La Basilicata nel Mondo (People from Basilicata in the World) was an illustrated monthly magazine produced by Giovanni Riviello in Naples, Italy. It was one of the mostly widely distributed Italian magazines abroad. It regularly featured natives from the southern Italian region of Basilicata (also known by its ancient name Lucania) who were excelling in America.
Doctor Charles V. Paterno
The builder of Hudson View Gardens in New York
Here is a man, of whom it can truly be said that he heard the voice of destiny, and had the merit and the daring to follow it, going decisively along that path of life, which the invisible traced to him. Small, thin, nervous, with extremely lively, mobile and penetrating eyes, he immediately appears, to those who know him, as a bundle of intelligence and vibrant energies, thus radiating from his person that powerful vitality, which is concrete and almost translated logically in the speed of decisions and in the fervor of action and thought. His physique has all the characteristics of the Italian race, animated by the gentle Latin blood: and his mustache and his typical beard, which seems taken from a Van Dyck painting, perhaps demonstrate his primitive inclination for the profession of doctor, together with his innate artistic aptitudes.
But it is the fate of the Paternos from Castelmezzano, which makes them builders, from father to son, and from generation to generation.
Charles Paterno studied medicine and graduated brilliantly from Cornell Medical School in the year 1899. Very young, fervent with ingenuity and aspirations, cultured and sagacious, he certainly already enjoyed all the joy of making a name for himself in the field of medical science, vast and so human, when the death of his father suddenly improvises him. The parent left the construction of a building on 112th Street unfinished. And Charles put aside, he temporarily hoped, the medical books and surgical instruments, to carry out, together with his brother Joseph, the filial duty of carrying out the last paternal effort. It was the first sign of his destiny as a builder, from which he would never free himself again.
Either it was the fascination of that tremendous art of building, which gradually crept into his subtle soul as an adventurous artist, or his brotherly love, which drew him to share his fate with his brother Joseph, certainly and that having finished the building and sold it, Charles Paterno does not return, as if it was proposed, to his life as a scientist. The case operates once again. Attached to the building was a construction area, which was assigned to the two Paterno brothers, as part of the payment, so that Charles is still hired as a contractor for new construction work. With about $3,000 in capital, the two brothers, who were still almost boys, boldly took on a new job, from which they made an almost equal amount of net profit. At this point, Charles Paterno truly finds himself at the crossroads of his life. Return to his profession as a doctor, or continue to be a builder? Not brief, not without perplexity, not without torment of the spirit, were to be the struggle, which is stirred in the soul of the young man. To return to his profession as a doctor meant, in a certain way, an ideal denial of his father’s profession; remaining as a builder meant the end of his dream of youth and of the long vigils of study and preparation for the severe discipline of science. Were also to consider the risks and prospects of both careers; but, finally, he won in him, and perhaps the loving advice of his brother Joseph, his father’s profession, was not extraneous to his decision. Charles Paterno definitively became a builder.
Thus begins the industrial ascension of the two young and great architects of New York construction.
Their constructions follow one another with a constant and dizzying crescendo; their fame rises and spreads, as does their fortune. They raise a 7-story building on West Street, from which they make a profit of $40,000. Their projects become more and more important and grandiose, they impose themselves, due to the majesty and harmony of architectural lines and proportions, to the admiration of the building technicians, conquering the two brothers the popularity in the environment of the builders, the sympathy and the buyers’ esteem. Manhattan, the colossal Manhattan, is completed by their works, with a speed that tastes of vertigo.
The ascension of the Paterno brothers is complete. And when, in 1907, the construction crisis broke out, which overwhelmed many of the most accredited firms in New York, the position of the Paterno was already so solid, that they were among the few who were able to cope with the chaos of their industry, and overcome, with infinite shrewdness and sagacity, very rough moments. When the crisis was over, in 1909, they therefore found themselves among the most experienced and equipped builders in New York, more ready for a building revival in a big way, and they launched a new start in the increasingly intense and feverish work.
But Charles Paterno, in whom the spiritual quarrel had never completely subsided, again suffered the fascination and the lure of books and science. And this time he decided to really go back to his profession as a doctor. During the construction crisis, he had stayed by his brother’s side, not to leave him alone in the storm. But, having overcome the danger, the last ideal reason for him to remain as a builder disappeared, while his soul inclined more and more towards science, and the renunciation of it seemed to him more and more hard and bitter, as a sterile thing to him he seemed to continue to mortify his genius, for whose sacrifice he could not find, in his nobility, adequate compensation, the large gain.
The two brothers shared their assets. Joseph remained in his place, in the construction sites. Charles began to be a doctor, with that success, which could not fail to smile at his worth in the field of science. But fate did not hold back from tempting him. And here, one day, in his cabinet, a man appeared, who was not a sick person, who, instead of a medical consultation, asked Charles Paterno if he had ever by chance intended to buy a large building plot on the West Side between West End Avenue and Broadway. The offer was advantageous, and presented itself to Doctor Paterno not only as another admonition of fate, but surrounded by all the seductive colors, from which the temptations must present themselves to Saint Antonio in the desert. Again he was struggling with himself. He gave in to fate, which he wanted so. He buried the surgeon’s tools, he closed his cabinet, broke off all medical contracts, and returned – this time forever – to the construction site.
“A man, to be truly worthy of being a man, said Leonardo da Vinci, must demonstrate that he can be excellent in everything, whatever he sets out to do.” And of Charles Paterno it can certainly be said that, whatever the field of his activity, he would still have achieved success.
Let’s follow a little, on the basis of some data, the gigantic activity of this titan of New York building art. The culminating period of its construction activity coincides, fatally, with the tragic period of the European war. Destiny, which had so irresistibly roped him. Destiny, which had so irresistibly called him to the sacred art of his father, now seemed to want to make his way to triumph bristling with obstacles, so that Charles Paterno had given proof of all his extraordinary energy, and engaged in the struggle all his male genius, giving of himself the whole measure of the man of exception. At the beginning of 1914, when no one could think that the greatest war which the history of the world can remember would be unleashed on old Europe, Dr. Paterno started a colossal lot of housing construction on Madison and Park Avenues between 47th and 48th Streets, for the fabulous sum of $ 10,000,000.
In 1918, when the war had not only devastated Europe, but had also made its tragic repercussions felt in the United States of America, forced to intervene, Doctor Paterno had already completed the work. Only such a man could, in that immense upheaval of values, of men and of things, triumph in such an enterprise. Every day, the working conditions became more harsh and harsher, every day it was necessary to face the unexpected, lavishing energy and spending large sums to grab the raw materials, the price of which was becoming more and more even, and the hand of work , which, as a result of the war, also became very expensive and rare, not only, but less efficient and specialized than that of normal times. To all these reluctances of fate, Dr. Charles Paterno was able to oppose the cold, calm tenacity of man, who wants to win at all costs, and knows that his victory is the reason for his whole life. But, once the works were completed, the tragedy became bitter. The consequences of the war weighed heavily, with the stagnation of emigration, business, the human movement, and the large houses of Doctor Paterno remained desperately empty of tenants, while their maintenance and fiscal rights continued to gobble up money. The builder did not lose heart. A man of action, he also knew how to be the man of waiting. “Knowing how to wait, said Bismark, is a great virtue.”The warning was treasured by Doctor Paterno. And that storm passed too. Little by little, the normality of life and trade resumed, until the repercussions of the war disappeared, and not a room of a thousand and a thousand, of which Doctor Paterno’s houses were capable, remained empty of tenants. Destiny was finally kissing his predestined one. The waves of men returned. The multitudes became so large that Manhattan seemed unable to accommodate them all. The urgent need for new constructions arose. Dr. Paterno’s apartments gave an income of $900,000 for 1919, which rose to $1,200,000 in 1922.
Nor is this the culmination of his fortune as a builder. Two projects, translated into reality in the most admirable way, have made Dr. Charles Paterno deserving of construction in New York, giving him great popularity and the undisputed title of poet and esthete of the building art. The first is Hudson View Gardens which was defined as the experimental station of harmoniously blended beauty and architectural novelty.
Such a place of spiritual rest would have been very suitable for the construction of a cathedral, so much is the sense of serenity and mysticism, which infuses the divine peace of greenery and waters. And Doctor Paterno’s soul as an artist felt this fascination, because to the buildings, which rise solemnly in their severe architectural lines, on the natural grandeur of the rock, he gave an air and an outward appearance of houses of prayer.
But even aside from the beauty of the place and the stately aesthetics of the buildings, many advantages make life blissful in Hudson View Gardens, for the infinite comforts, which make it immensely cheap, and for the bonds of friendship, which unite all the inhabitants as in true spiritual community, although only from October 1, 1924 the houses of the enchanting place began to be inhabited.
Hudson View Gardens stands on a rocky rise overlooking the Hudson River.
The place is famous in the history of the United States of America, as, during the Revolution, it was the scene of warlike episodes, and the siege and bombing, which took place on November 16, 1776, by the British, against General Greene and Colonel Magard, who were defending Fort Washington, which, at that time, stood right on the heights of the Hudson.
In the construction of the houses, Doctor Paterno wanted and was able to find, as we have already pointed out, a style that harmonized well with the beauty of the place, and happily chose the Tudor architecture of the 16th century, so sweet and solemn and almost mystical even in its light and changing harmony. The executor of the projects was Mr. George Fred Pelham, a valued architect, who, avoiding any monotonous repetition, was able to give the buildings a distinct tone of originality, which arouses the admiration of the observer.
Lawns and gardens, with all sorts of flowers and rare and beautiful trees, adorn and enhance the beauty of these houses.
But, according to the Horatian precept “omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit utile dulci” [“He gains everyone’s approval who mixes the pleasant with the useful.”] the apartments of Hudson View Gardens are equipped with infinite, refined modern comforts. Especially the kitchens are equipped in such a way as to eliminate, up to the incredible, any waste of time, starting with the washing of the dishes – which is performed by a machine in a very short time – up to the most minute and various needs, which are facilitated by a wise arrangement of tools, utensils and accessories, essential to the needs of modern cuisine. Even in this, Dr. Paterno wanted and knew how to be a fine psychologist.
The American woman, who often considers herself a slave when she is forced to work hard in the kitchen, finds, on the other hand, with so many beautiful means at her disposal, almost fun, and as interesting as a sport, the preparation of the familiar daily lunch.
It is not uncommon for the work of a maid to be required in the home. Well, Dr. Paterno has also provided for this by providing the inhabitants of Hudson View Gardens with a body of expert housekeepers, who work on an hourly basis.
In this way, the harassment of using unknown and not always practical people has also been eliminated.
In case the need arises or if you prefer to eat outside the home, it was also thought to install a first-class restaurant in the neighborhood, which lacks nothing, from ballrooms to radio sets.
It is also worthy of much interest to install radio sets in each apartment, so that everyone can enjoy concerts, conferences, etc. according to their tastes.
Hudson View Gardens consists of six four-story buildings, on the west side, overlooking the Hudson River and nine six-story buildings on the other side of Pinehurst Avenue, built on an elevation of land high enough to give even to these the view of the river. In all there are 354 apartments with 4 to 6 rooms, equally furnished and equipped with the same modern means of comfort.
Everything has been thought of in this model neighborhood and Charles Paterno has neglected nothing to make it the ideal New York home. There is even a “daycare,” a kind of nursery school, to which mothers can entrust their babies with the utmost safety. For older children, there is a gym equipped and maintained to form their delight.
The wealth of Hudson View Gardens is completed by an infinite number of other comforts, including a laundry, a hairdresser, a barber shop, a tailor’s shop, founded by Nicola d’Alessandro, also a son of Basilicata, a post office and even a private police service.
Every family, however modest it may be, has the opportunity to buy one of these houses on their own, with an infinite number of facilitations due to the cooperative ownership method. In this way, 354 families can become owners of an apartment without responsibility and with minimal expense. A small deposit is paid at the signing of the contract and at the time of granting the house the payment of a part of the established sum is made; the remainder is paid in small monthly installments, applying the interest of 6%.
It is clear that Hudson View Gardens is a great institution, and one cannot help but be astonished, as one thinks that everything was conceived and created by a single mind, that of Dr. Charles V. Paterno, who, by creating the garden city of New York, it pursued a magnificent humanitarian and civil purpose rather than industrial purposes.
For this man, a magnificent example of the vitality of the Lucanian lineage, any praise is inadequate. All the manifestations of his personality, industrialist, scholar, head of the family, citizen, philanthropist, patriot, very Italian heart, touch the highest sign.
The waters of the Hudson sing the most beautiful praise of him, on which he realized his beautiful dream of beauty and elevation of life, with the construction of that Hudson View Gardens in which he himself, together with his family, has the his residence, in a haven of peace and poetry, a respite from the battles of his tumultuous existence.
The other project, which has attracted the attention of the New York building world to Charles Paterno, is the construction of a sumptuous and beautiful fifteen-story building, which will be completed for the upcoming spring, on the elegant and very important Riverside Drive artery, between 100th and 101st streets, and in which apartments are available for a number of two hundred families. The plan of this building is so harmonious in its architectural structure, the graces of the Latin style are so perfectly merged with the synthetic simplicity of American building, the apartments are so happy, that, as always happens for the buildings of Doctor Paterno, the sale and rent of the apartments are already complete, even before the building is completed.
But the great lever of Dr. Charles Paterno’s building success does not consist only in his masterful technical expertise, in his exquisite artistic intuition, in the gracefulness of his modern architecture. It is above all constituted by the seriousness and honesty to all proof, by the rigid scrupulousness in the use of first quality materials in the factories, by the testing and strict control of the works, which he himself carries out in person, with supervision, which has eye for everything and never runs out. He is not only the soul and brain of his construction sites: tireless, prodigiously tenacious at work, he is the first worker, the ideal and material leader of his workers.
From the point of view of construction technique, the brilliant stone poet, who designed and built the Hudson View Gardens, can be defined as a revolutionary. Rightly, in fact, Charles Paterno thinks that the building technique has remained very backward, in comparison with modern evolution and the progress achieved in many other fields, and he strives his ingenuity in the search for means, which also adapt construction progress to others. To an American journalist, who had gone to interview him in his office, he once said, in this regard, as follows: “The art of building has made no progress. In all other fields great strides have been made, and It always advances. Doctors today have wonderful methods of sustaining life, which they did not have a hundred years ago. Their science is always progressing: every day a new discovery eradicates an evil in the human organism. (In these words, sympathetically and nostalgically, his vocation as a doctor, silenced, to follow destiny). But the art of manufacturing is the same, it is unchanged over the centuries. We raise the walls in the same way as the ancients Egyptians, Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, that is, by hand; we build with bricks, in the same way that was built hundreds of centuries ago, overlapping the bricks one by one, with the hand of man. If there were departments of research, as there is in the medical field, as in any other field; then, we might perhaps know at least why we don’t advance; and, knowing the hindrance, we could apply the remedies. Only in the method of excavation have we made progress: we have cranes, mechanical shovels, drills; but, when there is the rock to be drilled, we still use old methods.
To make real progress, manual labor, which is very slow, necessarily, must be eliminated, rationally replaced by the mechanical, rapid means, with the indefatigable machine. The art of construction is hampered by the lack of inventions, which limit the audacity and activity of man, and the inventors are in turn hindered by the workers’ organizations, which oppose themselves deafly, for a misunderstood spirit of safeguarding themselves, to the success of every expedient or mechanical discovery, tending to eliminate and restrict the use of manual labor. It seems like a vicious circle. But, add onto of all this, expedients are invented. There is one, which is currently being perfected, for laying the bricks. How the car works, I do not yet know perfectly. And already something. We will go a long way. I’m sure. And the workers, far from seeing in these discoveries an enemy of their employment, must, in the machine, in every new machine, see an ally and a collaborator of their intelligent work and their labor.”
Severe and tireless with himself, affable and cordial with other men of very high culture and noble sentiment, bold and cautious at the same time, very intelligent and full of initiatives and brilliant resources, Dr. Charles Paterno, as we have seen, summarily following his great industrial work truly has in itself all the requirements of the extraordinary man. But he lives modest and quiet. And he has kept alive the cult of his distant, small native village – Castelmezzano di Basilicata – and he is proud of his Italian origin. The voice of the great distant homeland exerts a powerful fascination on his spirit, and to the Italian architecture, which he esteems and cultivates sovereignly, he intones the motifs of his constructions.
In the affability of intimate conversations, he always talks, with a Manzoni-like humor, of his truncated career as a doctor. “At one time, he recalls, I was selected as director of the Italian hospital in East River. After all – he adds, and smiles finely – I have not completely ceased to practice my profession. I am the doctor of my workers.”
And, in fact, it is so.
To his family, he consecrates all of himself, and is proud of his son, a young man of great talent, who studies engineering at Yale University.”He is studying engineering – his father says of him – but he could also become a surgeon!” And he smiles, satisfied. And if you ask him what plans he has for his son’s career, for the future: “I don’t know – he replies – I don’t know, because he’s my son. I too wanted to be a doctor … and instead I became a builder. “
But the personality of the builder of Hudson View Gardens in New York is too varied and complex for one article to be enough to make it whole. As a characteristic of his phenomenal activity, we will only recall that, among his occupations, which alone would absorb the activities of many men, he also finds the time to write a nice magazine, Hudson Views, in which the salient facts of the New York garden city life are written. And as proof of his great love for Italy we will only remember that we owe only to him the initiative of the Italian Hospital in New York, and that, to the House of Italian Culture at Columbia University he donated the entire library, for a value of $30,000. This man, so well-deserving, has also experienced what human ingratitude is. His own country, to which he has consecrated his work and his talent in a foreign land, has not even made him a knight.
But Charles Paterno finds in himself, in his own conscience and in his own spirit, the greatest satisfaction, the noblest reward and the most serene praise for his work, which imposes himself on the admiration, even tacit, of all, and confers on him the highest title of nobility and Italian character.
In Basilicata, Charles Paterno also gives frequent and beneficial proofs of his filial devotion.
And we, proud, as his fellow countrymen, of the nobility and grandeur of his work, offer him our greetings and best wishes for ever new triumphs.
