Tony Gargagliano (TG) and Cathie Campbell (CC)

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 he never approved of me being an artist. He used to say “Ay, looka the bum, he’s a drawa painta dirty pictures, all the nude women. He’s a bum.” My father one day came to visit me, and he was 84 at time. 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 no find me when you come back.’” So I said, “Well you know you can get an annulment, dad.” and he says, “Whatsa that?” And I said, “That’s when one part of the marriage does not live up to the marriage vows. If your wife disappears in Italy, then you have a perfect right. That’s not a marriage anymore.” He says, “You finda me an Italian priest.” I found a monsignor, who was the head of the church, and I set a date and took my father. We entered the room, and the monsignor greets us. The first thing out of my father’s mouth, “You know father, it’s nota natural for a man to be without a woman.” Course the monsignor was — just one look at him, you know he’s accepted his celibacy. My father continues telling his story, and he just speaka likea this. And the monsignor, he would say to me, “Well tell your father…”, and before I knew it, I was translating English into English. The monsignor said, “Tell your father that the church does not move very quickly.” My father said, “I’m in 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)