with Sicily, perhaps most spectacularly a wealth of brightly painted carts and car- riages, some several hundred years old. In the past, people's status was judged by the skill and extent of the decorations on their carts. There's also a reconstructed puppet theater (with perfor- mances in the summer) and dozens of expressive puppets, scenery backdrops and handbills lining the walls. But equally fas- cinating are the less well-known aspects of Sicilian handicrafts and cultural life: whole wooden carv- ings, all Arabic, sculpture by Antonello Gagini, and works by 15th century artist Antonio da Messina. Parco della Favorita was originally a hunting reserve, but King Ferdinand I turned it into a garden in 1799, when he fled to Palermo, with his retinue after being forced into exile from Naples by Napoleon's troops. At the edge of the Parco della Favorita is the "little Chinese palace", the summer residence of Ferdinand I and his wife Maria Carolina during their period of exile in Sicily. It was designed by Venanzio Marvuglia in 1799 (it seems that the king himself had a hand in the design) and entertained such illus- trious guests as Horatio Nelson and his wife, Lady Hamilton. The Palazzina Cinese was the first example of eclectic archi- tecture in Palermo, a combination of Chinese decorative motifs and Gothic, Egyptian and Arab ele- ments. It is an extravagant work, exemplified by details such as the repetition of bells in the shape of a pagoda on the fence, the cor- nices and the roof. The interior is equally flamboyant: Neo- Classical stuccoes and paintings are combined with 18th century chinoiserie, scenes of Chinese life and Pompeian painting. Mario and his wife Matilda Raffo Cuomo

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