~ Malden Musings ~ Jean Tomasello Condon 1950-2024

By Peter Levine

Many of us were shocked and saddened when we heard Ward 2 Councillor Paul Condon’s beloved wife Jean had passed. Didn’t make sense, doesn’t make sense. The world lost one of the great ones. We in Malden lost one of the great ones. If you even casually knew Jean, you would understand. I have been friends with Jean’s sister Rose since 1963, the year the Levines took residence on Charles Street, and still do. We are devastated, Paul. Please accept our sincerest condolences.

Jean had many, many friends. None better than longtime (adopted) Edgeworth gal and boon companion Deb-Gray Silvestri. Debbie had this to say about her years running and playing and enjoying life with Jean: “Jean had many friends. If you know anything about her, she carried her love for all of us, I’m sure she’d call it ‘Sistership’ instead of friendship. She treated us all like family. Always there to lend a hand. Many of her dear friends were Edgeworth girls and implants like me. There was Toni Marie Cremone, Lorraine Danca, her casino playmate Franny, Donna and the late Lucille Spadafora, Sheila Fermano, Gayle Greenwood, and me included. All friends connected in some way. She would come to my hair salon on Charles Street and continue to follow me to Riverside Avenue to Highland Avenue at Mandy’s hair salon where we were confidants with and for each other. Family foremost. We had great times. Hard times. Sad times. We shared them all and felt better when our conversations ended. I had a special name for her that cannot be mentioned in public (lol) and she loved it. We laughed. We cried. But we mostly loved our lives as we lived them. We clearly lost a wonderful, loving, caring person who will be missed forever. We needed her love here on earth longer. Much longer. She was an amazing mom, wife, sister, Nana and friend. I think God dropped the ball on this one. There is no replacement here. Rest forever in peace my friend and yes, I’m still asking why!!!”

It is said in “Malden Musings”…

• Paul Donato. Paul Donato. Paul Donato.
• Nip bottles are ubiquitous throughout Malden, as I have noted in past columns. Insider hipster reference follows – whenever I see these eyesores I immediately think of the song “Land of the Glass Pinecones” by the most underrated band in the history of the Boston music scene, Human Sexual Response.
• In February, State Rep. Steve Ultrino (D-Edgeworth) held a well-attended fundraiser at Anthony DeCotis’ joint, Mixx360 on Broadway. Just a reminder: Steve is one of the good guys. Nobody works harder for his constituents than he does. His integrity and work ethic come from his deep Malden roots and the pride in neighborhood that was handed down to him from his church, parents and grandparents. Steve always has my vote.
• You know that vacant lot that sits at the corner of Charles and Middlesex Avenue? That eyesore has been sitting without any activity for so long there are trees growing out of the mound of rubble that sits in the middle. For real!
• Speaking of eyesores, I was just thinking… Malden High School class of 2024 most likely has no memory of what the crossroads of Salem, Main, and Ferry Streets once looked like. The hole that time forgot would have greeted them as freshmen in 2020 and said good luck to them as they departed MHS and entered the real world in 2024. Just saying…
• On a happier note, has anybody else checked out the trees that were planted on the side of the Jackson Street Garage on Exchange Street yet? They are flowering right now and look great!
• Happy June birthdays to these two shining stars at Malden City Hall: Carol Ann Desiderio and Karen Bourque. Happy birthday, gals!
• I ran into another Malden sports star from yesteryear, Charley Norman. Charley was the slick fielding first baseman when I played for the Stars in the Babe Ruth League. He was a star. I showed up every game and tried like heck. Insert smiley face. Charley made the all-star team as a 15-year-old along with Jerry Robbins, Jimmy Daddario and (I believe) Paul “Snuffy” Smith. After the BRL he started a long and illustrious softball career before segueing to the links in retirement. Always a pleasure seeing you, Charley!
• Rest in peace, Donald I. Adelman, 93, of Melrose, formerly of Malden. Malden High graduate, devoted father, loving husband… may his memory be a blessing.
• Very special May 31st birthday wishes go out to one of my besties, fast friends since seventh grade at Beebe Junior High – the Pride of Forestdale – Greg Lucey. From sharing a locker together as 7th graders, to spending many hours loitering on the Bandstand at Devir Park, to closing the bar on Canal Street with Albert way too many nights, to rooting on the Red Sox in the 1975 World Series on the first big screen TV on Route 1 at the Blue Star Bar, and many, many points in between – those were the best of days, my friend! Hope you had a good one, Luce!
• “Malden Musings” remembers ninth graders Al Owens and John Surette. Tragically killed walking the tracks along Pearl Street over 50 years ago – their young lives are never forgotten.
• Bigly kudos to Chris Rosa and his hardworking crew at the Forest Dale Cemetery. Between Gary Stumpf, John Locke, Jimmy Knox, Matt Sullivan, Michelle Connelly and the fabulous gang at Garrick Landscaping, the Forest Dale Cemetery was a showcase space for the Memorial Day festivities two weeks ago. Great work, folks! The cem never looked so good!
• What can’t he do?!! Spotted former Ward 6 Councillor Neil Kinnon acting as crossing guard last week, carefully guiding a group of MVRCS youngsters across Salem Street. Way to go, Neil.

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – Dante Diserio’s daughter Adriana passed away suddenly recently. For that, Dante, I am so sorry for your loss. One of her best friends, Deanna DeMayo, had this fabulous eulogy on Facebook: “I gotta say I’m in shock by this …. Adriana Diserio! You and I had a very fun time growing up literally five houses down and we have all the best memories of clubbing and beach times together to prove that you were the best! We used to drink vodka and cranberry outta red solo cups as we got ready to go out and u always had me do your hair! Your nonna would make us food before we went clubbing!!! I loved her. Straight off the boat from Italy. Ahhhh, we were so young. Our grandfathers, Dante and Danny, were very good friends in WW2 together! I’ll never forget that you were the worst driver known to mankind and that was probably the only thing I was ever afraid of in this world – getting in that jeep to go to the Palace, Landsdowne Street, the North End, or Hampton. The list goes on and on! The first pic is us on the tall ships in Boston that came in from Italy that we got the invite to go on to and party the night away! Hahahaha is all I’m going to say and the second is our family trip to Hampton, the third is some house party that was a banger! You had a vivacious spirit as so did I! You were my favorite Scorpio friend and I’m grateful to have had some of the best times in my life with you! I wish I had met up with you after we saw each other and got coffee! I regret that so much had I known this would have happened! You get older, life gets busy, and you drift. I will always cherish those times we had, the secrets we shared, and the hell we put our mothers through. Rest in sweet peace now with your mom and tell our friends up there we love them and miss them. Till we meet again have the curly iron ready and I’ll do your hair like I did every weekend!!! Go bump back that (derriere) up by Juvenile in the heaven’s girl!!”

Postscript 1: Best line heard at Jean’s funeral mass at the Immaculate Church… “the Tomasellos had three girls; they were the toughest family in Edgeworth.” Insert smiley face.

Postscript 2: Another shock to our systems with the passing of Bob Rotondi. Dana Brown paid respect as only Dana could: “Bob Rotondi ran his own ‘living wake’ 2 months ago. That’s how quietly bad-a** he was. Great man, spoke in truths whether we liked it or not, memory that will never be replicated, storyteller extraordinaire. Selfless, servant-leader. Did for others first…RIP Bob.”

Postscript 3: June 4 just might go down as one of the saddest day in the 375 years of Malden’s existence (certainly in my 61 years here) – the day political posturing needlessly divided us as a city.

—Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate and can be reached at PeteL39@aol.com for comments, compliments or criticisms.