Born & Fed In Long Island City

AND now, my interview with John Ciavarella, co-author of ‘Do they Eat Tripe in Heaven?’ A book that is a collection of stories, recipes, and photos from an Italian-American family that spent several generations in a home on 51st Avenue in Hunters Point.

Written by John and his sister, Paula Ciavarella Caravati, with help from their siblings, extended family, and others originally from the neighborhood, the book pairs local history, landmarks, and remembrances with recipes of dishes they grew up with.

In doing so, it weaves a not atypical, but candid, story of 2nd and 3rd generation families whose ancestors came to the United States at the turn of the last century. With Long Island City as a backdrop.

Before delving into the LIC particulars, let’s talk food, because it was at the center of family life in the Ciavarella household. Upon the death of their mother in 2020, Paula wanted to formally get down the recipes that were both the staples, and the celebrations, of her upbringing. She spent a lot of time testing the recipes, using her husband Blake as the tester, and then putting her own unique spin on some of them for simplicity. Since Paula did all the heavy lifting, I challenge my readers to pull a Julie & Julia and cook all 60 recipes in the next year. Piece of cake!

John, who kept a journal since he was a teenager, then used these recipes as a jumping off point for all the stories he collected over the years. My first question to him was “How did it feel back in the 1960’s and 1970’s to be living in the shadow of Manhattan? Did you go there much?” Yes, his mom felt ‘the city’ was important to visit to broaden her kids horizons. And both his parents loved it for fun and excitement (which he discusses in the book with the sole recipe that isn’t Italian). This love for Manhattan contrasted with some of his neighbors, as his parents were Americanized due to being born here, whereas they came from the old country.

As for where in the old country, many of those who found their way to LIC, like John’s grandparents, came from Potenza in the south (about 70 miles southwest of Nusco). One of the things that initially drove them here was that the city was particularly devastated by the unification of Italy in the 19th Century which led to incredible poverty and fighting. The foothold of this first wave, made LIC a place to go for support and work from this part of Italy for decades to come.

Another anchor for Hunters Point, was St. Mary’s Church. Back in the mid-20th century the area was frequently referred to in the surrounding neighborhoods by it’s parish name: St. Mary’s. John went to elementary school at St. Mary’s, but had a much different experience than his older sisters, who were taught by nuns back in the 1950’s. Due to the changes enacted by Vatican II in the early 1960’s, the nuns were largely replaced by lay teachers who were considerably more benign according to John.

Come the 1970’s, a whole new energy came to LIC, when artists started moving in. John’s parents were accepting of these changes, and they liked the gentrification that came in the 21st Century with the rise of the towers, the next generation, and the new restaurants that opened. But he still has memories of the old classics, which he recounts in nostalgic detail in the book. Especially the Ha Cha Inn, which ultimately came under ownership of his lifelong friends the Romano’s. He also recalls his old shopping haunts – Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, which had stores up and down the street and where you went at the beginning of the school year for school supplies and shoes.

John’s recollections of the way LIC used to be, and the cohesiveness of the community during his time here, are an inspiration to all us newcomers to remember the values of your heritage and your neighborhood. It’s very much still doable, here in Long Island City.

Addendum: Interestingly, there are a number of parallels between John’s upbringing in LIC and that of the new Pope’s on the Southside of Chicago. For starters, both attended church in parishes named St. Mary’s, and both had mothers that were the centers of family life. Happy Mother’s Day!

Do They Eat Tripe in Long Island City? – order the book here, use LICTALK20 for $20 discount

Mary Manta Ciavarella – 1928-2020