In 1952, at the age of 23, Santo Matarazzo left his beloved island of Sicily to forge a new life in America.  Ending up in Brooklyn, NY, he settled in the area now known as Carroll Gardens (named after Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence—Santo would want you to know that.  He always said that it was important to know our history, and to always look to the “why” of things).  He arrived in America with little else than a thirst for knowledge and the skill of the art of sculpting, which he had studied since the age of 10 in Sicily.  Santo promptly put his skill at sculpting to work in America.  He designed displays in storefront windows and worked on a variety of projects, including Ellis Island and the Smithsonian Institute, for which he made a giant pair of Paul Bunyan boots and a larger than life apple pie.

Later in the 1950’s, Santo made a return trip to Sicily.  While there, he was walking down the street one day and came upon a beautiful woman who was sweeping the sidewalk.  He was so taken by this woman that he knew right then and there that she would be his wife.  Her name was Lucia, and shortly thereafter, she did become his wife, and they began a life together in Brooklyn.  They would have two beautiful daughters—Enza and Tina.

Santo and Lucia settled in the same area, and bought a Brownstone building which was in bad condition and at the time was in a run-down, ‘slum’ type of neighborhood.  This did not daunt Santo, though, and he set to work restoring the Brownstone.  By hand he sculpted, crafted and reconstructed the brownstone into a beautiful building.  As he did this, others in the area began to take an interest.  Being the person that he was, Santo assisted countless others in restoring their buildings, and he was instrumental in the restoration of the entire neighborhood.  In fact, for his tireless efforts, he became fondly known in the neighborhood as ‘Mr. Brownstone’.  Today, the neighborhood of Carroll Gardens is perhaps the nicest area in all of Brooklyn. 

In the early 1980’s, Santo and Lucia decided that they would like to spend their summers out of the heat and noise of Brooklyn.  They searched for an area in close proximity to a Long Island Railroad station, and one that was not far from the beach.  Finally, Santo and Lucia found a small cottage in the town of Mastic Beach, Long Island.  They purchased the cottage, which was, like the brownstone initially, in bad need of repairs.  Once again, Santo set to work, fixing the cottage by hand, piece by piece.  He would gladly show exactly what work he had done, from laying the hardwood floor to the handmade fence that graces the property, beckoning you to come in and stay for a while.  While Santo and Lucia were glad to have found the cottage, it is their neighbors who really benefited, for they brought the neighborhood to life.  With Santo and Lucia, everyone was family. 

….to be continued