January 11, 2011 11:46 AM
Ken Cuccinelli - roots and wings
Ken Cuccinelli is an exceptionally good man - you could tell by the ridicule he attracted from Virginia liberals and RINOs when he ran for Attorney General. He is authentic, open and honest.He is also going to go far because people are hungry for good, solid, down-to-earth leaders like him I subscribe to the Cuccinelli Compass and want to share today's edition, which will help you get to know more about Ken. Clearly, his upbringing gave him roots and wings:
Dear Friends,
This is a modestly edited version of an email my father sent me:
Today is 1/11/11. It happens only twice a century. To the best of our knowledge and according to at least one birth certificate in his possession, 100 years ago on 1/11/11 a Dominick Luigi Cuccinelli was born to parents Dominick and Fortuna Cuccinelli. The youngest of a large family he was known at one time or other by the following names: Dominick, Dom, Little Fido, Migs, Miggs, Dad, and Grandpa. On January 27, 1934 he married Josephine Policastro. It was a wedding that was predicted to fail but lasted over 60 years. They have had 2 children, 5 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Their progeny are all growing in grace and wisdom on a daily basis. This is their greatest legacy.
During his life, he was a prize winning AAU boxer, a prize winning AAU wrestler, a lifeguard at the world famous Palisade Park where he often dove from the 110 foot diving platform, worked as an undertaker, ferryboat crew member, commercial fisherman, truck driver, shipbuilder (during World War II), welder, longshoreman, crane operator, metals cutting shear operator and school maintenance worker.
Throughout his life, he was a diligent worker that was not stopped by injuries, illness, or other maladies that often would take his peers out of the game. True to his word and kind and supportive to all, he left a legacy that is still growing in stature and importance....I see great grandchildren in VA, NC, TX and CO and grand nieces and nephews all over the USA that have the potential to make contributions to the world that we cannot even imagine now but will have come to pass when we see 1/11/11 again. All of whom were influenced in one way or another by some small act of kindness or responsibility somewhere along his path of life.*(see below)* Most of which will little be noted or remembered, but in God's way helped us all be where we are now and set directions to what we are yet to experience.
Without even an eighth grade education, he relished the degrees of his children and grandchildren....Christmas was his favorite time and fishing and crabbing were his passion.....And he loved to eat Italian food.
He lived through many wars, including the War to end all wars-World War I, World War II (he enlisted, but they needed welders to build ships, so he built ships), The Korean Conflict, The Viet Nam War, and Gulf I.
He lived through the great depression and all of the many recessions and booms thereafter. He read by gas lamp until electricity was brought to the neighborhood. Which brings me to reflect on all of the changes that occurred in his lifetime....many of which we take for granted...From indoor bathrooms, phones, refrigeration (to replace the icebox), automatic heating (no coal to shovel, our house converted from coal to Oil), Radios, Black and White TV, Color TV, automatic transmission, the transistor, computers, mobile phones, penicillin and the list goes on and on.
So today our family will raise a glass to Dominick... Conceived in Italy, and born 100 years ago in Hoboken NJ in a home on Jackson Avenue....I know he's smiling down on all he wrought.
** My father is right, we each have our own stories. Here are two of mine, they happened during the same Christmas break when I asked Teiro to marry me:
1) After I informed my family that Teiro and I would be getting married, my grandfather and I were off on our own. It's important to know that he and my grandmother were two of the most reserved talkers I've ever spent time with (the gift of gab comes from the Irish side...).
My grandfather leaned over and nudged me and said "if anyone asks you what you want [for wedding presents], tell 'em envelopes." That's all he said. I knew what he meant, "envelopes" are an old Italian-American standby for gifts. "Envelopes" contain money.
What I didn't know is why he said that, so later I asked my father. It only took his first sentence of explanation for me to 'get it.' My father reminded me that my grandparents were married in the great depression. Enough said.
2) That Christmas, my youngest brother - Kris - was 12. My other brother - Kevin, my father, and my grandfather took on the project of putting together Kris' Christmas present - one of those small hoops games you see in bars that have a timer and scoreboard and 3 mini-basketballs to shoot.
Well, the bars didn't fit right, so they had to redrill all the holes. It took 'til 5:30 a.m. Mind you, he was almost 80 and didn't bat an eye at any of this grueling effort.
So, Christmas comes, Kris opens all his other presents (the hoops game was hidden in the basement and Kris was kept out of the basement w/o raising his suspicions), and joy and family are shared by all...
Later, with all of us minus Kevin (one of my great family regrets, he was next door) sitting in the kitchen where we could hear everything in the basement, an excuse was cooked up to send Kris downstairs. Of course, he discovered the final gift, went wild over it, and we all enjoyed and laughed at the sound as we listened in the kitchen.
Then it got quiet and I realized that my grandfather was crying. It is hard for me to convey the feeling of this situation, as my grandfather was probably the toughest human being I've ever known - and you'd know it if you shook his hand - his whole body had about 1/4 inch of callous from years of tough work, bare knuckle boxing, and wrestling.
No one moved or said anything. Gradually my grandfather turned to my father and tearfully said: "You love your children so much. It makes me so happy."
It was the one and only time I ever saw my grandfather cry.
Happy birthday Grandpa.
Sincerely,
Ken Cuccinelli, IIAttorney General of Virginia
Sign up for The Cuccinelli Compass at Attorney General Cuccinelli's Website:
http://www.Cuccinelli.comAuthorized and Paid for by Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General
Please direct your replies to KC4AG@Cuccinelli.com.
© All rights reserved, Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General 2010
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Comments
A great American, we are Blessed to have him in public service. Also, if you have time, put Dick Black on your list. read the bio on his website, I wonder that he is not a Presidential candidate as he has clearly given more for this country than our current President. Another Great American, we are all Blessed to have him working on our behalf, and should remember that come next election day. his website is www.dickblack4senate.com. I am not in Virginia anymore, but those who are would be well advised to offer him your support.
Posted by: Danielle M. | January 11, 2011 12:23 PM
Thanks for sharing, Barbara. Love those Cuccinellis!
Posted by: dottie | January 12, 2011 8:20 AM