THE FOOTNOTES

TONY NAPLES' PORTRAIT, HANGING ON THE WALL IN ONE OF OUR BEDROOM S, WAS SOMETIMES CREDITED WITH BEING THE UNDERLYING PRESENCE WHICH CAUSED FEAR IN SOME PEOPLE. TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT TONY, HE WAS A HANDSOME GUY. TONY WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED GUY, TOO. HE GOT OFF THE BOAT FROM SAVIANO, ITALY AT AGE 27, SPEAKING LITTLE OR NO ENGLISH, YET HE HAD HIS OWN BUSINESS, BUILT HIS OWN HOUSE, HAD TWO SONS HE PUT THROUGH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, LEFT HIS MARK ON MANY A SIDEWALK HE CONSTRUCTED AS A CONTRACTOR IN NEW BRITAIN. IF YOU ARE EVER AROUND CENTRAL CONNECTICUT UNIVERSITY, LOOK AROUND THE STREETS NEAR THE COLLEGE, AND YOU WILL FIND "TONY NAPLES GENERAL CONTRACTOR." HE

HELPED FOUND ST. ANNE'S CHURCH, WAS A LEADER IN ITALIAN SOCIETIES IN THE CITY, AND HAD HIS OBITUARY ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW BRITAIN HERALD WHEN HE DIED. DON'T BE AFRAID OF TONY. JUST BE SORRY YOU NEVER MET HIM.