~ Malden Musings ~ Anthony “Chic” Chiccarelli: Born to Run (but not too far)

By Peter Levine

Anthony “Chic” Chiccarelli’s sendoff at the Immaculate was one for the ages: packed to the gills and not a dry eye in the house as his children (Cailyn, David & Bailey), during the eulogy, brought us along for a roller coaster of emotions with their heartfelt words. Friends, family and paisans made sure Anthony felt the love. Seemed like every single person that ever lived in Edgeworth was in attendance. When you grow up in a neighborhood like Edgeworth, the friendships you make as kids don’t just fade with time — they become part of who you are. That’s just the way it is. It’s deeply woven into the neighborhood DNA. Generations of families, front porches, corner bars, Sunday dinners, neighborhood restaurants, San Rocco Feasts and cold Schlitz shared among friends — all of it combining over the course of decades to create ties that somehow, someway only grow stronger with age. In Edgeworth, loyalty wasn’t taught with fancy talk. It was lived every single day by the people who came before us. They showed us what it meant to stand by one another through good times, hard times and all the mishigas in between. “Everything is everything, my friend but you are still missing.” Love and miss you forever, Chic.

It is said in Malden Musings…

• Congratulations go out to my 1975 MHS classmate Mike Souza and recently retired Veterans’ Services Director Kevin Jarvis on their induction into the MHS Alumni Hall of Fame.
• I have such fond memories of playing baseball and softball with — and against — Mike back when we were kids. Mike was a standout catcher (and a wicked good kid, as we used to say) in the Babe Ruth League and later at the high school level — the kind of player every pitcher loved having behind the plate. We spent many cold and windy afternoons at Pine Banks Park watching MHS games, with Steve “Moose” Kinnon and Bobby Foley on the mound and Mike behind the dish making both look even better than they were. Those were special high school days and even better memories from a great era of Malden baseball. Congrats again, Mike.
• Kevin Jarvis is a lifelong friend from the neighborhood, and over the years we’ve shared countless stories of Edgeworth and growing up in Malden. Kevin has spent his entire life giving back to the community and country, and truthfully, that trait runs throughout his whole family. Guys like Kevin make a real difference in a community/world, most often without ever asking for recognition. Thank you, Kevin, for all you’ve done over the years. Malden is a better place because of you.
• Jerry Damiano has been my friend since Mrs. Piro’s third grade class at Emerson. Short Jerry D story: The last time I littered was 1971. Jerry and I were walking home from Beebe. We were on School Street when I unwrapped a Milky Way Bar (purchased at Sunnyhurst) and nonchalantly tossed the wrapper on the sidewalk. Well, Jerry was having none of that. He sternly reminded me that (paraphrasing) we ALL have a stake in the world and that every contribution keeping the environment healthy, small or large, benefits one and all. Words of wisdom from a ninth grader way ahead of his time — last time I littered. Thank you, Jerry.
• Speaking of 1971/72 and the ninth grade… We watched “All in the Family” with TV firsts: African American superstar entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. planting a kiss on Archie’s cheek; Arch flushing a toilet for the first time in TV history; and “Archie the Hero” saving Beverly LaSalle’s life (performing CPR) — the first female impersonator notable for being portrayed with dignity rather than just as a punchline. Carole King’s “Tapestry” introduced “Girl Power” to mainstream America with the girls at Beebe all in. The best new album as voted by us Beebe Bulldogs? “Jesus Christ Superstar” (we played the Brown Album until it had no grooves left). Don McLean was voted best new singer and every single one of us was able to recite every single word to “American Pie”!
• Sixty, the new forty? Happy 60 trips around the sun to Malden’s “Dean of Dapper,” “Godfather of Cool” and “Mayor of Chill”: Douglas Tran! A swell birthday soiree was thrown at All Season’s Table (where else?!) for the man who refuses to age, with the elite of Malden’s social scene in attendance. Some of the VIPs spotted in the crowd were Real Estate Agent Superstar (Milania’s mom) Kristin Gennetti, the late Butch Gennetti’s daughter Dina Gennetti Robinson, that power couple from Malden’s West End Anthony & Gina Spadafora and one of my favorite Spadaforas (of which there are many), Debbie Vinci Spadafora. They noshed on Nigiri Sushi, enjoyed Tipsy Flamingos (responsibly, of course) and laughed at every single one of Douglas’s jokes (good or bad). Insert smiley face. Cheers to another year, big guy, many, many more, my friend.

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” — a man who bleeds Edgeworth, Attorney Roberto Luigi di Marco, speaks from the heart: “I was thinking about this while sitting there at the funeral today. Chic was a great human being, and it showed. His mother and my grandmother were cousins and friends. My first memory is him as a college guy whose parents lived downstairs from my great grandmother when I was young. While he was not a close relative, he was someone I liked and respected. In that, I was not alone. While he was taken way too young by such a devastating disease, he received a sendoff that was one for the books. Chic was honored by the Edgeworth neighborhood, by his new colleagues and his students at Malden Catholic, by his old colleagues in Malden City Hall and by just about everyone he ever met. As my mother said, it was, in many ways, the type of funeral that is becoming increasingly rare, a gathering of family and friends to say goodbye and to honor a life well lived. If my own funeral is even a fraction of what I saw today, I would count that a successful life.”

Postscript 1: Unlike Springsteen’s protagonist in “Born to Run,” Chic didn’t have very far to travel to find his dream life. Chic has “walked in the sun” his whole life, finding it right here in Malden; in the love of his life, Colleen, his three wonderful children, his lifelong friends and as previously noted, “good food!” May the memory of the righteous be a blessing.

Postscript 2: Dom Fermano. This world just lost a whole lot of heart, warmth and wisdom — the kind that can never really, ever be replaced. Stay tuned.

—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.