Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I remember always being amazed at how many friends my father had. He was born in Somerville and loved living here. He used to march in the Memorial Day parade with the Italian American War Veterans every year. He was friends with a lot of politicians. Everywhere we went he knew someone. He’d stop in the middle of traffic to start “gas bagging” with someone he knew.

My dad grew up in Somerville around Davis Square. Like me, he graduated from The Western Junior High School and Somerville High School. He was SHS 1938 and I was 1971. In 1940 he went off to serve 4 years in the Army, got married and raised a family and retired from his job after almost 40 years.

Socializing with his many friends were one of his favorite things in life. He knew everyone. Aside from his brother and sisters, he had a wide variety of friends. He also made more friends as an usher at St Clements Church for a few years which meant free breakfast in the rectory.

My father had the same friends all his life. Most are now gone but he kept in contact with a select few childhood friends throughout his entire life.

In 1956 I started making friends that weren’t my cousins, although my cousins and siblings were my first friends. There were seven of us. The seven original cousins. We were my grandparents’ pride and joy. We spent a lot of fun times together in the 1950’s growing up in Somerville. Seven almost chronologically aged cousins.

The place to meet was usually in my grandparents’ yard off Holland St. So many memories were made under my grandparents’ grapevine in their yard. My grandpa was so happy and proud when all his children and their spouses were in his house and yard with the grandkids.

We always felt very special as kids, especially when aunts, uncles and cousins would all meet at The Continental Restaurant on Somerville Ave. for dinner. We did that every couple of months.

I can also honestly say that nothing compared to having an uncle that was a fireman. Sitting on the old Engine 7 at the Highland Ave. fire station and sliding down the pole is one of my all-time favorite memories. Me and my brother and sister and cousins truly felt privileged. My dad had a lot of friends that were firemen starting with his little brother.

Kindergarten in 1958 at The Brown School broadened my friends list. Miss Colbert and Mrs. Chiulli were huge parts of my memories. All I really recall about kindergarten were their warm smiles and pleasant attitudes, and flat crayons. It took me a while to figure out that the crayons were flat so they wouldn’t roll off our desks. I was privileged to DJ at Mrs Chiullis’ 100th birthday about ten years ago.

I still see a few of my kindergarten classmates around the city. I also see some of my Western Junior High School classmates every so often. Just Saturday a guy crosses in front of McKinnon’s to say hi to me. He told me his name and how he knew me. He knew me from ninth grade Algebra class. Thanks for letting me copy your answers!

I was in Wegman’s last month and I felt someone’s hands covering my eyes from behind. I remember thinking to myself, “This better be someone good!” And it was. It was a former waitress from The Embassy Lounge. We’d been friends since 1974. Her late husband was a bartender and she handled the lounge patrons. It was great talking and catching up right there in the produce department. We went down the usual list of people. “How’s so and so doing? Have you seen Johnny?” We caught up and said goodbye.

Living in a city your entire life keeps you busy. Someone pulls up beside you in traffic and toots his horn. Your first thought is “What does this nut want?” Then you realize it’s your old pal who used to set up the stage for our Somerfest (SomerStreets distant relative) concerts back in the 70’s! Next thing you know people are beeping at us to move. Now that’s a honk fest. I just realized that every day in Somerville traffic is a honk fest! In a city where there is a lot of horn beeping, it may just be a friend saying hello instead of a driver wanting you to drive faster!

I used to have a friend who was a Medford cop. He thought it was hilarious to pull me over every now and then, flashing blues and siren and the whole ten yards. Today it may give me a heart episode.

Our first friends were our brothers and sisters and our cousins. Unfortunately, I lost my brother and sister years ago, but I’m lucky to still have a few close cousins and a city full of lifelong acquaintances. We talk and laugh every day. And as we circle life’s drain we learn to hold our remaining family members and real friends much closer nowadays. Though the list gets thinner every year, we grow closer to the people we have left.

Just yesterday I touched base with three friends that were in that kindergarten class at the Brown School over 60 years ago.

Living in the same city for your entire life is awesome, as the kids say. But it has its downside. Everywhere you go you’re bound to run into someone who knows you, so be nice.