Thursday, November 28, 2024
Enzo Alfano....and the life he shared with many....
At age 21, he left Cleto,Calabria,Italy, to seek out the promise of a better future.With the clothes he was wearing,holes in his shoes and $10.in his pocket, he arrived in Sault Ste. Marie,Ontario. His sister had preceded him by a few years. He got employment in the rail yards ,but soon took an interest in a business repairing damaged automobiles.It did not take long to realize this would be his calling.
Enzo asked the manager of his bank,if he could borrow $100,000? But ,with no equity in anything to secure such a sum,the bank would not ,nor could not! However,that manager knew of a woman in Blind River who might take a chance,but the interest would be 20%.
The rest of the story is history. He founded Alfano Bros. Auto body shop in 1963 and the business of fixing damaged vehicles. and within 2 years, paid off that high interest loan. He never looked back.Enzo was well established by the early 1970's.
Algonquin Radio-TV LTD. consented to a contra deal I had arranged. As News Director at CKCY ,I was in a special position to know people who knew of the Alfano Bros. Autobody shop, and introduced me to it's owner.If a radio station staff member could get his vehicle repaired, in exchange for commercial airtime promoting the Body Shop, it would be a win-win!
By the mid-1970's I had my own radio stations,and a few of our staffers were driving dinged and damaged transportation. We developed a close relationship.Our creative dept. coined a new slogan for Enzo."Our Customers Become Our Friends", and we committed an abundance of airtime to catapult the Alfano name and body shop, securing it as THE shop to do a professional service at very competitive prices.
The White Oak Drive shop buzzed with friends who'd had experienced Enzo's magnanimous personality.In the winter months, snowmobile racing dominated most conversations. In the summer seasons, boating was a daily topic.
The Alfa Seven , a 60' Monk Trawler made from steel, by Enzo and friends, could be seen plying the St. Marys River, and east along the north channel. My dear friend Enzo became my rescuer . He had Big Brothers and their Little Brothers onboard for a cruise to Richard's Landing, St. Joe Island one fateful Saturday.My family and I were enroute to the Marina . Just as I'd navigated away from a freighter heading upbound barely passed Stribbling Point! It was a huge mistake. The prop.wash from the freighter ,pushed my 30' wooden Pacemaker out of the main channel and up on to a table rock ,before becoming submerged almost to the gunnels.I radioed MAYDAY,MAYDAY,MAYDAY! The Alfa Seven's radio echoed across the Landing.Enzo hurried up the kids and comrades to return to the ship." A friend and fellow boater was in trouble ". Another vessel, Explorer 8, with Dennis O'Reilly and Dave Oliver ,also answering the distress call.
My family transfered over to the Alfa 7, and sailed back to the Sault,while Dave ( a pro.scuba diver) inspected the damaged hull of "SEA FINE", and stuffed enough caulking into the cracks in our hull , to see it readily pumped out and refloated.
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The Alfa 7 (the Alfano family of seven ) routinely ventured into the vastness of Lake Superior. Enzo and his boys,and a cadre of boating chums enjoyed a week at Michipicoten Island's Quebec Harbour.
One hot summer day ,August 1st,1969, I was napping on the upper deck. Four of the "guys" who joined us on our Civic Holiday week sailing the 110 miles north to THE ISLAND ,(in the Lake that has it's own lake with an island that also has a lake)!
I was in a dream state,but suddenly felt my arms and legs being grabbed , and I was thrust over board! I heard Dennis O'Reilly yell down at me as I was furiosly treading water "We couldn't find 40' of water , but found over 40 fathoms instead! .....HAPPY 40th birthday Russ! " Not to let the occasion go by , the entire group leapt over board, to join me. The twin diesels had been silenced, and there we were, all of us! As we splashed about, in the chilled waters of the Lake,with the Island on the horizon ,we collectively began to wonder "who is still on board the Alfa"? YIKES!!!! Everyone began to swim towards the ship's stern that was moving away on a light breeze. I think Dennis was first to realize the predicament, and not to alarm the rest of us, he'd reached the swim platform and re-started the power plants to halt the drifting.
The fishing around the west end of the island was legendary. We seemed to have had perpetual permission to tie off at the Purvis Marine wharf. In return, we'd cut the grass, do some painting as needed, and undertake any deck repairs .After a hard day's fishing, trimming the tall grass, repairing what needed attention, it was our habit to enjoy a brew or two or more.....to cap off the day.
Occasionally, we'd get a visitor...flying in for a day or two.
It was early evening.The hum of an aircraft's engine overhead signalled it was making an approach to land in Quebec Harbour.We recognized it ! Don Currie, a well known pilot from the Sault, had a standing invitation to join Enzo & crew. Don was a skilled pilot on wheels, skiis and this day...floats. He was also a comedian who could tell a zinger, and play his harmonica after each of many belly busting tale, after tale .By late evening and a few libations , the evening's entertainment had added birthday boy on the spoons, with another sounding out a steady beat on pots and pans! It was sounding so good, Enzo began to think of Bernie Harquil, a customs agent who joined in the journey on several occasions. Bernie was skilled at giving the morning weather report and the prospect of a banner dasy of fishing....in a blaring voice from his perch atop Purvis' dockside shed. Enzo reached up for the ship-to-shore mic. and called VBB Soo,VBB Soo,VBB Soo...this is the Alfa Seven requesting a phone call to -------Bernie Harquil at-----. The Coast Guard operator complied. Bernie was sleeping,and his wife answered.She awakened him knowing "this call was importnt"!
It was well after midnight with Bernie "listening in" to our comedy show of jokes and rapid fire harmonica punchlines.Enzo had taped the Mic. button to be "live", and put it back in it's holster, while we continued to act out an epic performance.It was about an hour later, our Captain realized we were still connected to the Coast Guard operator.aaaaaaaaenzo apologised for tying up the radio channel. The operator advised us ,the other party in Hamilton, had disconnected at their end.Bernie had gone back to sleep and Mrs. said goodbye. Rather than disconnecting the Alfa Seven soiree, Coast Guard Radio Soo had patched the whole show,out to all the freighters plying Superior that night.Helmsmen on night duty on the many ships on the big lake had asked VBB ,when the crew of the Alfa 7 woud be back "on-the-air"! The Operator revelled in his role in the unexpected break from their nightwatch vigil!
Another adventure on Lake Superior had Isle. Royale and Thunder Bay as our ultimate destinations.A dense fog enveloped Alfa 7, as we collectively challenged our navigation skills with our radar system down and out! The Loran C unit Enzo had purchased at the Miami Boat Show a few months early was our only guide to the Wharf at Mott harbour.Our instincts as to where the shouting from shore, gave us the idea we were about to run aground, if we didn't reverse quickly. Enzo sprang into action,reversing the diel engines, and back away further out in the channel. We focused on a dim light to our starboard. It was the harbour light and safe refuge.It was discovered the Boston Whaler we had been towing,broke free, and went somewhere into the foggy night. The towing rope had been slice by the propellors, and wrapped itself soundly around them.
The next day, Phil Grandmount dove beneath the ship to begin the task of untangling the mess. The Coast Guard Harbour master shouted at us as he swiftly approached. "You can't go diving in this harbour or anywhere around Isle Royale, or you'll face severe penalties!"
He was sympathetic when apprised of our situation , and supportive from then on
We finally traversed the entrance channel into Thunder Bay, and once through customs, we rested. Two of our crew , abandoned ship and flew back to the Sault.Of course, replenishment of our larder was required and priorities also included more of our favourite beverages. After all, we still had 4 more days of sailing , to return home by way of Michipicoten Harbour!
After all attempts to have the radar repaired, we settled for the Loran's capabilities, and our youngest crew member, Enzo's son Michael , a twelve year old veteran of the high seas himself....had studied the instructions to operate the Loran's direction settings to "home in "on the West end light at Michipicoten. We cleared the Entrance point marker leaving the lakehead in our wake, shortly before sundown. It saw the thick fog returning. Enzo and I took turns at the wheel. He was anxious, and repeatedly ventured out on deck, and out to the bow, to strain eyes into the darkness.Although our radar could not alert us to freighters that were likely along the regular shipping lanes, it was comforting to know any vessel of concern for us, would see us on their radar sweep, and radio us. It was moments before daybreak and Enzo danced back into the wheelhouse shouting he'd seen the flashing nav. light , and we sighed with relief. Michael's plotting was pinpoint.
That trip had elevated tensions, as word had been given to Mary ,the Alfa Seven was having too many setbacks. That misinformation prompted Enzo and our remaining crew to skip a day at Quebec Harbour, and we sailed through the night to arrive back at Sunrise Harbourage a full day sooner than scheduled.We celebrated that Civic Holiday at River Road, and relived the journey to and from Lake Superior's most westerly landmark...The sleeping Giant Mountain in the background of ThunderBay.
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The adventures of the Hilderley's and Alfano's neighbourhood, of condo crawls and revelry,are often revisited in our collective memories.
Those stories are for another day.
Russ & Kitty Hilderley
Goulais Bay , Ontario
