Of course I remember him! He was my step-uncle. My Dad married his incredibly wonderful sister Clara in 1957 (after my dad’s first wife, my birth-mom, fell on ice while skating and then had a brain stroke and passed away). Pete’s sister was such a wonderful mom to me! She taught me how to swim, took me to catechism classes, kept me with her constantly, and loved both myself, my sister and older brother. She took us to Uncle Pete’s show in PA where he was playing with Nat King Cole. I was about 5 and was singing the chorus of “Rambling Rose”. I was in a seat close to the stage and Mr. Cole put the mike down to me and I turned away and covered my face with my hands because of shyness.

Our beloved step-momma Clara passed away in 1963 and both my sister and I were devastated. We both became depressed, and my sister, very withdrawn.

I wouldn’t have seem Uncle Pete again if I hadn’t received a note from Pete’s mom in the 80′s, after my father died. Grandma Barbutti alive! I was overjoyed. I had graduated from college and had a fine job, so took off one weekend and drove from NJ to Scranton. She was happy to see me as was Uncle Pete’s sister, with whom she lived. They invited me to the place where Uncle Pete was booked in Scranton, and he was just as funny as I remembered him, and he still had his goatee that I was afraid of when I was 5 years old!

Grandma Barbutti passed on, and I don’t know whether Aunt Betsy is still alive. I am 57, but still remember this and always will.