About Toritto

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I was born during year four of the reign of Emperor Tiberius Claudius on the outskirts of the empire in Brooklyn.  I married my high school sweetheart, the girl I took to the prom and we were together for forty years until her passing in 2004.

We had four kids together and buried two together.  I had a successful career in Corporate America (never got rich but made a living) and traveled the world.

I am currently retired in the Tampa Bay metro area and live alone.  One of my daughters is close by and one within a morning’s drive.  They call their pops everyday.

I try to write poetry (not very well), and about family.  Occasionally I will try a historical piece relating to politics.

🙂

43 Responses to About Toritto

  1. anna mosca says:

    Nice intro, clear and to the point. Life hasn’t spared you loss and pain but is also generous to you… nice to read you! Thanks for the follow. Wish to inform you that my blog is bilingual. I’m doing my best to keep the posting between the two languages balanced. Be patient please when you get the foreign language notice 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. toritto says:

    Anna – Io so. Mi dispiace ma non parlo Italiano molte bene.
    🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Memarge says:

      Don Toritto, il mio marito e d’origine Italiano. Me piace molto parlare in Italiano con mio marito.

      Liked by 2 people

      • toritto says:

        Well Memarge, my late wife didn’t speak good Italian either, I took it in college (my parents never spoke Italian in front of us kids unless they didn’t want us to know what they were saying) and while I traveled in Italy extensively in my younger days I never really got anywhere near fluent. Best regards from Florida.

        Like

      • Memarge says:

        Mario’s and my youngest daughter lives in Florida.

        Like

  3. Chagall says:

    I look forward to following you here. —–Chagall

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Aisha Q says:

    Your poems are beautiful, please do keep it up 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  5. toritto says:

    Aisha – thank you. I appreciate your kind remarks.

    Regards

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Misirlou says:

    Was wondering where you’d gone! Found you via libbyliberal. Glad to see you’re still at the writing game.
    Fond regards,
    Veronica

    Liked by 1 person

  7. toritto says:

    Hi V! Yes Libby contacted me and insisted she be allowed to post “Hysterical Lefties” at the other place so I said she could go ahead. All I want to do is write quietly when the urge strikes and stay out of trouble and controversy. I must admit she pushed my “hit” counter way up!!

    Best wishes for 2014. Regards.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Sir, I am sorry for your losses you have had in your life. That is one of the things about age though, with it comes not only great joys but much heart ache. I am very glad for you that your two daughters are nearby an that they love you enough to call you each day. I hope the new year brings you much happiness.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. toritto says:

    Ted – Thank you for the kind words. I have family and friends, live comfortably in the sunny South, am invited to every occasion and want for nothing. I am a lucky man.

    Regards

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I very much enjoyed reading about the reunification of Italy and looking forward to reading more your posts. Thank you so much for following First Night Design.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Your post on motion is awesome.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for following. I’ll be following you as well here!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Thank you very much for the “like” of my recent guest post on First Night History. I read and enjoyed your blog, Toritto.

    As you may know, I am working on a book-blog of my own, which can be seen at [one word] theoryofirony.com, then clicking on either the “sample chapter” or “blog” buttons at the top. My Rube Goldberg brain asks with an odd, well-caffeinated kind of logic: Why is there an inverse proportion between the size of the print and the importance of the message? Science. Commerce. Art. Literature. Military. Religion. I call this eccentric thinking the Theory of Irony and if your busy schedule permits, give a read and leave a comment. In any event, best of luck with your own endeavor.

    Regards,
    Erik Von Norden

    Liked by 1 person

  14. DesertAbba says:

    Thanks for your visit to Sanchismos!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. iku2e says:

    nice to meet you

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Danica Piche says:

    Hi! I nominated you for The Creative Blogger Award. If you’re interested please accept this award, and if you’re unable to for whatever reason, please accept the recognition and my sincere thanks.
    Here is the link: https://danicapiche.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/creative-bloggers-award-thank-you/

    Liked by 1 person

  17. sojourner says:

    Wonderful! You deserve it!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Pingback: The All-American Family | THE MIX, a weekly look at mixed ancestry

  19. LaraHentz says:

    We are so honored to have found you Torrito! And we hope everyone visits THE MIX blog today.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. dougstuber says:

    One of my brothers and my sister also died before my father passed away. Life can be very taxing, but you seem to have a good grip on it. I lived in Tarpon Springs for five years and currently am buying and “flipping-to-rent” in Pasco county, though I am in North Carolina. Have a great day.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. toritto says:

    Hi Doug – thanks for coming by. I’ve always liked Tarpon and will make the trip south on occasion. I used to go more often but as I get older (I’ll be 73 in Sept) my daughters yell at me!

    You might enjoy :

    https://toritto.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/a-morning-at-fred-howard-park-2/

    My eldest daughter was born in Charlotte. I worked for First Union a long long time ago!

    Regards

    Liked by 1 person

  22. JoHanna Massey says:

    It was your piece on Labor Day..or lack of…that did it for me. You have a new follower.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. swo8 says:

    I do love your poetry Torrito.
    Leslie

    Liked by 1 person

  24. DesertAbba says:

    I do so wish we could have coffee! I have seldom read anyone who so nearly mirrors my own thoughts. Frank, you may suggest that your poetry lacks something (about that I have no knowledge or opinion), but your prose and insight are unsurpassed. I really count it a privilege that we can communicate and agree!

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Thom Hickey says:

    Just a note to say how rewarding I always find my visits here. Regards Thom

    Liked by 2 people

  26. Ryan says:

    Nice to meet you!

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Bob Hamer says:

    Why haven’t we had your company at our Indy reunions in many years past?

    Liked by 1 person

  28. jennasnanny04 says:

    I have just found your blog and have to say I’m hooked! As a lifetime Jersey girl, now living in AZ for 20 years, it is SO intense ( in the best possible way) to read the words of someone I can identify with because as NY/NJ people, we were raised in the same climate of like-minded tell-it-like-it-is people!! You hit the nail on the head politically. Thanks for sharing your inner feelings too. I am hooked! I had my husband read the political one and I think it also gave him comfort to know we are not totally alone! There still are people with insight to reality and not everyone is brain dead about trump!
    Nancy in AZ

    Liked by 1 person

    • toritto says:

      Hi Nancy! Many thanks for the kind words. I was born in Brooklyn but lived many years in Middletown where my 2 girls went to school. The eldest went to Rutgers and the younger to Monmouth. I retired in 2004 and after my wife died came here to the Tampa area where my in-laws lived and my daughters had cousins. The eldest is a state prosecutor in Fort Lauderdale and the younger lives about 20 minutes from me. Both are married and I have a grandson.

      I haven’t been doing too much writing lately as I recently had some serious surgery to remove a ruptured spleen and at 78 it takes awhile to fully recover. I wrote about it on the blog. So bear with me if I don’t respond to many comments.

      As for my politics well, my father was a union man.

      🙂

      PS I have cousins in Phoenix.

      Best regards from Florida.

      Like

      • jennasnanny04 says:

        My husband is a retired union electrician so I hear ya! I’m so sorry you lost your wife. You had such a long marriage and were still young. We have to treasure each day, however the current climate is so upsetting, its distracting from our daily appreciation.
        Wow, a ruptured spleen? Om a retired nurse, so I know what this involved. Thank God you’re ok.
        I will go back and read your other blogs. Yesterday was the day I found you, thru Maggie.
        Feel better and thanks for the response.

        Liked by 1 person

  29. Biase8874 says:

    Hi. I’ve just stumbled on your blog and must say I am loving it! My husband’s family is also from Toritto. You actually share relatives, although quite a way back. Your grandfather, Francesco, had a cousin Stella who was my husband’s great grandmother. I think I may know who the mystery man is on your blog about the telephone book and will get back to you once I have shown it to one of our senior family members. I believe he may be a Poveromo.

    Liked by 1 person

    • toritto says:

      Hi Biase! Glad you liked. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best regards from Florida

      Like

      • Biase8874 says:

        Hi Toritto, I can now confirm that the mystery man is my husband’s great grandfather. His name was Rocco Poveromo. Thank you for the great photo of him!! I only had one which was in very bad shape. Is there a way I can contact you privately?

        Liked by 1 person

  30. toritto says:

    Hi again! You can email me at:
    fscarangello@tampabay.rr.com
    Best from Florida

    🙂

    Like

  31. toritto says:

    I remember the Poveromos. My grandmother’s sister lived in the Bronx and we would trek up there from Brooklyn every St. Joseph’s day. I also knew Poveromos in Charlotte N.C. He was a retired Lt. Colonel and we got together with his family often. Regards

    Like

  32. Chagall says:

    Toritto – all the best in 2022. Have you ever written about the Campania/Montessa briganti in 19th Century Italy? I am discovering that time between France/Italy – 1800 to 1870 – to be totally fascinating. I am finding some relatives who have ties back to those.

    Liked by 1 person

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