Dad was 100% Italian RIP Pop. Some of my fondest memories are of the holiday gatherings in Glendale California growing up with that side of the family. My Grandfather was from Calabria Italy and my Grandmother was from Sicily. My Grandfather and his brother, my Uncle John married two sisters my Grandmother Angie and my Aunt Grace.

My Aunt and Uncle had a son Pat and my Grandparents had a son Pat. He was an only child. The two cousins just as well might have been brothers. They were by blood right? I never got to meet my Grandfather unfortunately. He died of a heart attack before I was born. My grandmother had 2 sisters and all three of them all moved to Glendale California where I was born and all lived within a few blocks of each other it seemed.

The family gatherings were massive events with tons of great Italian food and loud laughter booming through the rooms. My Mom and Dad divorced when I was 2 years old. We visited every other weekend. When my Dad was younger he and my Uncle formed a comedy team and hit the Los Angeles night club circuit. Apparently they were very good. You could tell they likely were. At the holiday gatherings they were hilarious even as they got older.

During their run they were booked on a show on TV at the time called “You Bet Your Life” with Groucho Marx. A very popular question-and-answer game show that ran from 1950 tom the year I was born 1961. When I was a teenager my brother and I shared a room and they ran re-runs of this show and the great The Honeymooners with great Jackie Gleason.

One night as my brother and I were watching we hear the announcer for You Bet Your Life’s show as he did every show announce the contestants. We always paid attention because even though we had watched 100’s of re-runs but hey you never know…then we couldn’t believe our ears when we hear “Our contestants tonight are Pat Maradei and Pat Maradei?” We both shot up from our beds and ran down the hall to wake my Mom. We all watched and laughed our asses off.

Mom is Irish and grew up in Toronto Canada. Her Father my grandpa Max Henshaw was a character. I remember everyone loved the guy. He seemed very sure of himself. Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s he seemed to fit right in with the times. Love-ins, tye dye , the music scene. He seemed to roll with it all. My Mother and I have always been close and I have been comfortable confiding my Mom. She is close to 80 now and still as loving and positive person as I know.