0002

Interview with Vito Cacciola

BY Merton R. Lovett

. . .

(from memory)

“Yes, Mr. Lovell, I know I hava de unusual vocabulary. I tella you why I am acquainted with so many words.

“When I reada de paper, all de words what I does not know, I marka with pencil. Lika this. See. Then before I sleepa I discover them in de dictionary.

“My greatest handicap is de pronounciation. When I talka, peoples do not mistaka me for American. What can I do, Mr. Lovett?

“You say that I maka but few mistakes. What is they?

“So it is de emphasis you call it, which I puta on de wrong sylable? When de words enda with ED, I should not put de accent there?

“Do I say hop-ed? What should I saya? Hoped. Hoped. I will trya to remember.

“And it is not nam-ed? It is named. Named. Named. It is easy for me to forget.

“And I, I enda words with A, which is de mistake. It should be I play de violin and not I playa de violin. I hava mucha difficulty. Excusa me. O. K. I will saya excuse me.

“Why do you laugh? Oh! Then I must say, say excuse me. Alas I have much difficulty. I will trya to do so. Hah! Hah! I will try to do so.

0003 2

“Nobody ever help-ed, helped, me Mr. Lovett. If you will teacha - teach-ed me. All right, If you will teach me. I will be be grateful. I will writa - write - it in my red book.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My! My! My! De concert was mosta marvelous. It was wonderful. Such sweet music you have never heard.

“The audiance was small. There was much rain. But we did not losa any money.

“Did you know, Mr. Lovett, I was greatly honored? On Thursday de maestro, de great singer, stop-ed here at my shop. He thank-ed me much for my hard work. With the maestro were five singers and musicians. I aska them to stay with me to dinner. They consent-ed, which was de great honor.

“It was fortunate that I have cooked much spaghetti with de rich sauce. With potatoes and de pork chops and rare wine I prepara a fine dinner. My hospitality was much appreciat-ed.

“We mak-ed plans also for de concert in April. Many peoples feela jealousy and envy for me.

“So you saya you never feela envy. It is most demarkable. Perhaps some day you will hava it. Some peoples taka pleasure to maka you jealous.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0004 3

“That young scampa on sidewalk, his name was in de paper. Did you not seea how he defrauded de city?

“He hasa $200 in his house, but all de time he getta money from wellfare. Last week he was arrest-ed.

“Whatever happens, it will serva him right. I talk-ed with him with blood in my eye. I reminda him how he has desert-ed his wife. I guess he must scratcha his head now to paya to her $7.00 each week.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“That woman who just getta de shoes. I have know her many years. Once I was able to give to her some help.

“It was many years ago, She then liva in de house at corner of West Dane Street. Upstairs was de second tenant named Lotito.

“There was a old lady up there who maka always trouble. She did not lika de woman who was here, who had not yet learn-ed to talk de American.

“One night there was greata noise in house. Those peoples nam-ed Lotito hava fight. De lady go up a stairs to ask them to stopa noise and leta her baby sleep.

“What happened? De old Mrs. Lotito strike her. Then she pusha her down de stairs. De poor lady breaka her leg. She calla for help. She calla for police. Peoples hear her crys and came but they do not understanda Italian.

“I go to her and listen to her story. I tella to de police 0005 4de truth. She isa carried to de hospital in ambulance. Since then she has been a de customer and friend.

“Yes that Lotito is de leader of W. P. A. band, but he is not de great musician. He playa de bass horn. It goa Blah - Blah - Blah, lika horn by Baker's Island, when it is a foggy. It requira no inspiration or quality of soul to play de bass horn.

“Yes, he leada de band, maka de time. He swinga de sitck stick sometimes. When he leads he cannot playa de horn. But he has not de qualities of a great leader. When he wava de stick, de musicians playa. When he stopa de stick, they playa just so good.

“Here is de shoes for your Robert. See I repaira them with much care. New soles, new heels, shoelaces and the counters I have fix-ed. This white lining in de heels will please his mother. No longer will Robert weara holes in de stockings each day.

“De price it is a $1.50, but I have use-ed much care on de job. You tella me how Robert likes them.”