THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 28, 2025 Page 7 full force last week doing a fantabulous job as Malden battled its first major winter event. “Hogan’s Heroes” just killed it as they blanketed the cityscape, tagging transgressors for the good and welfare of all Maldonia. In the crazy things people say department... One of the Parking Control Officers driving down a street in Ward 2 reports that he was approached by a middle-aged bloke who disliked that the PCO was handing out tickets so diligently. When the PCO rolled his window down, the disheveled and portly geezer’s verbal assault was obnoxious, beyond reprehensible and a real head scratcher; “What are you, (German dictator during World War II), giving out all those tickets?!” Not one of Malden’s proudest moments. • Just a friendly reminder: The MHS Golden Tornado Club can always use your help, financially speaking that is. If you’ve got some extra gelt lying about (hint, hint to any “philanthropists” who love MHS), no better place to invest it than the future of Malden and this country, the student athletes who wear the Blue and Gold at MHS. Thanks for listening. • Malden High School’s “Top Male Athlete” for 1985, Timmy Carey, no doubt you belong in the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame, and here’s hoping the GTC committee agrees also. GTC committee, please don’t let other “voices” distract you from your important business. Insert snarky smiley face. In the Malden Beyond Edgeworth Department... Once again, from up on high, the inimitable Dana Brown reaches back into that very large brain of his for more great tales from Maldonia past... “In honor and memory...Blizzard of 1978 - I was a 19-yearold freshman at Boston College...” “Lots of us have Blizzard of ’78 stories; here’s what I remember. I was a freshman at Boston College and on Monday night (first night of the storm) I was at the Beanpot Hockey Tournament at the Boston Gaaarrrden with friends Donnie Brunelli (Brunelli Building), former MHS House Principal Tom Mahoney, Ricky Malatesta (legendary MHS teacher and golf coach), among several others. As the night wore on the Public Service Announcements were coming fast and furious. ‘Leave now!!’ was the message. ‘Trains will stop running soon.’ ‘We are in the middle of a blizzard.’ ‘Go home!’ “After much discussion and some arguing, a bunch of us decided to leave. Ricky Mal had parked his car at Malden Center and was willing to drive us home if we left now. We hopped on the train, the ‘rattler’ as Malden educator/pol/man about town Bobby McCarthy likes to call it, and we made our way to Malden. Once there Mal got us all to where we needed to be. In my case I was dropped at my high school girlfriend’s house, in Linden. There I stayed for several days, finally getting home via a truck driver who picked me up as I walked down an eerily quiet Salem Street, making my way to Ferry Street, then home to Pratt Street. “Tom Mahoney got back to his house in Chelsea by walking over the Tobin Bridge. Somewhere I remember him telling us he had slept overnight at the Garden and walked home the next day.’ “In any event, those days will always be remembered by me for the absurd number of people who walked everywhere for days into a week or more. No one drove. FYI, no cell phones, no computers, no video games... we did lots of shoveling. Neighbors helped neighbors. Neighbors helped strangers. I was a commuting student to Boston College and missed a bunch of days of classes. My romance with my high school sweetheart ended soon thereafter. Perhaps I had overstayed my welcome!” As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say “Just one more thing, sir” – each time I walk/travel past the intersection of Highland Avenue and Oakland Street, I salute the Sgt. Joseph J. Lumino Memorial Square plaque in front of the Highland Smoke Shop. I never met Mr. Lumino personally but I was generously gifted a copy of the diary this real-life hero kept during some of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Fascinating, riveting reading from a real American hero from Malden. An excerpt for you, dear reader, from the personal diary of “Malden’s One-Man Army” Sgt. Joe Lumino – US Army 45th Division. Joe killed over 75 enemy combatants at the Battle of Bloody Ridge during World War II (earning him a Silver Star). Joe’s family still have the “V-Mail” (V for Victory) postcard from him, which was a care package sent by Joe’s mom. It reads how all the guys in his unit got “one swig” out of the malted milk she sent them and how “good it was.” Printed with permission from his family: “Before attacking Biscari the Nazis were shelling us and the German Air Corp were dropping bombs near us, but we kept right on going. We were too dumb to know what war really is. I got cut from hitting the ground but refused aid as I did not want to report it for fear it would get in the papers as a casualty. My wife and folks would do plenty of worrying. It is a joke the way they give out Purple Hearts. Another great battle was Bloody Ridge. There was a swell story in Collier’s Magazine about the 45th fighting there. I fired 12 boxes of ammo in 65 minutes. The German tanks were coming very close to us and our artillery knocked it out. They helped very much.” To be continued. Postscript 1: Once again, I want to extend my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to our friend Danny Gilligan and his family on the unimaginable loss of his beloved wife, Lisa. The world dimmed a little the MUSINGS| SEE PAGE 18 If We Happen To Meet By Accident ... You’ll Be Glad You Found Us! There is a difference between the rest and the BEST! Celebrating 46 Years In Business! TONY’S AUTO BODY Call or Visit 781-321-0032 34 Sharon Street Malden, MA 02148 TONYSAUTOBODYLLC.COM COME VISIT OUR STATE OF THE ART BODY SHOP • Computerized Paint Matching (State of the Art Spray Booth) • Computerized Frame Machines • P.P.G. Refinishing System • R134 + 1234yf A/C Machines Fully Insured -RS2415 Insurance Company Approval ALL OUR WORK IS GUARANTEED! TONY BARTOLO Owner 46 Years Let Us Handle Your Next Insurance Claim. Go With the BEST It Doesn’t Get BETTER! RENTAL CARS Available
8 Publizr Home