Continuing on the genre of posts about My Towns. I want to talk about early generation Italian-American drivers, and specifically, early generation Italian-American women drivers. I’m sorry that some might consider this sexist, but it’s my blog AND MY TRUE STORIES!
.TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Drives Me Crazy!
- Joanne M’s Driving “Prowess”
- Nebalatan Word of the Day – Dai
- Warren, PA Post Office
- Pasquale’s Pizza – Titusville, PA
Drives Me Crazy!
To preface this post, I need to take an aside to a music video…
Joanne M’s Driving “Prowess”
This leads me to my mother’s (Grandma Joanne’s) friend Joanne M’s, and her driving “prowess?!” The first 30 seconds of this video describes Joanne M.
Joanne M was a typical early Italian-American woman in statue. She wasn’t tall; likely less than 5′ tall and could barely see over the dash. Like the woman in the video above!
Additionally, she was a chain smoker and always chomping on Dentine. Joanne M. and my Ma (Grandma Joanne) would get to talking, and it seemed like Joanne M’s eyes were always looking at Ma or looking for the ashtry.
Rarely, it seems, that her eyes were on the road! Thank goodness that cell phones didn’t exist for further distraction.
Then when her 4 kids, my brother, and I in the backseat (all sans seatbelts) with all of us talking and teasing each other, Joanne M. would physically turn around while driving and reach back and swat us and swear “you, son ya gonya (to be defined in another post).”
This turning and swearing was done all the while balancing that cigarette in her mouth.
It was brutal if her swatting was done when the cigarette was in her hand. We’d jump around the backseat like flies avoiding a fly swatter to avoid that hot cigarette end!
The scenes are so indelibly etched into my memory from over 60 years ago. It’s scary to this day!
These scenes, like me driving when I was 13 (yes, 13, another future post) could only be had in MY TOWN, Ashtabula, OH.
Nebalatan Word of the Day – Dai
I guess I was lucky that I didn’t die while riding in a car with Joanne M. (and, as a matter of fact, my own mother’s driving too).
There’s a word in Italian (and Neapolitan), Dai that is pronounced like the English word die.
I first heard DAI while in Italy with our daughter as she played football (soccer) against Italian girls. As the Italian girls’ teams would run on the field they’d yell, “Dai, Dai, DAI!”
At first, I was taken aback! Thinking to myself, “What? They want our team to die?”
Leading to the first trip to Italy, I took out the Italian text book from my college Italian class to refresh myself. It wasn’t much of a refresher. I had the coach of Lazio tell me, “Stop speaking Italian. You suck!”
In any event, a more formal definition of Dai
“If someone says, “dai,” they mean “come on!” From (click here)
So, I probably should’ve been yelling from the backseat of Joanne M’s car, “Dai, Dai, DAI! Before I die, die, DIE!”
Warren, PA Post Office
Last week we took a 3 day bike trip through Northeast PA to Youngstown, OH. This region has several WPA (Works Progress Administration – see here) architectural beauties (see map here), So, I was out to “capture” as many as possible during the trip.
The first of MANY, was in Warren, PA. The Warren, PA Post Office is not an WPA building project since it was built in 1931. Technically, the WPA started in 1935. But the building exterior represents much of what the WPA Post Office architecture represents; a James Wetmore symmetric design, red brick with white doors and window, and a grand entry with beautifully crafted iron-worked lights.
The interior is also delightful with ample use of green on white Verde Marble, iron-work, and oak. Although, it’s one of the first PO’s that I’ve captured that has the marble on the risers and steps!!!!
What most separates this PO from WPA PO’s is that there’s no WPA sponsored artwork. This is a shame, but artworks didn’t start to later in the 1930’s.
Pasquale’s Pizza – Titusville, PA
| Date | August 30, 2023 |
| Website | https://www.pasqualespizzaandsubs.com/ |
| Location | Titusville, PA |
| Strava Ride | https://strava.app.link/WrQblbBTNCb |
| Criteria | Rating |
| Ambiance | very much a JOINT (see previous blogs for definition), takeout, nice cardboard box, but no branding |
| Style | NY – on the thick side though |
| Shape | Round |
| Toppings | All cheese, 1/2 pepperoni |
| Dough/Crust | Thick, Buttery, Chewy, sweet, Cook = Soft |
| Cornicione | Spongy/airy |
| Sauce | Tangy, thick, but not enough |
| Cheese Type | Moozedell |
| Cheese | Greasy, Stringy, Salty |
| Sauce to Cheese Ratio | Sauce = A little to medium Cheese = Medium to a lot Balance = out of balance, too much cheese |
| Value | very good, 16 inch for $16 with toppings is outstanding |
| Overall | Good |
| Would I Go Back? | Yes |
| Comments | I rode to Titusville that day from Warren. PA. It was a hard and hilly 60+ miles with 3000+ feet of climbing in the wind and rain after we had been expecting sun. Since, one of my grandfather’s was named Pasquale, so I had high hopes! This was a very nice pizza for after ride. Although, there was a little too much moozedell and not quite enough sauce for me. The sauce was very good and tomato tangy. I wish there was a little more to counter the large amount of cheese. Because of the extra moozedell, especially on the pieces that had pepperoni, pepperoni, it was a little too salty for me, but the pepperoni had a nice spice. The dough/crust was a “thick-soft New York” style; or better, I’ll call it a Northwestern PA/Northeast, OH style. Since the thickness and amount of cheese reminded me of the pizza that I grew up with outside of Cleveland. Also, the dough/crust was thick and soft, not crispy like a typical New York. In addition, the dough/crust was very sweet compared to most others we’ve had. It’s obvious that sugar or honey was added to the dough to make it rise faster. This faster rise also held the dough back on tangy, long ferment taste. Overall, it’s a pretty good (but not great) pizza especially after a ride, I nearly devoured a 16 inch on my own. if we ever get to Titusville again, I’m pretty sure we go back! |
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