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Sheridan Park Protest
We, the residents and former residents of Taylor Street’s “Little
Italy,” ask why a portion of “our” Sheridan Park was used to
memorialize someone other than a resident of our community.
What criteria was used to select an individual who was not born in
our Little Italy, was not raised in this neighborhood, and neither
had he made any contributions to the thousands of emigrants and
their offspring that had been served by Sheridan park.
An informal poll of the community shows that Mr. Phelan is most
remembered for having built a magnificent home in our
community a decade ago. We do not challenge whatever great
deeds he may have accomplished and, if so, he should be honored
for same. However, would it not be best that he be memorialized at
the site(s) where he had accomplished those deeds and leave our
historic sites reserved for those who had served us?
A quick poll of the residents, not the newcomers, but the true
residents (past and present) of Little Italy’s Sheridan Park, brings
up a number of persons who are and were more deserving.
Jim DiVito, director of the Park for decades. In any discussion that
brings up Sheridan Park, Jim DiVito’s name is almost always
mentioned…never has Mr. Phelan’s name ever, ever been
mentioned
Buddy Patti, who replaced Jim DiVito upon retirement. Buddy
served as the Park Director who presided over the transition of
Sheridan Park from serving exclusively the original residents of
“Little Italy” to serving the residents of the newly evolved
community (still with its deep Italian American roots).
Josephine Romano, Sheridan Park Matron who served under both
directors. Ask any of the thousands of children and/or their
parents, for whom Sheridan Park was a haven, what single
individual, other than immediate family members, had the most
positive influence upon their lives and the vast majority will,
without hesitation, respond, “Josie,” from Sheridan Park.
There are numerous other individuals (political figures, social
workers, business owners, business leaders, etc.) who, although not
directly connected to Sheridan Park, have bona fide roots to this
community and who surely have legitimate qualifications for
having their contributions to our people formally memorialized.
It seems only natural that those individuals who earned the right to
become informally memorialized in our minds, our hearts and our
memories should be first to become formally memorialized for
posterity. Our silence will only encourage a course in which
ultimately our heritage (our historic sites) will be pimped away to
the highest bidder or to those with the biggest political clout.
Vince Romano