Reflecting on a solid foundation

Almost a century after it was erected, the beautiful limestone fa�ade of the enclosed Fante-Leone Pool on the 800 block of Montrose Street remains remarkably intact.

The unassuming relic is a haunting reminder — not of neighborhood children splashing away in a city pool, but of something out of the pages of local Italian history.

In the 1910s and ’20s, the site was a bathhouse for Italian men of the community to converge and relax after a long day’s work. And if plans come to fruition, these men, along with all Italian immigrants who came before and after them, will be honored there.

"Never forget where you came from" was a popular moniker in the Anastasio household, and so The Italian Memorial is a vision years in the making, said Vern Anastasio, a local resident and president of the Bella Vista United Civic Association.

The proposed memorial "takes hopes and dreams and success and contributions of these men and women who came to this country from Italy and puts all of that in stone and concrete, bronze and bricks," he said. "It’s a legacy, like the legacy they gave us. It memorializes all the brave people who came to this country to raise families and pursue the American dream."

The Italian Memorial is a joint effort by Anastasio and the executive board of BVUCA, The Italian Newspaper and Viking Sculpture and Design Studio. The memorial’s visionary is quick to point out, however, that this is a community project and not just the work of three or four entities.

A model of the anticipated memorial was unveiled last night at Viking Studio, 818 Montrose St. The structure has a long way to go, Anastasio noted, but so far it’s swimming along.

Residents of the 800 block of Montrose Street already gave their blessing for the memorial, said Anastasio; the next step is for the city to grant approval of the site. Then a board of directors would be assembled and the long process of fundraising would ensue.

Former Congressman and Ambassador to Italy Thomas Foglietta, a local native, already signed on as honorary chairperson. Other well-known Italian Americans in the city also would be tapped to fill board positions, Anastasio said.

The artists behind the memorial are Michael Gaudioso and Christopher Bunomuo, sculptors from Viking. Gaudioso is a childhood friend of Anastasio who was eager to lend his hands to the project.

The original fa�ade of the Fante-Leone Pool would welcome visitors to the memorial. Inside would be a water element, possibly a fountain or reflecting pool, Anastasio said. The run-down, graffiti-ridden pool opening would be replaced with landscaping and benches.

At the northern wall, a relief about 20-feet high would feature bronze figures depicting Italian immigrants from all walks of life, explained Anastasio. Donors and sponsors could have their family names etched into the memorial.

Anastasio said he’d like to see the project completed in a year, but recognizes that it could take much longer.

Such a memorial already is long overdue, he added. Although his family has been in Bella Vista and Queen Village for 135 years, other Italian families have been in the area even longer, noted Anastasio.

"I do believe after a century and a half, it’s time to honor the people who blazed a trail and made this city what it is," he said.

One of those families is that of Italian Newspaper publisher Gregory Jacovini, whose ancestors arrived from Sicily in 1870. The family owned a grocery store and funeral home on South Ninth Street. Jacovini’s grandparents relocated the funeral home to Broad and Reed, where it still operates today as the Pennsylvania Burial Company.

To garner momentum for the memorial, Jacovini’s newspaper, which is devoted solely to Italian heritage and culture, is publicizing the proposal.

Jacovini said that, although the memorial would be ethnic-specific, it represents something all cultures can appreciate.

"The memorial goes beyond an Italian thing. It celebrates what America really is," he said. "Everyone played a part in shaping what Philadelphia and America has become."

Jacovini would like to see The Italian Memorial do for Philadelphia what the Piazza d’Italia has done for New Orleans. The monument honoring Italian Americans has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in that city, according to Jacovini.

"It elevated the Italian-American population of New Orleans," he said. "As many tourists who come down to Ninth Street, I would like to see them take that two-step trip down to Montrose and see the memorial."

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The Italian Memorial is a registered nonprofit. Donations can be made to The Italian Memorial, 757 S. Eighth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147.