By Tom Padula
I looked forward to returning to this premier Italian Club of Melbourne. The joyous atmosphere was created by a full house of members and guests. From the moment we entered the Club’s reception area, it was obvious that the night would be exciting and a huge success. How could it go wrong when the Committee, staff, and volunteers were serving around 300 members, their families, and friends? There was a lot of kissing and embracing in the Italian style. We looked up our names and the table allocated to us at the entrance.As usual, I met President Santo Gervasi, who is always happy to see Angela and me. I began the evening by taking a few photos and conducting a short interview about this Dinner Dance dedicated to all Mamme.
The Club decided not to charge mothers attending the event and also gave each one a small gift to honour their work as Mamme e Nonne. President Santo Gervasi asked everyone to remember one of the women members who had died during the past week whilst the No Limits band played “Il Silenzio” — appropriate music as everyone stood for a minute of silence.The evening began with a plate of rice and a mix of fish pieces: delicious. Drinks were included in the entrance ticket wine, beer, soft drinks, mineral water, and plain water. The food was excellent. After the fish dish, we had a plate of pasta with Neapolitan sauce. The main course was a cotoletta with vegetables and salad. A fruit platter, coffee, and cake were served as part of the meal. There was also a bar service for guests who preferred un caffè all’Italiana, a cappuccino, an amaro, or something else. Music played a very important part in the evening. Dancing is truly a very enjoyable activity. Some dancers even sang along to the tunes of popular songs performed admirably by No Limits thank you to Ross, Joe, and Romina. I was happy to see Romina because she had been part of my Italian Drama Company .
