As I have said, I come from survivalists and poverty: in the main, agricultural workers driven from Ireland by famine. But my wife's ancestors have enough glamour, heroes and underworld connections to populate a series of sagas. I wrote about one strand in The Limit. Maybe I should write more.
Even my wife's name is grand: Antonietta Maria Colaluca.
Her father was Louis Colaluca, a Blackpool businessman, her mother Pat Breen, one of the town's acknowledged beauties of the war years and courted by RAF and American servicemen who were billeted in and near the town in their thousands. It took a local – an Italian local – to win her.
Louis was the son of Diamond Tony Colaluca, who also became known as Little Caesar when a major big city gang tried to move in on Blackpool businesses in the 1940s. Silly boys.
As well as Diamond Tony, who had a string of fish and chip restaurants along the Fylde Coast as well as other undeclared interests, and an army of heavies to enforce order, they faced Jack Pye, heavyweight wrestling champion of the world who ran a gambling club. They didn't have a chance.
Diamond Tony drove a pink Rolls Royce and bought Beryldene, a mansion near Poulton le Fylde, a few miles from the resort, from musical hall star George Formby. It had a swimming pool in the back garden and Tony, a man of taste, had his initials TC crafted in mosaic in the bottom. It went well with the pink Rolls Royce.
My wife Maria was born there and recalls falling in the fish pond and being dragged out by the heel by the gardener. She also remembers lying on the floor of the garage and enjoying the smell of the oil spills from the motor cars. Yes, a strange girl.
Tony started out making money in Manchester. The Colaluca family had come from Naples to live in Little Italy around the Ancoats district in the city. Many Italians went into the ice cream business. The Colalucas were wine importers and opened a factory making wafer biscuits in partnership with the Rocca family in 1919. Louis Rocca was the man who named Manchester United, twice saved it from bankruptcy by bringing in wealthy sponsors, launched its scouting policy and signed Matt Busby as manager.
As I am a George Formby fan and a dyed in the wool Red, how could I not fall for Maria?
Diamond Tony moved to Blackpool in the 1930s and became a millionaire selling fish and chips in a string of restaurants along the west coast. He was about five feet four and, despite marrying Mary Kelly of Ancoats, he liked the ladies. Elsie Glass, a business associate, was also his mistress and when she died, Tony's wife had her buried next to him.
'He couldn't help loving two women,' she said.
She never mentioned the others.
Elsie left her shares in the business to Tony and Mary's son Louis.
During a visit to London, Tony attended a boxing match and had an argument with the man sitting behind him, who liked his aggression. He likened him to a pit bull. This was a man who knew all about aggression: he was Jack Spot, the London gangster who ran the West End before the Krays. The Krays served their apprenticeships with him. Jack and Tony became firm friends. There are aspects of Tony's business dealings that are still best left in the shade.
Business was good in Blackpool and Diamond Tony and his wife Mary had a string of high profile guests at Beryldene, including George Raft and Peter Lorre. Colonel Sanders also came for dinner when he was looking to launch the British franchise of his Kentucky Fried Chicken empire. The first restaurant he opened was in Preston. The second was in Blackpool, in property belonging to Diamond Tony.
Because he was born in Italy, Tony was interned for a short time during the war on the Isle of Man.
He also fell out with a different branch of the British Government – the Inland Revenue. And as everyone knows, no one wins a fight with the Taxman. Mind you, Tony did his best.
He had sold Beryldene and was living in another mansion called Kingsmede in Blackpool, which he thoughtfully put in the name of his wife. She was also the major share holder of his main restaurant on Central Drive – Palma Cafe (named after his mother) which is still there. His mistress was also a shareholder.
Tony had declined to pay any taxes during all those good years and declined to pay any when the Inland Revenue made a polite request. He was declared bankrupt but remained living in Kingsmede and the business continued. He died in 1955 at the age of 52 of a heart attack.
Even my wife's name is grand: Antonietta Maria Colaluca.
Her father was Louis Colaluca, a Blackpool businessman, her mother Pat Breen, one of the town's acknowledged beauties of the war years and courted by RAF and American servicemen who were billeted in and near the town in their thousands. It took a local – an Italian local – to win her.
Louis was the son of Diamond Tony Colaluca, who also became known as Little Caesar when a major big city gang tried to move in on Blackpool businesses in the 1940s. Silly boys.
As well as Diamond Tony, who had a string of fish and chip restaurants along the Fylde Coast as well as other undeclared interests, and an army of heavies to enforce order, they faced Jack Pye, heavyweight wrestling champion of the world who ran a gambling club. They didn't have a chance.
Diamond Tony drove a pink Rolls Royce and bought Beryldene, a mansion near Poulton le Fylde, a few miles from the resort, from musical hall star George Formby. It had a swimming pool in the back garden and Tony, a man of taste, had his initials TC crafted in mosaic in the bottom. It went well with the pink Rolls Royce.
My wife Maria was born there and recalls falling in the fish pond and being dragged out by the heel by the gardener. She also remembers lying on the floor of the garage and enjoying the smell of the oil spills from the motor cars. Yes, a strange girl.
Tony started out making money in Manchester. The Colaluca family had come from Naples to live in Little Italy around the Ancoats district in the city. Many Italians went into the ice cream business. The Colalucas were wine importers and opened a factory making wafer biscuits in partnership with the Rocca family in 1919. Louis Rocca was the man who named Manchester United, twice saved it from bankruptcy by bringing in wealthy sponsors, launched its scouting policy and signed Matt Busby as manager.
As I am a George Formby fan and a dyed in the wool Red, how could I not fall for Maria?
Diamond Tony moved to Blackpool in the 1930s and became a millionaire selling fish and chips in a string of restaurants along the west coast. He was about five feet four and, despite marrying Mary Kelly of Ancoats, he liked the ladies. Elsie Glass, a business associate, was also his mistress and when she died, Tony's wife had her buried next to him.
'He couldn't help loving two women,' she said.
She never mentioned the others.
Elsie left her shares in the business to Tony and Mary's son Louis.
During a visit to London, Tony attended a boxing match and had an argument with the man sitting behind him, who liked his aggression. He likened him to a pit bull. This was a man who knew all about aggression: he was Jack Spot, the London gangster who ran the West End before the Krays. The Krays served their apprenticeships with him. Jack and Tony became firm friends. There are aspects of Tony's business dealings that are still best left in the shade.
Business was good in Blackpool and Diamond Tony and his wife Mary had a string of high profile guests at Beryldene, including George Raft and Peter Lorre. Colonel Sanders also came for dinner when he was looking to launch the British franchise of his Kentucky Fried Chicken empire. The first restaurant he opened was in Preston. The second was in Blackpool, in property belonging to Diamond Tony.
Because he was born in Italy, Tony was interned for a short time during the war on the Isle of Man.
He also fell out with a different branch of the British Government – the Inland Revenue. And as everyone knows, no one wins a fight with the Taxman. Mind you, Tony did his best.
He had sold Beryldene and was living in another mansion called Kingsmede in Blackpool, which he thoughtfully put in the name of his wife. She was also the major share holder of his main restaurant on Central Drive – Palma Cafe (named after his mother) which is still there. His mistress was also a shareholder.
Tony had declined to pay any taxes during all those good years and declined to pay any when the Inland Revenue made a polite request. He was declared bankrupt but remained living in Kingsmede and the business continued. He died in 1955 at the age of 52 of a heart attack.
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