Friday, July 08, 2011

You can't have an Italian festival without . . .

Joe Catalano (left); his sister (red top) and her friend; John Olesky (right)
Joe Catalano, who has been retired from the BJ Composing room for 22 years. Joe was at the Italian-American Festival on Main Street in downtown Akron. The Catalanos once had a stand at Italian-American Festivals in Cuyahoga Falls. But they dropped out when it was switched to the Summit County Fairgrounds. The big boys swallowed up the mom and pops.

Joe still averages almost 180 in bowling leagues. And plays golf.

Joe's wife, Anna, 84, died July 19, 2010. They had been married 59 years.

Joe appears fairly often at the monthly BJ retirees lunch at Papa Joe's Restaurant on Akron-Peninsula Road at Portage Trail Extension (1 p.m. second Wednesday of each month). Click on the headline to see photos at Joe at Papa Joe's.

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