Tinker, Tailor, Indian Chief!

As I mentioned before, Daddy left home at an early age, not finding any love or family ties in his father's household with his 2nd wife. She truly treated him badly, worse than you could imagine a stepson would be treated. So at 14 years old he struck off on his own. He found a jeweler who apprenticed him with gold, gems, and repairing watches. Back then, a watch was something of value and usually made of gold and fine movements. So Daddy worked at that and than decided to try tailoring apprenticship. That did noting for him. Than he worked in the Brooklyn shipyards, welding ships, which he did again during WWII. That's another story.

But I'm getting ahead of myself again. Let me go back and tell you a story about Mom and Dad when they made their First Holy Communion. They were about 8 years old and now that I remember it, grandfather DiMasi and grandfather DiMantova were what they called Cumbas. (Not sure of the spelling, but phonetically, that's how it sounded.) They weren't related, but were friends in Italy and in the US. The church was St. Mary's, a beautiful 'Old World' church, arcitechturally, in Long Island City. It's still there. I visited it in 1992 before I came back to Florida. I could just imagine Mom and Dad making their 1st communion, dad in a navy blue suit, white shirt and tie, and mom in a beautiful lacy white dress with a long viel and flowery head piece. This is also the church they were married in.

There was a party afterwards with lots of Italian delicassies and of course the infamous Rum Cake I imagine. It was their tradition to give money to the communicants, and Mom got more money than Dad, and Dad was so angry he bit her. And so the love story begins.

Mom was a tender 17 and Dad around 18 when they married. It was the 1930's and the economy was improving. The music of the age was incredible. Jeanette McDonald, Nelson Eddie were the Darlings of the screen, singing in the rich story filled movies. Nelson Eddie, a Canadian Mounty, Jeanette McDonald the damsal in distress. And of course there were the silent pictures with W.C. Fields, Gene Marlowe, the first 'blonde bombschell', and a slew of others. All the Great talents, Oscar Wilde, Rogers & Hammerstein, and of corse, the Italian sensation, Caruso, who was a personal Cumba of my father's. Daddy used to go to the recording studio and watch him record records on what he said look like wax discs that would peel as the record went around. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ziggfield Follies, Fanny Brice, Charlie Chaplin who was a genius with silent films, Bing Crosby. Mom and Dad loved the Theatre and would see every play and movie they could. They were a stunning couple, and at last Daddy had a home. They were happy and secure in each other. And the children started to come. Daddy was so tickled.

THe first born, Dominic Anthony DiMontova. Daddy was so pround and Mom was radiant. I know this because I saw the pictures. Christopher looks so much like my Dad, minus the beautiful cleft chin. But Dick had the chin, also cream colored eyes and blonde hair. Then a year later, Eleanor. Gorgeous child that looked just like grandmother Isabella, raven hair, alabaster skin and full lips, high cheek bones, beautifully classic. Then Theodore DiMontova, Jr. He was gorgeous. Olive skin, dark hair and piercing dark brown eyes. My girl friends used to drool over him. Then Esther! She is a book in herself. What a beautiful child. She was tiny, 4'10" but just perfect. She looked very much like Eleanor, but she was a brunette and not as lite skinned. As a child, she had rickets, which is a breast bone disease, which Mom doated and nursed her constantly and doused her with cod liver oil....UGHHHHH. But it was mom's care that made her perfectly healthy. She was a happy person, fun loving, people loving, gregarious girl. Then came Barbara. What can I say, she was perfect, talented, theatrical, smart in school. Then 6 years later came me. "The Baby". Hated the title then, but didn't mind later on in life. Eleanor was my major care giver. The mix was wonderful, although Dick would torture mom. What a bebe he was, all his life.

One day, he was at mom for something for about 3 hours. She was cooking cleaning, cleaning lunch dishes, starting dinner, mopping floors, and being the oldest she expected him to help, but he never did. She got so frustrated with him, she threw that mop thru 2 rooms, like a javalin, and hit Dick in the back of the head with it. He was out cold for about a minute. Mom would go into the kitchen and cry, usually talking to herself and feeling awful. Dick was relentless and very spoiled.

There was an incident with Esther at the dinner table some time later. They were all teenagers, and I was only 4 or 5 at the time. Mom still doated on her, But Esther would find a new way to eat every nite.
This particular nite she was rolling peas down her knife into her mouth. Mom told her to stop 3 times until she threw a fork at her. Amazingly enough, it stuck in her forehead. We all laughed, including Esther. Mom took another trip to the kitchen.

I do have many stories from childhood and will continue nexdt post tomorrow......I hope. I'm seeing my primary Dr. tomorrow and hopefully can convince her to get the tanks for my portable oxygen system.