Coffee was always a staple in the Marseglia house. The sisters would bang on the water pipes, located in the broom closet, to indicate that the coffee was ready. They would gather into the appointed kitchen and take coffee.
Every night after Saturday night mass was coffee time, along with some television.
After every dinner, there was coffee.
If you stopped by for a visit, Rose would make coffee.
Mario Sr. had a story that he and his friends would take off to Boston simply for a cup of coffee.
Years into his retirement, Mario Sr. swore that once someone had put a mickey in his coffee. He swore it was the cream and ever since that time he took his coffee black.
Rose Marseglia put cream and sugar in her coffee.
Mike Marseglia takes his coffee black, "black, black like my heart". Mike now gets his coffee from The Coffee Exchange
Vincent Marseglia used take his coffee with cream and sugar, but since 2006 can not drink coffee or much stand the smell.
Mario Sr. lived at the time of World War II. His father had served in World War I as a translator for the American soldiers in Italy. Mario however, had his own ideas. Mario earned his deferments by working in the foundry.
The foundry was located at the end of Frances Ave. in Cranston, RI. There they made parts for the Navy ships. As best I understand Mario had to make eyebolts, big ones the size of your arm. They had to machine the eye of the bolt and smooth it out.
There was a gentleman there, Mario referred to him as "the Jew", in the tool crib. Mario would bring him the blue prints. The Jewish man would provide Mario for the tools needed to machine the different parts.
Mario did well and become a floor boss or middle manager. He ensured people were doing their work. From what Mario told me, there were some who gave the appearance of working, but kept the bolt in the oil not on the machine. At the end of the day these people had few finished pieces.
One day Mario was walking around the shop floor and hear something in the back. He came to discover a woman and a man engaged in some undignified behavior. He had them both fired.
He also cut a little hair on the side during lunch. Mario's boss was unhappy about this, perhaps his lunch was a bit long. The boss told Mario he was going to get him fired. But there was another man there, a Frenchman named Boutro, who was Mario's boss's boss.
Boutro did not mind so much that Mario gave hair cuts, he was after all a really good barber and everyone needs a barber. Every time Mario's deferment was about to expire, Boutro would ensure it was renewed.
Mario's son, Mario, was a hell raiser of a child and into all sort of mischief. Mario Sr. used to chase him around the house with the belt when he was in trouble.
This house, at 30-32 Frances Ave, Cranston, RI, was a three family house. Not just three families, but one big family. Three sisters, two of them married to brothers, lived there with their seven children, all cousins.
Mario lived on the second floor. Through the second floor they ran and down the front door, back through the first floor, up the stairs to the third floor, back down out the front door and off down the street.
Mario Sr. would sit and wait on the second floor porch, biding his time, for Mario Jr. would always have to come home.
One time during these chases, Mario Jr. leaped into the bed he shared with his brother, Vincent. He pushed Vincent onto the side Mario usually slept on and quickly covered both of them. Mario Sr. came in and in a rage mistook Vincent for Mario and beat him instead.
Mario Marseglia Sr., my grandpa, when he was a barber on Park Ave. other barbers would have chairs in his shop. He would occasionally leave the shop with his friends for a 'cup of coffee' in the afternoon. While he never explicitly told me, knowing Grandpa he was probably drinking something a bit stronger than coffee.
One day, while he was giving one of his customer's a haircut, his customer said to him, " You know Mario, every time you go out and the other barber is here. When he's done he tells me he has to go to the bathroom and to leave the money on the cash register. Every time."
Grandpa counted the towels. Each customer was given three clean towels. One clean towel around the neck, one clean towel for the shave and one clean towel after the shave. By counting towels and money he would know how many heads had been cut. Grandpa also did all his laundry at home.
This made grandpa furious. So furious in fact, that the next time he saw the barber he cursed him, threw him out of his shop and threw his tools into the middle of Park Avenue, Cranston.
After that, Grandpa had only one chair in his shop.
When Grandpa's shop was at it's first location, there is a car lot there now, there was a house across the street. Every afternoon the woman would wash her windows. Normally this would not be a noteworthy event. This woman however, would wash her windows topless.
Skippy Wiley and the regulars would come to call at the appointed time. Needless to say Grandpa's shop drew a crowd when ever it was cleaning time.
Mario was shaving a customer when the husband came to the shop. He was furious and threatened Mario and all his patrons. Mario turned on him, straight razor in hand and said to him, "Get out of here before I slit your throat. Why don't you tell your wife to stop washing the windows topless."
And so the husband left and the woman washed windows no more.
Mario Jr. was a hell raiser as a child and continued as he got older. As he approached 18 he consistently threatened to leave home and join the Navy. His mother Rose would not have it. It grated on his father, Mario, to hear every night at dinner and every time they disciplined him, the threat of joining the Navy.
Mario the barber cut many a head in those days and knew the Naval recruiting officer. He talked to the gentleman and had him bring the papers by the shop, unknown to young Mario Jr.
One night at the dinner table, Mario Jr. once again began to cry he would leave home, join the Navy. That is when Mario Sr. stood up to say, "You want to join the Navy? Fine you're in, I signed you up!" and started singing the "You're in the Navy..." song.
Mario Jr. was in disbelief, shock. His jaw dropped, mouth agape he was speechless. His mother burst into tears, but Mario Sr. would not reneg, he had signed his son up.