My brother Frank and I grew up during the Depression of the 1930s. Only a year and a half apart, we were close in age but different in spirit. Frank was the sports guy and I was the opera singer while growing up.
When Frank and I were youngsters in Bensonhurst my mother got a call from a neighbor saying that Frank and I had lit every candle in the Church. The priest asked Frank and me, “Why did you do such a thing?” And Frank and I said, “Because we never want our mother to get old!” We might have not been candidates for altar boys – but who could resist the two young Pantano brothers?
One of my aunts told my Mother Marie (Sadie) that she knew a good Catholic camp where we would get better discipline. We hated the camp, we hated the food – no pasta but plenty of peanut butter sandwiches. One noisy night in our dormitory, a nun with a whip tore off my sheets and gave me a whipping. I was the only one that was sleeping and not making noise. Frank remembered marching like the Gestapo everywhere we went. When my parents, known as Sadie and Sam came for a visit they quickly took us home. We loved our home on Benson Avenue.
I remember us as kids playing pilots of Japanese airplanes on our front stoop and Frank usually shot me down. He was a monitor at P.S. 200 and he reported me for being late and talking. The Principal didn’t take it too seriously and laughed a bit about it. I remember Pearl Harbor Day and Frank told me more about it at P.S. 201, our Junior High School.
Sometimes Frank in his sleep would yell, “Were crashing” and I would yell, “Pull the throttle, Frank!” and he would say, “I pulled the throttle, we’re coming in for a landing,” that’s what my mother who witnessed this, told me!
We used to go sleigh riding in Bay Ridge as kids, always smooth-riding since there were no cars allowed on many days during World War II. During the greatest blizzard on December 26, 1947, Frank and I set out to Hy Tulip’s Deli in Bensonhurst but gave up after walking a few feet. No good night knish (kiss) that night. My father, however, walked to work on Columbia Street and slept there for a week to sell boots and galoshes for his family.
Our much loved Aunt Mamie made some meatballs for Frank and me. I got three and Frank got two. Frank said, “Aunt Mamie why does Nino get three meatballs and I got only two?” “Why?” she said, “Because he is an opera singer.” Frank should have gotten a whole dish of meatballs!
Frank was a wonderful painter and painted a magnificent clown shedding a tear. He never painted again but saved that painting. Bravo Frank, well done, a masterpiece!
We enjoyed some New York classical culture with Frank and Marie. We saw a beautiful performance of Puccini’s La Boheme with a stunning set by Franco Zefferelli. We also saw Verdi’s Falstaff written at age 80. Frank enjoyed Ford’s Jealousy aria where a crazed Ford actually believes that fat Falstaff is pursuing his wife. We also saw the American Ballet theatre and Andre Rieu at Radio City Music Hall. A good time was had by all.
Frank had his own shoe store and was more than a regular hard-working Sicilian American from Bensonhurst. Because of an eye injury, Frank had to change professions. He wanted to be a printer but instead opened the popular Pan-Vel shoe store on 86th Street. Frank loved sports and was an excellent bowler and played until recently. He took me to meet his friends and watch a few games.
We loved the surprise 50th-anniversary party Frank had for Marie with many family and friends. Our Grandparents, Antonio and Rosalia’s house was their home at the beginning of their marriage. Later on Marie’s parents, Pepe and Johanna enjoyed Christmas parties in Frank and Marie’s Dyker Heights home with Marie’s brother David and his wife Lucy and family – all unforgettable.
Frank loved his family, his wife, Marie, his friends, his house and he grew tomatoes, figs and eggplant in his garden. I told him how lucky he was to have his two sons, Bryant and Jason, grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Brandon and his wife Kelly Schmidt, Evan, Mara, Serena, Kayla and her husband Kevin Zychowski and Orlagh Mahoney who was truly the light of his life in later years. Two great-grandchildren are Finn and Hadley. Frank enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports and joining them in Lavallette with son Bryant and his wife Jacqueline at the beach in New Jersey.
Frank and I would always say, “I love you” and his sweetest of smiles were the images that I remember while hearing singer Kitty Kallen’s hit song “Little Things Mean a Lot” and they definitely do! “Blue Moon” was Frank’s favorite song – it was their wedding song!
May Frank’s joyous welcome in Heaven be comforting. I am certain that he landed safely in Paradise like we always landed safely on our sleds in Bay Ridge and our beds in Bensonhurst.
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Nice story Nino. I was right there the whole time.