Tony DeSantis

I was born in Glendale to the two most wonderful parents a boy could have, Peter and Emma DeSantis. I am the middle child of two great brothers, John and Patrick.

I received my early schooling in Los Angeles at St. John's Military Academy. It was a boarding school education with a lot of discipline and structure. At the time I probably thought it was a bit too strict but once again my parents were thinking of us and prepared us for the tough future of life. I went on to Loyola High School in L.A. to finish my formal education, graduating in 1965.

Shortly after I married as a young man and was blessed with three spectacular children; Michelle, Steven and Vince, their Mother and I raised them in the San Fernando Valley and later in the Santa Clarita Valley.

In 1987 on July 4th I married again, the woman of my dreams, Shar. She had two lovely daughters, Tina and Victoria, that meshed in age with my three perfectly. We lived in the Palmdale/Lancaster area for a couple of years and in 1989 moved back to the SCV, where we still reside.

Our five children have awarded us with fourteen unbelievably super grandchildren ranging in age from 24 years to 2 years; Derek, Brandon, Justin, Torey, Ty, Alyssa, Cassidy, Camryn, Mandi, Isabella, Jake, Mikaela, Banyan and Koa.

I've been in the Retail Grocery Industry my whole working career. First with the family business, Gateway Markets, starting as most do as a box boy and working my way to manager. In 1975 the business was sold and I went to work for Lucky Stores and once again worked my way up to store manager. In 1993 I was promoted to the position of District Human Resources Manager. In 1999 Lucky merged with Albertsons and I am now the Area Associate Relations Manager for 61 stores located from North East L.A. to Paso Robles, across to Tulare and all the miles in between. It is very interesting and rewarding work to deal with all the personnel issues that the markets' create.

As for the Sons of Italy, I feel I've been a member my whole life, probably because my folks were extremely involved in Pugliese since the early 1950's. The times I've spent at weddings, dances, parties, picnics and other doings have had a huge impact on my life and the life of my children. What a terrific support system and great memories.

In 2002/2003 when my parents passed on, it not only left a large void in my life, but it made me want to reattach more with the Italian heritage I was so proud of and the Pugliese Lodge was the way for me to accomplish this. After all my maternal grandfather, Anthony La Bianca had been a founding father and charter member of this lodge in the early 1900's and my parents lived it daily for the better part of 50 years, so it came naturally.

Last few years I took the office of Treasurer so I could help to keep the Lodge moving along for the next generation. With the help of all the really dedicated officers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sister-in-law and now a son very much involved, Who could say No? WHAT ABOUT YOU!

Chuck and Jeanie Finkelstein

Members of Pugliese Lodge 1375 Sons Of Italy since 1956 First we want to say what a great time we’ve had with our Italian friends, all these years. Actually all we wanted was to join a bowling league, all those years ago, but little did we know that in order to bowl we had to join the Lodge. Peter De Santis was the venerable at that time and he swore us into the lodge and since then it wasn’t just  the bowling. We were involved in, it was parties, picnics, the Anniversary Dinner dances, every year, and the wonderful Italian weddings we were invited to. And we always look forward to the Las Vegas bowling tournaments every year. We’ve only missed going one year, which was last year, but Chuck is back bowling, so we’ll be there this year.

Chuck is a native Californian, born in the Los Feliz area. Went to junior high school at Thomas Star King and graduated from John Marshall High School in 1941. He was drafted into the Air Corps in 1943. After the war he went to L.A. City College. Afterward he worked at several different jobs.

He was in the Real Estate business when he and I met.  We were married in 1951. He worked at Reliable Glass Co. for 3 years.  He then returned to his family’s business which was South West Steel Rolling Mills for 22 years. The business was sold and Chuck went into the scrap business and has been self-employed since then and is still working and going strong at 81.

We live in Studio City, in the same house for 50 years. We have two beautiful daughters who have given us five wonderful grandchildren, four boys and one little granddaughter. They are the delight of our lives.

Me, I’m just a little Texas gal who came to California and met a great guy by the name of Chuck, and we’ll be celebrating 54 years together April 28, 2005.  I was born in a little town by the name of Rising Star, Texas, about a hundred miles from Dallas. We moved to El Paso, Texas in 1939. I graduated from High school in 1946. During my high school year, my sisters and I worked with the USO entertaining the troops stationed in El Paso. There are two military bases in El Paso, Ft Bliss and Biggs Field, a military Air Base, and one military hospital, Williams Beaumont. That was a big part of my life in those days. Singing and dancing for the soldiers before they went overseas and then in the hospital for those that came back wounded.

After graduating high school my older sister and I came to Hollywood to try our luck in show biz. We studied at Pasadena Playhouse and also with a famous drama coach at that time, Maria Ospenskaya. We did a few shows and plays, but we were luck enough to meet two great guys, who took us away from the Hollywood scene. I still love to sing, and I’m involved with a couple of art clubs. I’ve done oils for years and for the last eight years I’ve been doing porcelain painting, which is painting on China and then firing in a kiln. It’s very challenging and I love it.

I miss bowling and wish I could still do it, but my legs won’t cooperate. So I guess 49years of bowling will have to be enough.

Well Chuck is always saying he should write a novel about his life, but I’m afraid we won’t have enough space to do it this time.