A Get-Together
     Costantino (Gus) Giorgilli was a charter member of The Little Italy Lodge. He, Elia and Alfonso Mannetta are recognized as the three official "founders" of the Lodge. Brother Giorgilli died June 5, 2000.
     He discussed the early days in an interview published in the Lodge's 25th Anniversary program book in 1998.
"Many people don't realize that there were at least two other attempts to form a Sons of Italy Lodge in Little Italy that failed," Giorgilli disclosed. "There were some influential people who didn't particularly like the Order." He refused to identify these individuals.
     He added, "But in 1972, when Elia Mannetta suggested we try again, we wee determined not to fail, and we didn't, thanks to the hard work of a lot of people." Giorgilli cited the efforts of Mike (Hokie) Popoli, the Pagliara girls, Simon Scalia, Jerome Rifkin and Mike Salconi in signing up members and collecting the $10 annual dues.
     The first organizational meeting was held on January 28, 1973 in Ida Esposito's home, Giorgilli related, noting that she recorded it as "a get-together for the forming of a Little Italy Sons of Italy Lodge" in her minutes. By the second meeting, he said, there were 36 members.
     "The third meeting was held in March at No.2 School and we already had 136 signees," Giorgilli added. "It was decided to hold our installation ceremony at a formal dance on May 13 at St. Leo's School. It turned out to be a grand affair. Really elegant,"
     Arnold Broccolino, the State Lodge Venerable, as presidents were called at the time, presided over the installation. Today, Broccolino is a member of the Little Italy Lodge.
     "Right off the bat," Giorgilli went on "we held find-raisers, but mostly we were determined to have fun. That was our priority. We worked hard but we had a good time."
The other focus, he continued, "was to find a home. We were meeting at three different places--St. Leo's School, St. Leo's Church Hall and No. 2 School."
     Giorgilli said the Lodge decided to buy a beat-up barge for $10,000. "It was 100 feet by 40 feet. It had been used by the prison system to teach convicts carpentry. It could have used some carpentry itself." He noted that Lou Mann, a some-time band leader, "did a lot of work making the barge livable. We paneled the walls, put in a kitchen."
     The Little Italy Lodge, Giorgilli noted, entertained Supreme Lodge delegates when the national convention was held in Baltimore and also played host to officers of the Italian tall ship Amerigo Vespucci when it sailed to Baltimore in 1982.
Giorgilli pointed out that the Lodge held festivals alongside the barge on Aliceanna Street and that, seeing the success with these affairs, the State Lodge asked the Little Italy Lodge to set up the first Italian Festival at Rash Field. He added, "The success of the festivals at Rash Field led to the building of Harborplace, so I think you could say that we had a hand in the re-birth of downtown Baltimore."
     The 1998 interview with Brother Giorgilli concluded with these words: When people talk about the success of the Little Italy Lodge with its beautiful building and more than 400 members (at the time), I hope they don’t forget how it all started 25 years ago. You have to crawl before you can walk."
Joe D'Adamo

"I can't understand why I flunked American history. When I was a kid there was so little of it." G.Burns