The Engagement Party
This engagement party was a Royal affair with four Princesses, Alice, Gloria, Sarah, and Joeann, four Princes Robert, Billy, Tony, and Steven. The people at the party were notable Brooklynites, including gangsters, politicians, vendors and business owners. The Royal family and Court were in chaos and unable to attend the party.
The pleasant surprise was Queen Elizabeth showed up. She wouldn’t miss the Prince and Princess engagement no manner what. Just to see Alice’s face as Robert’s proposed to her would be precious. The family was sitting at a large round table with the center of attending beginning on the engagement couples. The four girls all in tears were holding each other the young men were having a problem proposing and with the first dance coming up it was a mess. Elizabeth straightens the mess out by taking each male’s hand and giving it to his partner and told them not to let go. The Grandmas Lily and Marie were bawling about their babies and the backyard, and putting them to sleep, and now they were getting married.
Each of the tables was overflowing with Italian appetizers, including individual bites of prosciutto sandwiches, charred ricotta in individual cups of fried ‘Buffalo’ cheese. Thinly sliced prosciutto wrapped around chilled marinated asparagus. Also, roasted red peppers and anchovies, marinated with Sicilian olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, hot green peppers and, black olives stuffed with crab. Chips of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese impressed with pine nuts, shrimp scampi, with clarified garlic butter and lemon, Freddie’s Italian crusted hard bread.
Bottles of champagne were opened and put on each tale, for the toasts.
We are not done yet. As an entrée: there was pizza and pasta. Freddy DeVan was famous for his pizzas. He made the dough each day; he used a starter batch from the prior day (like sourdough). The recipe for the bread came out of Naples, also, the Iron Pizza oven. Buffalo Mozzarella and Plum Tomatoes sauce covered the top of the pizzas. It then went into a 1000-degree furnace for a few minutes. They added a little of Parmigiana-Reggiano along with a dash of red pepper to the pizza, while it was on its way to the table.
Each table received two large bowls of steaming hot pasta. Dishes and utensils were waiting for use. One pot held a red sauce with meatballs and sausage the other bowl contained fresh clams with olive oil and sautéed garlic.
The crowd favorite was and always will be the waiter severed, open bar.
We sat down, the guys and girls couldn’t wait to order ‘Seven & Sevens.’ Everyone in Brooklyn did three things in the Fifty’s; drink (Seven & Sevens), gamble, and fight. I can’t remember the fourth thing.
Alice looked incredible; her long black hair was put up in a beehive style, her makeup was knock down get out of my way sizzling. She was wearing a sharp looking black cocktail dress, with a white half-slip showing. Alice had on shiny black high heels and the most fabulous smile since the one who gave out the apples.
Grandma came running over and pulled down her dress while complaining that she was growing every day.
I put a gold necklace with a cross on her neck and kissed her.
The party got started with a toast giving by Alice’s Father. He said I am the happiest man in Brooklyn, my daughter Alice and my two Sons Tony, and Steven are getting married, Period.
Everyone in the crowd stood up, clapped and cheered. The guest included notable Brooklynites, including gangsters, politicians, and celebrities’
There were three tables for personal friends, including St. Lucius’s Priests and Nuns and students.
Alice was on cloud nine with all the gifts, hugs, and kisses she received.