Joe Dell has completed his masterpiece in literature titled Goin' Over that will soon be released world wide! Joe has had the help of Laura Giacchi, who edited the book and its artwork. The painting itself was created by the very talented Jenn Bladel. We will inform you when the book is up for sale...here is chapter 1 to get you ready! Goin’ Over Chapter 1: Broken Water “Nurse! Nurse!” The doctor cries. “Bring down the mirror! Bring down the mirror now!” There is a frantic pace in the operating room. One nurse shuffles to bring down the mirror that is elevated above the patient. This particular patient is the now mother of a male child. At a moment in time where one should be enjoying a joyous occasion, there is a room gripped with fear. The male child is now in danger of losing his very new life. The baby has exited his mother with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his throat. His throat asphyxiated, turning his face dark purple. The mother is wrought with fear and concern, along with a state of confusion. “What’s the matter? What is happening with my baby?” she cries. The doctor ignores her words only to focus on the now present and serious situation. A kindly nurse pats her head, wiping the beads of sweat off of her brow, and calmly says, “Its ok honey, he’s just fine, the doctor just needs to detach the umbilical cord.” “A boy, a boy, my new baby is a boy, my husband will be so proud.” The doctor, well trained and educated, uses his scalpel very precisely. He slices through the cord, opening up the air way. He quickly lifts the baby up and gives him one good swipe to the bottom. “WHAH! WHAH! A WHAH!” the baby cries. The mother is now reduced to tears. The nurse cleans him off and hands him to her. “He is beautiful, so beautiful” the mother says as she cuddles him in her arms. The new father is brought into the room. He throws his cigarette butt down, stamps it out and walks with the nurse. You have to understand, this was the times. In 1973, smoking was still allowed in a Hospital corridor. He smiles as he looks down at his wife and child. “What should we call him?” the new mother asks. “Anthony Joseph, after his grandfather” He answers. This is very common among Italian families. It is a form of respect. His grandfather’s name was Antonino Giuseppe, but things get changed at Ellis Island. “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Pisa Mastro” The good doctor exclaims. There are smiles all around. The story you are about to read is fact and fiction. It may be about someone you know. It may even be about you…. We now bring you up to the year 1975. Frances, the mother of young Tony is about to give birth to another child. Anthony Jr., the father of young Tony, is torn at this point. He loves his child and has as much love for the child to be. But, he feels the way the world is quickly spiraling downward into the pits of hell. He really didn’t want to bring one child into this world, let alone two. He is a hard working blue collar man. Oh, the town you ask. It is a small town in New Jersey, by the name of Lodi. It is majority Italian descent. Anthony looks back at his own childhood of the 40’s and 50’s. He considers it the golden age of America. People bought and sold American. You bought a car and sold it only because you wanted a new one. You left your door open on a hot summer night and never had to worry about anyone breaking in. Family was tight and friends were loyal. The worst thing a teenage boy would do would come home after a six pack and cough up his cookies on the kitchen floor. Girls would hold on to their virginity for marriage, because marriage would be soon after High School. 3rd base was a big deal, and baseball, yes, baseball was king! He reflects on going to see the New York Yankees with his family. Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio was hero to all the young Italian boys. But, there was a time where the sweet turned to sour. His father had passed away when he was only 18 years old. This put a dark spot in his heart. He also had a chance to be in Yankee pin stripes, but he over slept, and missed the try outs. Then it came, in 1965, the letter from Uncle Sam. He traded his baseball uniform for a military one. The Vietnam War was on, and he was being brought into it. He entered the service and experienced things he never thought he would. He was taken out of the comfort of the 1950’s and thrown into hell. This experience further darkened his heart. He got out with an Honorable in 1970. The whole world had changed before his eyes! He came back to his old town. He saw men walking around with hair as long as the women. He saw drugs being used on the streets. The once safe neighborhood was now one of locked doors and closed lips. The music was now louder and darker. He left the main floor of hell to enter its east wing. He did not like the change at all and was overcome by it. He was a child of the 50’s and felt there was no place left for him in this new world of the 70’s. Now, he is responsible for bringing 2 children into this world he despises. He was happy to meet Frances. She was a sweet girl from Brooklyn, NY. She is of Italian descent as well, but Sicilian. He met her in 1971 and fell in love with her. It would have been a difficult scene if his father was still alive. He remembers how his would always talk about the Sicilians in a negative light. Now, to the average person, they wouldn’t understand. But, it was some of the prejudices from the old country. She was a good woman who loved God, family, friends and country. Being from Bensonhurst, she came from a tougher background than he did. They were wed the following year and 2 of her cousins beat the shit out of another cousin on the steps of the church as they were walking down the stairs hand in hand. This brings us back to the year 1975. Frances is now pregnant for the second time. Her father is in the hospital, dying of Cancer. She received more bad news from her doctor. They had found a growth on her Bartholin gland. With later tests, it was found to be malignant. She couldn’t go for treatments until she gave birth. Her father was holding on to hear news of his newest grandchild. Anthony put up a basketball net in the driveway to relieve his stress. Shooting hoop always calmed him down, well, that and cigarettes. Young Tony was being passed around the family at the time. He would stay with his Grandma Manzella in Brooklyn, then his aunt Mary in Long Island and so forth. The day came when Frances gave birth to her second child, it was a girl. They named her Valerie. She too would be passed around the family until Frances was over her treatments and out of the woods. It was a sad time, her father passed away shortly after the birth of Valerie. This set a dark overtone to the start of young Tony’s life. He would be taken out of school at a young age to accompany his parents for hospital and doctor visits. Eventually, that would end and there would be a lull to the family heart aches. Through the early years of Tony’s life, he would gather fond memories of family and friends. He would have fun at family gatherings and in the streets of Lodi. He took fondly to horror movies and sci-fi as most boys do. He took to sports and became rather good at them. He also had a fondness for music. On Thursday’s the family would get together for card night. Yes, card night. You have to remember the era. It was the 1970’s. This was before internet and all that modern tech stuff. The family would get together and play poker. The kids would be in the other room with their own cards, playing whatever card game they or the aunt that would be watching them would want to play. Young Tony would find himself absorbing the music being played on the radio. One of his uncles would be playing Jazz on the station. It would bring him into another realm. He loved Jazz at a young age. He also paid special attention to classical, not all, but a special interest to Bach’s toccata and fugue in D minor. He loved that piece. He would find it in many horror movies of the time. Oh, and I forgot to mention. He loved when Grandma Manzella visited from Brooklyn. Oh, the food! Yes, the great Italian food he would get to eat! He especially looked forward to the Christmas lasagna. He was a very good student in his younger days. He would always score top of his class and eventually found his way onto the honor roll student list and then would be a part of the gifted kids group. His parents couldn’t have been happier. Their young boy was on his way to success!