I could probably write a book about this great man but I won't because Pietro wouldn't have liked it. He was a man of few words, in my opinion, but the words he chose were always the truth and they were always said with conviction. I knew him my whole life. My experiences with him included having him as just another neighbor, then someone who fathered lots of kids for me to play with, then as the neighbor who didn’t take any smart talk from wise guys like me. I always remembered the warning he gave me when I talked back to him; he said with his thick Italian accent: "I'll a kick you outta of my yard like a rubber ball !!!!" Of course I watched my mouth from that moment on!

As we both grew older and after my own father passed, Pietro took me under his watch and gave me a job working with him and Santo, his friend and partner. Pietro taught me the meaning of hard work and showed me how important family was through his actions and words. I couldn’t have had a better role model to follow. I’m deeply grateful for all he taught me.

I also had fantastic times with his clan and when I look back to my childhood days those days are some of my best memories. We played every sport you can think of and some we made up “curbie and pickle” come to mind. Pietro was always around keeping a watchful eye over his family and wanting to get into the action in many cases, even after what can only be described as an excruciatingly hard day of working concrete. Great men find the time and the energy to do these things. I’m blessed to have known him and his family. He’ll be greatly missed by all. Gotta end the story here or I might get kicked outta this site like a rubber ball! Pietro will always be around for me.