~ Malden Musings ~

Introducing Malden Police Department’s Sergeant Sal Gennetti!

By Peter Levine

From this day forward, it’s Sergeant Sal Gennetti! Don’t call him Sergeant Schultz!! We’ll say it loud and we’ll say it proud! Sergeant Sal! You could feel his pop Butchie’s spirit filling the room as Sal’s friends, family, paisans and fellow officers looked on during a long-awaited, well-earned ceremony. Generations of pride, all standing at attention. Sorry I couldn’t make it, Sal — Ernie had me handcuffed to my desk (no Miranda rights either). I hear the after-party for Sal was something special also. Word on the street it was akin to Tony Soprano, Paulie Walnuts and Big Pussy throwing down in the squad room on the NYPD Blue set. An Edgeworth style celebration! Congratulations, Sergeant. You done good, my friend. More on Sal at a later date or as soon I can think of more good stuff to say about him. Insert smiley face.

Sal was a “son of a Butch” — or rather, he was Butch’s son. Butch was the legend and although Sal Junior is well on his way to his own legacy, his dad’s fame and fortune are always hovering nearby. With that said, Sal’s eulogy at his beloved father’s funeral was stuff of legend. Here I paraphrase a bit to showcase what this young man is made of:

“Being Butch’s only son, or, as some of my loving coworkers like to remind me, “a son of a Butch,” I had a front-row seat to one of the greatest shows ever to come out of the great city of Malden. And I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Butchie was the kind of dad every kid hopes for. The best kind! Everything I love and everything I value, I learned by walking alongside him. He took me everywhere. He showed me how things were done, how people were treated, and how you carried yourself in this town. He unlocked doors, some real, some figurative, and introduced me to everyone, always with pride in his voice. He believed in me, even during those times when I gave him every reason not to. Especially then. The highest honor of my life came the day Salvatore “Butch” Gennetti pinned a Malden Police badge on my chest. In that moment, it wasn’t just a badge, it was history, trust, love, and a lifetime of lessons passed from father to son. Malden remembers Butchie. And I carry him with me every single day.”

Congratulations, once again, my friend! Well-deserved and I know pops is looking down proud as a purple peacock!

It is said in “Malden Musings”…

• In the why can’t we get players like her department I bring to you… good golly, Miss Molly! Former Maldonians Elena & Bobby Ryan’s daughter Aliana outplayed me for my whole career (in one game), scoring 20 points with five assists and five steals in a recent Peabody High School victory over the Masconomet Chieftains, 68-40. The Tanners senior point guard is a chip off the old block, as moms was a standout softball player in high school and pops played hockey at MHS with stops at UConn and Merrimack. Best of luck in the future, Aliana — I hope to catch one of your games soon with brother Joe.
• Also, her uncle is Malden Parking Department’s Whiz Kid and former football standout at AC and Saint A’s, Ernie “Ernie’s Son” Ardolino. That is some really good genes!
• Malden City Hall took another huge hit last month when Joanne “The Queen of Excise Tax” Settemio called it quits and rode off into retirement sunset. Her goal: to spend even more quality time with her Hollywood handsome inamorato Henry and adorable son Christian (think Wally Cleaver meets Opie Taylor)! On January 15 — after 26 years — Joanne’s colleagues in the Assessor’s Office threw a going away shindig for her the likes of which have not been seen around these parts possibly since Retirement Director Kevin “Big Mo” Morrison’s farewell gathering a couple years back! Mayor Gary even used the finest piece of paper available and presented a wonderful Citation to Joanne in honor of her blood, sweat and tears over these many years. Much like General Douglas MacArthur’s famous quote in World War II, “I shall return,” upon departure Joanne uttered these now to be famous words…“I’ll be seeing everyone around! This Edgeworth girl is still a Malden girl at heart!” Love it, Joanne, and we love you! Congratulations, my friend!!
• Has it REALLY been 35 years since Emerald Street’s John Bionelli started working for the best American rock n roll band ever, Aerosmith?! Seems like yesterday I wrote about Johnny B celebrating his 30th year working with the Toxic Twins and remaining (somewhat) sane of mind! That’s a joke, son. John is in my Human Being Hall of Fame, the Emerson Schoolyard Hall of Fame, the Immaculate Conception Street Hockey Hall of Fame and (hopefully soon) in the Malden High School Alumni Hall of Fame! From schlepping Marshall amps as a prepubescent 13-year-old for Malden-based garage/punk rockers Boy’s Life to Road Managing/babysitting America’s greatest export to the world of music, the mighty Aerosmith — John, you done real good and we’re proud of you. Fingers crossed on this year’s Alumni HOF nomination.
• Oh, did I also mention he also works with an ex-Beatle you may have heard of, one Richard Starkey aka Ringo Starr.
• Great googly moogly! For months now, I’ve been meaning to properly thank Malden Musings’ number one fan, Sharon Malatesta Neal, for her unwavering support of this column. Truth be told, when someone like Sharon takes the time to read, enjoy and appreciate these musings, it makes the whole thing feel worthwhile. This little column is my modest contribution to the city that raised me — written in the spirit of community, friendship and that old-fashioned golden rule we all grew up with: treat people the way you’d want to be treated. It’s my way of trying to put a little good back out onto the streets of Malden. Knowing that Sharon gets that, and enjoys it, means more than I can say. From one Malden heart to another — thank you, Sharon.
• Did I mention that Sharon’s son Brian has been a proud member of the USAF for 10 years now? How ’bout that!? Let’s give Brian a big round of applause for his service.
• The awards keep piling up! You can now call Malden High School sophomore gridiron sensation Jayden McGuffie “All Scholastic” as the Boston Sunday Herald did in last week’s paper. Congrats, young man!
• Just for the record, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jayden a couple of times, and I can honestly say he’s a fine young man with a bright future ahead of him, no matter which path he chooses. Congratulations again, Jayden — keep up the great work. Malden is truly proud of you.
• Malden, just in case you forgot — Jayden was the first MHS player to surpass 2,000 yards rushing (2,006) setting a single season record for TDs at 16 with total points scored at 188.
• Them’s good numbers and I’d be super curious what Critic’s Corner at the 621 Tavern & Grille (Tommy Lubin, Terry Mathews & Ralphie Kelly) have to say about young Jayden and his place in Maldonia football/sports history. I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as I hear back from these three valued Maldonians — card-carrying Keepers of the Maldonia Sports Memory Bank and proud caretakers of Malden lore (oh, and btw, really good blokes).
• No slight intended to 20-year Malden Police veteran Jack Lanni, who was also “made” the same day young Sal was. Jack is a proud longtime Maldonian who rose from Sergeant to Lieutenant, just like that! Well, not exactly “just like that” because Jack is one of the hardest working Constables on Patrol in the business. His dedication and commitment to Malden and the MPD are unparalleled. And he is a heck of a good guy to beat!! Congratulations, Jack, Malden salutes you.
• Also, dammit! Jack was sporting the coolest muttonchops seen since our 21st President Chester A. Arthur!! Next time I run into Mr. Lanni, I’ll ask what inspired this great face moss once popular only during the Victorian era! Enquiring minds, stay tuned.
• Quick reminder, the Saint Rocco Feast (it is NOT a Festival!) will be here before you know it! Keep the faith, we’ll get through this winter from Hades as we do every year. As the Carter Family once sang, “keep on the sunny side/always on the sunny side/keep on the sunny side of life.”

There are eight million stories in the Naked City; this will be one of them… On a recent cold, windy Friday night, Cliff Cioffi, Johnny McGee and Richie “Turk” Turcotte wandered into the Italian American Citizen’s Club and instantly flipped the switch from quiet and tranquil to hold-my-beer storytelling hour (just for the record: this was a Cliff Cioffi Production — Turk and Johnny were innocent bystanders).

After Dave “Elbows High & Wide” Angelo delivered a spot-on Cliff Cioffi impersonation — bringing the house down to much laughter and applause, I might add — Choff took the mic and did what Choff does best: held court. What followed was a master class in longwinded but impossibly entertaining tales from yesteryear. It’s a narrative we’ve heard before, but we listened politely anyway. We got the Icky’s era and five-cent loosies story, the legendary and epic Melrose hoop league playoff game where Cliff and his teammates somehow took on the entire Barrett family — including Mr. Barrett himself — and of course Cliff’s timeless philosophy on life: “keep shooting till you get hot!”

Stories flowed, gestures grew more animated, the rhetorical flourishes sharper and the punchlines… well, familiar — but comforting, like your old pair of Chuck Taylor’s. Thankfully, as the clock crept dangerously close to Cliff’s bedtime (7:30 p.m. sharp), he wisely called it a night and headed off on the short ride home, leaving the room smiling and shaking their heads.

Great seeing you, John and Turk. And Cliff — it’s always a pleasure listening to you pontificate, even if I’ve heard the same stories a thousand times over the past 56 years (could it possibly be 56 years?!). Wouldn’t have it any other way!

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – Malden Musings remembers the 14th anniversary (November 2011) of the passing of a dear friend of Malden’s, Sean Lucey. Sean was on a lifelong journey to get inside his “mind and spirit,” as he would say — to find the source of all the great spiritual mysteries in life. His journey was noble and his battle with ALS was just as noble — inspirational to one and all. He found his rhythm in motion and mindfulness, ripping down mountain trails on his bike, then slowing the world through the disciplined flow of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Grounded by the teachings of Buddhism, he carried a quiet sense of peace into his daily life. Above all, Sean was a devoted Dad, proudly coaching his children on the basketball court and baseball diamond, teaching far more than the fundamentals of the game. His great joy and deepest comfort came from time spent with family and friends, where laughing, love and connection were always the main event. Sean knew stuff. I treasured the times exchanging my latest favorite bands or cutting-edge comedians with him. I would never have heard of many obscure punk/Oi bands (Sham 69!) if not for Sean. The night he took me to see famous comedian/satirist Barry Crimmins perform, then finding out after the gig that they were best friends! And on a night where there may have been a perfectly poured Guinness or two consumed, well versed in the “Troubles” Sean broke down Stiff Little Finger’s “Suspect Device” for me, serenading me shortly after with a rousing version of “Nobody’s Hero.” Memories I will cherish for life — another beautiful soul never to be forgotten as long as there is a Malden Musings. Miss and love ya, dude.

Postscript: Suffering succotash! Don’t seem possible, and it seems a bit surreal, but as we sit reading together Sergeant Sal Gennetti will be enjoying a milestone birthday with friends and family at a local steak joint near you. As a precocious youngster running the streets of Malden/Edgeworth chasing his pallies around to decorated Constable on Patrol chasing bad guys around Malden/Edgeworth — ain’t life strange! Happy 5-0, my friend, stay well and enjoy the day dude — it’s just a number — or so they say. Insert smiley face.

—Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to the Malden Advocate. He can be reached at Pe*****@*ol.com for comments, compliments or criticisms.