My Book

AN UNFORGETTABLE PASTIME

In 1961, Vince Vitale is faced with the daunting task of supporting a family of thirteen. Unable to continue in his current full-time job, he chooses to acquire a barbeque restaurant, inside of a neighborhood in North St. Louis, Mo. The narrator, Michael, is the eighth of ten children in this family. He chooses to spend every weekend, and all his summer months off school, at the restaurant to be near his father. Neighborhood segregation around the restaurant is coming to an end. Integration of the black community has slowly begun moving into the neighborhood. Michael details the difficulties and challenges encountered to keep the restaurant open and profitable.

The story goes inside the history of this Italian-American family and some the noteworthy events that helped to shape their incredible bond of faith and love. Along the way, he reveals a cast of characters from the restaurant and others from his tales of adventures. One constant is baseball which unceasingly makes its way through his life. Above it all is the deeply shared personal relationship with his father. Memories. we collect and lock them away. Every so often, we take them out and look them over. If we do it enough times, these memories become unforgettable. This is no different than the other things that we collect, stamps, coins, collector cards, paintings, dolls, or whatever. The collection of these things is considered a hobby. Pastime is defined as an activity done for enjoyment, a hobby. It has been said that baseball is the great American Pastime. If so, then is it not possible to consider memories, "An Unforgettable Pastime?" In honor of our Great American Pastime, and metaphorically speaking, this book has been encapsulated inside of a baseball game. Near the end of this journey, you are welcome to decide for yourself on the author's proposal to his readers about memories