2017 : 50 th Reunion Staten Island, NY: Saturday Events

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Linda Charlotte Collins
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1 2017 : 50 th Reunion Staten Island, NY: Saturday Events On Oct. 27 and 28, 2017, the held a reunion on Staten Island. Friday Oct. 27, a golf outing at South Shore Golf Course Friday Oct. 27, an informal mixer at Joyce s Tavern Saturday Oct. 28, a Memorial Mass in the MFHS Chapel Saturday Oct. 28, the Main Event at LiGreci s Staaten There is an SI Live write up of our Main Event at: In all, 53 Class Members (and 1 beloved widow of a classmate) participated along with 46 guests to put us at an even 100. In this deck, we capture images from the Saturday events. The Memorial Mass was specifically dedicated to the 41 classmates who have passed away (9 more than at the 45 th ) and once again, Msgrs Bergin and Whalen concelebrated the Mass. There is a separate deck for the Friday events (Golf and Friday night mixer) and a separate tab containing all the videos of the reunion band s (Band of Rockers) set. There is also a deck of extra reunion pix.

2 2017 : 50 th Reunion: MFHS Building Tours MFHS is always happy to welcome us home. Entering the building from the parking lot, we can observe the light pole banner dedicated to the memory or our own Chris Volney (lower left). Upon entering the lobby, we were greeted by current students, Matt and Sean, who gave us a tour of the school. The highlights were the MFHS TV Production Studio that has taken over the old Brothers Quarters and the newly refurbished gym (floor logo lower right).

Monsignors Edmund Whalen (current principal) and Thomas Bergin (former principal) concelebrated the Mass.

3 2017 : 50 th Reunion: Memorial Mass in the Chapel As always, our Mass serves as a centerpiece to give us the right perspective on our reunion. The MFHS Chapel is a familiar and beautiful setting. Monsignors Edmund Whalen (current principal) and Thomas Bergin (former principal) concelebrated the Mass. We remembered the 41 classmates that have passed away in our intentions. Rich Potter ( 66) did the readings and Biz Randle read the names of classmates being remembered.

4 2017 : 50 th Reunion: Memorial Mass in the Chapel Some of our Mass attendees pose above. (Seated) Chorman, Bowles, Sheeran, Sleap, Golat. (Standing) Graf, Mercereau, Fox, Curty, Elia, Wasielewski, Chiodo, Egan, Sierra, Randle, DeCarlo, Panepinto, Fitzgerald

LiGreci s Staaten Set Up Biz provides some

while bartenders Mike and Neal prepare for arrival

Yearbooks and flat screens with 320 looping

prompt everyone of what we each looked like back

5 LiGreci s Staaten Set Up Biz provides some direction to Flint Gennari, reunion photographer, while bartenders Mike and Neal prepare for arrival of attendees. Yearbooks and flat screens with 320 looping slides, and name tags with YB pix were set up to prompt everyone of what we each looked like back in the day. First time attendee, Dan Haley arrives early from Culver City, CA and brushes up on YB pix

L: Alice DeCarlo, Bob Fitzgerald, Ruth Munday, Rick Somma, and Paul DeCarlo are always ready to party

6 LiGreci s Staaten Cocktail Hour The Staaten served enough delicious food during the cocktail hour to feed an army. Folks arrived at 6PM and found a lot to talk about in a great setting. L: Alice DeCarlo, Bob Fitzgerald, Ruth Munday, Rick Somma, and Paul DeCarlo are always ready to party together. R: First time reunion attendees Bill and Mary Vossen get some reunion tips from Gill Cornell who has made most of them.

R: Mary and Matt Graf (foreground) came in from Vermont for their first

7 LiGreci s Staaten Cocktail Hour L: Doris Diaz and Jim Grosso catch up with Rich Barron. The set list is always a good topic. R: Mary and Matt Graf (foreground) came in from Vermont for their first reunion and are greeted by Tony and Patty Sierra who have attended every reunion we have ever had.

Scholarship Fund (over $18K after the ME). R: Biz Randle is happy to see Tom Abarno again.

8 LiGreci s Staaten Cocktail Hour L: Ed Curty gets to talk in person with John Cusick, the Director of MFHS Institutional Development, as the two were instrumental working with Mike O Grady to establish the Class of 67 Scholarship Fund (over $18K after the ME). R: Biz Randle is happy to see Tom Abarno again. Biz and Tom, along with Larry Chorman, were classmates at JHS 49 and transferred together to MFHS after 8 th grade. The transfer of schools clearly didn t hurt them.

all have shared memories of MFHS and their classmates.

9 LiGreci s Staaten Cocktail Hour L: Chuck Fox came in from Memphis, Rich Barron from Pennsylvania, and Jim Mercereau from Madrid Spain but they all have shared memories of MFHS and their classmates. R: Gene Waz Wasielewski and Jim Jumbo Reilly go all the way back to St. Rita s together.

10 LiGreci s Staaten Cocktail Hour L: Not just the guys get a chance to reconnect. Doris Diaz (Jim Grosso s partner) and Denise Caruso (Ray Porcell s partner) have bonded as their guys have made music together over the years. R: Mike Elliott and Joe Chiodo have plenty to talk about also.

11 LiGreci s Staaten Cocktail Hour L: Larry Egan, John Lebrio, Gill Cornell, Bill Vossen and Ed Curty are all happy for the chance to get together again. R: Ruth Munday, Bob Fitzgerald, and Rich Ruggiero listen to John Cusick s info on what is going on these days at MFHS.

Staaten Introductions and Grace After the cocktail hour got the group ready to party, Biz Randle announced

We had attendees from PA, OH, NH, VT, MA, VA, NC, SC, TN, NM, OR, CA, FL, and Madrid, Spain.

12 Staaten Introductions and Grace After the cocktail hour got the group ready to party, Biz Randle announced the attendees and their hometowns. There were about 100 in the room and not just from NY and NJ. We had attendees from PA, OH, NH, VT, MA, VA, NC, SC, TN, NM, OR, CA, FL, and Madrid, Spain. Msgr Bergin, our beloved Latin teacher and a former principal at MFHS, provided perspective and said grace for us. Later in the evening, current principal Msgr Whalen gave an inspiring account of what is taking place at MFHS. Mike O Grady made an impassioned plea for the class to give back to Farrell via the Class Scholarship Fund: $18K+ as of this writing!

The choices for our menu were made many months ago by John Lebrio who proved

13 Staaten Dinner The Staaten put on a superb buffet dinner and we were all happy to partake in a very varied menu. The choices for our menu were made many months ago by John Lebrio who proved to have expert taste buds. We are happy to report there was more than plenty for everyone and no food fights broke out.

14 Staaten - Tables Table 2 (no table 1 or 3) Standing: Mike Solimando, Rich Ruggiero, Chuck Fox, Jim Sheeran. Seated: Chris Ruggiero, Mary Wilder, Dal Horton. (Deb Solimando and Dan Muller were both late cancellations.)

15 Staaten - Tables Table 4 (no table 1 or 3) Standing: Vic Golat, Jim Reilly, Gene Wasielewski. Seated: Dan Haley, Liz and Rich Barron, Jerry and Laura Kenny. (Bill Fenley was a late cancellation.)

16 Staaten - Tables Table 5 Standing: Tony and Patty Sierra, Pat and Larry Chorman, Tom Abarno, Joe Chiodo Seated: Angela Chiodo, Sandy Bowles, Msgr Thomas Bergin, Tom Bowles.

17 Staaten - Tables Table 6 (The St. Christopher s table) Standing: Bill Vossen, Jim Lopez, Henry Magno, Larry Egan, Ed Curty, Gill Cornell. Seated: Mary Vossen, Helene Magno, Joanne Egan, Dorie Cornell. (Angela Curty was a late cancellation.)

Seated: Jim and Kate Mattimore, Mandy Bruscella, Frank Elia and Kristine

18 Staaten - Tables Table 7 Standing: Cheryl and Mark LaBelle, Jim Mercereau, Lynda and Mike O Grady. Seated: Jim and Kate Mattimore, Mandy Bruscella, Frank Elia and Kristine Cloyes. Note: Biz and Noel Randle were busy flitting around the room and missed the call for the table picture so we added their pic!

19 Staaten - Tables Table 8 Standing: Nilda Sleap, Mary and Matt Graf, Mike and Mary Elliott. Seated: Tom Sleap, John and Phyllis Lebrio, Rose and Tom Ingrisani.

20 Staaten - Tables Table (The Band table) Standing: Ray Porcell, Brian Callahan, Doris Diaz and Jim Grosso, Joe Reale. Seated: Denise Caruso, Christine Ferrara, Ed Farley, Doug LaRocca, Tom Ferrara.

21 Staaten - Tables Table 10 (The Vectors table) Standing: Gordon Nelson, Vin Montalbano, Gary Catalano, Cathy and Al O Leary, Joe and Ronnie Ramos. Seated: Ester Montalbano, Lou and Tinka Castioni, Chris and Rich Travers.

22 Staaten - Tables Table 11 (Manhattan College / West Point table) Standing: Jim and Sharon Harrigan, Jane and Randy Goffred, Paul DeCarlo. Seated: Rick Somma, Bob Fitzgerald and Ruth Munday, Alice DeCarlo.

23 Staaten Music and Dancing The Midlife Crisis Trio kept us entertained all night long. They were a great fit with the Class of 67. Their website is : Gary Catalano (bass/vocals), Gordon Nelson (guitar/vocals) Al O Leary (drums/vocals honorary member of MFHS 67)

Staaten Music and Dancing Band of Rockers: Classmates that played our high school dances back in the day, joined together to practice then play a set at our Main Event.

24 Staaten Music and Dancing Band of Rockers: Classmates that played our high school dances back in the day, joined together to practice then play a set at our Main Event. BofR participants: (L to R): Mark LaBelle(Hang 5), Tom Ferrara (Mark V), Jim Grosso (Chordmen), Ray Porcell (Vanguards), Lou Castioni (Vectors), Brian Callahan (Chordmen), Ed Farley (Vanguards), Vin Montalbano (Vectors), Rich Travers (Vectors), Joe Ramos (Vectors). Their set was tight. Videos are featured separately on the website.

Staaten Music and Dancing Band of Rockers performing: Too great to contain in one shot, Fearless Ed Farley and Doug LaRocca, our bassists, are out of frame left and right respectively.

25 Staaten Music and Dancing Band of Rockers performing: Too great to contain in one shot, Fearless Ed Farley and Doug LaRocca, our bassists, are out of frame left and right respectively. Rest of band from L to R: Lou Castioni (keyboard), Joe Ramos (guitar), Rich Travers (percussion), Vin Montalbano (vocals), Al O Leary (percussion), Tom Ferrara (guitar), Ray Porcell (guitar/vocals), Jim Grosso (percussion), Brian Callahan (kb)

26 Staaten - Dancing If you play great tunes, our crew is going to dance!

27 Staaten - Dancing If you play great tunes, our crew is going to dance!

28 Staaten - Dancing If you play great tunes, our crew is going to dance!

29 Staaten - Reminiscing From 50 th -> <- From 45 th As always, good friends gravitate to each other during the course of the night especially if they all went to St. Patrick s elementary. Above we see the same grouping of Paul DeCarlo, Tom Bowles, and Tom Ingrisani as we had at our 45 th. (If we dug harder, we would likely see it at our 40 th, 35 th )

30 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Jerry Kenny, Gene Wasielewski, Larry Egan, Dan Haley, and Vic Golat are glad to get time together. R: Joe Reale (1 st reunion attended) and Tom Ferrara reestablish Farrell and Mark V connections.

31 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Jane Goffred reconnects with Mark LaBelle and wife Cheryl. They had worked together many years ago. R: Jane s husband Randy Goffred and Jim Mattimore were also at Manhattan College together (Mark LaBelle too).

32 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Chris Ruggiero and Mary Wilder (Fox) find plenty to talk about. R: Jim Grosso and Ray Porcell go back to days at St. Rita s together. Doris and Denise are helping create new memories.

club. R: Paul and Alice DeCarlo and Noel and Biz Randle are couples married

33 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Standing, Ronnie Ramos and Chris Travers, Seated, Cathy O Leary and Ester Montalbano are fast friends and in The Vectors fan club. R: Paul and Alice DeCarlo and Noel and Biz Randle are couples married for well over 40 years now but have all been hanging out together since their single days.

34 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Mandy Bruscella, Sharon and Jim Harrigan share a lot of love for Mandy s departed Danny, an avid organizer of past reunions. R: Besides Farrell, what do Vin Montalbano, Mike Solimando, and Tom Abarno have in common? They are all in the End In O club.

R: This was Lynda O Grady and Mary Graf s first time at a Farrell party but they seem to be fitting

35 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Henry Magno, Ed Curty, Tom and Christine Ferrara have plenty to say but will have to work hard to keep up with our ever affable Bob Fitzgerald. R: This was Lynda O Grady and Mary Graf s first time at a Farrell party but they seem to be fitting right in with support from their husbands, Mike and Matt, and Tony and Patty Sierra who have been to all the Class of 67 reunions.

Staaten - Reminiscing These buddies each

Ramos had the Vectors, Fox and Cornell had

36 Staaten - Reminiscing These buddies each had more to bind them than Farrell. Goffred and Harrigan had college and 10+ years of softball together, Travers and Ramos had the Vectors, Fox and Cornell had varsity football. But MFHS is at the core of their friendships.

37 Staaten - Reminiscing L: Lynda and Mike O Grady and Tom Bowles new to North Carolina living but Jim Mercereau is a long time resident of Spain. R: Ronnie Ramos happy to get some time with Mike and Mary Elliott.

38 Assembled and happy to have some time together. Vir Fidelis!

We lost our classmate, Jack Cummings, on August 27, 2017. Jack was very cognizant that his 68 th birthday would fall on the day of our Main Event.

39 We lost our classmate, Jack Cummings, on August 27, Jack was very cognizant that his 68 th birthday would fall on the day of our Main Event. On 8/19/17 Jack sent this in an Biz order a sheet cake (big enough for all the guests) address it something like "Happy 50th Reunion" and "Happy Birthday Jack". It was delicious Jack.

Feature Article. Fall City: The Hotel Corner since (southeast corner of 337th SE and Redmond-Fall City Rd)

Feature Article. Fall City: The Hotel Corner since (southeast corner of 337th SE and Redmond-Fall City Rd) Feature Article Fall City: The Hotel Corner since 1886 (southeast corner of 337th SE and Redmond-Fall City Rd) Fall City ca.1887 In this very early photo, the river-powered ferry run by the Rutherford