As a child, I (Rosalie) always loved playing with Uncle Mike and Uncle Ricky. I’ve heard stories of my Uncles putting me in a roasting pan one Christmas when I was a baby. I remember my uncles swinging me by my hands and feet in the yard. My most vivid memory is of what I now call “Uncle Mike’s Game”. I remember him trying to teach me a new game where we’d see who could be quiet the longest. At the time, I had no idea that this was his way of getting me to shut up and sit still for a minute. Now, I’m trying to teach it to my two year old!
Ragucci, Grace
Recollections by Joe Ragucci (in conjunction with other discussions):
I have fond memories of my grandma Ragucci. She lived with us in the Port Reading barracks until we moved to Larch Street where she and Aunt Mary moved to an upstairs apartment. I would go upstairs and visit all the time especially when I came home from school. I would sit with her and do my homework. Grandma could not speak any English and I could not speak any Italian. But we had very few problems communicating because we could each understand the other language even though we didn’t speak it. Now that I’m older I wish I would have learned Italian, but no one thought it was important.
One time I recall very vividly is when President Kennedy was shot in Dallas. I remember being with my grandmother after school and seeing the events unfold on her television.
Ragucci, Margaret (Minucci) – “recollections”
Recollections by Joe Ragucci (in conjunction with other discussions):
One of my vivid images of Marge was sitting next to the telephone in the kitchen talking quietly to her sister or one of her phone friends. The only place she ever went on her own was to her sisters who lived 4 blocks away. But even that was rare. The phone was her link to her world. My father would find out the lies she told to people and when he confronted her she would act as if she never said it. Continue reading
Nardi, Antoinette
Conversation with Dominic Ragucci (recorded by Joe Ragucci):
As we were talking, I asked my father why I never saw Joe Nardi and his family at Grandma and Grandpa Nardi’s home. He explained that Antoinette liked to go out alone at night to bars and drink. My grandparents thought this was inappropriate behavior for their son’s wife. This resulted in a rift between them that was never settled.
Ragucci, Margaret (Minucci)
Conversation with Dominic Ragucci (recorded by Joe Ragucci):
Dom has begun to “sanitize” his memory of Marge based on her change of behavior during the last years of her life in Roosevelt Hospital Nursing Home. He now says “she wasn’t that bad” but that’s far from the truth. She was always a strange person. He admits that she was a “home-body”. He admits that it was always a challenge to get her to go anywhere. He remembers many times going to family events alone (or with his children) because she wouldn’t go. He never lied for her but said the truth that she didn’t want to go.
Dom remembers the next door neighbor knocking on the door one day when he came home asking if their child could have his ball back. When he confronted Marge she said she took it and put it down the cellar. She couldn’t stand kids (even her own children) playing near the house – even on the street. She would yell and chase them away. All the kids were afraid of her because she yelled and would steal their balls if it came near her.
Minucci, Carmen
Conversation with Mary R (recorded by Joe Ragucci):
As part of our conversation, I brought up Carmen since I was writing some of my recollections on his life. Mary reminded me that Carmen was very attached to Uncle Mim and was very angry when he married Louise. Carmen would try to go to visit him (since they only lived a few blocks away) but Louise would chase him away. Carmen got angry one day and came with a knife. She was frightened and called the police who arrested him. That’s how he ended up in Marlboro.
Ragucci, Grace – “hallucinations”
Conversation with Terry C and Mary R (recorded by Joe Ragucci):
Aunt Mary began talking about the hallucinations that Grandma had for many years. She blames it on the cortisone she received to relieve pain. Grandma had Parkinson disease and cortisone and Parkinson don’t mix well. Grandma would imagine that I was crying downstairs because Marge wasn’t feeding me. I remember her yelling out the window about imaginary things. Marge was the focus of her imaginations because Grandma felt that Marge took Joseph away from her. The doctors tried medications but there was no solution.
Ciuffreda, Delores and Angelina
Conversation with Terry C and Mary R (recorded by Joe Ragucci):
Delores and Angelina did everything together. When Delores became sick her mother Angelina was devastated. She couldn’t understand how this could happen. The signs of Delores’ illness began before Warren died. She was a retired teacher and would often substitute in Edison schools. She stopped substituting because she said that she couldn’t find her room. She was confused about the simplest things. Shortly after that Warren died suddenly and she went into a deep depression. He would do everything for her and now he was gone. I (Joe) remember seeing Delores and Angelina at Sunday Mass. For about 2 years Delores would cry constantly during the Mass. She couldn’t stop her grief. Eventually this led to hospitalization and eventually her early death. Dolores past away on Angelina’s 90th birthday. Once Delores died Angelina became angry at the world and deteriorated rapidly until her death.