Italians make their imprint on Olean
William Wilson
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Editor's note: This is the second of a
two-part series on the Italian heritage of the Olean area, to coincide
with Columbus Day weekend. The series is part of The Times Herald's
look from time to time at the many ethnic groups that have contributed
to the flavor and development of the city and the region.
By KATIE WARD
The Times Herald
By the early 1900s,
Italian Americans had established themselves in Olean and needed a
communal outlet on par with the Irish Hibernians and the Polish
National Society in Washington Hall.
So The Christopher Columbus Lodge came into being on April 7, 1911,
according to archives at the Olean Historical and Preservation Society.
The lodge's charter was approved by Supreme Court Justice Frederick W.
Cruse.
At the Columbus Day parade in 1912, Olean Mayor Peter C. Foley publicly
lauded the lodge and the Italian American community for Olean's
continuing development.
"We all know that Italy is contributing largely to the increase in
population of our beautiful city, and the progressive spirit that has
been by them indicated in the past, by subscribing to all public
improvements, building homes and business blocks, clearly indicates a
spirit of loyalty to American principles," he said. "In discovery and
invention, in literature, art and music, the Italian race has written
its eternal fame all over the pages of human history."
As years went by, the wives and daughters of the Christopher Columbus
Lodge wanted a social gathering to call their own. On March 2, 1924, a
group of 96 women were initiated into the order of St. Ann's Lodge with
Rose Pezzimenti, Vincinza La Bella and Lucy Bardenette nominated as the
group's leaders.
"The customary order of things was reversed and the members of
Christopher Columbus Lodge donned their big aprons and white coats and
served the banquet," read a description of the lodge's opening
celebration. By 1947, St. Ann's boasted 130 members.
The men completed their new lodge on North Union Street on March 1,
1932. It still stands today, though the club now welcomes members of
all ethnic backgrounds.
A flyer for the St. Ann's basket picnic in Gargoyle Park on Aug. 28,
1938, promised fun for the whole family, with fat men and ladies races,
a polenta-eating contest, a rolling pin throwing contest "for married
women only," and an old-timers' race for men and women over 45.
Together, the two lodges celebrated festivities year round. Wiener
roasts, card parties and the annual Harvest Ball were the norm. Yet fun
and games were not their sole interests.
During World War II, St. Ann's organized a campaign to "provide medical
supplies to the people of liberated Italy," and they held a Christmas
party to honor mothers of sons in the armed services.
"They were very patriotic," said Carl Veno, former Olean resident and
author of the Olean-based autobiography "Invisible Ink." "The Italians
took a tremendous amount of pride in the country, and in sons lost in
the Army in World War II."
According to Mr. Veno, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s, some
young Italians, many still in their teens, took it upon themselves to
lead the alcohol trafficking industry from Canada through the
Olean-Bradford area. To this day, many area Italians don't care to
speak or think about a period that still claims 20 unsolved
Mafia-linked murders in the Olean area.
"Other people saw opportunities in Prohibition," Mr. Veno said. "They
made so much money in alcohol. These young guys, flashy guys decided
they could make a buck by hustling booze."
"It was a tiny, evil group," he said.
According to Mr. Veno, it was hard to attain civil order in Olean when
Police Chief John Dempsey didn't care too much about Italians killing
other Italians.
This injected a lot of fear," said Mr. Veno. "Most of the families
tried to avoid that and be honest and make a living, but they knew who
the killers were. It was sort of hush-hush — they'd always look over
their shoulders. Nobody wanted to do anything for fear of reprisal."
One woman who lived through Prohibition is 92-year-old Catherine Melaro
of Maple Street. Mrs. Melaro also remembers many other trying moments
and happy times in Olean.
"I remember dances in the parks, street dances, the Moose Club," Mrs. Melaro said.
Mrs. Melaro's late son, Angelo Melaro, played saxophone with the Al
Cecchi Band in Olean for 35 years, when live outdoor music played a
more integral part in Olean culture.
"He was the best saxophone in Western New York," she said.
Restaurants such as the Old Library and the former Castle Restaurant
have served as long-standing testaments to Italian influence in Olean.
Another Italian-created business still kicking is Blue Bird Coach Lines Inc., founded by the late Joe Magnano.
His son, Louis Magnano, sold the company to Coach USA Inc. eight years
ago. He now owns Blue Bird Square and the Delaware Park Centre, and is
building offices for Dresser-Rand Corp. at the former YMCA building on
South Union Street. In 1998, Mr. Magnano paid to build the Mercy Flight
medical helicopter headquarters at Olean General Hospital.
"That's where the heritage is — the old timers," said Mr. Magnano.
"They were workaholics. They weren't afraid to get their hands dirty.
My father used to work 20 hours a day in the taxi cab business. Today,
the younger generation, that's not quite their cup of tea."
"I love Olean. I could have left Olean and went somewhere else, But I
chose to stay. I'm not sorry for it. I have a lot of pride in this
city, and when I see things that aren't right I get upset."
Mr. Magnano lamented Olean's loss of many Italian traditions and commerce in general.
"This city could take off like a rocket" if it had the right leadership, he said.
One public celebration of Italian history still in full swing is the
Festa Italiana. For 22 years and counting, the festival has been
celebrated at St. John's Roman Catholic Church in July. The Park Bench
Gang holds their reunion to coincide with the festival.
"It all started as a neighborhood block party on the 200th block of
West Elm Street," said Dennis Pezzimenti, event co-chair. "It got to be
huge."
He estimates as many as 5,000 people turn out every year. The Festa
Italiana features the Southern Tier Swing Band, a bocce tournament, and
plenty of Italian foods like cannolis and cakes, polenta and pasta
primavera.
Since their humble beginnings in railroad and logging labor in the
1890s, Mr. Veno said generations of hard-working, successful Italians
have made a permanent mark on the city.
"Today the Italians have been in Olean for a long time," he said. "They've represented the cornerstone of the community."
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William J. Wilson
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