TG: My father was a goat-herder in Sicily, when he came to this country he learned how to use the sewing machine and became a tailor. And uh he never approved of me being an artist. He used to say "eh, looka the bum, he's a drawa painta the dirty pictures, all the nude women. he's a bum."
My father one day came to visit me, and he was 84 at time, and he says, you know my third wife, she's a go to Italy, she's a leave me all alone. I told her you go, you find me when you come back.
So I says well you know you can get an annulment, dad. and he says whatsa that.
and I say that's when one part of the marriage does not live up to the marriage vows. if your wife disappears to italy, then you have a perfect right. that's not a marriage anymore.
he says said you finda me an italian priest. i found a monseignor, who was the head of the church, and i set a date, I took my father. we entered the room, and the the monseignor greets us, and the first thing out of my father's mouth "you know father, it's not anatural for a man to be without a woman."
and the monseignor, you know one look at him, he's accepted his celibacy.

My father continues telling his story, and he just speaka like this.
and the monseignor he says tell your father, and before i knew it, i was translating english into english.
The monseignor says tell my father the church does not move very quickly.
And my father said, 'i'm inna no hurry'.

CC: Did he ever do it?

TG: No, she wrote him a love letter, and he sent her the money to come back.
(laughter)