Saturday, June 6, 2020
Met Mr. Bruni in 1956, when his business was orginally located across the street.His business was a Hammonton fixture & resemblance of how Italians emigrated to America from Italy to open doors personally, while making America a better place for others also.This attitude helped to make this town a model for all little towns in America.His pizzeria was spotless, & his pizza was considered among the best in all south jersey, if not the best. His motto was,"you tried the rest, now eat the best".Every pizza was made by Americo, while under the watchful eye of his loving wife, Luisa.It would be inaccurate for me to recall & disclose how many nights I sat with them at closing time for long dialogues, before departing for home with my midnight pizza.It was quite automatic for him to tell every customer with a child,"oh, what a beautiful baby". He had a juke box also with the same rock & roll songs for many, many years. His blood would boil over one song called Love Hurts, by the Honeydrippers, so I would play it just to get his pressure higher.His cleanliness was impeccable, so he had a sign which read," please keep hands off the glass". If anyone touched the glass, he would consistently mumble irate phrases in Italian only.
Hammonton has had its wonderful history of model businesses owned by several Italian immigrants who only knew one approach, & that was to provide a product & service which was the best, each & every day, without ever feeling that this country owed them anything. No welfare, no unemployment, no food stamps,no violence, no disability, no entitlements, just hard, & honest work which made all of us combine in a collaborative effort for the betterment of all Hammontonians. Americo Bruni was all this, & although he is now not with us any longer, his virtues & efforts made indelible marks on many of us as teenagers, adolescents, & young adults.His modeling helped many understand the thought of how to make America GREAT through smart & hard work each & every day. Gone physically, yes; but forgotten, NEVER. I might close with one thought that Love Hurts when special people, who made our town much better,depart from us. Buona Notte, Americo
