Page 12 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 13, 2019 Malden: today, tomorrow and yesterday... By Peter F. Levine N o, you haven’t picked up the Malden Observer-Advocate by mistake. Please welcome my inaugural column of “Malden: today, tomorrow and yesterday...” to this wonderful newspaper, The Malden Advocate. I am really happy to be on these pages. Keen observers may recognize me from the Observer. I will continue to contribute my “Malden Musings” column to the Malden Observer-Advocate but have branched out to the home of Virginia Ruane, Barbara Taormina and old friend Jim Mitchell. Basically, you’ll get the same old slop you’re used to from me, just a lot shorter. I kid. Hopefully, I will be an asset to this already excellent local weekly. We’re extremely lucky, as a city, to have two quality local newspapers. May the print media never die! The Fuccis of Whitman Street recently suffered the devastating loss of their beloved mom, Gloria. Right now I’d like to send out my sincerest and deepest condolences to the family. The Fuccis have been friends of mine and my family for decades. They are deep-rooted, longtime Maldonians who’ve touched many lives over the years. Mrs. Fucci made many a sub for me when she worked at Pumpsy’s back in the day (and maybe even Charlie Moreno’s Sub Shop). Gloria’s son, Allan, posted a couple of heartfelt, poignant thoughts on Facebook that I thought I’d share: “Thank you to all of you who have reached out to my family at such a difficult time for us. Whether you sent a text, a prayer, a card, flowers, a phone call or a visit with food so we didn’t have to cook and just spend mom’s final days reminiscing, laughing, crying and keeping mom comfortable. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The outpouring of love and support we received from you all is overwhelming. We are so grateful for our beautiful family and friends. Mom will be missed so much but will be forever in the hearts of all those she touched. Thank you, mom, for the beautiful life you made for us. Rest in peace. You definitely earned it. Until we meet again please watch over your crazy but loving family. I love you so much mom.” Allan followed up that post a few days later with this one: “A little over three weeks ago when we brought our mom to my house, I had received a call on my house phone from a Cape Cod number. When I answered a gentleman asked for my mom said his name was Dom, he said he knew my mom from years ago and heard she was not well and just wanted to send his well wishes. He then asked if I was her son, I said yes. He said, I want you to know I was the guy who introduced your mom and dad to each other almost 70 years ago and they were wonderful people. My heart dropped. I went and The Fucci Family: Diane, Allan, Joanie, Marie and their late mother Gloria. (Courtesy Photo) told my mom about this call and she corrected me on his last name and was excited to hear his name. This morning we walk into the funeral home and this guy is sitting alone on a couch. I approached him and he stands, puts his hand out and says hi I’m Dom Savarese. He drove by himself from the Cape very early to come to my mom’s funeral. Some people are amazing!” Norman Greenbaum, Charlie Farren, Marc Phaneuf, Phil Bynoe, Gary Cherone and John Surette aren’t the only Maldonians to make a splash in the music world. For newcomers and old-timers alike, here is a little bit of local musical history about a little-known player from Malden. In 1996, as part of their “Ultra Lounge” series, Capital Records released “Organs in Orbit” featuring Malden’s own Joe Bucci with his trio doing their “Space Age” take on the songs “Patricia” and “Lil Darlin.” Born in Malden in 1927, Joseph William Bucci was a highly respected big band jazz organist and accomplished accordionist as well as one of the finest “cocktail” pianists in the business. Little did Mr. Bucci know that every “Brother Cleve” follower, every “Vintage Cocktail” lover, every “Atomic Age Bachelor Pad Hipster” of the 1990’s would be swinging to the smooth sounds of his Hammond B3 (or “The Monster” as it was later nicknamed). Joe was a friend of Count Basie (the Count spoke glowingly of Joe on many occasions), had the charismatic Charlie Harris as his swinging lead vocalist in the early 1970’s (Charlie might still be swinging today at a lounge near you) and reformed the Joe Bucci Trio in the late 1970’s with his son Joe Jr. Throughout the 1960’s he was a regular as a duo at Lennie Sogoloff’s jazz club Lennie’s on the Turnpike on Route 1 in Peabody. Joe’s drummer for many years was Joe Rettig – also a Malden boy. Little known fact department: The song “Patricia” was used as the theme song for the HBO show “Real Sex.” Joe passed away in 2008. Random act of kindness committed on Labor Day Monday at the corner of Broadway & Eastern Avenue at Holy Cross Cemetery: middle-aged man standing on the side of the road next to his 10-speed with a cardboard sign indicating he was hungry. Out of nowhere, from behind an idling vehicle pops a young man with a “man-bun” and Adidas sweats. He hands the thin, grizzled gentleman a large bag of (I assume) breakfast sandwiches from McDonald’s and a large drink of some sort. Smiles all around and a firm handshake from a hungry traveler. A pleasure to watch unfold. Saint Rocco weekend this year was another fabulous display of Malden at its inclusive best. Old-time Maldonians mingled with newcomers to the city for three days of fun, family and tradition. I spotted, once again, making the rounds during the weekend, the “Flame and Fury of Fleet Street,” the baddest welterweight pugilist evah, champ Tony DeMarco! Still handsome, shaking hands with the young and old with that great big smile of his and that still firm handshake. Accompanied by his beautiful bride Dottie, Billy Spadafora Sr. and his lovely wife Donna, the “Pride of the North End” continues promoting his autobiography, “Nardo: Memoirs of a Boxing Champion.” Levine/Drago family folklore from back in the day has it that my (late) uncle Sammy (Drago) taught young Tony a thing or two about boxing at a local gym off Hanover Street in the North End. Extra special shout-out to Terri Gilligan’s little girl, Keri! With the blink of an eye Keri is a senior at Malden High School competing in both tennis and track for the school as well as serving as the 2020 Class Treasurer. This National Honor Society member comes from one of the best families ever to live in Malden. You probably know one of Keri’s many uncles. All great guys, sister Terri being the best of the bunch! Have a great senior year, young lady! “This is the end, beautiful friend; this is the end, my only friend, the end...” The giant “Spirit in the Sky” mural in progress (finished?) at the corner of Exchange & S. Washington Sts. honors the number one smash hit pop song by legendary Malden native – straight outta Lisbon Street, from Malden High School Class of 1960 – Norman Greenbaum. Malden Arts ARTLine will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new mural in tribute to Mr. Greenbaum on Oct 15 - start time is tentatively scheduled for 5:30 p.m., before sunset. Norman will be there! Music is planned and additional details will follow. Stay tuned! Watch for me as Norman Greenbaum Fanboy Number One looking to have my vintage Norman poster signed and a selfie taken with the legend himself! Postscript: When I say, “May the print media never die” I do not mean to sound flip about it. Print media will die unless we continue to support it. It is vital to all of us.
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