A Carroll Gardens Life: Before It Was Paul Manafort's Investment Property, 377 Union Street In Carroll Gardens Was The Beloved Home Of The Macaluso and Gianquinto Family

377 Union Street between Smith and Hoyt Streets in February 2017

Paul Manafort's investment property at 377 Union Street in 2017

a sketch of the brownstone by Brooklyn Heights artist Robert Gruivel
commissioned by a member of the Macalusos and Gianquintos

Matriarch and Patriarch Gianquinto

Great Aunt Mary Gianquinto

Marriage of Joseph Macaluso and Angela GianquintoJoseph Macaluso with infant Joan and Dolores 1932Joseph and Angela Macaluso at the beach with their familyCarol Ashton, Dolores Kendal, Lois Khatchadourian, Joan Cuttitta, Joseph Macaluso.
Joseph Macaluso, Dolores, Carole and Joe 1940
Joan Macaluso Cuttitta's  prom 1940.
Dolores and Joan on their second prom.
Joan Macaluso Cuttitta with Great-Grandmother Katherine
The Gianquinto Cousins standing in front of the brownstone
Ted Cuttitta and Joan Macaluso wedding St. Agnes 1952
More cousins in 1960

Tedd Cuttitta, Joan Macaluso Cuttitta's sonAngela Macaluso in the parlorJoseph and Angela Macaluso
Four generations of the family at a get-together a few years ago
The Brooklyn Paper July 29-August 11, 1981
Angela Macaluso in her own words

In recent weeks, the circa 150 year old brownstone at 377 Union Street in Carroll Gardens has garnered national attention as one of Paul Manafort's  New York City investment property because of its rather questionable financing.
The current ownership of the building came to light a few weeks ago, when a Union Street neighbor told PMFA that Donald Trump's former campaign manager and high level advisor had left the house and its front yard in a rather sad state after renovation was halted a year-and a half ago.

Among the many comments left by readers on the post, one in particular caught my attention.  It was left by Cathy Fleck, whose family once owned this once majestic brownstone.
Cathy wrote:
"This story has another side which makes it more personal. 377 Union Street was our family's beloved home for generations. This is the home where my great-grandparents lived, where my grandparents raised five incredible children. My grandmother was meticulous with its upkeep. This home is where my cousins and I were taught our family's history through rich storytelling, rich food, and rich imaginations. This is the home whose walls still contain our love and our laughter. This is the home of the Macalusos and Gianquintos! This story is heartbreaking!"

Of course,  I immediately reached out to Cathy to learn more about her family and about its ties to 377 Union Street. In the process, I had the pleasure of not only communication with her, her sister Lois Cuttitta, but also with her mother Joan Macaluso Cuttitta, who was not only born in the brownstone, but was also married there.  At 85 years old, Joan is now the Elder of the family.

Joan and her daughters Lois and Cathy have keen memories of the family home.  The Macaluso and Gianquinto family bought the brownstone in the late 1920s, early 1930s.  Lois and Cathy's great-grandparents lived on the top floor, their great-aunt lived on the second floor, their grand-parents lived on the garden level.  The parlor, according to Lois, was used by everyone.

Joan remembers the height of the ornate plaster ceilings, the marble mantlepieces, the heavy parlor floor doors and the magnificent mahogany bar in the basement that had been left behind by a previous owner, when the basement had served as a speak-easy during the Prohibition.

"Ahh the parlor." Lois remembers. "I used to dance in front of that mirror by the windows as a little girl every time I was there. The chandelier is the original. Most of the pictures of people gathered were in this very room. Push button light switches, and how heavy the front doors were. I remember sleeping on a trundle bed in front of those massive windows in the summer with some of my cousins. Oddly enough, the smell of bus exhaust brings back the greatest memories to me (Bus exhaust! Can you imagine?). I also remember the sound of the banana man hawking his bananas as he pushed his cart down the street." 

As members of the family moved to the suburbs in the 1960s, grandmother Angela Macaluso kept the clan together. On Sundays, the family would gather at 377 Union Street. " There would be 20 to 30 people over for dinner in that house. On holidays, it would easily be double that," Joan told me.
"From 90 to 2, every age would join in.  My mother Angela would cook for all of them.  She made it look easy. It was all out of love."

All three women use the word 'love' often when remembering the brownstone and the family gatherings. "It was a magical place filled with love," Lois told me. "It was such a wonderful life.  The house was well lived in, but my grandmother kept it in pristine shape. We are all still connected to this house. That is why it was so disturbing to see its present condition."

Grandmother Angela was not only a great cook, she went to St. Agnes every day and swept the sidewalk in front of the house twice a day.  She also had time to write poetry and, in 1981,  recalled what it was like living in Carroll Gardens when she was a child in a Brooklyn Paper article.

The family sold the brownstone in 1989-90 after Angela's husband Joseph passed away. "The moment we sold, we regretted it," Lois told me.  "We still think of it as our house.  It was a true gift to have been given such an incredible family and a home so full of happy memories."

Joan, Lois and Cathy want people to look at 377 Union Street not as the unkempt investment property it has become, but as the beloved home it was for many generations of Macalusos and Gianquintos. Most of all, they would like people to know about all the love, joy, and laughter that was shared within.

I am so honored that the family has allowed me to share some of their photos and their stories about 377 Union Street with my readers.

One day soon, I hope to meet the members of the extended family in person, hopefully when they come back for a visit to Carroll Gardens.  When I do, I will take lots of photos, I promise.

 Photo of 2012 sales listing,  courtesy of Corcoran

 Photo of 2012 sales listing,  courtesy of Corcoran

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Upcoming Children's Activities At Carroll Gardens Branch Of Brooklyn Library

If you are homebound with your little ones during this cold weather, you may want to bring them to the Carroll Gardens branch of the Brooklyn Library at 396 Clinton Street.
Thursdays from 10:30 Am to 11 Am is always Toddler Time at the branch.

In addition, Juana M. Flores, Children's Librarian, has scheduled a few great activities for the kids.  So mark the dates below on your calendar.

*All Ages - Learn About Fire Safety + Storytime (Carroll Gardens)
Learn fire safety for your household from a retured firefighter while your children enjoy a special storytime from our librarian.
Friday, January 24, 2014; 11:00am

*Birth to Five Years - Bring Your Child to the Library: Dublo-mania (Carroll Gardens)
Fun with Dublos for young builders.
Friday, January 31, 2014 11:00am

*Kids - Legomania Challenge (Carroll Gardens)

Create a scene from your favorite books with Legos!
Friday, January 31, 2014 4pm (5yrs to 12)

To stay informed about other events at the branch, click here:  Carroll Gardens Monthly Calendar 

Carroll Gardens Library

396 Clinton St. @ Union St.

Brooklyn, NY 11231

718-596-6972

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A Lovely Video Tribute To Leo Coladonato, Carroll Gardens' Much Loved And Missed Deli Man

Joe's Superette at 349 Smith Street the way it was until the summer 2011

"This is not the story of a famous man, a figurehead or even a powerful man. It is just a simple tale of a man who worked hard and cared about others more than himself"  begins this lovely tribute to Leo Coladonato, Carroll Gardens' most famous deli man.

Leo was the owner of Joe's Superette at 349 Smith Street. He had taken over the Italian deli from Joe, his former boss, in 1985. Though Leo was known for his amazing hero sandwiches, which he prepared with a big smile,  it was his deep-fried rice balls and prosciutto balls that made him famous. At lunch time, customers would wait patiently in a long line to place their order. If they came in for a sandwich, they would invariably add: "And give me some prosciutto balls with that."

(My kids used to call them yum-yum balls and my favorite Leo sandwich is still the Italian tuna with mayo, tomato and shredded lettuce on a hero.)

Sadly, Leo passed away in May 2011, his store closed shortly afterwards and the wonderful old store sign that even predated him is long gone. Many in the neighborhood still miss him. I know I do.

That's why I was so delighted to find out that his niece Christina made a short film about her uncle. It not only tells of his move from Italy to this country at age 15, and his time as a Brooklyn deli man, but includes wonderful interviews with Joe Alameda,  Joanne Rizzuto,  Peter Demetrio, and Charlie Benevento, who knew Leo for most of his life.

Thanks for sharing this, Christina. What a  beautiful tribute to Leo.

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Don't Know What You Missed: Born And Raised In Carroll Gardens

One of my favorite things about writing this blog is to hear from people who grew up in Carroll Gardens, but moved away. The love and attachment that they still feel for the neighborhood is wonderful and very touching. It doesn't seem to matter if they moved away 10 years or 40 years ago, they remember every detail of their lives here.

Below is an email I received from former Carroll Gardener Joey Vento. He writes:

Born and raised at 260 Carroll Street!! The best childhood ever...St.Agnes...scary Halloweens...the Beatles..the Italian Barber...Carroll Park school..The World's Fair..Joe's Supprette...Queen Pizza...The I.L.A....Christmas...and grandma's house at Hoyt and Carroll. Kids today just don't know what they missed huh!!! Your blog is very wonderful and is perfect for someone missing all that was Carroll Gardens. We go back when we can and I'm glad that the cracks in the sidewalk outside 260 Carroll Street are still there!!!

All the best, Joey

Sounds wonderful indeed, Joey! Please share more of your memories.

And, please, to those lucky enough to have been born right in the neighborhood, we would love to hear more about the way it was, so write in.

And to read more Carroll Gardens memories, click and scroll down here: Pardon Me For Asking: A Carroll Gardens Life . Enjoy!

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"Nine Good Teeth": Meet Mary Mirabito Livornese Cavaliere, Born In Carroll Gardens/Red Hook In 1899

photos courtesy of www.ninegoodteeth.com

Nine Good Teeth

Oh, what a beautiful movie. You will love it. It is deeply moving, both funny and truly touching
"Nine Good Teeth" is a lovely tribute to the life of Mary Mirabito Livornese Cavaliere, a spunky Italian-American, who was born in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn on September 8, 1899, the second of thirteen children. Actually, it would be more correct to say that she was born in Red Hook, as this was the official name of our neighborhood until realtors decided to give it a more picturesque name. (My friend Celia Cacase reminds me of that fact very often.)

The film was made in 1995 by Alex Halpern, her grandson, when 'Nana' was 96. Through interviews with Mary and relatives, Alex uncovers long-kept secrets and family tensions. Slowly, a portrait emerges of an intelligent,independent and capricious woman who has more spunk than many a younger person.

As you watch the movie, you will surely recognize Union Street at the corner of Clinton Street in one scene.
The movie was recently shown at the Eileen Dugan Senior Center on Court Street.

It is a truly touching and I hope you will take the time to watch it.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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A Carroll Gardens Life: When Gina Zulich Holden Lived On President Street

President Street between Smith and Hoyt Street

A row of majestic brownstones on President

320 President Street

The kitchen at 320 President Street, circa 1960. That's Gina on Poppy's lap.
John (the oldest) standing and Michael in on her left.

The kitchen once again, circa 1961. Gina still on Poppy's lap,
Michael to her right and Gin'a mother Anna
" the best mother that God put on His green earth."
Brother John took the photo.

Gina's mother Anna as a 9 month old, 4 year old brother John
and their mother Rose. This photo was taken in Italy, circa 1926

One of the wonderful aspects of writing about my neighborhood is the fact that I get to hear from many former Carroll Gardeners who stumble onto this site. They all have one thing in common: they seem to miss the old neighborhood and are grateful for the photos and news posted here. Amongst one of the nicest emails I received recently was one from a resident of Florida. This is what she wrote:

My name is Gina Holden and I grew up at 320 President St., between Smith & Hoyt. My father lived there until his death in 2004. I just love your web site! It makes me feel as though I am still there, walking up to Court Street to get a slice at Mola (Is it still there?) or a Italian Ice at Monte Leone's. I live in Florida now, but President St will always be home to me.

I immediately wrote her back to inform her that sadly, Mola's and the nice Italian family that ran it were long gone, replaced by a new pizza parlor called World Pie.
Over the next few days, we exchanged a few more emails. I asked Gina if she could share some of her childhood memories with us all. Thankfully, she accepted. Here, then, are Gina's remembrances of growing up on President Street in Carroll Gardens.
I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

I would love to share some of my memories with you and your readers. Carroll Gardens was a great place back in the 60's and 70's. My brothers John and Michael and I went to school at St. Agnes Parish School which was located right next to the church on Sackett St. My parents were married in that church as my mother came to the States from Italy in 1931 and never left the neighborhood. I was baptized, received my First Holy Communion and Confirmation there! 

When my parents purchased 320 President Street in 1957, the area was known as Red Hook. But in the early 70's was renamed Carroll Gardens. Both of them were very proud of that house and the area. My father, Michael Zulich, came to the US from Austria after the war and proudly hung the American flag outside of our house everyday until the day he died. As a matter of fact, my two brothers and I had it at half mast the day of his funeral.

My parents' house was built sometime in the late 1860's. The house had been empty for quite some time and in a great deal of disrepair. As they were only the second owners (it had passed down from the original owner to their children. Only one daughter was still alive at the time) it had remained pretty much the way it had been in the day. It seems that President St was built pushed back from the other streets and at each end (Hoyt and Smith) were gates so that only the residences could come and go. The first floor consisted of a large dining room and in the back was the kitchen, complete with a fireplace that was used for cooking. The second floor or parlor floor was used for parties and dances, the third was sleeping quarters and the top was for the servants. There was a small bathroom on the first floor, right off of the kitchen and one on the third floor. (My parents later put one on the second floor).

The neighborhood consisted mostly of Italian's who took pride in their gardens. Everyone looked out for every one else's child. Summer nights would find the adults sitting on their stoops, chatting with neighbors and us kids playing corks or marbles or stoop ball. Later, when we all became teenagers, we used to congregate in one gate with radio in hand and play cards and talk. At 10 PM like clockwork, the adults would bid each other good night, called for us kids to come home knowing it would start all over again the next evening.

Falcone Funeral Home sat on the corner of President and Smith Streets. Joe's Superette was where we got all of our cold cuts. Mazzola Bakery on Court Street was the only bread my father would eat. Helen's Candy Store was where the Bagel store now is on the other side of President. My brother and his friends used to go in there and scrape the ice out of the coolers in the summer and make snow balls. They broke a rear view mirror one day. Clinton Apothecary on the corner of President and Clinton St was where all of our prescription would get filled. There was an A&P where the Met is now and a Bohack on Court and Douglas St. My mother and I used to take our shopping cart and do our weekly shopping there.

Carroll Park was not the place to go back in the late 60's. My mother forbade us to even go near there especially at night. The smell of marijuana could be detected all the way down to Hoyt St! One time, I must have been around 10 or so, the kids that hung out there started a riot down President St. They armed themselves with chains and came rushing down the block, Our next door neighbor and his son at 318 both happened to be NYC police officers as well as another neighbor who was a detective, came out of their homes, guns in hand. What a scene that was! But as time went on, the park was cleaned up and the old men were once again able to play bocce ball, my grandfather included.

It was very difficult to sell my father's house when he died in 2004. I wish that I could have afforded to buy my brothers out but that was not possible at the time, so we had to let it go.

I could go on and on and I will on another day.

I hope that we can keep in touch and maybe you could take a picture of 320 President St for me?

Gina's Family today: Gina's husband Alan, Gina, Michael's wife, Gayle and John's wife Nora. Gina's son Christopher, seated next to him is her brother Michael, all grown up. Brother John, once again is snapping the photo.

Related Post:
A Carroll Gardens Life: Tony, A Real Italian Gentleman
A Carroll Gardens Life: My Friend Dolores
A Carroll Gardens Life: Mrs. Agatha Messina
A Carroll Gardens Life: Meet Antoinette Pirrone, The Twinkies Lady

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A Carroll Gardens Life: Tony, A Real Italian Gentleman

Tony's Baptism in 1941,
In the backyard of his family's house.
He is being held by his glamorous Aunt Louise
Who was a buyer and designer for Best & Company.

March 1, 1942
in front of the house were he grew up and still lives now.

Tony with his cousins at Easter.
He is the smily kid on the right in the middle row

Tony with his grand-mother Agatha in 1953
That's Smith Street in the background.

Here he is in 1955 on Graduation Day with his grand-father Rosario.

Tony knows everything about Carroll Gardens. He also knows most everyone in this brownstone neighborhood. No wonder! He was born and raised here and spent his entire adult life in this wonderful Brooklyn enclave.
It is a real privilege to count Tony amongst my friends. He is a real gentleman, much like his father, who was still alive when I moved to Carroll Gardens.
Tony is a great story-teller. He is full of entertaining anecdotes. He knows that I will always find the time for one of his reminiscences of the Carroll Gardens he knew and I wished I could have experienced.
As a child, Tony shared a one floor brownstone apartment with his parents and grand-parents. He attended school at St. Agnes and later at Boys High School.
Tony remembers a quieter time, when there hardly were any cars on the block and the local kids would play stickball and fist ball. Handball was played in Carroll Park whereas softball was reserved for the playground at P.S.32. Mr. D'Agostino, the nice ice man who lived on Tony's block, would give the children ice lumps to cool off in the summer.
9 Pm was curfew time and all the kids needed to go home. By 9:30 Pm, Tony told me, his block was deserted.
A sugary treat could always be gotten at the candy store at 361 Smith Street, now the home of Swallows. Next door, at 363, in what is now Giardini's Pizza parlor, there was a Rolston's grocery store.
Occasionally, Tony and his friends would venture to Columbia Street at the corner of Union, then a happening shopping strip. They would treat themselves to an egg cream for 5 cents or a "Charlie Rooster", pieces of delicious pound cake with whipping cream and a cherry on top, all served in a paper cup. The price? 3 cents.
Now, that was living!
Thanks so much for allowing me to show everyone these super photos of you as a baby, Tony.



Related Reading:


A Carroll Gardens Life: My Friend Dolores

A Carroll Gardens Life: Mrs. Agatha Messina

A Carroll Gardens Life: Meet Antoinette Pirrone, The Twinkies Lady


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A Carroll Gardens Life: Meet Antoinette Pirrone, The Twinkies Lady

1946

Left, Carmela Spinelli, center, Antoinette A. Pirrone, right, Rosalie Pirrone

Did my mom live in Carroll Gardens?

Ask anyone

Since 7/10/1921

My mom is Carroll Gardens!

That is what Antoinette's son Francis answered me when I asked him if his mother had lived in the neighborhood all her life. He also told me that she was the "queen of her kitchen."
Way back, when Twinkies, the snack cakes made by Hostess cost an 'astounding' 10 cents each, Antoinette decided to come up with her own version. Francis was kind enough to send me her recipe. So here it is, for those bakers out there:

Antoinette Pirrone's Homemade Twinkies Version

Supplies:
One empty bottle of Manhattan Special
12 pieces of aluminum foil
A Pastry bag
Toothpick

For the Cake:
3 Egg whites
16 ounces of yellow cake mix
2/3 cup water
Non-stick Spray

For the filling
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Make mini-cake molds one at a time by shaping pieces of aluminum foil one at a time around the bottle, leaving one side open.
Arrange molds on a cooking sheet and apply cooking spray

Beat egg whites until stiff
Then combine with cake mix and the water and mix
Fill each mold 3/4 inch deep with batter
Bake for 30 minutes.

Cream butter and shortening
then slowly add both sugars, evaporated milk and extract
Mix until fluffy

When cakes are done and cooled, use a toothpick to make tree small holes in the bottom of each.
Using the pastry bag, inject each cake with the filling through all three holes.

And voilà, Mrs. Antoinette Pirrone's Homemade Snack Cake recipe.

Wishing you a belated birthday, Mrs. Pirrone.
Thank you for sharing your recipe with all of us!

Other Carroll Garden Lives:

A Carroll Gardens Life: Mrs. Agatha Messina

A Carroll Gardens Life: My Friend Dolores

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