[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 74 (Thursday, May 23, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3831-S3832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO JOHN VARRICCHIONE
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I wish to recognize a man who is a leading
contributor to the preservation of the Italian community in Burlington,
VT.
John Varricchione grew up in a former Italian neighborhood adjacent
to downtown Burlington. I have my own fond memories of that
neighborhood, travelling with my mother--a first generation Italian-
American--from Montpelier to Burlington to shop in the small, family-
owned, Italian markets there. Only remnants of the neighborhood remain,
as most of it was lost to urban renewal in the 1960s.
I had the pleasure of joining John and other members of the Vermont
Italian Club for the dedication of a historic marker, which serves as a
reminder of the wonderful neighborhood in which he grew up, and of the
people who lived there. John was instrumental in making the marker
possible. We all shared wonderful Italian food after the dedication
ceremony. I was honored to be part of such a special event.
John never moved far from the old neighborhood. He stayed in Vermont
and became an outstanding teacher and coach at Rice Memorial High
School--a Catholic school in South Burlington--where he became
affectionately known among students as ``Mister V.'' Many Rice
graduates consider him a favorite teacher.
John's contributions to the Vermont Italian Club, and his efforts to
preserve our State's Italian heritage, are many. In honor of his work,
I ask unanimous consent that an article published in The Burlington
Free Press on May 10, 2013, ``Fragrant memories of Burlington's deep
Italian roots,'' be printed into the Congressional Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[[Page S3832]]
[From the Burlington Free Press, May 10, 2013]
Fragrant Memories of Burlington's Deep Italian Roots
(By Melissa Pasanen)
John Varricchione, 66, has strong memories of growing up in
the heart of Burlington's Little Italy, he said last Monday
while he and his wife helped their friend Mary Anne Gucciardi
make a batch of her famous meatballs in their Burlington
kitchen.
At one point, Varricchione donned an apron imprinted with
the name of the Vermont Italian Club and three photos from
the early 1900s of three families who were among the pillars
of the community: the Eveltis, the Varricchiones and the
Merolas.
His grandfather, Luigi Varricchione, originally came to
Burlington in 1912 at the suggestion of the Merolas who
preceded him and who hailed from the same town about an hour
east of Naples back in Italy.
The family first lived on Cherry Street at the core of the
Italian neighborhood, and Luigi Varricchione made wine in his
basement like many of the area's Italian families. He was a
member of the Vermont Italian Club in the 1930s when it was
men-only, although the club hosted regular meals for
everyone, charging 50 cents for men and a quarter for women
and children. The club maintains the tradition with an annual
fundraising dinner in late winter or early spring. (See
vermontitalianclub.org for more information.)
Varricchione remembers back to when he was 9 or 10 ``going
to mass with my father at the old Cathedral of the Immaculate
Conception'' and then walking a block to where his
grandmother lived on South Union Street with one of her sons
after her husband passed away.
``There were grapevines growing up the wall and a garden in
the back for herbs,'' Varricchione recalled. ``Grandma would
often be making pasta from scratch and it would be hanging
all over on wooden drying racks or laid out on the bed on a
clean sheet. She would serve me a bowl of pasta with sauce or
a bowl of her greens and beans. On occasion,'' he added,
``she'd pull out the anisette and little Johnny got to
taste.''
Both Varricchione and Gucciardi recalled the bustling
Italian stores with cheeses and salamis hanging from the
ceiling and shelves holding big jars of olives and boxes of
torrone, Varricchione's favorite nougat candy.
``We'd go to the store for penny candy,'' said
Varricchione. ``There was Merola's and also Izzo's Market.
Both stores were very generous in allowing people to buy on
credit.'' The whole neighborhood was lost to urban renewal by
the late 1960s, Varricchione explained sadly.
Looming large in his recollections was the image of the
Italian mama ``with plenty of love and food to share,''
Varricchione said. There were always many mouths to feed, he
said with a chuckle: ``There weren't too many small Italian
families.''
Varricchione's parents, Francesco and Simone (known as Si),
raised their eight children at 85 Bank St. and then 78 Pine
St. (now a law office).
``We would have crowds to eat,'' said Varricchione,
recalling with relish how his mother browned pork chops and
then slow-braised them in red sauce. Even though his mother,
like Gucciardi's mother, was originally French-Canadian, she
learned all the Italian recipes and became a true Italian
mama and then nonna.
In a family history written by Varricchione's wife, Joanne,
she describes the scene:
``Everyone managed to squeeze around the kitchen table
while Nona [sic] stood watch over the stove, stirring her
delicious sauce. The menu seldom varied: spaghetti and
meatballs, chicken or pork, salad, wine, garlic bread and ice
cream. The laughter and commotion only added to the wonderful
aromas and meals she prepared . . . Si seldom sat down and
ate with the family; she preferred to make sure everyone had
enough to eat. (`Does anyone need more sauce?' was the
question she always asked.) `No, Ma. Come and sit down.' `I
will in a minute.' It was a habit she never broke.''
____________________