‘This is my family'

Chester — "I have five biological brothers," said George Piccolo, an alumnus of the Pius XII school for youth from troubled homes. "But I have 100, maybe 200 brothers through Pius." Piccolo was one of 75 to 100 Pius XII alumni who visited the campus in Chester on Saturday, July 30. The former school and residence is now a Bruderhof community. "This is my family," Piccolo said. Other visitors repeated this sentiment over and over again. Pius XII Family Services closed the school and residence in 2000. The Bruderhof community bought it the next year, said Chris Zimmerman, a community member. "People came by to ask about it, and we thought it would be good to bring some of the people who lived here together," he said. Zimmerman said many former residents now live in the area. Deacon Richard Rosado, the former chaplain at Pius, is now at Mid-Orange Correctional Facility. "He was helpful," Zimmerman said. Pius began as a place where youths from broken homes or dysfunctional families could live, said Phil Parisi of Chester, a former resident. "Catholic agencies took care of children up to high- school age, and there was no place for them after that. Pius was established to maintain that continuity." After living at Pius, Parisi eventually came back to work at the facility, and was a senior vice-president. He worked with the New York Archdiocese for many years, he said. The close bonds formed in a place where youths lived together, studied together, and grew up together are one reason they welcomed the Bruderhof invitation to return. Also, said Parisi, "we wanted to express our gratitude for all we received." He is grateful to the Bruderhof "for opening their hearts and for helping us connect." For city kids, the open meadows and woods of the Pius campus, with its central pond, was a revelation, said Daniel Amplo. "Just getting out of the city made a big difference in my life," he said. "My grades got better, and the teachers here were really good. Places like this are really good for city kids, but it might not be so good for the community." Amplo acknowledged that nearby Chester residents had problems with the city boys in their neighborhood. And, he said, the facility had begun to change by the time he left. Parisi explained that in the 1980s, more youths were referred to Pius by the courts. These were kids who had been in trouble with the law. Not many alumni from the 1980s and 90s attend events like Saturday's, the second reunion since the Bruderhof took over. Amplo is now a contractor, installing sprinkler systems. He lives in Queens. Oscar Velez was one of the original residents. He now works in construction. He said he constantly hears what a bad place Pius was. "They remember it when it was getting bad," he said. "We thought we were big, bad, city slickers when we got here. [But] a lot of us ended up living in the country after our experience here." Velez, who now lives in Wappingers, recalled that when he returned from Vietnam, he met the woman who is now his wife. She invited him to a Bruderhof community where her parents lived. "And I invited her to visit here, so it all came together," he said. "I'm glad the Bruderhof bought it. The closest we were allowed to come before that was the top of the hill. They invite us in." Most of the visitors attended Warwick Central High School. In the late 1970s, Pius XII established the Sugar Loaf Union Free School District and educated the students on campus. That was also about the time Pius began receiving funding from the New York Division for Youth and accepting court-referred youths. Abe Escobar recalled playing football for the Warwick team, as many youths at Pius did. He now lives in Middletown. Mike Escobar became a New York State Police officer, working out of Monroe, following his stay at Pius. "This is where we got everything," he said. "Warwick [High School] was a great influence, and the brothers here were a great influence." He's retired now, and living in Warwick. John Vogt remembered the discipline. "If you didn't make your bed, or you left your clothes a mess, you got a gig," he said. "That was two hours with a sickle cutting brush." Still, he said, he loved living at Pius. Members of the Bruderhof community served pies and cakes, prepared a barbecue dinner, and guided the guests around the property. "They've kept it up beautifully and made some improvements," said Tom Smith. "I think it's wonderful that they invited us back to see it." Smith said the facility housed about 90 youths, 15 to a cottage and three to a room. Many of those rooms now house married couples. Those with children may get a suite of several rooms, said Leon Page, a community member. "I still consider this my home," said Jose "Beano" Torres. "I consider these guys my family. We fought over girls, we laughed together, and we cried together." According to Zimmerman, the Bruderhof is a religious community that tries to live life as taught by Jesus Christ. Their mission is peace, justice for all people, and living in harmony, he said. Community members work in a children's furniture manufacturing and sales company. They don't hold outside jobs, Page said. One Pius staff member, former cook Josie Citelli, came back to see old friends. "I worked here for 24 years and I'm glad to be here and see these boys, or now men," she said. "They got good food, and most of the boys had respect for us who worked here." Citelli, who now lives in Warwick, retired 15 years ago, at age 68. But like so many who turned up on Saturday and Sunday, she felt she had to return to "my second family."