Ernie Gerbasi

From Bari to Boston - An American Experience Ernie Gerbasi

Unless you consider life with an extended family of more than eighty three aunts, uncles and cousins or getting involved in the events of nine eleven a little exciting, or facing the dangers with planes that lose their power, and out of control boats convulsing in a storm or suicidal motorists targeting you on the back streets of Boston. a little out of the norm, you won't be interested in this book. This is mostly a family memoir that can be left to future generations. It pays homage to my parents and their parents who emigrated to this country. Also to my family and friends . It reveals the way my extended family lived around the turn of the twentieth century and beyond. Also my life in the thirties and during World War Two, the golden age of the Fifties, country living in the sixties, dramatic life changes in the eighties, new friends in the nineties and life as a Florida migrant thereafter. Everyone needs a similar compendium. Rather than leaving your life history to the vagaries of the digital age, write a book. Tell your children and grandchildren who you are and the way you've spent your days on this planet. I've tried to downplay my working life because I don't want to sound like a dull and pompous walking resume. Yet, I've enjoyed the freedom of setting my work schedule to travel across the country writing stories and dealing with editors, media types, clients and sports personalities. An old acquaintance recently called to thank me for an invitation to attend an Irving Berlin type musical extravaganza I promoted for the Army. Strangely enough, I forgot about that chapter in my life. In keeping with the spirit of this book, I've opened it up to my family. My wife, Marcy, left a diary of her travels to Italy before she passed away. My daughter Leslie, penned a tribute to her grandmother and her childhood home and my granddaughter Sara, wrote about the sights and travails of traveling through Europe. There are about 300 photographs that will show you how the people I loved and admired impacted my life.