North End Stories - Episode 9 - A "Sit Down" with Sonny Mirabella

[@lorrainespagnuolo4149]

RIP MAYOR SONNY MARABELLA❤️‍🩹 Love you Always ♥️🌹☮️

[@northendstories4352]

He was one of my greatest friends 💔

[@aftermath2495]

That was great Anthony I'm so glad i checked out North End Stories. Great Work ❤

[@mikellvene2964]

Wow Sonny does look like Michael Douglas !! Sonny with the Stogie in his mouth !! Thanks for keeping the North End Alive Anthony !!

[@jimbowilly1904]

This is awesome. I’m a tourguide in the north end, and I’m certain I’ve seen this gentlemen. I’ve always made sure to say hello and tip my hat, it nice to get a little back story to the legend. I love taking people into the north end to see what is clearly the best part of the city. I appreciate the opportunity to share it with others, and thank all of you that have been here so long for allowing me to do so.

[@mariosutera5411]

If you don't know Sonny, or any Mirabella for that matter, you're not from the North End. Love these, Keep them coming.

[@northendstories4352]

Mario!!!!!

[@muggsybogues7928]

@@northendstories4352 I wonder if they’re tied to Mirabellas in Federal Hill RI? There are many there as well. That’s my kids mother’s family.

[@northendstories4352]

@@muggsybogues7928 I’ll have to ask him but i wouldn’t doubt it! Federal hill is one of the best Italian ( little Italy) 🇮🇹 places in America 🇺🇸

[@Tommy71726]

Anthony - let me tell you what a great job you’re doing with these North End Stories; bravo!! Thank you for doing this! I’m from Quincy, my cousin owns Dolce Vita there on Hanover Street and my wife and I lived there on Henchman for a bit & I’ll always have such fond memories of the neighborhood & these incredibly genuine people. I’ve known Sonny from when I first worked in the North End selling a linen/laundry service - Sonny would always take the time to talk to me and see where he could lend a hand with his endless connections. We’d sit outside & talk about life and I always cherished our time. He’d impart wisdom & also have me laughing. My wife and I also lived in San Francisco and I’ve still got an outstanding group of buddies from their Little Italy - North Beach - and one night out, there a waitress who heard my accent and low and behold, she’s from the North End…we bonded immediately of course and she was moved to tears when I mentioned Sonny Mirabella being like the loving Uncle of the neighborhood. Sonny has impacted so many people for generations with his kindness, his humor and just his genuine love and cheer he spreads. I hope to run into you next time I’m up in Boston, Anthony - we currently live down in Florida. I’ve got a great idea for someone who can give you some incredible North End stories, I just don’t want to put his name down publicly out of respect - contact me here and let me know if you’re interested. These videos really hit the spot when I’m missing home! Thanks again for your work Anthony and thank you for being a stand up guy and watching out for the way of life so many people could only wish they knew or were a part of. Ciao Anthony! Tommy G

[@onepunch9603]

This was beautiful..so many real life movies are lived everyday..people have no idea..

[@GeneMcC]

Another excellent production that highlights men of character from the North End in Boston. Thanks for sharing!

[@UMAmherst1]

Bravo-fabulously done! Good health and happiness to Sonny and all the lifetime residents of the North End.

[@timbuktoo7050]

Big Sonny

[@petejbonasoro]

Great episode with sonny. Growing up in the north end way back i was friends with dante and gino. My cousins the pezzano's live one door over from the Mirabella's . Very very nice family. Really enjoyed watching this episode brought back Great memories of an awesome time in life

[@aftermath2495]

Wow Awesome ! I lived in the north end for a short time in the 80's My point is I got to know Dante, Gino's and Ricky. Never to meet there, Father. I see where the boys got their character. Beautiful kids. I do remember when their Mom Past. Lost contact Saddened for You Guys. All those years and now I'm watching a video of Your Father. Unbelievable Love you Guys Thanks Johnny S.

[@brewcity2317]

The North End sounds like it was a city within a city. Seeing your video down side streets of it I now realize there is no area of Milwaukee comparable to it. That place seems more "city" than the portions of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens I briefly visited in the early 1990s. Incredible looking place the North End. It reminds me of a highly Americanized version of those old cities in Italy like Naples with very narrow streets and pedestrian walk ways. Boston is much older than Milwaukee too. The former traces back circa the Revolutionary War and the latter traces back circa the US Civil War. It seems the further West--and the more later incorporated into the USA--you go the wider the streets of the city planning became. A note on the church with the tombs in the lower level. I wonder if this is a Catholic thing? I wonder that because the downtown East Side cathedral in Milwaukee has lower level, gated off but you can see into it (looks much nicer than that Boston tombed lower level dating back much earlier) the tombs of several former Archbishops of Milwaukee. Technically a cathedral is the official seat of a Bishop (or Archbishop). The official seat, chair, from which they teach and preside over the Mass. But we use the term "cathedral" more loosely to mean "a beautiful and large church." Remaining off topic--from Vatican City, to Baltimore, Boston, and Milwaukee--St. Peter's in Rome in Vatican City is the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, a few other churches in Vatican City were originally designated as the seats of a few other Patriarchs of Eastern Christianity. The Bishop of Rome known as the Pope has a church or seat in Vatican City but I don't recall the name. I think John is in the name. One can look it up. Pertaining to those 3 American cities, well known American Catholic author George Weigel points out in his book that Baltimore, Boston, and Milwaukee were historically 3 of the most Catholic cities in the United States. One might and might not know that the old Baltimore Catechism of the Catholic Church was composed in the City of Baltimore. Now, speaking of ice and ice boxes, Boston might have some similarities (maybe differences too) here in that history. From.the 1800s to what... the early 1900s maybe? The Catholic Polish of Milwaukee would every winter labor on the frozen Milwaukee River cutting blocks of ice by hand! There was a whole industry for that. How the large blocks of ice were stored through winter and summer (and shipped to the Southern states) is interesting as well. The ice of course would be sold, brought on horse drawn carts to people's homes that has ice boxes. Those same Catholic Polish of Milwaukee not only financed the building of the large St. Josephat's Basilica on the South Side they actually were the ones laboring by hand in building it. For purposes of measured context it is good to know as enemies using propaganda might lead one to believe the Vatican paid for it and black and Amerindian slaves built it. I would hazard a guess a similar story of churches built in Boston can be found. (George Weigel probably should have included New Orleans in his list given its history of black and mixed-race Catholics, and the headquarters of the black Catholic fraternal order called the Knights and Dames of Peter Claver.)

[@cooloutac]

Great show Anthony loved this Episode. This guy is from a whole different era, different times. I'm Italian and Puerto Rican and this guy reminds me of my grandparents on my fathers side. Just the way he talks and his accent. I wanted to cry. My great grandparents on both sides came through Ellis Island. And my grandparents were all born in Manhattan and lived about 10 blocks from each other in the "old neighborhoods" they use to call it there in Harlem, migrated throughout NYC and Jersey and the country they always told me thats how it was back then. They protected their neighborhood.

[@northendstories4352]

Love it my brother breast comment sounds like we r cut from the same clothe ! Ty for watching...means a lot to Me

[@frankiecalabria9713]

Just subbed found you thro staxx love what yours doing here Anthony. I’m from Providence I know Boston well. Worked out there with 22 then switched to 271. But was on the Everett power plant. Beautiful city . Great show Fratello

[@northendstories4352]

Ty frank i appreciate the kind words 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼

[@coreyandrew1584]

Caio from a fellow Calabrese Sonny 🤘Good sit down Anthony

[@Michael-v3z1s]

So great you do this. Iits history.

[@timbuktoo7050]

Perfect Stiff lmao

[@nateworld4]

You 100% right

[@Michael-v3z1s]

Respect

[@SnoopEastwood]

God bless Italian Americans in the north end!

[@GabrielGoaga]

I only work with Sonny 20 years

[@pinoassenza2970]

Is he Bobby mirabella’s uncle. If I remember, sonny use to work at toys r us in Medford.

[@northendstories4352]

I don’t think so . I’m sure he wd have mention it when he talked about jobs he had. I’ll ask him and let you know .

[@northendstories4352]

Yes I just talked to Sonny and yes that is his uncle!

[@zamvassallo3202]

Neighbour hood stories are one of the greatest.

[@northendstories4352]

I know Phil very well I once had a few hit at the Saint Anthony Feast where I know he’s out a drunk rude man and he ended up under Phil’s stand where he sold Italian for the festival! LOL true story

[@northendstories4352]

Sorry the spell corrector destroyed what I was trying to write

[@northendstories4352]

Fight at Phil’s stand , knocked the guy out ! He ended up under his stand where he sold Italian food! All fixed ! Lol

[@carlomiller1984]

I understand that even the North End is "gentrified" now, with only 9% of the original families still living there. I'm from Southie, which is completely gentrified, mostly rich yuppies, and it's not the same place we knew and loved. The yuppies aren't having families, like we had there before, and these yuppies are too chickenshit to protect their own neighborhoods as we did to keep it safe for the kids to play outside. Every hardworking Irish, Italian, Poliish, and Lithuanian family who were renting in Southie, and didn't own their own house was displaced by these rich yuppies. I understand that every once great neighborhood in Boston, Charlestown, East Boston, etc. has been gentrified, also. Is this progress? No, I don't think so. Money talks and bullshit walks in the USA, and that's not always a good thing, in my opinion. Now, all we have is nostalgia, and nostalgic stories from the past.

[@northendstories4352]

So true I am one of the 9% and the only ones that truly care about the neighborhood the rest use it as their playground , just not in front of me ☺️❤️🙏🏼

[@douglasbagshaw807]

How was the relationship with the near bye Irish hoods

[@northendstories4352]

Honestly tough you grow up being influenced by older generations until you realize they were wrong it all in the relationships you have ! . I never had a problem with anyone as long as they were good .cause I went to high school with mostly Irish kids growing up , got along great with them even till this day some of my best friends ! When ur young let’s face it your stupid and inexperienced, all it takes is to meet someone and then u realize we may be different but really we are all the same ! Italians are family people Irish are family people , Italian catholic , Irish catholic. A quarter has 2 side but it’s still 25cemts!

[@garydunning2433]

Looking round the older parts of these cities in the USA reminds me so much of the older parts of places over here in the UK..people has well,but suppose people are people eh?

[@northendstories4352]

Well said yes we all have our own thing but we are all cut from the same clothe ! Human beings!!! Ty for watching

[@garydunning2433]

@@northendstories4352 its interesting buddy..

[@cooloutac]

@BrewCity 2 12:40

[@northendstories4352]

My man!!!