Guido Maniscalco's World

Life comes and goes in a blink of an eye. Before we know it, we grow older, opportunities pass us by, and we often times look back in regret. Seize the moments. The happiness in our lives is based on what type of outlook we choose. Should we stay focused and take more things with a grain of salt instead of quickly accentuating the negative and convincing ourselves that we are traveling down a path to failure perhaps the hurdles of life will begin to appear to us less and less. Many of us are very sensitive. We often times are harder on ourselves than we should be. Our personalities sometimes allow us to take certain things personally that actually have nothing to do with us to begin with. We must rise above fear and confusion and try to convince ourselves that deep inside we are all strong. Life is a beautiful gift and we must choose to embrace and appreciate it. We should never take a single day for granted. Each morning we rise is a new opportunity, a clean slate to keep following our dreams.

Bukowski once wrote, “Your life is your life. Don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission”. The poem “Invictus” says, “I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul”. Perhaps these two passages should serve as a kind of motivation. Our life really is our life. We should never waste it living somebody else’s. Unfortunately, too many of us feel weak or afraid to make changes. There is nothing wrong with putting your foot down, claiming your life, and taking the first step down the path you choose. Life continues to pass us by, the clock of life keeps ticking, days turn into nights and nights turn into days, and each moment is a new opportunity to turn things around.

I am friends with a retired doctor, who at age eighty-five, has always had one of the most positive outlooks on life. He is soft spoken and full of wisdom. He says he understood the game of life many years ago and each time we meet shares a new piece of advice. Today, he said life is a game that we must learn how to play and enjoy. Although it sounds very simple, perhaps it does take a curious mind and self-confidence to actually understand how to play the game.

Self-confidence is inside each and every one of us and we each learn how to find a way to tap into it and bring it to light at different points in our lives. There are those who wish and wait and hope that the moment will come naturally and those who decide when the moment arrives and tap into their souls and unleash the motivation and self-confidence that ultimately creates the drive that takes them down their chosen paths.

In conclusion, the game of life is what we choose to make of it and how we choose to play it. Either we tap into our souls and find our inner strength or we go through life scared and worried. We can learn the meaning of gratitude and appreciate what we have or struggle every day with wanting more than we really need to reach our happiness. The game of life can be simple if we choose it to be. We must learn to appreciate the good and the bad, interpret things as we wish, learn to be strong and stay strong, and follow our path to happiness, because each and every one of us deserves to be happy and too often, amongst our misery and discontent, the happiness we long for and deserve is right beneath our noses, we just need to realize it and learn how to grasp it.

Rest in peace, Sammy Arena

As far back as I can remember, ever since I was a little boy growing up in West Tampa, the lovely voices of the talented Arena twins have filled my ears with beautiful music. Just last year, when the Festa Italiana was wrapping up, I had the opportunity to tell Andrew Arena how much I have always enjoyed him and his brother’s music. The Arena twins are a Tampa treasure and we are blessed to have them.
I have often seen Andrew’s Cadillac in the neighborhood, whether at one of the coffee shops or the pharmacy, his brother many times in the passenger seat. Every time I would see either one of them they were ready with a friendly handshake and a smile, true gentlemen to say the least. I saw Andrew in his Cadillac a few days ago, the passenger seat unoccupied. An era of tremendous musical talent had come to an end. The wonderful memories will forever live on. The beautiful sound of music they made will never die.
Sammy has been laid to rest. His service attended by several thousand people. In Ybor City, we had a moment of silence for this great Tampa native. A friend called me and asked if I had been to the church. I was not able to attend. He told me it was overflowing with people. I had no doubt in my mind about what he was telling me. I needed no proof. The Arena twins are extremely well loved. The unbelievable outpouring of love from the community on the passing of Sammy can not be expressed by words alone, simply because there are no words. This is the impact these two brothers have had on Tampa.
For many years I have walked up the stairs of the Italian Club on 7th avenue in Ybor City. As you pass the photos of past club presidents and images of Sicily and even a signed photo of Jerry Vale you’ll find the Arena twins, smiling right back at you. That is how I will always remember Sammy Arena, smiling and ready to shake my hand and say hello. He was a nice guy and a tremendous talent. The gift he and his brother have given to Tampa for so many decades is priceless. They are special and they are ours, forever.

The journey of this country has been one filled with sacrifice and tears. Our continued fight for freedom and liberty has been a path paved with sweat and persistence. The hands that built America are calloused and bruised, blistered and swollen and the faces that make up our people are mapped with the stressed lines of hard work and determination. Our triumphs are born through the suffering of many and the foundation of our country is built with the hopes and dreams of those who chose to give their all for a better life. We are the greatest nation on Earth.

We have fought wars, both foreign and domestic. We, the people, have sacrificed our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers in our never ending pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Together we have woven the unbreakable spirit of America, for we have always stood strong in the face of fear and adversity and shown bravery in our darkest moments. We do not coward. We do not turn our backs. We are one nation, strong, and the shining light of freedom throughout the world.

Throughout our history we have met with obstacles. We have been confronted with difficult decisions. We have stumbled. We have worried, but we have never fallen. These United States are built with the strength of many. We are not afraid of what is put in our path. We never give up.

Our unbreakable spirit, our unfaltering determination, and our pride make us who we are. As we pledge allegiance to our flag we continue our promise to the republic for which it stands. So many have given up one life for a better life and have immigrated to this country to fulfill their dreams and achieve their goals and so many have succeeded and continue to succeed every single day. In the United States anything is possible. We are the beacon of hope to the world and our flame will never be extinguished, our spirit will never be broken.

What Can We Learn From The “Greatest Generation”?

The Greatest Generation is generally considered those who were born between 1914 and 1924. Basically it is the World World II generation and those who took part and lived through it. These are our parents and grandparents. This is the generation that is dying at a very rapid pace every single day.

As a kid I remember getting to meet and know many World War II veterans. Lately, I’ve been meeting Korean War veterans since those of the previous war are getting up in age and so many have already passed away.

This particular generation grew up during the Great Depression and understood what it meant to be without money, be poor, and not have anything to eat. Following the roaring 1920’s and a time of lavish spending and prosperity, the stock market took a turn for the worst and wiped out much of the wealth in this country. In just a few years we went to from an era of much to a period of almost nothing. The Greatest Generation had to endure years of slow growth and high unemployment.

With the onset of World War II, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the United States entering this new world war brought new opportunity to the people of our country. Young men set off to the other side of the world to fight for freedom. Hundreds of thousands of young Americans never made it home, making the ultimate sacrifice for liberty. The Greatest Generation had become experts on what it meant to sacrifice not just to put food on the table, but also to give their lives for the freedom of our country and the world.

Many say that World War II is what pulled us out of the Great Depression. It definitely gave a boost to our economy and jumped started production and manufacturing. Everyone came on board to do whatever it took for the war effort. The Greatest Generation understood the meaning of hard work.

The 1950’s was a time of American prosperity. It was the decade that paved the way for the future. This decade gave birth to much of the Baby Boomer Generation (although many were born in the 1940’s post war era). My parents belong to this generation as do many of those who are reading this right now. They are a blessed group of people who have the honor of calling the Greatest Generation “mom and dad”.  The hardships their parents had to endure helped open the door to a better life. They had suffered enough and wanted to make sure they could offer a much better life for their children. You could even say the Baby Boomer Generation was spoiled in a sense although many of them ended up making their own sacrifice in Vietnam.

The Greatest Generation was a group of movers and shakers that helped to rebuild America. They are the ones that worked hard to give their family a home, buy a car, create and build their own business, and work long and hard hours to give their families a better way of life. The Great Depression had become a thing of the past, but it had not been forgotten. Many people continued to not trust banks and would save and hide their hard earned money in many creative ways. I have been told of the story of how my grandfather would roll up bits of cash and hide them in odd places throughout his home. I am sure many other folks can relate whether it was cash hidden under the mattress or in an old shoebox or any other nook and cranny.

Many of those in the Baby Boomer generation grew up and got used to having an easier life. Their parents made the sacrifices to offer them that kind of comfort. Their parents helped build the American superpower that had grown out of a war that took the lives of so many. These children were now growing up being able to not only graduate from high school, but also continue to colleges and universities and graduate with job offers and new opportunities. They were on the path to success on the road that had been paved by their parents.

Once again, in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, America and the rest of the world was living the good times often times compared to the good times of the 1920’s. The stock market was up, home values were climbing, and credit was readily available. Then, all of a sudden, things started to decline. Maybe it was the terrorist attacks or the new wars we were now fighting in. Once again, the young generation was being called to duty to help defend their country. And all of a sudden the stock market started to decline, the housing bubble burst, and credit was no longer as readily available and easy to obtain as a few years prior. Unemployment saw an increase and the middle class took a massive blow.

As usual, people blamed the president and the Congress and the Senate and their spouses and their children and their best friends and the banks and anyone else they could point the finger at, but very rarely did they ever take the blame themselves. People were making money and times were good and people wanted the bigger car and the bigger house and were able to obtain it, but now came the reality of how too many overextended themselves and now were hurting. People were losing their jobs in large numbers. Good people who never deserved to get hurt got caught in the snowball effect of a great recession. Everyone began paying for the sins and debts of others.

My generation, the children of the baby boomers, went to colleges and universities just like their parents. Many of them took out large student loans in order to pay their way through school with the hope and dream of one day getting hired and be able to begin their own lives. Unfortunately, the reality was that these hard working students were able to take out their student loans and earn their degrees, but faced a new era of unemployment and slow growth much like the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Our generation, in several ways, has become the generation of our grandparents. We are struggling to pay for the mistakes of the generation before us.

I have heard many times and in many ways the following in not so many words: “The parents build up the fortune and the kids squander it all away.”

I believe this is what happened to us in this last decade. The Greatest Generation was smart. They only bought what they could afford. This is not to say that they too did not make mistakes, because I certainly know they did and nobody is perfect, but they did know what it meant to live within their means. They knew the value of a dollar and were not always so keen to just throw it around. To earn a living meant to work hard. To give a better life for your wife and kids meant to sacrifice. A wealthy man in the 1950’s and 1960’s drove a Lincoln or a Cadillac. A wealthy man by today’s standards must be seen driving a Mercedes, a BMW, or a Porsche to be considered as “having money”.  I drove a Mercedes for a few years and finally decided to trade it in and buy a Dodge. Some people criticized me, because they said I was “stepping down”, but in reality I felt I was “stepping up”, because I had come to the realization that I don’t need to try and impress anyone and just be happy with what I have and buy with my hard earned dollar. My grandfather had this philosophy. He worked hard his entire life and at one time had “Mercedes money”, but decided to drive a Chevrolet Caprice Classic. He too understood that he did not have to try and impress anyone and just be happy with what he had. Don’t ever feel like you have to overextend yourself to impress others with material things. Only you pay your bills not anyone else.

The Greatest Generation understood hard work and sacrifice. The Baby Boomer generation let it get away. My generation is paying the price for their mistakes. When I think of it I wonder if we are or are becoming something like the Greatest Generation. Well, I shouldn’t say we are the new “Greatest Generation”, because that is a totally different league in which we can not remotely compare ourselves to, but we share some of the same characteristics. We are facing a hardship in many ways like they did and we have to fight and work hard and sacrifice to right those wrongs and become our own great generation and lead by example when we raise our children and help them to understand although we want to spoil them and give them a good life none of it comes cheap and everything comes at a cost.

The Greatest Generation, although it is quickly vanishing, teaches us many things, especially how to be better people. Our grandfathers loved our grandmothers and our families and whenever they begin a story with, “Back in my day…”, we should really pay attention and listen for they have the wisdom and advice to help us get through life. They faced unimaginable hardships, but never once missed a beat and kept on chugging along until they reached their goals and created their successes. They didn’t expect a handout because there were no handouts. They just did what had to be done and never complained.

My grandmother was pregnant with my father when Cuba was free. A few weeks ago he turned fifty three. My mother was only five months old. My grandfather owned his grocery store in Havana. Dwight Eisenhower was president. Not many people in America had heard the name John F. Kennedy yet. Errol Flynn and Ernest Hemingway were traveling to Cuba. Elvis Presley was one of the biggest celebrities in popular culture. The space race was on. The spread of communism was a big threat. When Cuba was free the world was a totally different place.

Back home in Tampa the interstate highway had yet to split historic Ybor City in two.  Nick Nuccio was mayor of Tampa. Dick Greco Jr. was still simply Dick Greco Jr.  Maas Brothers was Mass Brothers and Wolf Brothers was one of Tampa’s premier clothing stores. Tampa had original streetcar tracks in the streets, unused and rotting and part of the whole “disappearing streetcar mystery” that had plagued so many other cities in America.

When Cuba was free neighbors knew their neighbors and people respected each other and young teenagers in trouble still feared the wrath of their fathers more than the police. The world was a little more innocent. Television was wholesome. Spending time at the dinner table with your family actually meant something. A dollar was worth something. People still had faith in their government. That “Greatest Generation” that I often mention was helping build the America of the future. There was no more depression rather an America that kept moving forward. The Fabulous Fifties are called the Fabulous Fifties because they were exactly that. Meanwhile, back in the Sierra Maestra, Fidel Castro was planning a revolution.

The original message was to rid Cuba of the Batista regime. The promise was that there would soon be elections. The reality was that communism had come to Cuba. On January 1, 1959, Fidel and company entered Havana. Batista fled the island. Fifty-three years later we arrive at where we are at today. That particular New Year’s Day was the turning point in modern Cuban history. The country froze that day and has stayed frozen ever since.

I have often called Cuba the last “untouched territory” in the world. Well over 1.7 million Cubans have immigrated to the United States seeking a better life. My grandparents and my mother are three immigrants whom I know best. My grandmother tells me how she and my mother were given tourist visas to travel to Jamaica in 1961. From there they flew to Miami. My grandfather stayed behind to see what would become of Cuba. A few months later he contacted my grandmother in Miami with the words, “me lo quitaron todo” which translates to “they took everything away”. Soon after, he arrived in Miami and took a job delivering bread. My grandparents spoke very little English and my mother was a little Cubanita who was soon to turn four years old.

Like so many families my family went from a comfortable middle class living to the bottom of the barrel, but like so many Cuban refugees who came to America they worked hard and created an even better life here. My grandmother has never returned to Cuba. She has no interest in seeing what has become of her country. My grandfather died in 1984 and never had the opportunity to go back. My mother is interested in one day visiting the place where she and her mother were born and where they lived and the grocery store they used to own.

When Cuba was free Disneyland in California was still brand new. Owning a Cadillac meant you had money. World War II was still fresh in our heads. The majority of America had never even heard of Vietnam. The threat of nuclear war was real and I was not a twinkle in anyone’s eyes.

When Cuba was free the world was a totally different place and here we are, fifty-three years later, waiting and watching. The newest American car in Cuba might be a 1958 or 1959 model. Many American presidents have died over the years and many administrations have changed hands. My grandmother is a lot older now. She was thirty four years old when she left. She turned eighty five last month. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans living in America have passed away and were never given another chance to see a free Cuba.

Today, we continue waiting and hoping for communism to pass and for the day we see “libertad para Cuba”, but how much longer must we wait? Castro is old now. He is the last remaining key player in the revolution. I believe that when he passes the idea of the revolution will die with him and with his death we will see a transitioning to democracy and Cuba will once again be free.

When the Republican National Convention arrives in Tampa this August we must all put aside our political differences and simply be proud to be Tampanians. Many of us have already read the stories of congestion in downtown, completely full hotels, and the thousands upon thousands of folks arriving in our city. We have been told dozens of times that this event will be the size of four Super Bowls or even greater. Tampa has never seen anything quite like this before.

Mayor Buckhorn has urged people to go downtown. I know some people don’t like the idea of fighting crowds and congestion and even though I am one to enjoy staying home and spending a quite evening I also like the large crowds and congestion every once in a while. I like the idea of a crowded and congested downtown Tampa even more. Those who do not like the large crowds and congestion should make a sacrifice for those few days the convention is in town and enjoy this great event.

If you have a little extra spending money try a new local restaurant or make a purchase at a local business. Every little bit counts. Every dollar spent counts. In August the spotlight will be on Tampa. Luckily all we have to do is be ourselves and those coming to visit will fall in love. I guarantee it. Tampa’s beauty is so rich and I am confident people will be impressed when they see our city.

The economic impact of this convention will be great and if we come together as a community the impact made will be even greater. This has nothing to do with making the Republicans look good. This has every thing to do with benefitting our great city. If we all play, we all win. In August all roads will lead to Tampa.

The head of the local Western Union office would contact the draft board who would start spreading the word to the neighborhood about a telegram that was going to be delivered that day.
The telegram was to notify a Tampa family of the death of their son killed in battle in Europe.
The neighbors were told to be ready for when the boy on the bicycle delivered the telegram to the family. When the news was given and the screams were heard the neighbors would all run to console the devastated family.

This was Tampa during World War II.

Dora Caltagirone lived on 15th where her street alone lost three native sons in the war. The staff car would drive slowly down the road creating fear and tension to all who saw. Mothers waited nervously for the bad news. They would breathe a sigh of relief when the car would pass their home but would hear the scream of another mother when the car stopped and the chaplain stepped out. The neighbors would always be ready to run and console the grieving family.

This was Tampa during World War II

Marcelo Maseda was the gentleman who gave President Kennedy the box of cigars on November 18, 1963. He is very visible in the video that shows the President’s visit to Tampa almost fifty years ago. I have watched this clip probably a dozen times. Just to think our fallen president was right here in Tampa just days before his horrific assassination. Not only was JFK in Tampa, but more importantly he was able to get a little taste of Tampa’s greatness and of Ybor City. We thank Marcelo Maseda for making that happen.

In the last several years Tampa has lost many great people. The Mirabella brothers, Sam “Red Eye” Leto, Victor DiMaio, Al Lopez, and Anthony Italiano, Sr. are just to name a few. Marcelo Maseda was added to this list early this morning. He now belongs to the ages. He was an “Alcalde” in Ybor City back when Ybor had alcaldes. He was involved in over a dozen organizations. He is loved. He is a legend.

But this is not an obituary. What I write is simply an appreciation of the “Greatest Generation”. Some of these people I have named belong to this special group. This is a generation that we will never see again. This is the generation that helped build the Tampa that we know and love today and were part of the Tampa we know and love from yesterday. There are two people I think of that help me understand the transitioning of the old and the new. Those two people are Nick Nuccio and Dick Greco, both mayors of Tampa. Nick Nuccio, part of the “old days in Ybor City” and Dick Greco, part of the transition into a newer and more modern Tampa. Marcelo Maseda was part of both worlds because he lived them.

I remember going to a funeral with a dear family friend, Anthony Italiano, Sr. back in 2003. Ever since I was a young kid I have always been fascinated with history, Tampa history, and the older generation. Mr. Italiano was 83 at the time and I remember standing in line with him to give our condolences to the grieving family and telling him, “Mr. Italiano, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think I need to start making younger friends. All the old guys I enjoy talking to are passing away.” He looked at me and laughed and said, “My boy, that’s just how life is. We all gotta go sometime.” Mr. Italiano passed away on Christmas Day in 2010.  He was also part of that special generation.

A lot of times we don’t really appreciate people until they are gone and then we wish we could have them back for just a little bit longer. All the people I have named in this post except for Dick Greco have passed away and we are blessed that Tampa has had great folks like these. As the saying goes: “They just don’t make them like they used to.” This phrase could not be more true. They really don’t make them like they used to

One evening when the sun was setting and shades of midnight blue painted the sky above Ybor City I decided to stop in to the Italian Club on 7th avenue and go to my favorite spot in the entire historic district. From the third floor of the L’unione Italiana looking out the window towards the main street I could see the lights of the Bernini restaurant from a short distance away and heard the sounds of people in cars in the distance. My Ybor was alive. The images seen from my vantage point of the third floor window was the proof I was looking for.

The mornings are quiet on La Sétima. Often times I make my way to King Corona or La Tropicana for cafe con leche. I am greeted by the usual crowd. I shake the usual hands. All is quiet in Ybor City. For a moment I close my eyes and travel back in time. I can almost feel like I am in the past and the residents living above their businesses on the main street are still asleep. For a moment everything is once again perfect.

I will never forget the man who grew up in Ybor City and told me that decades ago everyone started moving out of the area. Decades later these same people look back and wonder what happened to their beloved stomping grounds. Things are different now. The Columbia restaurant offers a beacon of the old days. Many but not all of the brick buildings on Seventh still stand. Many are empty shells of days long gone. A few are home to new residents and businesses but Ybor City is alive and well. I know this because I see it with my own eyes.

Fiesta Day, Festa Italiana, Sant’ Yago Knight Parade, and the Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings thousands back to the area. Tourists visit daily to see our history, ride our streetcar, eat our local dishes, and take in the sights and sounds of Tampa’s greatness.

Sometimes I hear people tell me that Ybor City is like a Bourbon Street. I have to correct them and say, “No, it’s Ybor City”.  This magic place is something totally different and something very special. Not too long ago we had “Alcaldes”. A little farther back than that we had Jose Marti speaking to workers. The bricks that create the roads we walk and drive on have been there for generations. Ybor City is the real deal. Ybor City is the history book that came to life.

I never personally met Freddie Solomon. Any time I saw him out in public he would have person after person coming up to greet him and talk to him. Sometimes  it seemed like one had to wait in line just to shake the man’s hand. He was famous for his incredible football talents. In Tampa he was legendary for just being a great guy. He cared about people and he cared about his community.

Just a few weeks ago, the Tampa Tribune ran a story of the renaming of the sheriff’s annex in Ybor City to the “Freddie Solomon Annex”. There is a scholarship in his name. The footprints he left in Tampa will be remembered for generations to come.

I never personally met Freddie Solomon. I never shook his hand. I only heard of his legend but that was enough for me to admire him. Any person who cares so deeply about Tampa like Freddie Solomon did will always be a friend to me.

Many of us wish we could have had thirty more years of Freddie Solomon because 59 years old is often times just too young, but we can always be thankful for his great inspiration in that brief period of time we were blessed to have him.

He was the positive inspiration I wish we had more of.