Page 10 - Italian American Herald - May 2022

10 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | MAY2022 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD
BOOKS
The sentimental Charlie Sacchetti and his inner kid return to memory lane
By Al Kemp Managing editor
According to his driver’s license, Charlie Sacchetti is 75 years old.
In his mind, though, he’s a much younger man, dwelling forever in
that magical age on the brink of adulthood, looking at the world through the youthful lens of limitless possibilities.
That inner child, he reckons, is “probably between 18 and 21 years old.”
“I like being a kid in my mind,” he said. “I am quite serious about some things but I am also a kid at heart who is a tad devilish, so I have a pretty funny side, too. When I write and I have the opportunity to inject humor in the story, that kid starts typing.”
The kid knows what he’s doing. Earlier this year he published his third collection of stories drawn from his own life, titled “Savoring the Moments: True Stories of Happiness, Sadness and Everything in Between.”
Sacchetti’s memoirs are deeply rooted in the Italian-American experience of his
Special”) or recalling the family’s beloved Yorkie (“Giving Your Heart”), Sacchetti is unabashedly sentimental.
The storyteller shows his self-effacing side in “Earning the Bag,” which recalls an attempt to boil eggs in the family’s microwave.
And the mirthful kid inside Sacchetti’s head gets free rein in “An Ounce of Pandemonium,” a story that details some unexpected mouse encounters, the first involving his wife LuAnn at a Burger King in Drexel Hill, Pa., and another involving an unfortunate rodent that fell from a tree branch and landed head-first in ... well, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
Sacchetti said he never planned to become a writer, and that much of his work began as anecdotes he would share with his customers during his sales career in specialty chemicals.
“Being in sales for 40 years has given me the opportunity to tell my stories verbally
to lots of guys. I have fun when I work and
a good laugh works well for both seller and customer. No one, long ago, told me I should be a writer. They did, however, enjoy my storytelling,” he said. “My written stories
are nothing more than expressing in writing stories I’ve told many times along with new
Sacchetti’s memoirs are deeply rooted in the Italian-American experience of his Philadelphia boyhood, imbued with gentle humor and often a subtle spiritual message.
Philadelphia boyhood, imbued with gentle humor and often a subtle spiritual message. As in his previous books (“It’s All Good,”
2017; and “Knowing He’s There,” 2019), Sacchetti again travels with ease down a corridor to the past, vividly recalling events of a life both ordinary and extraordinary.
Whether describing his daughter’s first taste of spaghetti gravy (“The First One is
things that pop up that warrant the creation of a story.”
Sacchetti’s method: He writes on a computer, and organizes his stories in folders. He usually starts with a title, and adds several bullet points on which he can expand. Stories are completed over several days or several weeks.
“If I recall something, I know immediately if there is a story there or not. Many times,
friends or family will mention something that triggers a memory. I’ll also keep a list of potential topics,” he said. “I like to write as though the reader is sitting down with me over a cup of coffee, listening to me.”
Sacchetti lives in Cinnaminson, N.J., with his wife of 47 years, LuAnn. They have a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren. He is a longtime contributor to the Delaware Valley
Italian-American Herald.
“Savoring
the Moments” is available through amazon.com and other booksellers. IAH
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Belcastro in Calabria, close to the Ionian Sea and the mountains of the Little Sila, is one of many ancient towns offering homes for 1 euro.
By Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo
to become homeowners in various locations across the country. The trend began in 2008 as an initiative by the government, mostly in rural towns and villages, to give new life to areas, which were experiencing sharp declines in population.
have lost so much of their population that they offered homes for free and even financial incentives for people to move there.
you will need the permit. Finally, you will need to open an account in an Italian bank. Well, this almost sounds too good to
be true and in a way it is. The payment of 1 euro is a good faith offer but the caveat
The sale of thousands of Italian homes
for the paltry sum of just 1 euro has sparked international interest in recent years. Italy has long been a top tourist destination, ranking in the top five visited countries worldwide and in the top three for those who live in Europe. Each year millions travel to Italy to experience its fascinating culture, its beautiful landscapes and artistic sites and delectable cuisine. Some visitors return numerous times because of their heritage and familial ties
and other because they fall in love with the country and its lifestyle.
Now Italy is giving many of these tourists an opportunity to become an integral part
of the country’s charm with the opportunity
The aging population and the large exodus of younger inhabitants in search of better jobs in larger cities or in other parts
of Europe, led to thousands of uninhabited houses which began to fall into ruin. The mayor of Salemi, a small town in Sicily, was the first to propose the initiative when he introduced the idea of selling homes that
had lain in ruin since a 1968 earthquake to anyone who would agree to renovate them for just 1 euro. Since then, hundreds of towns have set up these initiatives. Some towns
Of course, there are some regulations you must meet to purchase property. First you will need a passport just to look at properties and you will need to establish residency if you do not have Italian citizenship and plan to spend more than 183 days a year in your home. You also need to apply for a Codice Fiscal, which is comparable to a national insurance number and required to make any transactions and pay taxes. If you are buying a permanent residence, you do not have to worry about applying for a Codice Fiscale because the estate agent will get you one that does not also need a residency permit. However, if you are buying a holiday home
is that whoever purchases one of these houses must submit plans for renovation
to the town council and complete the work within a specific period. Some towns, such as Sambuca in Sicily, specify a minimum
of 15,000 euros for renovations and others may require insurance deposits of up to 5,000 euros. Each municipality has different requirements so that could make a difference in where a buyer might purchase a house. The cost will also depend on the size of the
How to buy an Italian home for 1 euro
Trend to revitalize rural sites presents unique opportunity
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JANUARY 2022
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