Stonedust-Bucket in the News
A Friendly Rivalry:
Salutos Host Ninth Stonedust-Bucket Bocce Memorial Tournament
by Myrna Fearer
Danvers Herald, September 23, 1999
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| Court referee Bob Young measures a close one. His decision is final. |
It wasn't quite 5 p.m. Saturday night, but already the first anxious group of folks had started pulling up to the house on Longbow Road, jockeying for a parking place nearby. The ninth Stonedust-Bucket Bocce Memorial Tournament was about to begin and the regulars didn't want to miss one minute of the exciting event.
The sign on the garage doors may not have meant much to passers-by, but it certainly did to the 60 or so people expected that night, most who have been coming since the first one was launched four years ago and is held every spring and fall. It's a chance for contenders to test their skill (in many cases, debatable) in the ancient game similar to bowling that originated in Italy and enjoy the hospitality of their hosts, George Saluto and his wife, Marian, who also happen to be known for their cooking. As usual, it was destined to be an exciting evening.
Those diehards who were determined to try their luck signed in with Longbow Road neighbor Marie Powell. Teams were made up of four and if you didn't have a partner, you could probably become a fourth in some group. All players were warned that this was really serious stuff. The tournament would be run according to International Bocce Association Rules, up to a point, but everybody knew they had been amended by the tournament founders, the Bocce Bosses -- Tom DeCoff, Normand St. Cyr, Frank Lentine, Bob Young, and of course, George Saluto -- who have also been known to take a bribe or two on the side.
"The Bocce Bosses do the judging," Saluto says. "That's part of the fun. Nobody takes them seriously."
To know how they came to this honor means knowing the history of the tournament. Saluto, a marketing engineer for Polaroid and chairman of the Conservation Committee, and his wife were given a set of bocce balls as a gift many years ago.
George always wanted a bocce court. In 1996, he decided it was time. He and Marian decided to build it outside the first level of their multi-level home. After framing in the court, it had to be filled with the 14 tons of stone dust, which was dumped in front of their ground level garage. Marian carried all 14 tons up to the bocce court herself because of George's job commitments.
"I'd make 10 trips at a time," she remembers, a bucket in each hand. "Eventually, I finished. We decided to have a tournament and name it the Stonedust Bucket Memorial Tournament."
"I called up my four friends (all from Danvers) to help organize it," George says. "I told them they could be my senior staff, therefore we're all equal. We're the Bocce Bosses, that means we can yell at each other. The confusion is part of the fun."
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| Crew pulls pork that slow-cooked for 12 hours. It's to be the crowning dish in George Saluto's authentic barbecue, the food theme of this year's tournament. |
As part of their badge of office, the guys voted to wear white shirts with the tournament logo and their own names. Then the wives -- Marge St. Cyr, Beverly Lentine, Delores DeCoff, Mary Young and Marian -- decided they wanted shirts, too. "The Bocce Bosses got pompous," George continues. "They wouldn't let them have white shirts. The spouses have green shirts, but only the bosses have names." The first tournament was held that April and was such a success, it led to two others the same year: summer and fall. Each tournament attracted more friends, who brought other friends. From 40 or 50, the numbers increased to 60 and once even hit 85. After the first year, it settled into a more manageable semi-annual event rather than a triple. This fall marked the ninth tournament.
There have been some real tournament highlights but it's hard to beat the year the Pope was invited. George sent an invitation but it wasn't accepted. So, since it was his dad's birthday, George decided to dress the gentleman as pope, complete with white robe and trappings of his office. It was a truly blessed event.
The role of each boss has sort of evolved. DeCoff has become social coordinator; St. Cyr of the Danvers Butchery, food manager; Lentine, scorekeeper; Young, on-court referee; and Saluto, on-site chef/cook. This year, it was barbecue pit boss.
Each year had a theme. This one was authentic barbecue
because the Saluto's son, and daughter-in-law, David and Mary, gave them
a smoker for Christmas. At 5 a.m. Saturday morning, George started the
smoker, preparing it for the big pieces of butt
and shoulder that were going to slowly cook for 12 hours.
The food, including appetizers and some desserts brought by guests, was delicious and plentiful, but the big event was the tournament. Teams play for the privilege of having their name engraved on the brass plaque, which adorns a galvanized metal pail like the ones Marian used to carry the 14 tons of stone dust.
The DeCoffs, who planned to return to defend last year's win, were at Annapolis, watching the Holy Cross-Navy soccer match which featured Tiffany DeCoff playing for her Worcester college.
Despite the arguments, all in fun, and the brickbats thrown at Referee Bob Young, the Ritchie family with David, Anne, 22-year-old Lisa and 16-year-old Chris, were declared the winners with the right to the bucket. Will they be back to defend that right? Will they lose the rematch? We'll know next year.
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