Page 10: THE FAMILY RESIDENCES
I am writing this section because, as a young greenhorn from Castelmezzano, the family’s homes and lifestyles amazed me and stunned my imagination.
The Castle, Uncle Charles’s home, was situated on a large hilltop property on the west side of Northern Avenue (now known as Cabrini Boulevard). On the Riverside frontage, a tremendous retaining wall was built originally to contain the Castle. To my knowledge at this writing, this stone wall is still the largest and thickest (35 feet wide at the base, 75 feet high) on Manhattan Island. On top of it, decorative columns and beams formed an impressive pergola walk. The frontage was enclosed with marble piers and a high decorative wrought iron fence and entrance gates. The south end of the property was lined with garages and storage rooms, with apartments above to house the chauffeurs’ families, and the head gardener’s family. The entire property was beautifully landscaped, also containing tennis courts.
This luxurious mansion, known as the Paterno Castle, was a fabulous three-story building with the entire exteriors of marble, containing over 30 rooms. One entered into a sizable vestibule with a decorative marble fountain. The vestibule led to a large hall from which one could see the winding stairway going up to the second floor. Behind the stairway was the music room, on one side the library, and on the other the dining room and kitchen. The elevator located on the north side was designed to travel from the basement o the roof level.
From the dining room, one entered a glass-enclosed conservatory, luxuriously furnished, and containing many tropical trees, shrubs and orchids. This room led to the billiard room and the enclosed Olympic-size swimming pool complete with dressing rooms, showers and facilities for both sexes. All around the outside tiled walls of the pool room there were lighted built-in tanks stocked with many varieties of tropical fish. The pool room led to 17 greenhouses, with many varieties of flowers and orchids. The master bedrooms and guest rooms were located on the second floor. On the third floor there was a tremendous ballroom. This home contained a large organ and many pianos, had excellent furnishings and was exquisitely decorated, with many oil paintings. This mansion became a landmark for visitors from all parts of the country and other nations, sailing on the Hudson River.
Page 11: When the castle was demolished to construct Castle Village, Uncle Charles built another beautiful mansion, a replica of an old French chateau, on Round Hill, Greenwich, Connecticut. This location was the highest in the area.
Uncle Charles also owned The Windmill Farms, with over a thousand acres of land, in Armonk, New York. On this property he built several windmills. During the Depression he constructed a high stone wall on the Route 22 frontage, with gates and cottages for the gatekeeper and the farm superintendent. He modernized the large old home, constructed a main road from Route 22 to the Greenwich line, provided several miles of bridle trails, a large man-made lake stocked with fish, a boathouse and a swimming pool. He also built a stable for many horses, a barn for cattle, a chicken house, and several attached cottages for the permanent workers.
Between the main house and the lake, several acres of fenced-in vegetable garden were planted. These included many varieties of specially shaped fruit trees lining the symmetrically spaced walks dividing the planting areas and around the perimeter fence.
During this period he also purchased two failing golf courses acress from his property on Route 22, The Westchester Embassy and the Byrom Lake Club.
Uncle Joseph purchased a beautiful home in Riverdale, at 252nd Street and Independence Avenue, renaming it Villa Paterno. The property also had a separate building adjoining the villa, with garages and housing for the chauffeurs’ and caretaker’s families. This grand villa was located on a six-acre terraced lawn, where Uncle Joseph had six sheep grazing as he felt this was the most economical method of keeping the grass mowed. Uncle Joseph also owned a very large home on the beach in Deal, New Jersey.
Uncle Michael had a grandiose place in Irving-on-the-Hudson. He and his wife Anna Maria had a collection of rare oil paintings that would do justice to an art gallery.
Although Uncle Anthony and his wife Dorothy maintained an attractive apartment in the City, they preferred spending more time at their country home. They purchased a 116-acre farm in Croton Falls, New York, and named it “Dottoni Farms,” this being a composite of their names – Dot and Tony. There they built a lovely fieldstone home, a separate cottage and man-made lake. They modernized the original farmhouse, and added garages. These facilities were used by the caretaker’s family, and the chauffeur. Uncle Anthony being the youngest male member of our older generation, Dottoni Farm became the center of many happy gatherings and parties.
Aunt Rose Faiella and Aunt Theresa Ciluzzi built two homes side by side over looking the Hudson River off Northern Avenue just north of the Castle property, where they brought up their children.
Aunt Celestina and Victor Cerabone were the only members of the family continuing to reside in the original two-family home on Northern Avenue. Upon the death of my grandmother and the marriage of their first daughter Caroline they moved to an exclusive, attractive apartment in Riverdale. They also owned a very lovely home with many acres in the country.