Celebrating Benny's 90th ( Warwick Beacon post )

Link to Warwick Beacon article on Benny's Anniversary

I know a beautiful Italo-American woman named Renata Mallozzi who worked for years at Benny's in Warwick, I believe. Renata is now almost 90 herself. Her husband Phill-also Italo-American-passed away shortly after my mother, Janet Ruggieri, Renata's beloved life long friend passed away too- a few years ago. I think the editor of the Warwick Beacon will recall publishing a touching article about the World War II romance of Renata & Phil Mallozzi. I last saw Renata at my mother's funeral. And I want to send her my family's love.

I remember the Benny's store in Washington Park, Providence in the golden post war years ( the 1950s and 1960s). What was special about this Benny's was the life size model airplane on the roof.

The interior entrance of The Roger William's Park,
Museum of Natural History. Inset is large portrait of "Galileo"
one of the many painting by Prof. Guido Nincheri

Back then not just Benny's but Washington Park was a real American Dream. That neighborhood had everything. I went to Broad Street School there. And Roger Williams Park was my back yard. I remember visiting the Museum and being welcomed by two huge portraits of Galileo and Copernicus; a huge New England whale bone; a glow in the dark model of the uranium atom with its 92 protons and 92 electrons; the old Planetarium where I could get a crystal clear view of our night sky.

Life was beautiful! – and it still is, Ma said!