The Goomba Chronicles

The Goomba Chronicles

The Goomba Chronicles honors our Italian culture, traditions, food, experiences, faith, families and friends. The book features light hearted conversations among three close friends, who reminisce about growing up in Akron’s North Hill, Italian neighborhood. The reader may find that the experiences are similar to any Italian American neighborhood in the country during the 1950’s-1980’s. Each story is written from the heart with a comedic edge. The stories often incorporate real characters intertwined in a fictional account. Some stories are actual factual accounts. Many of the characters are composites of individuals who so richly represented the good people and good feeling of North Hill. The stories cover the landscape of lives well lived. Topics include: business schemes, contests, sporting events, favorite foods, Goomba misadventures, as well as, true stories of influential people in our lives. The authors, Tom Allio, David DiDomenico and Don Ursetti, view the Goomba Chronicles as “love letters” to our North Hill, Italian Neighborhood and it’s people. We grew up in the 1960’s. It clearly had it’s share of turmoil, however, in many respects, it was a simpler time. Everyone knew each other in the neighborhood. Ethnic stores and restaurants were plentiful. Italian and broken English were spoken in happy, animated tones. Most families had a vegetable garden, the fruits of which were shared widely. Pasta Sunday was a given. Italian music serenaded the neighborhood. Youngsters played baseball all day on the sandlots and listened on their transistor radios to the Cleveland Indians. “Old timers” sat all afternoon on their shaded porches drinking homemade vino while sharing tales from the old country. Nonna’s and Nonno’s were celebrated and the center of La Famiglia. Our hope is that these stories cause you to “take a walk down memory lane.” May you laugh out loud and reminisce about life in your Italian neighborhood.