The Godfather

Interesting Fact: The Godfather was the first movie in over twenty years in which Marlon Brando was required to audition.

It's is now time to start introducing the family and their part in this adventure. The guy on the right is my husband Charles. The other guy on the left..well that's our dad....A.K.A...Big Al...Al is his real name. Big Al is a great guy, wonderful dad, good husband all around good guy with a big heart. Big Al's wasn't always Big Al, he started out as just Al (not to be confused with "Just Jack" for all of you Will and Grace fans). You see before the show, Pawn Stars (which is a new show on t.v. these days) Our father was a pawnbroker. In fact, Maryann used to say we need to make a t.v. show about the pawn shop about 10 years ago. (She is really p.o'ed because as usual someone stole her idea) Anyway.... The name of the pawn shop was Big Al's, most people think that the shop was named after him, but in fact, our mother named it after Al Capone (no family relation). People naturally assumed because his name was Al, he was Big Al...it just kinda stuck...Big Al's Pawn Shop and Paen-A-Rama was a family business, Dad (aka Pops to us), brother, brother-in-law, brother-in-law's brother, and myself all worked for the big guy. (People think teaching is hard...working for family is harder, and working for Big Al was the toughest, yet best job I ever had) Of course, the stereo type is that all Italians are in the Mafia...and this was only made worse by owning and running pawnshops. Shortly after the pawnshops sold, dad retired, and took up golf.. (This is one of the reasons we moved to Greene County Ga, as Reynold's Plantation is a huge golfing community.) Dad, being bored here in Georgia, decided to devote his time volunteering as the head of the Greene County High School Band Boosters. Both, Maryann's son and my son played in the high school band. The band worked closely with the football team at the high school where Maryann taught. The head football coach for whatever reason really believed our dad was connected. (It may have something to do with the last name Bruno). One day during a band/football awards ceremony- during the invocation, dad's cell phone rang (he forgot to turn it to vibrate). My nephew Matt, being the prankster that he his, set up my dad's cell phone's ring tone to the theme from the Godfather. The entire audience, just turned and looked...From that moment on the head football coach was convinced that dad was connected. I think he is part of the reason why some of my Georgia friends really believe that the "witness protection" explanation as to why we moved here. So, if any of our Italian friends, family etc. decide to come and visit or move, just remember they are going to think you are connected. Just blame it on the Big guy.