Page 6 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 27, 2026 ~ Malden Musings ~ Congratulations, Sergeant David Connolly By Peter Levine T ime to come out of the closet. Time to come clean — and after all these years, I must admit, it feels pretty darn good. For decades I kept a secret tucked away in the back of the closet: a deep, undeniable admiration for Malden Catholic. There, I said it. The air feels lighter and fresher already! It started in the early 1970s watching Mark Cannon do his thing on the football field — a force of nature with a pigskin that was impossible not to appreciate. Then came the mid-’70s hardwood wars, when Danny Meyers, Harold “Puggo” Sparrow and Steve Johnson went toeto-toe with the Catholic Conference’s heavy hitters (Ron Perry, Dwan Chandler, James Bailey), battling night after night in games that felt more like neighborhood turf wars in the making than mere high school hoop. And of course, who could ignore the parade of ridiculously talented hockey teams that rolled through the ’70s and ’80s? Those squads seemed to reload every winter like clockwork. Add to that Steve Freker quietly stacking up nearly 200 wins as baseball coach from 1998 to 2014, and the admiration only grew stronger. Through it all, I remained what you might call a closet admirer — not exactly waving the MC Blue & Gold banner from the rooftops of Edgeworth but following along with a respectful nod and maybe a quiet cheer here and there (Danny Lynch and I, that is). So yes, after all these years, the truth is out: I’ve been a fan all along. Which brings this long-winded diatribe to a conclusion. Congratulations to yet another proud Son of MC (2003), Officer David Connolly, on his recent promotion to the rank of Sergeant with the Malden Police Department. Dave made his pops — retired Officer Joe — and his whole family very proud; as Police Chief Glenn Cronin noted, “This promotion was a testament to Dave’s dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the Malden Police Department and to the community he proudly serves.” Agreed, Glenn. Did I mention that David is from Edgeworth, USA and that most of his family have served honorably and proudly in law enforcement for the past 50-plus years!? Congrats once again, Dave!! On a David Connelly side note, I am positive his grandmother Christine would have also been very, very proud of him. It is said in “Malden Musings”... • Pisa Pizza, how do I love thee, let me count the ways... The half tray — onion and pepperoni with extra sauce — I had last Friday night was one for the ages! Baked to perfection and served with a smile by Ms. Sunshine herself, Mary Hannon — I could not have been happier. On a side note, have you ever noticed how clean the bathrooms at PP are?! Crazy clean! Thank you, once again, Joe (Crowley), for being such a great friend to Malden. • Has anybody else noticed that mountain of snow at the The gangs all here after the ceremony: Dave (back, middle with beard) surrounded by friends, fellow officers and family, including his famous pops, Joe (pictured front and center) with that great head of gray moss. corner of Middlesex and Charles in the lot that has been empty since the Clinton Administration?! It is an incredible sight but may be gone by the time this article hits the newsstand. • I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention these two stalwarts of the MPD who also received a bump: Sergeant Jason Froio, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and Lieutenant Michael Luongo, promoted to the rank of Captain. Congrats, guys, keep up the great work! • Marilyn J. (Katz) Beecoff, 95, of Fairfax, Virginia, formerly of Boynton Beach, Florida, Saugus and Malden. May her memory be a blessing. • Just saying... Don’t you wish The Malden Advocate’s Steve Freker would write more of his “It is said in Malden” pieces? • Speaking of Coach Frek... just Established 1978 Mid-grade Regular 3.55 4.24 5.24 $4.47 Full Service ULS $4.789 Order online at angelosoil.com Kerosene Now Available! a small refresher course; Steve coached baseball at Malden Catholic, finishing with a record of 182-93, including 11 trips to the MIAA Division 1 State Tournament, with a post-season record of 27-10. Holy cow! Not too shabby! This included two North Sectional Championships, five trips to the North Finals and one Eastern Mass. Championship. In 2003, MC Baseball won the MIAA Division 1 State Championship! Frek also assisted in coaching football for seven seasons and basketball for two. An MHS grad who bleeds Blue & Gold, Frek is in just about every Hall of Fame in Massachusetts! Let’s see... MC Athletic Hall of Fame, the MHS Golden Tornado Hall of Fame and the Intercity League Hall of Fame to name but a few. Check this out... Between Malden High (7) and Malden Catholic (11), Coach Frek has mentored 18 players who have either been drafted (15) or signed as a free agent and played professional baseball, (according to reliable sources) the most players to the professional ranks of any coach in New England over the past 35 years or so. Frek has also coached well over 125 players who have gone on to play college baseball, many of whom were D1 and D2 scholarship players, including Kevin McGlinchy and Rich Barker, who played in the Big Show. True stories, mind you! • Still lean and mean, with just a whisper of gray betraying the years, Frek looks as though he could still check himself into a game at the old Y without missing a beat — drift to his favorite (dead) spot (we all had a favorite dead spots) and calmly bank a couple of his classic left-handed line-drive set shots off the ancient backboards, just like in them good old days. As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” — “Thirstily he set it to his lips, and as its cool refreshment began to soothe his throat, he thanked Heaven that in a world of much evil there was still so good a thing as ale.” Some stories from Maldonia past deserve an encore appearance... In true Billy Settemio fashion — understated, mischievous, and delivered with perfect Uncle Billy timing — he managed to light up a room full of friends and family… without even being in it. A month or so before he passed, while enjoying an adult beverage in his legendary Wellington Street Manspace, Billy leaned over to his bestie Joey Pisaturo and laid out the plan. Pez, of course, was sworn to secrecy — coconspirator in one final Settemio shenanigan. Now anyone who knew Billy knows this much: If there were rounds bought at the I.A.C.C., odds are Billy’s “tab” was open. In his lifetime, he may have bought more drinks for “the house” than any human being — alive or departed. So, Billy figured… one more time. And with feeling. On the first night back at the Italian American Citizen’s Club after his funeral, members walked in to find Dave Angelo behind the stick with a message: Billy had left $200 at the bar. One last round. On him. Mic. Drop. We laughed. We cried. We toasted. We told stories. We spent every last cent Billy left behind — and then some — because that’s what you do when honoring a man who never let a glass go empty, a friend go unnoticed, or a story go untold. Love and miss you beyond what words can properly capture, Billy. Each. And. Every. One. Of. Us. —Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate. He can be reached at PeteL39@aol. com for comments, compliments or criticisms. FLEET CARD Check Out Our LOW PRICES!
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