Mallory Square Gazette

The secret rock life of Tom Violante

Former frontman for The Shags (and KWT founder) discovered in Office of Public Affairs

BY ANA NERSESSIAN

We've always suspected there was more to Yale administrators than a loud tie and a long speech, and now we have proof: In the case of Thomas Violante, Yale's assistant director of public affairs, a desk-job present belies a rollicking rock-and-roll past—and he has the Beatles to thank for it.

It was 1963, right here in New Haven, Conn., when the Fab Four changed Violante's life forever. "I had just gotten my license, and I was driving my new car to school, when this song came on the radio," he remembers. "I turned up the volume as loud as I could and I said, 'What is this song and who are these guys singing it?'" That song was "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," and as the brash guitar and defiant rhythms of the British Invasion came blasting over his speakers, Violante, then a senior in high school, knew he was born to play music. Within two weeks, he'd bought his first guitar; by the end of the year, he, along with four other Connecticut sons, had formed a bonafide rock band: ladies and gentleman, the Shags. With their striped suits, mod haircuts, and Buddy Holly glasses, the Shags were everything the '60s could ask of an American garage band. Drawing influences from the Beach Boys, the Kinks, and, naturally, those boys from Liverpool, the band quickly won the attention of local fans, not to mention local club-owners. By 1964, the word was out—and the gigs were paying.

"We were known as the Beatles of Connecticut," he says. "We played a lot of their music—a lot of covers. We had our own sound, but back then, unless you had cover music, you weren't going to get hired at a club." With his imposing build and low, folksy voice, Tom Violante seems, at first glance, to be an ex-running back rather than a real-life rock-and-roller. Nevertheless, he is just that. In his four years with the original Shags, the band made the local charts six times, had a national hit with their take on the Beatles' "I Call Your Name," and, in one of their finest moments, these local boys made very, very good, opening for Chubby Checker at—yes—Woolsey Hall. In fact, at the time of their breakup in 1969, the record labels were paying serious attention, and the Shags, it seemed, were poised on the brink of rock-and-roll stardom.

So what happened?

Violante laughs. "Well, holding it together for four to five years is a major task. I even know how the Beatles felt—you just get so tired of being in the same room with the same guys...and the music, too. I wanted to go off and do a bigger sound—horns, organs, strings." Hitting that familiar roadblock of creative differences, the Shags dissolved, and Violante moved on—to different careers and different bands.

He's been with his current band, The Key West Trio, for eight years, and shows no signs of hanging up his guitar. The Trio plays Beatles, Buffett, and Beach Boys, as well as original material, taking their audiences back to a time when being a teenager meant drinking Coke and driving a Mustang. "When you go to a concert," he says, "you want to be entertained, and you want to be uplifted." When asked about the current state of popular music, which many find far from uplifting, Violante responds with characteristic confidence: "I'm very optimistic about the direction music is going. At least today you've got variety, and you can choose what you want to listen to. You have to find a balance, and I think we will." Meanwhile, he contents himself with listening to and playing the classics— including, of course, his old Shags records. "The oldies," he declares, "will be back."

This wonderful pizzeria uses a brick oven (built by Tom's grandfather) fired with coal for the benchmark pizza worldwide. When you eat a pizza at Pepe's, you are taking part in a 75-year-old tradition and will judge all the pizzas you ever eat in your lifetime like we do: "Not as good as Pepe's ... almost as good as Pepe's," etc. Their short history follows:

Our grandfather's sister, Rachela, felt that each of us has "il destino," a destiny. Surely, destiny seems to have played its part in our grandfather's work. After brief stints at Sargent's making keys and locks, and at Generoso Mauro's bread making, Frank Pepe would opn his own bread making store, complete with horse and cart for deliveries. From the bread, a dough was flattened into the circle that was first inhabited by fresh tomato sauce and grated cheese and then anchovies. Gramp aptly viewed pizza as the "poor man's answer to hunger." That circle of flattened dough traditionally received the leftovers of a prior meal or meals and would make still another meal. He would make more from what he had and so it was that in 1925, this business began. [Originally in the building where The Spot now stands - Ed.]

It was a business built upon the hard work of Frank Pepe and his loving wife, Filomena, who worked by his side. Eighteen hour days were not uncommon. Their daughters, Elizabeth and Serafina, witnessed, felt and contributed directly to the enterprise. If this institution were just a business, it would have perished long ago. For our grandfather, it became a passion fueled by his family's and friends' need for employment. The staff loved Gramp and he loved them. It was indeed a family with a shared work ethic. Our grandfather's beloved brother, Alessio, brother-in-law Elmer, and sister Rachela Colonna, Salvatore Montagna [who worked in the restaurant until his death in 2000 - Ed.], Tommy Sicignano, nephew Sally Consiglio [who founded Sally's Pizza down from Pepe's on Wooster Street - Ed.], Luigi Sarno, Ralph "Leggy" Persico (the man who always wore a carnation to work), Frank "Mack" Pepe, Joseph Castaldo, Ralph Lanziero and Louis Persano were loyal, faithful and honest employees. They were a strongly connected group. Each of them has a life story inextricably woven into the hearts and minds of those of us who knew and loved them. All of them have passed away, but they, along with Grandpa, are the enduring spirit and good will that have allowed this institution to survive.

And so the round meal that we so often refer to as "the pie" endures. The wholesomeness and plain fun of eating a Frank Pepe's Pizza with family and friends delights us most of all and quickly brings to mind the warmth and generosity of its founder.

Each member of our family thanks you for your loyal patronage over these many, many years."

An interview with Tom, founder of The Shags and KEY WEST TRIO.

Read the story at http://www.lancerecords.com/ and learn about the origins of KEY WEST TRIO and one of its founding members, Tom Violante, who was also co-founder of The Shags, Connecticut's Original Rock & Roll Band founded in 1963, and inducted into the St.Bernadette Music Hall of Fame (St. Bernadette church basement is where The Five Satins recorded that famous Oldie IN THE STILL OF THE NITE).

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A POPULAR SPOT REBOUNDS FROM FIRE

By Owen Canfield

The Hartford Courant

October 02, 2000
A fire on Sept. 14, 1999, closed down Blue Sky Foods for eight months, but Deb and Mike Kuszaj reopened their popular New Hartford restaurant on May 24.

Almost exactly one year ago, I stopped at 431 Main St. to view the sad, charred shell of a building that had been a happy gathering place for Parrotheads - fans of Jimmy Buffett who belong to the Northwest Connecticut Chapter of the Parrotheads. Deb Kuszaj [pronounced Koo-shy] founded the club.

Last Oct. 4 I reported in this space that I had found Deb doing bookwork at a picnic table outside the burned restaurant while her husband was busy clearing the rubble. It was noted than that neither one displayed anything except complete confidence and optimism that Blue Sky would be back, sunny and warm as ever.

It's been back for more than four months. I stopped by again on Wednesday afternoon. Mike stood at the grill, preparing an order. He shook hands and said, "I'll get Debbie. She's doing dishes.'' It was an off hour and there were only a few people at the tables. Deb was glad to leave her dishes and talk for a few minutes.

"We didn't advertise that we were reopening back in May, but word of mouth - we call it the coconut telegraph - worked well. People were lined up out the door for the first few days, glad to have us back.''

The main entrance, which is equipped with a ramp to accommodate the handicapped, is in the back, leading in from the parking lot. The walls of the dining room are loaded with pictures, plaques and other items projecting a Caribbean, Buffett-esque theme. Returning customers, glad their favorite eatery has accomplished its comeback, donated many of the decorations.

"I visited the recycling shed at the New Hartford/Barkhamsted landfill four times a week,'' Deb said. "People there were so nice. They put aside anything they thought I might want.''

A wall of sunsets - postcards depicting sunsets sent by patrons from tropical places - is even larger than the one it replaced. A replica of a flamingo, almost as tall as a man, stands like a cheerful sentry near the front door. "It was damaged by the fire but we were able to restore it,'' Deb said.

Another prize is a "picture record.'' It's a 45-rpm record from the 1940s, with a bright photograph of "The Hour of Charm All-Girl Orchestra and Chorus,'' according to the label, which also identifies itself with this lettering: "Vogue, the Picture Record.'' Deb said, "a friend who is an executive at Kaman Corp. got that for us. We had one like it, but it was ruined.''

Before the fire, a lot of money was raised among the Parrotheads at Blue Sky for the Alzheimer's Association. Deb pointed to a box on a high shelf along the wall and said, "There was $160, collected for the Alzheimer's, in that box. It was burned up. But our customers replaced it to the tune of $5,500. How about that?'' Pledges are being taken for the next Alzheimer's "Memory Walk,'' coming up soon.

The Kuszajs are on their after-Labor Day schedule: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

The place is humming again. If you listen carefully and use your imagination, "Blue Skies, Smiling at Me,'' will run through your mind, with a distinct Caribbean beat.

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ALOHA SHIRT CREATOR CHUN DIES AT AGE 91
ELLERY JOE QUAIN CHUN Designer and Inventor of the "Aloha" Shirt

From the Yale College 1931 Class Yearbook

"Ellery Joe Quain Chun, "Joe," was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 17, 1909. His father, Chun Kam Chow, is manager of C.K. Chow & Company in that city. His mother’s maiden name was Mark Shee. Joe has a brother and five sisters.

His preparation for college was received at Punahou Academy in Honolulu. In Junior year, he was a scholar of the second rank. Joe was a member of the Freshman Crew and Boxing squads, and in Sophomore and Junior years, he was on the University Boxing Squad and the Class Crew Squad. He roomed alone while at Yale, living at 361 White in Freshman year and at 1031 Memorial Quadrangle for the remainder of his course.

He expects to study economics and sociology at the University of Paris upon completion of his college course and later go into foreign trade. His mailing address will be 36 North King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii."

Ellery Joe Quain Chun, credited as the creator of the original Hawaiian aloha shirt that spawned an industry of colorful copycats, died at age 91 on May 16, 1999 in Honolulu, said his widow, Mildred. The Yale University graduate (Class of 1931) designed the distinctively colorful Hawaiian-theme shirt in 1931 and mass-produced it for sale at his family's store in downtown Honolulu.

In 1936, Chun registered the ``Aloha'' trade name. The short-sleeved design was inspired by the checkered shirts worn by sugar plantation workers in the 1800s and the silk tops of schoolchildren sewn from leftover kimono material by their Japanese mothers. The style caught on with surfers, Waikiki entertainers and Hollywood stars such as Montgomery Cliff, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Countless clothing manufacturers followed suit, often in gaudy fashion. In the islands, the more tasteful versions have never gone out of style, and men often wear aloha shirts instead of suits and ties in the workplace and at formal occasions.

In 1991, the state Senate honored Chun for his contribution to Hawaii on the 60th anniversary of the shirt's creation. Chun came up with the design to help his family generate business during the Depression, his wife said. The first few dozen patterns showed palm trees, hula dancers and pineapples.

"He was very creative," Ms. Chun said. "I'm sure he had a good business instinct." Chun's store, King-Smith Clothiers, also sponsored a radio talent show in the late 1930s, broadcast from Waikiki Beach. It helped launch local musical careers, including that of popular isle singer Emma Veary. Chun later closed the store and served as a vice president of American Security Bank. He retired in 1966 but continued to serve on the bank's board until 1980. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, a son and a sister.

Key West Trio hailed Chun as one their patron saints. "We wear Ellery Joe's namesake at every job we play. I personally have three 'Aloha' originals and over 200 other styles in my private collection," said Tom Violante, KWT’s founder, keyboardist and vocalist.

(from: http://www.mauishirts.com/mauishirts/shirthistory.html) The history of the Hawaiian or “Aloha Shirt” can be traced to the early western missionaries in the 19th century. They felt that it would be more appropriate, for the soon to be christianized natives, if they were covered. But the real fact is, that it wasn’t until the mid 1930’s that the Hawaiian shirt, as we know it today, started to be produced. Modern research discovers stories of a Waikiki, Honolulu, Chinese merchant, Mr. Ellery Chun, owner of King-Smith Clothiers and dry goods. Mr. Chun was born in Honolulu in 1909 and died June 16, 2000, at the age of 91. He is considered the pioneer of the Aloha Shirt. He and his sister, Ethel Chun Lum, fabricated the first brightly colored, floral, short-sleeved shirt from left-over kimono fabric. On July 15, 1936, Mr. Chun registered the “Aloha” trade name and began marketing a variety of Hawaiian-print shirts. The story goes on to tell of collaboration between a salesperson of the Honolulu Advertiser Newspaper and Mr. Chun to coin the phrase “Aloha Shirt”. The future success of the Aloha Shirt was assured after placing one of his sister’s designed, short-sleeved shirts in his shop’s window with a sign that read “Aloha Shirt”. The shirts were purchased by local residents, beach boys, surfers and tourists. The first advertisement placed in the Honolulu Advertiser using the words “Aloha Shirt” was on June 28, 1935. With the birth of Rayon in the mid 1920’s, the dazzlingly colored and tropically decorated Hawaiian-Print Aloha shirt became a staple souvenir of cruise ship tourists. Early shirt labels bore names like Musa Shiya, Watamulls, Kamehameha, Kahala, Surfriders, Alfred Shaheen, Duke Kahanamoku, etc. The 1940’s and 1950’s furnish us with a memorable list of personalities depicted wearing Hawaiian-Print Aloha Shirts. Elvis Presley, the undisputed king of rock and roll had many Hawaiian Shirts. Here is an off-the-top-of-my-head, recollection, list of famous people, motion picture and television personalities, politicians and sports celebrities that have been photographed and featured wearing Hawaiian-Print Aloha shirts. Harry S. Truman, our 33rd President loved to wear Aloha Shirts. He was on the cover of Life Magazine in 1951 wearing one. Montgomery Cliff and Frank Sinatra were featured in the memorable motion picture “From here to Eternity” in Hawaiian-Print Aloha shirts. The immortal John Wayne, “The Duke”, and venerate master surfer and Olympian, Duke Kahanamuku were Hawaiian shirt endorsements. Bing Crosby wore his Aloha shirts, with his rounded, flat-top porkpie hat atop his head and a pipe between his lips. Arthur Godfrey, radio personality played his ukulele wearing an Aloha Shirt. Johnny Weissmuller remembered as Tarzan and Olympian, Tom Selleck of Magnum P.I., the list continues. All wore Hawaiian-Print Aloha shirts. And, who amongst us does not have a Hawaiian Print in our wardrobe closet? The Hawaiian-Print Aloha shirt has become a symbol of this island paradise; Hawaii. “Aloha”, interprets to epitomize a warm sense of greeting, welcoming and at the same time reflecting all the playful, splendid and natural wonders that abound in Hawaiian Islands.

Also visit http://www.alohafunwear.com/funfacts.shtml and http://www.beanteacher.com/pages/talkstoryfeatures/hawaiianshirthistory.htm

(A Brief Overview of the Hawaiian or "Aloha" Shirt by author and Aloha culture promoter Kimo Lanikai, is also available. Visit his site at www.tikitv.com to learn more.)