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LOCAL YOUTH PRESENTS BUST TO KENEDY
Joseph A. Faga, 243 S. Main St., has presented Robert F. Kennedy a bust he made of the attorney general.
The presentation was made Monday at the New York City apartment of Stephen Smith, a brother-in-law of Kennedy.
Congressman alexander Pirnie, who had made arrangements, flew to New York for the presentation and introduction of Faga.
Faga, who has a talent for sculpure, last September presented a bust of President John F. Kennedy to a White House aide. At the time he was a Herkimer High School senior, a teenage immigrant from Italy who had become a citizen only four months previously.
The presentation of the second bust, of the attorney general, was made shortly before Kennedy spoke to the American Bar Assn. in New York. Pirnie said the attorney general was "very gracious," repeating the acceptance for photographers who were late.
Joseph A. Faga, 243 S. Main St., has presented Robert F. Kennedy a bust he made of the attorney general.
The presentation was made Monday at the New York City apartment of Stephen Smith, a brother-in-law of Kennedy.
Congressman alexander Pirnie, who had made arrangements, flew to New York for the presentation and introduction of Faga.
Faga, who has a talent for sculpure, last September presented a bust of President John F. Kennedy to a White House aide. At the time he was a Herkimer High School senior, a teenage immigrant from Italy who had become a citizen only four months previously.
The presentation of the second bust, of the attorney general, was made shortly before Kennedy spoke to the American Bar Assn. in New York. Pirnie said the attorney general was "very gracious," repeating the acceptance for photographers who were late.
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Joe Faga presenting likeness bust to Robert Kennedy at New York City
attending is Congressman Alexander Pirney at left and to right Dominick Scalise (friend of Faga)
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La presentazione del busto di Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) nel 1964 presso il celebre Carlyle Hotel di New York rappresenta il seguito ideale e altrettanto straordinario dell'incontro che Joe Faga aveva avuto l'anno precedente alla Casa Bianca con il fratello di Robert, il Presidente John F. Kennedy. [1, 2]
Questo secondo evento, avvenuto in un clima carico di emozione e significato politico, si articola attraverso dettagli storici ben precisi:
1. Il contesto storico (1964): La campagna elettorale a New York
Il 1964 è stato un anno di profonda transizione per Robert Kennedy. Dopo la tragica morte del fratello JFK a fine 1963, RFK rassegnò le dimissioni da Procuratore Generale degli Stati Uniti per candidarsi come Senatore per lo Stato di New York. [1, 2]
- Fu proprio durante questa intensa campagna elettorale che la comunità italo-americana di Herkimer (NY), di cui Joe Faga faceva parte, si mobilitò per esprimere il proprio totale sostegno a Robert, vedendo in lui la naturale continuazione della visione politica e della vicinanza agli immigrati che aveva caratterizzato JFK.
2. La location: Il leggendario Carlyle Hotel
L'evento non si tenne in un ufficio pubblico, ma al Carlyle Hotel (situato nell'Upper East Side di Manhattan). Questo dettaglio è storicamente cruciale:
- Il Carlyle Hotel era noto all'epoca come la "Casa Bianca d'Inverno" (The New York White House), poiché JFK vi manteneva un intero appartamento privato all'ultimo piano ed era il quartier generale non ufficiale in cui la famiglia Kennedy alloggiava e gestiva gli incontri strategici e politici più riservati quando si trovava a New York.
3. La consegna del busto a Robert Kennedy
Joe Faga, agendo ancora una volta come punto di raccordo e orgoglioso rappresentante dei cittadini di Herkimer e della comunità di origini calabresi (Pianopoli), incontrò privatamente Robert Kennedy all'interno dell'hotel per consegnargli un busto scultoreo.
- Il valore del dono: Il gesto aveva una doppia valenza: era un tributo alla memoria del defunto Presidente John F. Kennedy e, al tempo stesso, un forte augurio e un passaggio di testimone politico per la nuova corsa al Senato di Robert. [1]
- L'impatto emotivo: Chi ha conosciuto Joe Faga o ha letto le memorie storiche che condivideva sul suo vecchio blog Pianopoli nel mondo sa quanto questi due anni consecutivi (il 1963 alla Casa Bianca con JFK e il 1964 al Carlyle con RFK) avessero segnato la sua vita. Furono queste esperienze ravvicinate con i vertici della politica statunitense a spingerlo, poco dopo, a servire con profonda dedizione nella US Navy nel 1965 a bordo della portaerei USS Independence nel Golfo di Tonkin. [1, 2]
Questi incontri straordinari spiegano perché Joseph Faga sia rimasto una figura così rispettata e leggendaria sia a Herkimer sia a Napoli, capace di unire la grande storia americana con le radici profonde del suo paese d'origine in Pianopoli, Calabria.
The presentation of a sculpted bust to Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) in 1964 at the legendary Carlyle Hotel in New York City serves as the perfect historical sequel to the meeting Joe Faga had at the White House with Robert's brother, President John F. Kennedy, just one year prior.
This second high-profile encounter took place during a deeply emotional and politically charged chapter in American history.
1. The Historical Context: The 1964 New York Senate Campaign
The year 1964 was a time of immense transition for Robert Kennedy. Following the tragic assassination of JFK in late 1963, RFK resigned as Attorney General of the United States to run as a candidate for the U.S. Senate representing the State of New York.
- During this high-stakes campaign, the vibrant Italian-American community of Herkimer, New York, which included Joe Faga, mobilized heavily to support RFK. They viewed him as the natural bearer of the Kennedy legacy and a champion for working-class immigrants.
2. The Location: The Iconic Carlyle Hotel
The meeting was arranged at The Carlyle Hotel, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. This venue holds massive historical significance:
- During the Kennedy administration, The Carlyle was affectionately dubbed "The New York White House." President JFK maintained a private duplex apartment on the 34th floor, and the hotel served as the family's trusted headquarters for private political strategy meetings, high-profile gatherings, and fundraisers while in New York.
3. Delivering the Bust to Robert Kennedy
Acting once again as a key organizer and a proud representative of the Herkimer and Calabrian diaspora (Pianopoli), Joe Faga met privately with Robert Kennedy inside the hotel to present him with the sculpted bust.
- The Meaning of the Gift: The sculpture held double significance: it served as an emotional tribute honoring the memory of the late President John F. Kennedy, while simultaneously standing as a powerful symbol of support for Robert's active senatorial bid.
- A Lasting Impact: Those who knew Joe Faga or read the rich historical narratives he posted on his digital network "Pianopoli nel mondo" know that these back-to-back years—1963 at the White House with JFK and 1964 at The Carlyle with RFK—profoundly shaped the trajectory of his life. These close-up experiences with the highest echelons of American leadership inspired his patriotism and dedicated service in the US Navy immediately after, leading to his 1965 combat deployment in the Vietnam War aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence.
These remarkable personal milestones cement Joseph Faga's legacy as a unique cultural bridge who walked the halls of American history while keeping his roots firmly planted in the soil of his hometown Pianopoli, in Calabria.
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