Lee Galdi and Christina Ruffino

00:04 Okay, my name is Christina Ruffino is Veterans Day, November 11th, 2003 and in my grandson's here with my grandmother we call P.

00:15 Hi, and I'm legality on Christina's Nana and my name actually is Lanada Victoria Taormina's galdi, which is very ethnic which I love very much although here in the states when I was young with very difficult to pronounce. So to make life easier for everyone concerned. I started to using the name Lee just let it yes Lee galdi and of course my grandmother when she heard that uses. I can't pronounce that name. I couldn't pronounce Niche is Wesley. It sounds like nothing. So Grandma you'll get used to it.

00:59 I put a grandmother after awhile, you know, she always called me by my nickname anyways, which was whining so that worked out here and her first name was muddy at theft was a beautiful name that your mother that's my mother's mother. She practically raised us cuz my parents went to work and my father was a contract that he came and he had a Plastering contractor and he did very well when he first came but then there was the the Crash of 19.

01:42 30 whatever so his business went downhill and at that point my mother had to go out to work and she was very fine seamstress and she did well on at that time you were able to bring work home. So she brought work home and all the family in the women got together and helped out. And yes, even your mother sews I know very well cuz well you'll have other talents. I'm sure maybe they did not come out yet, but they are surely they'll come out soon. My mother's name. We called her Rose, but it was Rosalia Christina and she was a very gentle person. She loved her body and Heritage as I do too, but she can still that into me which I'm trying still into you children.

02:36 And she was very talented whatever whatever she sets her mind to do always worked out beautifully. She was a very fine seamstress as I said before but she also was able to do crocheting knitting needle work anything with her hands design make patterns whatever it was. I create things. She was a marvelous Baker. She didn't cook us that was my grandmother's domain. So she didn't want to step on her toes. Although she knew how to cook and cook very well, but she baked beautiful when the holidays came they started weeks in advance and we had all the delicious pastries and goodies that came with each holiday in each holiday was a different type of dessert. So we did very well. The only thing is I feel bad it's that I never wrote anything down. I just helped us so now I don't know how to do anything.

03:36 My cousin show she she wrote recipes down. So she promised to give me some so I can hand them down to you guys surprised you could do it because I don't leave it to me.

03:53 Where in the brain?

03:54 Yes, what we first when my grandparents came became and the tank to Little Italy in which wasn't downtown because of relatives helping them at that time each relative helped another relative to get started because when they came they really didn't have anything and they help set them up then as time progressed my grandfather and grandmother moved Uptown and my father was able to buy a small apartment house East 77th. I believe it's on 2nd Avenue and 77th Street. And then with the apartment house many relatives came and they stayed there and we all helped each other. And then finally they moved Uptown to the Bronx and he boarded apartment house another apartment house on Simpson Street in the Bronx and at that time that area was just beautiful we were all

04:54 We will all poor but we we we roll working people we didn't have much and we lived amongst so many different kinds of people we lived with a Greek people we lived with Jewish people with even lived with Spanish people and black people and we had a wonderful Rapport and we never felt any one was different than the other one whenever each of our holidays came along. We all shared what we what we had and my grandmother always was always a wonderful Baker and she baked Breads and so she make dozens of loaves of bread and we had to go around to all the neighbors and give them each a loaf of bread and it worked out really very very nice and I had a wonderful childhood. I never worried when we never thought.

05:52 That we were deprived of anything because as long as we had food and food and clothing this house we thought it was great. I mean, you know, we want to wait for the summer and a wonderful night my grandfather we went to we went we stayed with the nuns in the morning and they took us to the pool. I think it was Steeplechase and then in the afternoon, we would come home and my grandfather most of the time we take us to the beach at Coney Island and we would swim in the ocean. So we had we had wonderful wonderful time and that he would take us on a ride at Coney Island. And of course he knew my favorite ride was the was the ferris wheel.

06:46 And of course, my brothers went on at 2 because we could catch the rain because he's with big horses and it would go around fast.

06:55 Carousel of the ferris wheel I'm sorry. Memes are on my mind. Just wondering too fast. I can you I love the carousel. Yes. You knew I loved the carousel. So he would never we would never pass pass it up. Every time we went we always went on the on the Carousel and we had a great time. And of course we bought two cats that catch that race. I can't remember how many times we did or didn't but it was it was a lot of fun. So I had a very nice childhood. And of course we were always with our relatives in the young people and we had a lot of parties and family gatherings. So we would help us another right and ended in the same building. Yes. We all have separate Apartments, but we all live near one another and every time there was

07:50 A holiday or birthday? We all seem to gravitate together and which was very nice, and we had a great time and when we when we went out as we got older we all went out together. We never went out alone. So one day is you we became teenagers and we used to go to CYO dances, or we went to see a showing you.

08:12 Catholic Youth Organization, that was the thing at the time to go to the dances and dance with the Borg. Although you couldn't go out on a date that yes. No, no that we would go in a group and we would have a wonderful time but we all have to come home together. It was no such thing that someone not be home together and then when my cousin Joe who is older every once in awhile, she would take us to a to New York and we would go to Radio City and see the Rockettes in the shows or they would have Frank Sinatra on the show. They had to use the wonderful. Yes on stage or tell you it was such an exciting thing and we love doing that and

09:00 We were always taught to study and learned because this is our country now and Italy Italy and Sicily were behind us. Although they were our heritage which we we would never forget. We had to become America's both. My parents came from a little town outside of Palermo, which is borgetto cold for gesso. My father. No not my father's last name is Tammy. But he came from borgetto also at that time. I really don't know how that name came about but it was supposed to be sort of a

09:47 Representative of I wouldn't say royalty, but well do people argue it. You know what that time. I really don't know but I never really got into it. But I always thought it was kind of odd that my father's name was terramina. He didn't come from the the town of tell me. Nobody came from Palermo and even below small town and projective, but that's the way things were maybe one day. I'll find out for that. But anyway, they had a wonderful growing up like they're even though it was a nanopore relatively poor they grew up with such wonderful values and wisdom and when they came to this country, they imparted those values and wisdom to us and the goodness and we

10:47 We try the game here.

10:49 I want my mother was a maybe thirteen when she came and she came after my grandma. My grandfather came first then my grandmother came and then my grandmother, I think she she came with my she came here with my mother then my other uncles came later and my grandmother's the daughters came later. I don't think they all came together. But each other the next year we make here but how it it. It was was that usually you're such a close-knit family that you really all your friends and relatives were all from the same same part of of of where you came from. So naturally when my mother met my father through relatives and he came from the same town. It was such a wonderful thing. And of course there was like a match made in heaven.

11:49 Yes, a wonderful time with our relatives and friends and we were very close and

12:08 We never knew anything, but

12:12 Anything but friendship and everyone lived their own life and we lived our life, but we always manage to be happy whenever we could be together with the rest of our family so dumb.

12:30 That's out workout. And I want you to know darling that I was the first first person in our family to attend college. Yes, because yes because the basic thing for a woman that point was that do you go to school to be as intelligent as you could but the main thing is to learn everything about a house because she was supposed to get married and have children. So that was supposed to be a main purpose. But my mother had all the plan to me and I have a plant do you think that was because my mother loved the Arts in my mother loved teaching my mother loved education and although she never had the opportunity to pursue and educating education for herself. She always red. She always try to keep up with things as she work with the very fine house that houses.

13:30 Set a maid haute couture clothes. My mother was such a good seamstress that she used to help make the designs the first designs before they made the who made the production of all the clothing. So she loved Opera she loved of the theater so she can still do all that into me. And well, my father was very busy with his business and he wasn't a very rare or rap, you know higher education, but he knew the value that the only way you can really get ahead is by having a good education and striving to to become someone that you can carry this education for the rest of your life. So and then of course being my father being in business

14:30 And with the house that we had the houses we need someone to take care of the books and all and so is a young girl.

14:39 Besides cleaning the house because I had to learn that because you know, I was to get married and have children besides cleaning the house. I also took care of all the book bills and and business records and as a teenager if the high school I used to go to my father's business to take care of his work and with the houses I used to take care of taking care of the bills and making payments, but the only thing I didn't they were in so I didn't get into was cooking because between my mother and my grandmother like I couldn't they there the domain but I always thought I was the one to do the dishes and that was my job besides cleaning the house as I told you one time when we had a party and I was ready to do the dishes and somehow or other I went to sit down on a chair in the meanwhile the kitchen had so many things in it. They didn't know where to put the deserts and put the desserts on this chair.

15:39 And I didn't pay attention and I went to sit down I slept.

15:46 Word Crush desserts that my grandmother always my grandmother gave me that was okay.

15:55 And you went to college at Fordham. Yes. Yes. I went to my mother and insisted that we had a good education. However, it went we went to public grandma. And the first opportunity went when we went to grammar school where block where we lived on and Simpsons on Simpson Street. I think it was ps21 but that ended at the sixth grade. So at that point my mother decided to enroll us into the Roku school Catholic school. So we went to St. John chrysostom for the rest of our not high school middle school and have two middle school. I don't know how I went to Cathedral High School, but I went to Cathedral High School because it wasn't that expensive and my mother was working and she tried to take care of it.

16:49 And my brothers went to Catholic school or Catholic High School and ask for me when I graduated. I guess I wanted to go to Fordham and that was fine with my mother and that's where I went and did you know I made application and not like today you make applications for dozens of colleges. First of all, we never dreamt of being away commuting was our thing. So I always felt that that was a very good school. So I enrolled in the business school, but at the time that I went through a very few women practically no women at all in the business field. It was well. Well, it was it was an education because I went to I won before I first went to Fordham. I thought it was going to be in the campus and on Fordham Road, but they didn't they did not allow women undergraduate that for him at that time.

17:49 So I had to go to 302 Broadway which was all the way down town or city hall was so that was a shock guess they had a whole building if they had the school of education. They have School of Business and they have to law school. Okay, so I went to the school business because we were business people and that's what I wanted to learn. So when first day we went into class it with three of us women there. So this thing about 30 30, so the professor who was who was really I'll never forgive him till this day. He says ladies I want to tell you one thing. This is a place for Learning and if you do not intend to pay attention in class and and just think you're here to catch a man I'm telling you right now you better leave so we were mortified. We three girls we would have felt so bad never entered our mind.

18:47 Yes, but I won't say.

18:51 I'll never forgive you but I'll tell you that station on my route to look into fell asleep because of that. So anyway that that pass and that's all to settle down but in the school of Ed all the women were there. Yes to be teachers in the School of Business. You had very few women and they resented the fact that we were there the other women resent it or you think the men don't know the professors and the other met the other didn't pay attention to us, you know, they thought we were kind of foolish so out of the entire freshman class which consisted of I went to which you must have had about that 6607 girl out of maybe

19:41 Oh, maybe y'all 600 ballast and this is the business school in 302 Broadway bait because they have also had a business school at the campus. And that was all boys. That was the old boy was turned out to be a wonderful experience because I met some wonderful friend. I met some wonderful friends. I had wonderful women friends and the Fellas, you know, if we overcame that have been passed and it so happens. That's where I'm at Papa law school. So all-in-all the turned out very well. He had a girlfriend and family. Yeah, he has felt no, no papa didn't have a girlfriend this friend of ours had a girlfriend and he always said to me he says and he knew I went to Fort music, you know, we have to get together because you know, there's a nice guy I want

20:41 Meet hospital. Please. Don't start up with me. So anyway, I happen to meet him in the whole one day and Papa was there and he introduced me so that was the beginning of the end or the beginning.

21:07 There and dump anyway, we got to talkin it was fine. So they had a a football game at Fordham had a football game. So he asked me if I wanted to go. So I went to the football game and that was our first date and his friend's girlfriend was the Mist Fordham. So when we went out to look like a beauty queen Beauty, yes, and they were having a big formal dinner. We were just going to go to the football game. So when we were at the game somehow or other pop-up message friend and his friends that stayed with us will probably have tickets for the evening. So anyway, we stayed with them and we had a wonderful dinner at the campus and a big party and I didn't get home till 2 that morning. I thought my father was going to get killed by my father was not home. He was he was away with my mother and my grandmother was taking care of it to my grandmother.

22:07 It was on a cell phone.

22:18 And then we had a nice War.

22:21 Oh gosh. Oh, I was something very pretty in that would be.

22:26 I never went to a football game before so I was dressed up and has a very pretty dress that my mother made my never I never bought any clothes my mother made all my clothes. And then after when I dated Papa later on every time we went out on a date I had two different track, but I don't recall what I wore but I'm sure it was must have been a fancy dress and being that was going out on a date. It was always something dressy wasn't a sports outfit. Okay. I was ready for the evening.

23:12 Yes, how long should you date Papa? I dated well, he's going to propose in between but he had to finish law school and then he was drafted in the Army. So Nana didn't want me to marry someone in the service you want. She wanted me to wait till he finished the service that without point in case well, you know, she thought at first I had to I had to finish college and he had to serve his time where we going to live how we going to let you know they were all concerned about these things. So anyway, we we got to a point where I finally he says I proposed but I must have said something because we were just dangling there for these years. I said, you know, either you going to marry me or whatever.

24:12 Events that happened.

24:15 So anyway, he proposed and he had to prepare to ask my father for my hand. And I said, oh it's ridiculous. You know, you live in America, but oh, yeah, my mother left him. Why does you marry him?

24:43 But I thought he was really nice to my parents. Oh, I do want to tell you our second day. He gave me his ring his school and his George Cameron cuz he know he went to Georgetown cuz I bought the ring home had the ring who is gorgeous ring. So I showed it to my parents and my father. What is this? You accepting a roof?

25:06 Thought you was going to kill me sis. How are you except to bring you just met the fellow. We don't know his family. We don't know anything about it, you know. So anyway, my mother tried to calm him down.

25:20 And so I have to explain he says you should never have done that. Well, anyway, I just am not going to give it back.

25:31 So if my father got over it, but there was only one thing that you know, we were very, you know, we were raised very private people my his mother wanted his they lived in Brooklyn and we lived in in Valentine that was was difficult traveling. So when we were invited to a function of his family and I went

25:57 Papa had to bring me home because my yard because my father would not allow me to sleep over their house and my mother-in-law who was my mother-in-law at that time was very her Jesus doesn't he? Trust me? I said, it wasn't a question of that. It's just his ideas. I can't change his ideas. So he would know he did he did we get in drive with neither of us drove until we could we were married after we were married and we needed the car. Okay, so they received a gift from his mother of a green Hudson, which is old green coffee.

26:40 We had a pocket on neighbors because my father's car was parked in front of our house. So we parked and then their parents.

26:48 Oh, no was my father's somebody's know that we we had an apartment. Yes. We had the apartment upstairs. Okay, then they built then they build a house on Hobart where they moved the Green Hornet was was parted our neighbors block used to come over since we did have a license to me since you have to wait to swim. But anyway,

27:24 Oh and all that's the way things went and we should have respected their views and we went along with their views and I'll tell you it worked itself out today Society is so different.

27:38 How well in the sense that the kids want to have sleepovers? You can go sleep in this one's house. That was house the other we were we were not allowed to do all that and dumb if you want to come home late, it's perfectly. All right.

27:56 We were not allowed to do that.

28:01 Well, if I told you I was in college. I came home to a clock that night that was very much. Okay, unless it was some specific thing that was usually was we had to be home by 12 12:30, you know today they get ready to go out, but 12:30 or 12:30, so

28:21 So, how long were you married before you have my mom?

28:25 So it's not really a secret honeymoon in Bermuda. I think that's where your mother was conceived because because that she came directly nine months later. And when I was talking to my grandmother and this was while I was pregnant doctor said both could be December January. I went to my grandma's and I was crying grandma grandma. What am I going to do? I said if she's if she's up she comes December people going to say I did something wrong before we got married. So my grandmother said to me she said to me don't worry since you first voices, you have to go according to the moon the way the moon changes. So if the moon changes early and you have her that's the way it goes and don't you worry?

29:25 Anyone says I know and you know in your heart that you didn't do anything wrong. That's what's important. So anyway, yes. Yes, everything was done according to the cycle of the moon. Your mother was born January 6th little Christmas. So it worked out for you know, who they want. These old these women they had nothing else to do but check your time. You know, what day or this what's today? It's not important anymore.

30:00 And then when your mother came, I know we didn't have any babies at the time when I was growing up everyone. The world was older or the same age. So when your mother came we didn't have this practice or go to classes or know what to do. So when when I had your mother and she came home first night you came home. She was crying all night, and I gave her a bottle then she cried so I gave her a little bit more then she was still crying and she already ate, and they said not to feed her. So I'm sitting there checking her all over and on crying. She doesn't love me by taking her home. She doesn't want me he woke up. He doesn't love me. I gave her a bottle and she drank the bottle now. She's crying some more and I checked her over and she seems to be okay, but she just doesn't love me.

31:01 Sophie so don't be silly. She's just hungry give her another bottle. I just don't know I'm not allowed to cuz I don't care what you're not allowed. I have to go get up and go to work. So I gave her another ride, but you wasn't very hungry.

31:20 And then of course, I was so afraid to bathe her or touch her cuz she was so so tiny. So my mother would come over. My mother came over every day to bathe her and dressed her and and you know tell me different things what to do, but I was petrified I was so petrified that to pass and then when I had Roseanne and Lisa was like old hat

31:49 So, where did you live when my mother was born apartment on Continental Avenue? Yes, that was our first apartment concert on Continental Avenue. And then we moved out of Continental Avenue. We went to 190 5th Street when my mother moved she she then we took another we took an apartment there now and do we stayed there?

32:19 Until we bought our own house of first home next to where we had the apartment on Continental Avenue and we had our own home, which was very nice until Roseanne Roseanne graduated from Grammar School. St. Teresa's and your mother was on her last year at Saint Catherine's Academy. That's why we moved and when we moved to New Rochelle, that's what we are now.

32:49 So it's like 27 28 28 years something like that and we paid by the times for you.

33:05 Anything you're going to stay there forever. I really I really would at this point. I like staying there and yet I think the house is just too big for us now and I'm just filling it up with too much junk that I don't need so I I would like to stay there just a little bit longer and start looking for a condo in a community. That's nearby so I can pick me up by my children because I can't be too far then no, no. No, I'd like to go and visit maybe stayed at our condo in Florida for a couple of months of the year, but I basically like to be me and my children as my children going to be near to me.

33:51 Hotel come back from school yet, right. I love having them know my child my grandchildren now my children complained that all my time and everything is is centered around my grandchildren. So I tell them well, they had their chance and they were very well taken care of now with my grandchildren's to have 75770 love each one of the 70s.

34:21 We're not done yet. We're not done. Okay. Okay. So now I'm concerned. I want my grandchildren going to do what the future is going to be and what they like to do. So I yeah, I like to help them as much as I can maybe not camping, you know, maybe if it's not monetary at least it's with wisdom and goodness and whatever their heart desires.

34:52 Vintage Jazz. So isn't that the truth it is the truth. You looked it up and I gave you the proof and it is but you kiss make me laugh because you think you know, you don't have not thought much of what the Italians have accomplished, but I want you to know that's a lie, they accomplish before they accomplish more than a lot. There is one thing that is here in this world that they have not bring with them that they have not done some have been part that have been part of all the creation they have been price of all the Arts the studies the scientist everything and they have been main contributors.

35:45 And that's why I'm so grateful because he's my favorite. But I also I fell in love with Sergio franchi he has what he passed away, but he was such a wonderful dinner and he came to the United States when I was already married when we were first married, but he has such a wonderful voice and Papas has to be so kind he would take me all over wherever he had a concert and I used to watch we watch them for form and it was just wonderful.

36:30 So now you tell me what what do you think about you or about our Italian Heritage? How do you feel about that?

36:38 Why do people make fun of us but they shouldn't and we don't really fight that because we know in our hearts that we are so good that no matter what they say will never change and we are about it.

36:52 Don't think about it.

36:53 But what's up?

36:55 Italian, you know. White in the American or Italian great. That's very good. That's very good. And I want you to know Christina to this day. I being that I can't I don't have the opportunity to speak Italian cuz I was raised my first words out of my mouth for an Italian or more or less the dialect but I've always tried to to speak Italian, but now everyone speaks American they don't speak Italian and it when I grew up in school, they did not offer us Italian as a another language to study. So therefore I never just a while. I took four years of Latin for use of French those were the two that were offered. So what I do is in order to keep up with my my Heritage I take the tanning classes I go and study Italian. So right now,

37:55 Go to New Rochelle High School on Monday evening. And I study conversational Italian and it's wonderful when I was there last night and we had such a wonderful time. We are read the stories. We translate the stories. He conjugates verbs and it keeps me in touch with the as my mother always told me which is I do want to say this to you that the Italian language is the language of the angels and we yes always ever since I was a little girl. She used to sing in Italian to me and she always told me never forget your Italian language. That doesn't end in OS on your Motor City quick enough to say la joya Del Amo La Mia Vita.