Page 12 - Italian American Herald - February 2022

12 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | FEBRUARY2022 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD
IT'S ALL GOOD
Unforgettable hoagies got a thumbs-up – hopefully not literally
By Charlie Sacchetti
I guess it’s safe to say that all of us, at one time or another, have experienced
some good luck. Whether it be finding some money, being at the right place at the right time or any other thing along those lines, we generally know when lady luck has touched our lives. That was the case when two of
my buddies, Joe and Nicky Montagna, got
the back and we headed for the steak shop. Joe had warned us that the guy behind
the counter didn’t speak a whole bunch of English and we certainly didn’t speak Greek so we anticipated a mild communication problem that we would gladly live with in order to sit on the corner and enjoy these masterpieces that seemed more desirable with every mile.
When we walked into the store we saw the husky guy behind the counter.
“Well ... ’’ he said.
“Three Italian hoagies and two cheese
steaks please,” was my reply.
base. A quick trip to Mrs. Fagan’s for Cokes and we were ready to go. The sandwiches were great. Joe and Nicky became instant heroes. The only problem was that the guy at the store forgot to put hot peppers on the hoagies but that was a minor crime given the overall level of pleasure the food provided. Two subsequent trips to Mac Dade Boulevard followed in two weeks with the same great results except that each time the guy messed up something with the order. One time he forgot the cheese in one of the cheese steaks. One time he put mayo on a hoagie instead
of oil. This was becoming a problem and
sat on the corner for the late-night meal. One of them was the son of the owners of the cold-cut store on the corner adjacent to ours. How about that for a silent testimonial! Our pal could make his own hoagie out
of anything in his store, yet he preferred a hoagie from The Bugler. This was not heresy, it was simply acknowledging the obvious. We had also gotten smarter as the summer progressed. We double checked the orders so as to make sure the sandwiches were made as requested. The mistakes started to disappear. Cheese steaks contained cheese every time.
hungry and wa
n
k Shop. Joe and
h
ungled no
jobs just across s
t
t
w
a
e
r
l
l
k
k
e
t
e
h
h
h
e
e
d
t
d
a
d
a
e
p
osphere for
h
e
s
he Bungler”
c
c
r
r
o
o
s
s
s
t
s
t
h
h
e
w
s requested. It
H
d onions
H
d
o
o
t
p
t
p
e
e
p
p
p
p
e
e
r
r
s
s
,
s
,
s
w
w
e
e
e
e
t
p
t
p
e
e
p
p
n
o
p
p
m
i
e
e
g
g
r
r
e
h
h
s
a
s
a
d
“
n
w
s
e
e
r
r
e
s
e
s
u
u
p
p
p
p
l
l
i
i
e
e
d
a
street and ente
d
a
e
e
r
e
d
t
h
s
h
e
e
e
e
m
e
d
“
T
Boulevard Stea
T
a
k
h
u
a
a
d
b
d
b
m
m
!
o
o
T
s
t
w
r
e
Nick, both high school students in 1965, were helping their Dad, Gabe on one of his moonlighting
house painting g
!
r
e
O
O
r so we thought.
It was a beautiful
r
h
Saturday evening in
e
S
S
i
eptember.
e
T
s crisp, clear
h
i
n
ould afford the
i
o
o
n
p
Mac Dade Boulevard in Darby, Pa.
When the phantom lunch whistle went off in their heads, they figured they’d go to the nearest place to get a bite. What followed proved to be a culinary experience that they would gladly pass on to their pals who hung on the corner of 64th and Garman streets.
That evening, as we all gathered to share the events of the day, the brothers couldn’t wait to describe the fantastic hoagies and cheesesteaks served at the shop, just a 20-minute scooter or car ride from our corner. Even though we had just finished dinner, our collective mouths watered as
the boys described Italian hoagies, loaded with provolone, prosciutto, Genoa salami, lettuce, onions and hot peppers. The cheese steaks were cooked to perfection and served with fried onions on a crisp Italian roll. So impressed were we five, that we decided to digest our dinners for an hour or so and then take a ride to the shop to taste these beauties for ourselves. So, at 8:30 p.m. on this warm summer evening, I hopped onto my Vespa motor scooter with one of my buddies on
s
n
t
h
e
b
p
o
u
e
e
n
r
r
f
f
c
e
e
h
o
c
c
t
a
f
u
t
m
street from the e
s
m
h
o
p
o
t
a
t
Joe had warned us that the guy behind the counter didn’t speak a whole bunch of English and we certainly didn’t speak Greek so we anticipated a mild communication problem.
e
hoagies. As the three of us entered the store
we noticed our guy cleaning the counter but he was doing so with his left hand. His right hand was dropped at his side. After he said “Hoonyans” he turned to reveal his right hand that had an enormous bandage around the thumb. It looked like an oversized, white Tootsie Roll pop.
My two buddies ran out of the store, stifling laughter as I just stood there trying
to act cool while thinking to myself what my buddies must be thinking ... even though the hoagies were now correctly prepared to order, the poor guy had found something else to bungle.
I just hoped my hoagie wouldn’t include the tip of his one of his other fingers. IAH
Charlie Sacchetti is the author of three books, “It’s All Good: Times and Events I’d Never Want to Change;” “Knowing He’s There: True Stories of God’s Subtle Yet Unmistakable Touch,” and his newest, “Savoring the Moments: True Stories of Happiness, Sadness and Everything in Between.” Contact him at worthwhilewords21@gmail.com.
t
h
b
u
n
c
h
o
f
u
s
t
to enjoy our
s
“Hoonyans?”
“What?”
“Hoonyans?”
My buddy whispered to me, “What the
hell is Hoonyans?”
“Oh!” I said. “ONIONS! Yes, please, we
want Hoonyans!”
We paid the going rate in those days, 45
cents for each and went back to our home
since we didn’t know the guy’s name we started calling him “The Bungler.” In fact, the hoagie shop was itself now known by us and everyone who used to gape at us as we wolfed down the sandwiches on the corner as “The Bungler’s.”
As the summer progressed, the trips to The Bungler’s continued on a weekly basis. By now, we had about seven regulars who
The Herald is your exclusive opportunity
To reach the Delaware Valley Italian-American community.
To place your ad, contact: Advertising@italianamericanherald.com | 302.504.1335
Vol. 9 / No. 1
IN MEMORIAM
FOLLOW US ONLINE!
Broadcast pioneer
'Pat Delsi' passes away at age 86
PAGE 5
Find the latest Italian-American Herald features as well as an archive of back issues at our newly updated website, ItalianAmericanHerald.com
Add us to your favorite browsing sites and come back often!
A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER SERVING THE ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY WWW.ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM
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
@ItalianAmericanHerald @HeraldItalian
JANUARY 2022
continued on page 5