Page 64: (photo) Caption: Ida Sophia Berthold Cotillo
Page 65: FABULOUS IDA AND THE JUDGE
Ida Sophia Berthold was born in New York City on May 15, 1894 daughter of Isadora von der Porten and Hugo Berthold. Soon after their marriage the Bertholds moved to Albany, New York.
[Note: Correct spelling may be Isadora Maria Van der Porter]
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Ida and J. Herbert Ritzmann were married in July 1909 [Note: 11 July 1910 per New York State Marriage Index 1881-1967] in Albany as both families were friends. Helen Laura Ritzmann was born on August 14, 1911. Ida and J. Herbert had a great many differences, became separated and later divorced. At that time Helen was about 4 years old.
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While at a dance at the Ten Eyck Hotel in Albany, Ida met the young assemblyman from New York City, Salvatore Albert Cotillo. After a romantic courtship they were married. Ida and Sal had a happy life together until his untimely death at the age of 52.
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Sal legally adopted Helen when she was 18 and he turned out to the Belen’s ideal father. Ida and Sal never had children of their own. When Sal’s sister Leticia (Letty) died, Sal and Ida adopted her 4 year old daughter Sarah (Sally) Leticia Campbell.
Page 66: (photo of Salvatore Albert Cotillo)
Page 67: The career of Salvatore A. Cotillo is described by Nat J. Ferber in the biography, A New American – The Life Story of Justice Salvatore A. Cotillo. (Copyright 1938 by Farrar and Rinehart, Inc.).
A graduate of Manhattan College and Fordham Law School, Sal took his apprenticeship in “Daddy” Allien’s law firm. He was taken in as a son as “Daddy” realized Sal’s great potential.
Justice Cotillo was the first Italo-American elected to the Assembly of the State of New York in Albany and also the first Italo-American elected to the State Senate. As the young senator he and Jimmy Walker became close friends and Walker later went on to become the mayor of New York City.
Following the interruption of the World War I and European activities, he was regarded as Governor Al Smith’s “Whip” on what is generalized now as social legislation.
(Image) Caricature done by his close friend Enrico Caruso, incomparable tenor of the Metropolitan Opera, during an intense moment as Sal Cotillo was making an impassioned speech for the purchase of Liberty Bonds during World War I.
Page 68: In 1923 he was elected to be Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, one of the youngest lawyers and the first Italo-American to be so honored.
All this melds into the Paterno-Cotillo relationships because Dad and the Judge were close friends. Our families had a togetherness which included Helen and myself as youngsters.
(Image) Caption: This nice picture of Helen and the Judge was taken in Palm Beach in 1935 on our way home from our honeymoon.
NEXT: CHAPTER VIII • LYNDON MIDDAUGH BROWN
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