‘What A Wonderful Town’

4-16-10

Sam Nader Piles Praise On Oneonta



Editor’s Note:  Former mayor and Oneonta Tigers’ promoter Sam Nader recounted his “wonderful journey” to 275 attendees at the Otsego County Chamber’s Annual Dinner & Celebration of Business Saturday, April 10, at SUNY Oneonta’s Hunt Union Ballroom.  Nader received the annual Eugene Bettiol, Jr., Distinguished Citizen Award.

Thank you John!
When I asked him (son and former mayor John S. Nader) to introduce me, he wanted to know what I would like him to say.
I told him to just mention something good about me.  I would say he overdid it!
I want to compliment The Northern Eagle Family and all of the Budweiser people for being such great community-minded people! I am flattered to be sharing this evening with them.
Believe me, even though I did not sell beer at the ball park, in my day, I had many a Bud on you!

•

What a night for me!
Being introduced by my son, honored by community, AND surrounded by family and friends.
I am very pleased that my daughter Suzanne and many of my grandchildren are here.
I regret that circumstances prevented my daughter Alice and my sister Jem from being here.
I am especially happy to be joined here tonight by my closest friend. We have been friends through thick and thin for over 70 years.  George Steinbrenner said we should be in the United Nations.  Sid Levine – please stand up!
What a man!
Gene Bettiol Jr. 
I served on the FOF board with Gene and can attest to what a wonderful person he was.  He was taken away from us too fast and too early!  But in his brief years, he truly left his mark on our community!
To receive his award is a special honor which I shall always cherish.

•

This may be my last hurrah and so I want to tell you a little bit about this wonderful journey of mine. No one makes it alone. I’ve been lucky.  But I’ve been helped along the way by wonderful parents, five siblings and by many people in all walks of life – too numerous to mention.
But most of all, I was blessed with a loving, caring wife:  Alice supported and encouraged me in all my endeavors. She raised our children while I was out doing my thing at Bendix, politics, baseball and you name it.  Without her participation, I would not be here tonight. Alice, you’re the greatest!
As you can see, I am a firm believer in remembering my roots.  “Remember from whence you come, lest you lose sight of where you are going.”

•

Work.
I was lucky to have worked for a great company: Bendix Scintilla. I started work there in 1940 at 40 cents per hour.  I intended to work for a short time – one college semester – then go back to college.
So much for intentions.
I retired from Bendix as the director of purchasing in 1983 after 43 years of service.
Then came the war – The Big One – WWII.  I was inducted and took my physical in Utica.  The examiner said I had very bad eyes, but not to worry:  They would put me right up front where I wouldn’t miss a thing!
He didn’t lie to me.
I landed overseas and joined the 28th Infantry Division as a machine gunner, just in time to participate in the Battle of the Bulge.

•

Baseball.
When I got home from service, Oneonta had a team in the Class C Canadian-American League, The Oneonta Red Sox.  My friend and my future brother-in-law Sonny House used his influence with the club president (who, incidentally, was his uncle), and I became the public address announcer.  A short time later I was made a director. 
The league folded in 1952.  Sid and I are the only living board members of the Oneonta Red Sox.
When I became mayor in 1961, one of my goals was to bring back professional baseball.  I felt it was a good cohesive force in the community. The ‘60s were the protest years.
I was able to bring professional baseball back in 1966 as a farm team of the Red Sox.  In 1967, we affiliated with the Yankees and stayed there for 34 years.  Then came the Detroit Tigers for 11 years; then the came the flight to Norwich, Conn.  Thanks to Dick Miller, we will have a new team here in 2011.
Baseball is a great equalizer, a great fraternity.  The memories I have acquired from my 50 years of involvement will never leave me.

•

Politics.
Joe Molinari started me in politics in 1949 – he asked me to run for alderman in the Sixth Ward. 
I will never forget my first day of campaigning.  It was a late September morning and I began calling on my Italian friends on West Broadway. It was wine-making time, so I had to taste the Mongillo wine, the Pizza wine, the Manti wine and the Mastro wine. By the time we stopped saluting each other, I had to go home – ending my first day on the campaign trail.
Commitment to community and community service has been a genuine pleasure for me.  In my High School civics class, I was taught that civic responsibly and service were a duty, essential to good citizenship.
I believed that then and I believe it now. I have tried to follow that principle.

•

Oneonta.
The heart and soul of a community is not brick and mortar.  The heart and soul of a community is its inhabitants.
In my 90 years, I have travelled far and wide and met many people – some great and some not so great – but the best people I know live here in my Hometown – Oneonta, New York!
Old Blue Eyes sang “NY, NY, What a Wonderful Town.”
Well, Old Brown eyes can’t carry a tune, but I can borrow his theme and shout – “Oneonta, NY What a Wonderful Town!!!”
As long as I’m so philosophical, I want to pass along a bit of Duffy Shakespeare advice to my golfing friends – Tony Drago, John Brooks and Dick Miller.  “The longest drive matterith NOT, if thou fails to maketh the second shot”
In closing, I would like to be remembered as a devoted husband, a loving father and a doting grandfather who served his city and country to the best of his ability.
I want to thank everyone for making this such a memorable evening and most especially, I want to thank this community and all its people for letting me serve them.
It’s been a great ride – good night and God bless you all.