My Dad, Frank Yocolano was a musician (sax player) as well as a sheet metal worker until he passed away in 1988. At one point in the 50’s he worked at Warren Webster’s until he got a job at Edgecomb Steel in 1963. His best friend was a fellow named Woody Sherman (Sciamanna) who was a trombone player. His Dad had a bar on 4th and Royden. [ Sciamanna’s Cafe, also known as Sherman’s Cafe ]
Woody told a story of Marco Reginelli who took numbers and hung at the bar. My old man was quite a drinker at 9 while tapping my Grandpop’s wine barrels with his uncle Leo Doria and was hanging around the bar when a ragged black man came into the bar asking for food. As the story went Marco said “so you’re really hungry huh?” The man replied “yes.” The locals at the bar knew that the guy would be in serious trouble if he wasn’t. Marco said “give him a bowl of tripe” which Mr. Sherman served up and Marco offered him a glass of wine which he gratefully took. When he finished Marco asked “are you still hungry” and the man said “yes, I am” and Mr. Sherman gave him another large bowl of tripe with bread and he ate it all.
When he was done Marco said “you have a lotta guts walking in here for a handout” and reached into his pocket and handed the man $50 and told him “I don’t ever want to see you in here again.”
I never read anything about Marco until tonight and my Pop’s story was told to me on several occasions. Later in life my Pop mentioned that Marco was a major racketeer but obviously had a kind streak.
Pat Yocolano, September 11, 2007
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