My memories of Anthony J. DePaula
I can’t remember the exact date I met Tony DePaula but it was around 1950 in the Goose Hill section of Schenectady NY.
It was there on Foster Ave, where each summer evening, all us kids would gather during the warm summer nights to play games till after sunset. Games that today’s kids never heard before, like capture the flag, kick the can, ally alley in free, and tag.
Our gang mainly consisted of Tony DePaula, Carm DeMatteo, Bob Sanford, Nick Valentino, Ed Cieslowski, Bill Krawiecki, Phil Aulicino , Adelaide DeMatteo, Judy Sobleski, Ann Marie, and me, Peter Maioriello.
Often, we would gather our group, choose sides and play capture the flag till the sun set and then go over to John Maurycy’s cash market for a bag of potato chip and an orange crush.
John Maurycy and John Maurycy Sr. would often come out on the porch and talk to us till it was time for us to make our way home.
Tony DePaula lived next door to Peckham Lumber yard and on some evenings for something to do, we would go up onto the roof tops in the lumber yard and look at the stars. In, fact that is where Anthony and I tried our first Kent mentholated cigarette and he found out that he didn’t like to smoke. It made him dizzy.
When we were about 16 years of age It was there on foster avenue that Tony and I had our first of many illegal beers at the Polish bar located next door to where Riccitiello’s Restaurant has been and still is located since the beginning of time.
I the 50’s Tony, Carm, Bob, and I loved to hunt rabbits with our shotguns. We would go to Carm DeMatteo’s Schoharie camp and spend many weekends hunting and tobogganing.
One-time Nick Valentino borrowed his Uncle Gus’s toboggan and we took it to the tallest, steepest, mountainside we could find. It looked like it was going to be a long smooth 2-mile run with Carm’s father picking us up with his car at the base of the mountain. It all started out well Tony in front, me next, Nick, and Carm in the anchor spot. With snow being thrown in our faces, we could not see where we were going and forget about steering. We started going faster, faster and faster, to a speed that seemed to be totally unbelievable. Then, we hit a snow packed stone wall that launched us in the air into a large thorn crab apple tree. With bodies flying everywhere and a borrowed toboggan in a million pieces, we all got up looked round dazed and started laughing. Holy cow we survived.  One and Done !
In the summers around 1955 Tony would invite me to stay at his camp on Saratoga Lake in china town.
It was there that I first met “The Cassella Girls from Schenectady. They were Doctor Cassella’s two daughters who had a camp next door to the DePaula’s. Tony and I along with The Doctors son Peter, daughters Sharon and Susan Cassella would order a Pizza and go to Panza’s by boat to pick it up.
And let’s not forget about the trips to the Rt 50 Drive in movie theater. What fun, Mrs. Casella was. With her behind the wheel and Tony, Susan, Sharon, and I in the trunk of their big Cadillac trying to stifle a giggle or two going thru the booth. Hahahaha have to do that a least once in your lifetime.
It was during one of those days that Tony informed me that he was going to marry Susan someday.
And to not to my surprise, guess what, it happened around 1971. His wish came true Mr. and Mrs. Anthony and Susan DePaula.
After we graduated from school in 1860 and I entered the US Airforce I did not see Tony until around 1970.  It was then that I had become management for the NY Telephone Co and needed to buy some suits. I went to Bond Clothing on the corner Erie and Sate St and who was there to wait on me, my old buddy Tony DePaula, now a clothing salesman. Of course, he fitting me with three stylish up to date suits that made me look like management material.
In 1980 I saw Tony again when he helped me purchase my 1980 Cavalier automobile. Always the friend, Tony made sure I was taken care of and happy with my purchase.
Through the years I have occasionally bumped into Tony mainly at the Saratoga Race Course and I will never forget that he has always greeted me with that big smile of his.
I will be missing seeing that big smile of Tony’s and want to say I can’t help thinking of Tony and Susan and all the good times we have shared so many years ago.
Susan, I am so sorry for your loss.
My thoughts and Prayers go out to you and Kara and the DePaula Family.
Your friend,
Peter
Peter Maioriello
October 20, 2019