Starting Over (9/26 MNB)
Sept 22, 2022 14:48:13 GMT -5
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Post by joeybuongiorno on Sept 22, 2022 14:48:13 GMT -5
SOME RANDOM WEEKNIGHT - SEPTEMBER 1996
It’s another typical school night in the Buongiorno household - all seven of us children have gathered around the dinner table as our father Salvatore walks into the dining room carrying two glasses of red wine, eventually leaving one at the end of the table where our mother Maria will sit before taking his seat at the opposite end. Most of the kids are having a couple different conversations at the table while I am sitting in silence, where there is already some bread, a small container of olive oil, a small bowl of homemade roasted red peppers, a plate of deviled eggs and an even bigger plate of antipasto that features a few different imported Italian cold cuts, small mozzarella balls and sliced parmigiana cheese. Every seat has their plate setting, so all that’s missing is the first main course to accompany what’s already on the dinner table, as well as Maria.
Salvatore: Alright alright, settle down… any of you got stories to share from school?
Vinny: Me and Carmine got our dates set up for Homecoming next weekend.
Salvatore: Very nice, well done boys… good Italian girls I hope!
Carmine (with a light chuckle): Yes of course, I’ll be going with Arianna and Vinny is bringing Isabella.
Lucia: But are either of you gonna ask them out anytime after the dance?
Vinny and Carmine look at each other for a few seconds, before looking back to Lucia and bursting out laughing.
Vinny: Oh sis, so young and innocent… that’s not exactly the idea, but plans could always change.
Carmine: Yeah Loo, maybe if these girls keep us… “entertained” throughout the evening, there could be an opportunity for them to go out with us again.
Salvatore: Okay fellas, that’s enough, let’s keep it classy at the table and start passing around some of the plates.
As we start passing around the first course dishes, Maria calls the oldest girl Rose out to the kitchen. In about thirty seconds, Rose returns along with Mother, carrying bowls of pasta fagioli soup to everyone’s plate setting, before returning to the kitchen right away.
Salvatore: Okay Paulie and Gio, anything eventful happen for my pair of seventh graders?
Paulie & Giovanni (both looking at their father): … NAH!!
Salvatore: Ummm… okay.
A somewhat awkward silence falls over the dining room momentarily, before Rose and Mother bring out a pan of roasted bone-in half chickens and a nice size bowl of green beans, finally allowing them to sit and start enjoying the meal with the rest of us.
Salvatore: Everything looks and tastes fantastic, Maria.
Maria: Thank you hun, it certainly helps when your husband owns and operates the biggest Italian Imports business in Staten Island.
Salvatore: Yes yes, of course. Rose, have you given any more thought about who will be standing as your sponsor for Confirmation? The classes start soon and you really should have that settled beforehand.
Rose: I was thinking Aunt Nina, just haven’t gotten around to asking her yet. You think she’d be a good choice, mama?
Maria: That sounds like a lovely idea, how about you Sal?
Salvatore (with mouthful of antipasto): Yeah Rose, whoever you feel comfortable with endowing that responsibility to… just gotta make sure we keep her out of the local card games when she’s supposed to be at meetings for Rose.
My parents and Rose share a quick laugh before continuing to eat their dinner. The whole family continues to have their fill of dinner, when Dad eventually realizes he hasn’t talked to one of his children yet - me. Upon noticing this, Dad takes a sip of his wine as he looks across the table to Mother, who is motioning with her head to try having a conversation with me. Dad looks a little puzzled, before some kind of light bulb goes off in his head and leans in towards his right side of the table that I’m sitting on.
Salvatore: Joey baby, how we doing with the start of first grade?
Me: Fine.
Salvatore: You uh… you like your teacher Miss Shaw?
Me: Yeah, she’s cool.
Salvatore: How about your classmates? You making any new friends?
Me: Ehh.
Dad is clearly getting frustrated with my short answers, but I can’t help it… I’ve pretty much been a lone wolf since I was born, especially as I’ve gotten older and put into more social situations. Let’s just say the Buongiorno name carries a strong reputation with it. But then, it dawns on my Dad what he should really be asking about?
Salvatore: Hey bud, anything new drawn in that scrapbook of yours?
My eyes light up like a Christmas tree as I stop eating and look at Dad with pure joy.
Me: Right now, during dinner?!
Salvatore: Yeah go ahead and grab it, you have my permission.
At least I think that’s what Dad said, because I was pretty much out of my seat and flying for the staircase in the middle of his response. I rush into my bedroom, unzip my backpack that’s sitting on the floor in front of my closet, pull my scrapbook out and hurry back downstairs to take a seat back at the table.
Salvatore: Okay, and that’s a brand new book too… let’s see what you’ve done so far.
Me: I’ve got three done so far, plus a rough draft!!
I flip open the front cover to the first page, revealing a pretty basic drawing of the family. My brothers couldn’t care less, but my parents and two sisters seem relatively impressed.
Me: I even put everyone in order from oldest to youngest and labeled them with their names.
Salvatore: Wow, uh… that’s actually pretty good, kid.
I flip to the next page and show a simple landscape kind of drawing of our house and surrounding yard, while also adding a Sal’s Importing Company sign to the top left corner of the paper.
Maria: Wow Joey, I really like that, the color choices are beautiful.
Salvatore: I just like the fact he sneaked the store sign into the corner.
I go to the last completed piece on the next page, which is a detailed drawing of Italian footballer Paolo Maldini.
Salvatore: IL CAPITANO!! That’s what I’m talking about!! So what’s the rough draft ya got, kid?!
I’m a bit hesitant to share, but I decide to turn the page anyways and reveal…
Salvatore: Che diavolo…
Me: It’s a couple sketches of what I think my gear will look like when I become a professional wrestler.
Salvatore: Joey, we’ve already discussed this before… if you are going to be any kind of pro athlete, it’s gonna be baseball or soccer, that’s it.
Me: But dad…
Salvatore: BUT NOTHING… no son of mine is going to be rolling around a dirty ring half naked with other dudes wearing spandex, THAT’S IT!!
I close my sketchbook and run back upstairs to my room, where you can faintly hear me start to cry as I slam the door behind me. Back at the dining room table, there is silence as everyone is staring at Dad, waiting for what’s next.
Salvatore: I’m sorry about that - come on everyone, finish up, mangia.
///////////////////////////////////////////
My name is Joey, and I am the Black Sheep of the Buongiorno Family based out of Staten Island, New York.
If you asked my mother Maria, she would gladly tell you that she knew I was gonna be different from her other six children from the moment I came out of the womb. I arrived on this Earth on Ascension Thursday of 1990, which was May 24. Not only was I born on a holy day for our Catholic faith, I came out of the birth canal without so much as a whimper, just cool as a cucumber in the morning mist, not a single ounce of crying out of me. In that moment, Mama knew her last child was going to be a lucky number seven.
There are other sordid tales revolving around my birth, including the sixty hours my poor mother was in labor before they finally induced her, two of my siblings having a loud verbal confrontation in the waiting room about Premier League football that caused a nurse to call security for no reason, and a couple of my uncles “supposedly” doing blow in the bathroom of her private hospital room after the birth. So yeah, my family is quite the entertaining bunch, which is honestly a bit of an understatement.
Maria is the most remarkable woman I’ve ever known and it’s an honor to call her my mother, mia madre. She grew up in a middle class family by definition, but you would have never known that based on the way her family acted and presented itself on a daily basis. Her parents were both darling human beings from what I’m told, but unfortunately they met a sudden death in 1993 in a wild car accident that also took the lives of three others. The family was relatively small by Italian standards with my mother only having two brothers, but their upbringing was simple and humbling. They didn’t buy things for the kids so they could be hip and cool, as my uncle Fred handed down the clothes he grew out of to Johnny in order to save money. But as the baby AND the only girl from the trio, she held a special place in her father’s heart.
On the other side of the coin, my father Salvatore was raised as the middle of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. He went through life with a chip on his shoulder, feeling like he constantly needed to prove himself worthy of love from his family and respect from his peers. He would eventually do that with his Italian imports business, but that didn’t stop him from placing similar expectations on all of his children… and I was the most resistant to his wishes, prior to his unexpected passing in late 1997 when I was just seven years old. My old man despised professional wrestling, despite the fact he grew up during the height of Bruno Sammartino.
As I went through the rest of my childhood dealing with a single parent household, I found my inner peace at the school weight room and eventually one of the local gyms. Out of respect for my family name and the memory of my father, I have lived with a constant vow of always striving to be the best. And once I received the blessings of my mother and uncles upon graduation from college, I took that same fighting spirit into professional wrestling. First one in, last one out every single day of training… I helped set up and take down rings more times than I care to remember, to a point where I could probably do it with my eyes closed if you asked me to.
So now, I’m bringing my beautiful physique and flawless wrestling abilities to the pinnacle of the wrestling business, as WGWF will make its grand return this Monday night in its brand new Las Vegas arena. I know all about Strader and Gold and Santana… a trio of dreamers who are trying to make the next big step in their careers, blah blah blah. But here’s the fact of the matter - NOBODY in this business can match my skill and ring IQ, which is something I will prove against those three pathetic excuses for wrestlers. It is only a matter of time before I become the first Television Champion in the relaunch of WGWF, because it is a foregone conclusion that is more predictable than Aaron Judge of the Yankees winning American League MVP in November. In the end, all three of my opponents this Monday night will come to find out that I am The Ace of professional wrestling - HOW YOU DOIN’?!
It’s another typical school night in the Buongiorno household - all seven of us children have gathered around the dinner table as our father Salvatore walks into the dining room carrying two glasses of red wine, eventually leaving one at the end of the table where our mother Maria will sit before taking his seat at the opposite end. Most of the kids are having a couple different conversations at the table while I am sitting in silence, where there is already some bread, a small container of olive oil, a small bowl of homemade roasted red peppers, a plate of deviled eggs and an even bigger plate of antipasto that features a few different imported Italian cold cuts, small mozzarella balls and sliced parmigiana cheese. Every seat has their plate setting, so all that’s missing is the first main course to accompany what’s already on the dinner table, as well as Maria.
Salvatore: Alright alright, settle down… any of you got stories to share from school?
Vinny: Me and Carmine got our dates set up for Homecoming next weekend.
Salvatore: Very nice, well done boys… good Italian girls I hope!
Carmine (with a light chuckle): Yes of course, I’ll be going with Arianna and Vinny is bringing Isabella.
Lucia: But are either of you gonna ask them out anytime after the dance?
Vinny and Carmine look at each other for a few seconds, before looking back to Lucia and bursting out laughing.
Vinny: Oh sis, so young and innocent… that’s not exactly the idea, but plans could always change.
Carmine: Yeah Loo, maybe if these girls keep us… “entertained” throughout the evening, there could be an opportunity for them to go out with us again.
Salvatore: Okay fellas, that’s enough, let’s keep it classy at the table and start passing around some of the plates.
As we start passing around the first course dishes, Maria calls the oldest girl Rose out to the kitchen. In about thirty seconds, Rose returns along with Mother, carrying bowls of pasta fagioli soup to everyone’s plate setting, before returning to the kitchen right away.
Salvatore: Okay Paulie and Gio, anything eventful happen for my pair of seventh graders?
Paulie & Giovanni (both looking at their father): … NAH!!
Salvatore: Ummm… okay.
A somewhat awkward silence falls over the dining room momentarily, before Rose and Mother bring out a pan of roasted bone-in half chickens and a nice size bowl of green beans, finally allowing them to sit and start enjoying the meal with the rest of us.
Salvatore: Everything looks and tastes fantastic, Maria.
Maria: Thank you hun, it certainly helps when your husband owns and operates the biggest Italian Imports business in Staten Island.
Salvatore: Yes yes, of course. Rose, have you given any more thought about who will be standing as your sponsor for Confirmation? The classes start soon and you really should have that settled beforehand.
Rose: I was thinking Aunt Nina, just haven’t gotten around to asking her yet. You think she’d be a good choice, mama?
Maria: That sounds like a lovely idea, how about you Sal?
Salvatore (with mouthful of antipasto): Yeah Rose, whoever you feel comfortable with endowing that responsibility to… just gotta make sure we keep her out of the local card games when she’s supposed to be at meetings for Rose.
My parents and Rose share a quick laugh before continuing to eat their dinner. The whole family continues to have their fill of dinner, when Dad eventually realizes he hasn’t talked to one of his children yet - me. Upon noticing this, Dad takes a sip of his wine as he looks across the table to Mother, who is motioning with her head to try having a conversation with me. Dad looks a little puzzled, before some kind of light bulb goes off in his head and leans in towards his right side of the table that I’m sitting on.
Salvatore: Joey baby, how we doing with the start of first grade?
Me: Fine.
Salvatore: You uh… you like your teacher Miss Shaw?
Me: Yeah, she’s cool.
Salvatore: How about your classmates? You making any new friends?
Me: Ehh.
Dad is clearly getting frustrated with my short answers, but I can’t help it… I’ve pretty much been a lone wolf since I was born, especially as I’ve gotten older and put into more social situations. Let’s just say the Buongiorno name carries a strong reputation with it. But then, it dawns on my Dad what he should really be asking about?
Salvatore: Hey bud, anything new drawn in that scrapbook of yours?
My eyes light up like a Christmas tree as I stop eating and look at Dad with pure joy.
Me: Right now, during dinner?!
Salvatore: Yeah go ahead and grab it, you have my permission.
At least I think that’s what Dad said, because I was pretty much out of my seat and flying for the staircase in the middle of his response. I rush into my bedroom, unzip my backpack that’s sitting on the floor in front of my closet, pull my scrapbook out and hurry back downstairs to take a seat back at the table.
Salvatore: Okay, and that’s a brand new book too… let’s see what you’ve done so far.
Me: I’ve got three done so far, plus a rough draft!!
I flip open the front cover to the first page, revealing a pretty basic drawing of the family. My brothers couldn’t care less, but my parents and two sisters seem relatively impressed.
Me: I even put everyone in order from oldest to youngest and labeled them with their names.
Salvatore: Wow, uh… that’s actually pretty good, kid.
I flip to the next page and show a simple landscape kind of drawing of our house and surrounding yard, while also adding a Sal’s Importing Company sign to the top left corner of the paper.
Maria: Wow Joey, I really like that, the color choices are beautiful.
Salvatore: I just like the fact he sneaked the store sign into the corner.
I go to the last completed piece on the next page, which is a detailed drawing of Italian footballer Paolo Maldini.
Salvatore: IL CAPITANO!! That’s what I’m talking about!! So what’s the rough draft ya got, kid?!
I’m a bit hesitant to share, but I decide to turn the page anyways and reveal…
Salvatore: Che diavolo…
Me: It’s a couple sketches of what I think my gear will look like when I become a professional wrestler.
Salvatore: Joey, we’ve already discussed this before… if you are going to be any kind of pro athlete, it’s gonna be baseball or soccer, that’s it.
Me: But dad…
Salvatore: BUT NOTHING… no son of mine is going to be rolling around a dirty ring half naked with other dudes wearing spandex, THAT’S IT!!
I close my sketchbook and run back upstairs to my room, where you can faintly hear me start to cry as I slam the door behind me. Back at the dining room table, there is silence as everyone is staring at Dad, waiting for what’s next.
Salvatore: I’m sorry about that - come on everyone, finish up, mangia.
///////////////////////////////////////////
My name is Joey, and I am the Black Sheep of the Buongiorno Family based out of Staten Island, New York.
If you asked my mother Maria, she would gladly tell you that she knew I was gonna be different from her other six children from the moment I came out of the womb. I arrived on this Earth on Ascension Thursday of 1990, which was May 24. Not only was I born on a holy day for our Catholic faith, I came out of the birth canal without so much as a whimper, just cool as a cucumber in the morning mist, not a single ounce of crying out of me. In that moment, Mama knew her last child was going to be a lucky number seven.
There are other sordid tales revolving around my birth, including the sixty hours my poor mother was in labor before they finally induced her, two of my siblings having a loud verbal confrontation in the waiting room about Premier League football that caused a nurse to call security for no reason, and a couple of my uncles “supposedly” doing blow in the bathroom of her private hospital room after the birth. So yeah, my family is quite the entertaining bunch, which is honestly a bit of an understatement.
Maria is the most remarkable woman I’ve ever known and it’s an honor to call her my mother, mia madre. She grew up in a middle class family by definition, but you would have never known that based on the way her family acted and presented itself on a daily basis. Her parents were both darling human beings from what I’m told, but unfortunately they met a sudden death in 1993 in a wild car accident that also took the lives of three others. The family was relatively small by Italian standards with my mother only having two brothers, but their upbringing was simple and humbling. They didn’t buy things for the kids so they could be hip and cool, as my uncle Fred handed down the clothes he grew out of to Johnny in order to save money. But as the baby AND the only girl from the trio, she held a special place in her father’s heart.
On the other side of the coin, my father Salvatore was raised as the middle of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. He went through life with a chip on his shoulder, feeling like he constantly needed to prove himself worthy of love from his family and respect from his peers. He would eventually do that with his Italian imports business, but that didn’t stop him from placing similar expectations on all of his children… and I was the most resistant to his wishes, prior to his unexpected passing in late 1997 when I was just seven years old. My old man despised professional wrestling, despite the fact he grew up during the height of Bruno Sammartino.
As I went through the rest of my childhood dealing with a single parent household, I found my inner peace at the school weight room and eventually one of the local gyms. Out of respect for my family name and the memory of my father, I have lived with a constant vow of always striving to be the best. And once I received the blessings of my mother and uncles upon graduation from college, I took that same fighting spirit into professional wrestling. First one in, last one out every single day of training… I helped set up and take down rings more times than I care to remember, to a point where I could probably do it with my eyes closed if you asked me to.
So now, I’m bringing my beautiful physique and flawless wrestling abilities to the pinnacle of the wrestling business, as WGWF will make its grand return this Monday night in its brand new Las Vegas arena. I know all about Strader and Gold and Santana… a trio of dreamers who are trying to make the next big step in their careers, blah blah blah. But here’s the fact of the matter - NOBODY in this business can match my skill and ring IQ, which is something I will prove against those three pathetic excuses for wrestlers. It is only a matter of time before I become the first Television Champion in the relaunch of WGWF, because it is a foregone conclusion that is more predictable than Aaron Judge of the Yankees winning American League MVP in November. In the end, all three of my opponents this Monday night will come to find out that I am The Ace of professional wrestling - HOW YOU DOIN’?!