I’m madder than a great white shark with an oxygen tank in his mouth over the fact that every time I go to an all-you-can-eat buffet I fill up too fast to actually eat everything I want to eat!
Look, you all know the ol’Screecher’s eyes have been bigger than his stomach in a figurative way for more years than I can count, and that alone has actually made my stomach much bigger than my eyes in reality!
But that doesn’t mean I don’t try my darndest to fill myself as much as possible whenever I head over to the many all-the-Screecher-can-eat buffets I attend for yet another good cause.
Take for instance this year’s Brooklyn Columbus Parade Fund-Raising Brunch at Dyker Beach Golf Course — where the sin of gluttony is not only forgiven, but encouraged! It’s the perfect place for me to go on my seafood diet — the one where whenever I see food, I eat it!
In fact, I always make sure the sponsors of this feast know I’m coming, so they know exactly what they have to do: Order a lot of food so there will be some left for the other guests!
And there were enough drinks flowing to launch another armada of the Nina, Pinta, and, yours truly, the Santa Maria!
And speaking of maiden names, Kings County Democratic Chairman Frank Seddio was a silver sponsor as were 16 other magnanimous organizations, businesses, and community leaders. The reason I mentioned my cousin Frank is because Seddio is my paternal grandparents’ name, and he came over to say hello to me at my own personal table that Nancy Sottile, the executive director of the Federation of Italian American Organizations set up for me, since the brunch was a total sell-out. I sat on my trusty steed Tornado, complete with the Italian flag attached to it.
So many unexpected things happened, like hearing Vanessa Modaferri belt out the “Star-Spangled Banner” as beautiful and effective as I’ve been privileged to hear in a long, long time. And I hope she sings it at Il Centro, 8711 Cristoforo Colombo Blvd., where the parade will be ending on Saturday, Oct. 10 (from 3 to 4 pm) depending on the rate of speed of the dignitaries, marchers, floats, and participants move at. Of course, I’ll be there with Tornado and flag.
The 2015 grand marshals are Justice Patricia M. DiMango, star of CBS’s “Hot Bench,” whose parents have been community leaders here in Bensonhurst forever and her devotion to them proves that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m not going to talk about her overwhelming history and qualifications because I just met her for the very first time and I’m only sorry that I cannot dance a tango with her mom, Mafalda DiMango, a living legend in Dyker Heights.
Nice to know that Patricia flies in once a week to see her dad and mom.
Another really nice guy I’ve known for decades is Joe Bova, who is the Democratic state committee member. I knew he was in politics, but never dreamed or knew that he is so connected to the Catholic Church receiving its highest honors possible — the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a Pontifical Knighthood that traces its origns to 1099. So is it any wonder that when they announced that his 93-year-old mom was present, I let out with my infamous Big Screecher roar: Yeeeeaaaaahhh!
I hope I didn’t scare Carlo Scissura’s 4-month-old baby, undoubtedly the most beautiful female in the house. Congratulations to Carlo and the Mrs. What a doll! I’m not going to name all the dignitaries and elected officials that were there at the brunch, but I will mention that Councilman Mark Treyger announced that he is on Facebook sharing his Italian recipes, which should get him a Knighthood from the Italian embassy.
Bravo Marco Trega!
See you at the parade!
Screech at you next week!
