DeMaino's Luncheon - by Sal Carmosino

On Thursday Oct 14, 2010, members of the Revere High School class of 1962 met at DeMaino's Restaurant on Malden St in Revere at 1pm for, yet another wonderful luncheon and a renewal of past and present friendships.

This date and luncheon was reserved in order to enjoy the company of our RHS Lantern blog editor and good friend, visiting from Florida, Rose Franciosa Sisti.  It was mostly from Rose's visits that these gatherings keep taking place which are wonderful experiences for us all.

Diane Screnci Beatrice arranged for a special room for the group which numbered 18 guests. Many of us remembered, the food at DeMaino's which was as good as in the past, and still owned by the DeMaino family.

The luncheon was served family style on a long banquet type table, which included, salad, large cheese ravioli, chicken parmigiana and fish.

Joanne Nardone said a beautiful grace which gave thanks for this gathering and grateful that we were all able to attend.

After the delicious meal was finished the waitresses offered the extra food to be taken home with the large platters on tables near the entrance. They also provided take home tins with covers. The service here was excellent as they saw to all of our needs and explained what the procedure was for separate payment for coffee and bar drinks.

Diane also contracted for one payment of a meager 10.00 per person for this, all you can eat great meal. We wont ask but this system avoided the normal group bill of who pays what.  Great job Diane!

Peter Zaccone asked for the bill and paid for the whole meal himself as he had done in the past, amid all of our protests.  Peter said, since he has no immediate family...that we are his family.  This overwhelming act of generosity was, while greatly appreciated, was not to go unrewarded by the group.

Diane offered to collect the money from everyone and send Peter a gift certificate of some kind. This way he would have to spend it, because he refused to take any money from us. God bless Peter!  Good move Diane!

The 18 guests included:

Rose Franciosa Sisti
Diane Screnci Beatrice
Sal Carmosino
Joanne Struzzulla McCarthy
Liana Andreottola Petrosino
Robert [Scotty] Scott
Joanne Nardone
Peter Zaccone
Dotty Brennan Russo
Lee Stuppia
Roseann Bellofatto
Donna Toothaker Ying & daughter Melissa
Priscilla Freda
Linda Spagnolo
Ruth Arvarian Bowler
Barbara Cohen
Billy Melchionno

We were all treated to a surprise as a large birthday cake was presented to Lee Stuppia for her special day.  The cake was beautifully decorated and delicious and served as our dessert.  The waitresses offered to cut it into pieces as they are professionals at this and did a great job. The cake was a  surprise to Lee as we were told, but the classmate that provided it, escapes me.

Billy Melchionno passed out recipe sheets for stuffed cannelloni for everyone to take home.

Conversations around the table included, stories about vacation locations, kids and grandkids, stories about who was going with who in high school [which is always another revelation for many of us]....what some of our classmates are doing now....talks about how wonderful retirement is for many of us...and of how close some are anticipating retirement....vacation spots in Florida...how we all still love being near the ocean...any ocean...Scotty still driving that black James Bond car coming from Maine.... if that car has any more gadgets, it will drive by itself!!

In essence, these luncheons are a continuance of our last big re-union in 2007 which we didn't want to end....and with these mini reunions...we haven't. Thanks to Rose and her Lantern blog that we have been able to share these wonderful gatherings with people who come and also with the ones who cannot join us.

Whether they live in Oregon [Richie Bruno] or California [ Leatrice Cardone] or anywhere else, they can also share this experience with us.  Talk also surfaced about our next big re union in 2012 [our 50th !]  Hopefully it will be as successful as the last one and people that could not attend, will make a special effort to come in 2012.

Lastly, it was a special treat to have this luncheon in Revere where all of our roots were entrenched so long ago. DeMaino's was also a throwback to our younger days...the parking is still non existent on the that tiny part of Malden St.....but well worth the minor inconvenience.

For this function our classmates came from Maine, Rhode Island/Mass area.  Cape Cod, Connecticut, New Hampshire and other far reaches of Massachusetts...and of course Florida.... which shows the value that each and everyone of us has on our continuing friendships and enjoyment of our, forever RHS 62 family.



Sal Carmosino

Tolland, CT