Thinking about Father’s Day, and my dad, makes me want to laugh. As some of you may know, my dad, William Fiorino, was 100% Italian, the son of immigrants from Rome, Italy. He was really a character, to say the least, and growing up with him was at times a cringing experience. He used to embarrass me so many times as a teenager because I never knew what he would say. For instance, when someone asked if he came from Italy as a child, he would reply…”Oh, yes, and actually I was conceived on the boat.” Of course this was entirely possible, seeing that it took some 40 days to travel from Rome, Italy, to Ellis Island, and I”m sure they suffered their share of boredom.
He was very strict with me as a teenager growing up, and I can remember that he finally let me and Bill date when I was 17 years old. When Bill came to the door to pick me up, my dad said, “Come on in young man…I have a few words to say.” It was usually a 15-minute lecture about curfew and safety, and treating his daughter with respect. He wished us a good time, noting that he had no problem calling on his Mafia friends if his daughter did not show up!
He was always very outgoing and boldness was his gift. For instance, my husband Bill and I, pastored a small Country church in Troy, MO., for many years. One evening during the prayer service, we heard my dad whistle. He actually whistled pretty loud, then he said, “Jesus, you are so beautiful!” There happened to be two rows of youth sitting right in front of my dad, and when they heard Grandpa Fiorino whistling, they began to double over with laughter. That was only one of the many “church experiences” with Bill Fiorino. He really did love going to church, and especially kissing all the older ladies. When my mom would call him on it, he would just say…”I’m just spreading the love around, and besides, the widows have nothing to look forward to.” I must say they did line up every Sunday. Mom would throw up her hands and say…”I give up.”
He was a butcher for many years and worked as head manager for the National Food Stores. He would arrive at his store two hours early and make sure his meat cases were all in order and cleaned. People would line up to buy his homemade Italian sausage, and of course hear him tell his jokes. A lady asked him one day if he had any fresh fish. He told her he would check, and brought a large cat fish from the back of the store. He made sure it was flopping around and then cut off its head. She was so satisfied, that she never knew about dad’s trick. His customers could always count on him.
To say that he was proud of his wife and children, was an understatement. He would pound his chest, and with tears in his eyes he would say, ” I have the best children in the world.” He did get frustrated with my mom because she was always two hours late, and he was always two hours early. Sometimes when they would go out, he would blow his car horn in the driveway several times for her to appear. The neighbors always enjoyed the “show.”
But my dad was truly a “one-of-a-kind,” jolly person. He was bighearted and kind to everyone, and always had a positive word to say. When people were down, he would say…”Hey, you are in the best country in the world, America!” He would remind us that our freedom was worth all the gold in the earth, and that we should never take it for granted. I must say he was a good dad and I never doubted his love for me. He truly was my funny dad!
Happy Father’s Day
Rosalie
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