Uncle Sam's Letter

I got a letter from my Uncle Sam today. He was responding to the blog site, but he decided to send me a letter by snail mail. I am not sure why, but I am going to assume it is because he did either did not want to post something for public consumption or he did not know how to comment on this website. I wanted to let you know that he sent a letter of encouragement and prayer instead. I don't mind telling him publicly that I really appreciated his words and sentiment. I love you Uncle Sam. Thanks.

The letter contained a poem, I wanted to share, that was my Aunt Lu's favorite by Haydin Marshall which reads as follows:

The tide recedes but leaves behind

bright seashells in the sand

The sun goes down but gentle warmth

still lingers on the land

The music stops and yet it echos on

in sweet refrain

For every day that passes

something beautiful remains

I love all my Aunts,Uncles, and cousins, but I must say there is a special place in my heart for my Uncle Sam and Aunt Sue and their kids -- Joanie, Jimmy, Sammy and Suzie. (They will never be Joan, James Sam and Sue to me!)

First of all, Uncle Sam and Aunt Sue are my Godparents -- and you know what that means in the Italian tradition; Jimmy and Sammy my god-brothers and Joanie and Suzie are my god-sisters. Beyond that, Uncle Sam and my father were like best friends and they were a lot alike. They had a great relationship and really loved and respected one another. Sam looks, acts, talks and laughs just like my father. Now he is the surviving child of the Savino Cappiello clan. Like me, Uncle Sam married a woman from another country. ( Aunt Sue was originally from Holland. (I don't have a Dutch Uncle -- I have a Dutch Aunt!)) His son Sammy is following in the footsteps of his father and me; first by working in the brokerage business and now marrying a Japanese. (I hope Sammy will comment about what the first year of marriage has been like living with Mie! I'm sure the day to day has been a hoot.)

I remember as a kid visiting Aunt Sue and Uncle Sam in their apartment in downtown Stamford. Uncle Sam was working for a brokerage firm called Peabody, I think. That firm eventually merged into what is today Merrill Lynch. As a kid, I really didn't understand what exactly it was that Uncle Sam did for a living, but at the time we were living in a house and he was living in an apartment, so I wasn't much impressed. I DO remember going to the apartment for Sunday dinner one time. Aunt Sue was making pasta in a tiny kitchen and I remember it steaming up, so it might have been winter.

I remember we had to take an elevator to get to the apartment, which was on an upper floor. (I think it must have been the first time I had never ridden an elevator.) I recall the art work they had hanging. In the dining or living room they had a piece that looked like a Rembrant -- very dark with interesting lighting of a woman. I think there was fruit or a fruit bowl in the painting. All I remember is that they had that painting for a long time. In fact, they might still have it.

Around the time they had Joan and then Jimmy, they moved into a beautiful little white house in a Stamford residential neighborhood with a white picket fence. I remember the house as being small but very pretty and well decorated. I still really did not know what Uncle Sam did, but it was obvious he was doing better than before! In the hallway of that house they had a piece of modern art that looked like a Mondrian, like the one on this blog. I don't remember if they bought it or if Aunt Sue did it herself o what, but I really liked it and remember it to this day. So you see? My Aunt Sue and Uncle Sam's artwork was some of the first that sparked my interested in art. (Later on, in college, I took an Art History class, which, next to my Chinese history class and Chinese poetry course, was one of the best courses I ever too in college. We would frequently go to the Smithsonian Nation Art Museum or to the Hirshorn Museum of Modern Art. I especially liked the Hirshorn.)

I remember that Uncle Sam started moving up the corporate ladder and soon was managing Merrill Lynch's retail operation in New York City; I remember they had moved the family to in Long Island and had acquired a very large home. Uncle Sam sat on the board of Big-Mac (The Municipal Assistance Corporation), that was set up to help bail out New York City in the 1970s. At the time he was having back problems; I remember them talking about what a problem he had getting into the city each day and if I recall correctly, he was taking a private ambulance to work at times. I finally began to realize that Uncle Sam had made it in big-time business. He has always been, next to my own father, an inspiration and someone I have admired my whole life.

Unfortunately, I never made it into upper management. I never had the skills to be a good manager of people, like Uncle Sam, but in retrospect I am not less happy for it. I do joke that I could do the job of Chuck Prince (Citigroup's CEO) for half his what he makes ($25 million per year.) They finally got rid of Prince with a $95 million separation package. Why they had to pay this guy to leave with the stock price 30% below where it was when he started is beyond me. He would have done everyone a favor if he never came to the office in the last five years and I would still be with Citigroup. Oh well... if you have not figured it out yet, life's not fair.

I am sorry to see the turmoil at Merrill Lynch these past months. Maybe Uncle Sam needs to come ot of retirement and right the ship! You Merrill guys should be comforted to know former Morgan Stanley executives are going to help straighten things out!

Jimmy and Sammy, call me if you want to come to a smaller, more manageable shop! You can join "The Cappiello Group a Morgan Stanley." My partner, Ryan Rupert (27) is engaged to a Japanese, so three of the four of us would have Japanese wives! Plus it would be nice to have my book eventually inherited by family! You could stay in Buffalo and just "feed" the Florida operation with "snowbirds." I'll come to Buffalo in the dead of winter to pitch the Florida escape!

Anyway, this blog is to let Uncle Sam and his family know that I appreciate all your encouragement and prayers. You are great and I love you all. I wish you and your families the best always and will be thanking God for all your prayers and good wishes this Thanksgiving.