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EDITOR’S LETTER
Bill Brotherton
bbrotherton@essexmediagroup.com
Publisher
Edward M. Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Michael H. Shanahan
Chief Financial Officer
William J. Kraft
Chief Operating Officer
James N. Wilson
Editor
Bill Brotherton
Directors
Edward L. Cahill
John M. Gilberg
Edward M. Grant
Gordon R. Hall
Monica Connell Healey
J. Patrick Norton
Michael H. Shanahan
Contributing Writers
Meaghan Casey
Gayla Cawley
Bella diGrazia
Thomas Grillo
Steve Krause
Stacey Marcus
Adam Swift
Bridget Turcotte
Photographers
Spenser Hasak
Owen O’Rourke
Advertising Sales
Ernie Carpenter, Director
Peter Battinelli
Michele Iannaco
Ralph Mitchell
Patricia Whalen
Advertising Design
Trevor Andreozzi
Gerald Hersh
Production and Design
Mark Sutherland
INSIDE THIS EDITION
Peabody’s North East Trains keeps chugging along ....................... 10
Saugus chef enters culinary hall of fame ....................................... 12
Memory Project touches heart of Lynnfield high-schooler ........... 16
Peabody musician making inroads in Nashville ............................ 18
Lynnfield brothers in perfect harmony .......................................... 20
5 things you didn’t know about Lynn’s new mayor ....................... 22
Lynn’s Beyond Walls gears up for second festival ........................... 24
Duo finds way to make money from newspapers ......................... 26
St. Mary’s hockey coach a true champion ...................................... 28
Girls Inc. preps for 30th anniversary luncheon ............................... 29
Auto icon Ira Rosenberg cruises into retirement ............................ 30
Trains, brains and automobiles
Trains, brains and automobiles. That’s part of what you’ll find in this Spring issue
of One magazine.
Your first destination might be our story on North East Trains, a Peabody Square
institution for more than 30 years, and how owner/founder Don Stubbs has been able
to keep this nostalgic hobby alive for model electric train enthusiasts around the world.
Shortly after I was born, seven years after Louis Jordan took the jumpin’ “Choo
Choo Ch’Boogie” to the top of the charts, my dad bought a small Lionel train
set. He probably bought it for his own entertainment, since an infant, even one as
intelligent as me, would have difficulty setting it up.
At the time, we lived in a small house on Abington Avenue in Peabody’s Gardner Park
section that my dad was able to buy thanks to a low-interest G.I. Bill loan available to
World War II veterans. I have fond memories of my mom and dad and two baby sisters
watching the trains go round and round and round on the dining room table, where
minutes earlier we probably had enjoyed a delish meal of Jell-O salad and tater tots.
A visit to Stubbs’ Main Street shop sent me to my basement in search of the train
set. I found it in a cardboard Dubonnet box, right next to a box labeled “Xmas
junk.” The set, Lionel’s basic O gauge No. 1500 “027” 3-car Freight, included a black
locomotive and gondola car, a candy-orange “Baby Ruth” boxcar, a red caboose and
lots of metal track. The accompanying 1954 Lionel catalog said it cost $19.95. I was
more intrigued by the 78 rpm sound effects record that produced sounds of railroad
whistles, bells and diesel horns. “Woo-o. Woo-o-O-o. Dang! Dang!” The 35-watt
transformer and all the electric components were there as well. I was tempted to plug
it in, but feared it might have caused the Northeast Blackout of 2018.
From there, we visit with area residents who had the brains to follow their dreams
and achieved great success. Marvel at the stories of Saugonian Denise Graffeo, the first
woman inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame, brothers
Joseph and Anthony Freda of Lynnfield, who are putting their distinctive musical
talents to good use as they prepare for an ambitious concert at Lynn Auditorium, and
Kathy Cormier and Michelle Kane, whose Lynn-based company Couture Planet
manufactures sustainable handbags and accessories from recycled newspapers.
Just around the next corner is a conversation with automobile titan Ira Rosenberg,
whose car career started on the Lynnway and led to his recent retirement as CEO of
Prime Motor Group, which operates 30 dealerships in New England.
Other destinations that might interest you include an update on Lynn’s Beyond
Walls project, and looks at Peabody native Ross Livermore who’s making a name for
himself in Nashville music circles, the “overnight success” of St. Mary’s High hockey
coach Mark Lee, another side of Lynn’s new Mayor Tom McGee Jr. and a Lynnfield
High student who’s making a difference in the lives of Syrian refugee children.
We’re gone the extra mile and are quite pleased with this Spring issue of ONE
magazine and are proud to toot-toot-toot our own horn. We hope it transports
you to a happy place as well.
Bill Brotherton is editor of ONE magazine and Essex Media Group’s North
Shore Golf and 01907. A Suffolk University graduate from Beverly, Bill is
retired from the Boston Herald, where he edited the Features section and
wrote about music. Please share story ideas and tell him what you think at
bbrotherton@essexmediagroup.com.
Cover: One of many locomotives available at North East Trains in downtown Peabody.
Cover photo by Spenser Hasak
2 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

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PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
North East Trains owner Don Stubbs can’t resist revving up the bluetooth-controlled model train on the counter of his Peabody shop.
When Don
Stubbs was
a kid, his
parents and
older brothers gifted him with
a Lionel electric train set for
Christmas. Every birthday
and holiday from that point
on, they bought him items to
expand his model railroad.
“We’d set it up on the floor,”
said Stubbs, who was born
in Canada and grew up in
Michigan. “My father, my
brothers and I spent hours
adding components and
building that thing. We had so
much fun.”
That started Stubbs’ lifelong
love for all things railroadrelated.
For more than 30 years,
the Marblehead resident has
owned and operated North
East Trains in Peabody Square.
The current site at 18 Main
Street is the third downtown
location for his model/hobby
shop.
Now that he’s all grown up,
does he still play with trains?
“I never grew up, I just got
bigger,” said the 72-year-old
with a smile. But, in the store,
surrounded by trains and
fellow railroad aficionados, he
admitted it’s impossible not to
pick up the Bluetooth remote
control and rev up the train
that’s set up on the store’s long
counter.
“When I started playing high
school sports, the trains were
put aside. I was more interested
in real cars and other things,”
continued Stubbs. “But I still
have that train set. I lent it out
to my brothers’ kids, and let’s
just say they didn’t take great
care of it.”
Stubbs also bought and set
up a train set for his firstborn,
Brendan. He still has
that, as well, and figures both
sets will one day go to his
grandchildren.
Stubbs met an East Coast
girl while both were attending
the University of Michigan.
They married and moved to
Marblehead, where Stubbs
10 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

taught art at the Bell School.
He opened North East Trains
in 1982 — “It was more like
a hobby at the time” — and
business was so good, he gave
up his tenured teaching position
to run the store full-time.
The business still turns a profit,
but nothing like the golden
age when hobby stores thrived.
With busy parents working
more than ever, this generation
of kids raised with computers,
video games, cell phones and the
like don’t seem to find the fun in
quaint train sets.
“It’s pretty quiet here in the
summer,” said Stubbs, “but
we’re still a brick and mortar
store, and we have a lot of new
and loyal customers come in.
We do a lot more online now,
about half of our business is
online. Shoppers get in touch
with us from all over the world
and every day we’re sending
stuff out.”
In addition to trains, new and
used, and the accompanying
miniature stations, buildings
and people, the store’s shelves
are stocked with a large supply
of models, paints and remotecontrol
cars, tanks, boats and
planes. Stubbs and his staff also
buy and refurbish collections
that might have been stuffed
in a box in a basement for
ages. Stubbs prides himself on
customer service. A journey
through North East is like a
magical, nostalgic trip back in
time.
Stubbs walks toward the
main counter, grabs the remote
and sets a locomotive in
motion. Suddenly, the voice of
a conductor announces “OK
Bentley, let’s roll” as the train
whistle sounds and steam rises
from the engine.
Some model train lovers
spend thousands of dollars
on the setup, but “For less
than $100 you can buy a new
Lionel set,” said Stubbs, “and
it comes with a track that stays
together, unlike the tracks we
grew up with.” There are Harry
Potter, Wonder Woman, Polar
Express and Disney-themed
boxcars. There are flatcars,
cabooses, trolleys and domed
tank cars. There are all kinds
of accessories and extras. The
popular O scale lines now
include specific railroads, such
as the Boston and Maine.
Stubbs said many customers
visit, seeking a basic track
to put under the tree at
Christmastime. Barely a day
goes by when a grandparent
doesn’t come in, looking to
pass their love of trains on to
another generation.
All aboard, and you can bet
these trains are infinitely more
reliable than the MBTA’s
commuter rail.
The Lionel company’s motto
is “Creating memories that last
a lifetime” and options appear
unlimited. Its ads proclaim
“Remember how much fun it
was? It still is!”
Stubbs agrees. “I tried
growing up once. It didn’t
work,” he said, with a laugh.
“And there’s so much to learn
from working with trains. You
plan the space for the train. You
learn carpentry by building a
table for the track. You design
and lay out the tracks. You set
up the station and the city. You
learn about electrical elements
setting up the scenery. You use
your mind. There’s a lot to it.”
Stubbs and others are in
the process of building a train
setup at the Boston Children’s
Hospital location near
Peabody’s Centennial Park.
Stubbs praises his train-loving
friend, retired master craftsman
George Sellios, whose space
across the street showcases a
splendid setup featuring his
Fine Scale Miniatures. It is
open by appointment only.
Rockstar Rod Stewart, who has
a 1,500-square-foot modeltrain
layout that takes up the
entire third floor of his Beverly
Hills, Calif., home, spent a
couple of hours in Sellios’
shop a few years ago and left
awestruck. “George’s detail is
unsurpassed,” said Stubbs.
“Just the other day, a woman
came in and said ‘My brother
got the train. I got a doll.
I wanted the train.’ A lot
of people, especially baby
boomers, still want the train,”
said Stubbs, who has no plans
to retire.
The walls and shelves are lined with model trains, both new and used,
plus the accompanying tracks and miniature buildings.
Don Stubbs has operated North East Trains for more than 30 years.
11 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

12 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Top chef
Denise Graffeo enters
Culinary Hall of Fame
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
Denise Graffeo, the
first woman inducted
into the American
Academy of Chefs
Culinary Hall of Fame, is
enshrined there because she never
gave up the fight against those
who tried to keep her out of it.
Graffeo and her Hall of Famer
husband, Tony, a retired executive
chef who was inducted in 2011,
have a sprawling display of
awards lining the staircase to the
basement of their Saugus home.
Hers wraps around to a basement
wall, where her hefty Culinary
Hall of Fame medal hangs proudly.
(Tony’s culinary career began
in 1954 at the Prince Spaghetti
House and he worked at Polcari’s
Restaurant and other fine dining
establishments in Boston.)
But before she was the best,
Denise Graffeo got her first taste
of the business doing odd jobs as a
teenager. Her degree from Salem
High School trained her to be a
secretary, but after a brief stint at
an insurance firm on Beacon Hill,
she knew she was destined to do
something else.
“I came out of an economic
group where you worked after
high school, you didn’t go to
college,” she said. “That job paid
$54 a week, but it also paid for you
to go to school.”
So she went to school. First to
Chamberlayne Junior College,
then to Essex Agricultural School’s
gourmet culinary program.
She became sous chef at
Kernwood Country Club in
Salem, where she got her first
taste of the American Culinary
Federation. On her second try, she
was admitted into the federation
in 1982. The seasonal position
offered off-months, which she
took advantage of to pursue an
education.
“I just kept going to school,” she
said.
In her first year, she worked at
The Tap Restaurant in Haverhill
during the colder months. She
wrote a new menu, hired new
staff for the dining room, bar and
kitchen, and planned new decor,
to spruce up the joint’s run-down
character.
“I lived on the third floor of the
building, and I didn’t see much sun
while I was there,” said Graffeo.
The next season, she returned
to Kernwood and worked
with mentors she described as
flamboyant and creative. She
began to think outside the bread
box. One New Year’s Eve, she
lined the long driveway leading to
the clubhouse with tiki torches,
and helped carry a table-sized
tray covered in ice cream out to a
waiting crowd — then lit it on fire.
“I learned the sky’s the limit,”
said Graffeo. “Don’t do something
small when you can do it bigger
and better.”
That sentiment stayed
throughout her career.
She learned something new
every day at her next job, at the
Ritz-Carlton in Boston, where she
learned from cooks from all over
the world. The job was fast-paced,
highly competitive, and took up
all of her time. When she worked
the second shift, followed by the
first shift the next day, she stayed
13 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Chef Denise Graffeo
chops vegetables for her
beef tenderloin kabobs.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
overnight in the grande dame of Boston
hotels.
“I’ve stayed in every room,” she said.
It was never easy, but she credits the job
for giving her the thick skin she needed to
succeed in the business. Graffeo was the
sole woman chef, surrounded by 50 men
at the Ritz-Carlton, and they never let her
forget it.
“I cried every day for two-and-a-half
years,” she said. “But never in front of
them.”
She said her kitchen colleagues made her
feel like an outsider, even sabotaging her
creations by flipping them over before they
could be served.
“Two good things came out of it,” she
said. “It made me tough and it led to my job
at the Eastern Yacht Club. I went from the
abused to the boss.”
Graffeo welcomed a new beginning as
executive chef at the Marblehead yacht
club, where she gave up trying to fit in with
the men and just be herself. For her first day
of work there, she wore her favorite gold
hoop earrings. During the next 26 years,
she helped the club transition from white
tablecloths to a more casual place, which
was more her style.
The unexpected became more
commonplace. Once, pirates were hired
to invade the club. Another time, a hot air
balloon delighted the members.
She brought a bit of Secret Garden magic
to the club by carefully arranging tables
to give the illusion of rolling fields. On an
Aladdin-themed day, a block of ice was
carved to look like a genie’s lamp that let
out smoke when children rubbed it.
14 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Chef Graffeo, the first woman inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame, prepares beef tenderloin kabobs in the
kitchen of her Saugus home.
Her craziest feat? Feeding 900 people when
the U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Marblehead
in 1997. She served cornish game hen, wild
rice and a glazed vegetable to each guest.
The seasonal position allowed her to
study for her Master’s degree in education,
and to travel extensively to such places as
Hong Kong, Italy, Aruba, England, France,
Ireland, Panama, and Costa Rica. Her
American Culinary Federation membership
enhanced her experiences as she journeyed
around the United States.
She even got to visit iconic chef/television
personality Julia Child in her Cambridge
home.
Graffeo is a longtime member of the Les
Dames d’Escoffier Boston chapter and
is involved with its apprentice program.
She spends much time mentoring college
students who are considering a career in
the culinary industry, and she served as a
chef instructor at North Shore Community
College and remains active on the advisory
board.
Graffeo said she was heartbroken to retire
a decade ago, but she had other battles to
overcome: two knee surgeries and a brush
with cancer in 2014.
But her love for cooking never wavered.
Every night, she and Tony fix their favorite
meals — a meatball sub with a roll made
from scratch one day, stuffed chicken with
all the sides the next. Tony’s specialty is
handmade pizza, and her favorite thing to
make is a souffle.
Best of all, they can be made with
whatever’s in the fridge, whether it be
spinach or chocolate. Just one more thing
she learned at the Ritz.
15 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
A group of students at Lynnfield High School re-created portraits of orphaned Syrian refugees for the Memory Project, a non-profit that invites
art teachers and their students to create portraits for youths around the world.
BY ADAM SWIFT
Lynnfield High School junior Zoe Chen
has her heart, and her art, in the right place.
Zoe is an award-winning artist, her
work recognized not only by the school,
but by those in the corridors of power in
Washington, D.C. Last year, Zoe was the
grand prize winner in Congressman Seth
Moulton’s annual art competition. Chen’s
graphite drawing of her grandfather, titled
“Roots,” was displayed in the U.S. Capitol
building along with other art from across the
country.
Zoe was the first LHS student to take top
honors in the congressional art competition
since 2000.
“I think that I’ve always been into art,”
she said shortly after winning the award. “I
can’t really remember a time where I wasn’t
interested in art. I used to take animation
and sketching classes at the MFA when
I was younger, but now, if I have time in
between school and other activities, I just
work on small projects.”
Though Zoe said she only had time to
work on small projects, this winter, she found
the time to work on a project alongside
about a dozen other LHS students that has
had anything but a small impact.
When Zoe heard about the Memory
Project from her art teacher, Laura Johnson,
it struck close to home. The Memory Project
is a non-profit that invites art teachers and
their students to create portraits for youths
around the world. In the case of Zoe and her
friends at the high school, they have spent
the past several months creating portraits of
Syrian children living in a refugee camp in
Jordan.
“The intent of the portraits is to help
children feel valued and important, to know
that many people care about their well being,
and to act as meaningful pieces of personal
history in the future,” said Zoe. “For the art
students, this is meant as an opportunity
to creatively practice kindness and global
awareness.”
The portraits are in a variety of media
and styles, but all bring a great depth and
emotion to their subjects. The non-profit
sent snapshots of the children to the school,
and then the students were free to use their
imagination and talent.
Several of the students said the project
helps them and others see the impact of
refugee crises across the globe.
“When you can take a look at the
individual people affected rather than a large
group, it can have more of an impact on
16 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

A group of Lynnfield High School students check out the portraits of Syrian refugees they drew for the Memory Project.
people,” said Julia Henriques.
Johnson is the one who planted the seed
for the Memory Project in Lynnfield, but
she’s only had to sit back and watch as Zoe
and her friends have taken the initial idea to
fruition.
“It’s nice to have students in a little town like
Lynnfield thinking globally,” the teacher said.
The Memory Project receives photos of
children and teens from charities operating
residential homes, schools, and care centers
in a number of countries every year. The
non-profit then provides the participating art
teachers with full-page color prints as well
as digital copies of those photos, along with
plastic sleeves to protect the finished portraits.
There is a $15 price tag for each portrait
to cover the cost of materials and postage to
send the completed portraits to the refugees.
But Zoe and her classmates were able to
raise the money from local businesses and
donations to send the portraits to Jordan in
February.
Much like her portrait of her grandfather
that earned congressional honors last year,
Zoe’s portrait of a young Syrian girl brings
out the subject’s emotion and humanity.
“I find inspiration from a lot of different
things,” Zoe said. “I love going to museums
in places like Boston and New York, and
sometimes I find pieces through websites or
social media I really like. Otherwise, I like to
just pick up things from everyday life, things
like book covers or magazines and use them
as references.”
While Zoe said she couldn’t speak for
everyone, she said she will be taking part in
Memory Project again next year.
As for after college? Zoe said she still has
some decisions to make.
“I’m somewhat torn,” she said. “I really love
science and would like to go into something
STEM related, but I’ve been looking at
schools who also offer strong art programs as
well, with design or drawing concentration
opportunities. Some schools offer double
major programs or the option to major in
science and minor in arts. I think one of
those would be ideal, somehow combining
science and art.”
Zoe Chen, a Lynnfield High School junior, shows off her portrait of a Syrian refugee.
For information on the Memory Project,
or to make a donation, visit the website at
memoryproject.org.
17 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

18 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

As one of Nashville’s fastest-rising
music stars, Ross Livermore is
making his voice heard.
The Peabody native’s recentlyreleased
EP, “This Is Not Forever,” has drawn
praise from critics and music fans for its
rootsy grit and driving rhythms and earned
comparisons to the Tedeschi Trucks Band
and even soul legend Al Green.
Livermore, 33, convinced some of his
North Shore buddies, including fellow
Peabody native Paul Dumas, to come down
to Tennessee and collaborate with a few
of his Nashville friends on the project. He
wrote the songs, put the musicians in one
room and, with no rehearsals, recorded it
live to tape at Welcome to 1979, one of the
city’s most prominent studios. ( Jason Isbell,
Lady Antebellum and Steve Earle are among
those who have recorded there.)
The son of entrepreneurs grew up in
South Peabody. His dad, Stephen, worked
as an architect out of the basement in their
home, while his mother, Susan Rambis,
styled hair in their kitchen. Eventually, both
parents turned their household passions into
successful businesses.
“Looking back, it was really good to
watch them start their businesses out of the
house and now see them as thriving” said
Livermore from Nashville. “Their work ethic
laid a great foundation for me as an artist.”
Everything changed for young Ross when
his father received an acoustic guitar as a
Christmas gift from an old friend. He admits
that until that first guitar came into his life,
he didn’t enjoy music as much as he loved
playing sports.
“I went to my dad’s house and started
playing and fell in love, so every weekend I
began playing and teaching myself acoustic,”
he said. “I learned from strumming patterns.”
By that April, with his birthday
approaching, all Livermore wanted was a
Jackson Red electric guitar. Soon after, he
started playing music with Dumas, a former
Tee-ball teammate. With Dumas on drums
and Livermore on vocals and guitar, the
music flowed out of them.
“The first song we played in his parents’
basement was ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep
Purple,” Livermore said. “That was a defining
moment. It was like the sea opened up and I
knew what I was going to do for the rest of
my life.”
‘I miss my family, my friends,
the ocean and the food. You
can’t get roast beef three-ways
here in Nashville.’
Ross Livermore
Livermore’s parents divorced when he
was in first-grade at Brown Elementary
School. By the time he was in eighth-grade
at Higgins Middle School, his love for music
took flight..
During high school, rock music provided
the influence, with Metallica playing a
prominent role. After being inspired by
the screams and the aggressive guitar riffs,
Livermore and Dumas started a band, Brake
for Moose.
An admired substitute teacher at Peabody
Veterans Memorial High became his mentor
in lyricism. Once Livermore established
songwriting skills, he discovered R&B and
such soulful artists as Otis Redding, Stevie
Wonder and The Temptations. At Salem
State University, his devotion to music
traveled even further.
“I had been living on
the North Shore my
whole life and felt I
needed a change,” he
said.
So, Livermore packed
his bags, waved goodbye
to his parents, brother
Ryan, and sisters
Sydney and Lane, and
hopped on a plane to
study abroad in Italy.
This would be where
he’d jump-start his
professional career.
Livermore’s first paid
gigs were just off the
“toe” of Italy’s “boot” in
Sicily. After getting a
taste of a real musician
lifestyle, he continued
to book performances
up and down the
Mediterranean coastline.
Years later, Livermore’s
hunger to partake in
new experiences gained
an even bigger appetite.
In September 2015, he
and a high school friend
rented a U-haul, got a
trailer, packed everything
into his Honda Element
and drove south. The one
destination on his mind?
Nashville.
“One of the main
reasons I ended up in
Nashville is because I
would be surrounded by
the best songwriters in
the world, and I wanted
to study the craft,” he
said. “That and the
affordable rent.”
Livermore said it took at least a year until
he adjusted to his new home. Now, having
lived in Nashville for more than two years,
he considers himself a better writer and a
better musician. But the decision to take a
risk wasn’t without its challenges.
“I miss my family, my friends, the ocean
and the food,” he said. “You can’t get roast
beef three-ways here in Nashville, and local
sub shops don’t exist.”
No matter where Livermore lives, he said
the North Shore will always be a huge part
of who he is.
“Although I love the North Shore, it’s great
to be inspired by new places. Go somewhere,
meet new people, live new experiences and
the music will thrive.”
COURTESY PHOTO BY RICHARD ISRAEL
Ross Livermore performs at a venue in Nashville, Tennessee.
19 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Two years ago, Joseph
Freda had a dream. A
vivid, life-changing
dream.
The Lynnfield musician’s eyes
still sparkle as he shares the
story.
“Two years ago, my father
came to me in a dream. He said,
‘Giuseppe, what is stopping you
from doing what you want to
do?’ It was so real. The dream
was so strong. It was as if my
father was in the room.”
Freda, who started writing
songs as a 9-year-old in
his native Italy, had always
wanted to present an evening
of original music composed
and performed by him and his
younger brother Anthony, a
vocal tenor.
Freda told his wife, Lizanne,
about the dream. “She said ‘Do
it! What are you waiting for?’
“I called Anthony and said,
‘Tony, I need to do this.’” He
agreed, and pledged his support
and help. After all, the brothers
had been composing, producing
and recording music together
for years. Lizanne was on board.
His older brother, Italo, who was
responsible for Joseph’s move to
America as a teenager, and his
wife, Gina, as always, offered to
help any way they could.
Then, the “Twilight Zone”
moment happened.
“One morning, about 6 a.m.,
I stopped at a gas station on
Route 1,” recalled Joseph. “I had
never stopped there before. I
started pumping gas and a light
from the ground hit me in the
face. It was really bright.” He
bent down and saw the station’s
lights were bouncing off of
something on the ground. He
picked it up.
It was a plastic square
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
Anthony Freda belts out a song while Patty Vellucci and Ryann Murray
harmonize.
emblazoned with the word
“Dream.” The message
figuratively hit him in the face.
“It was a sign. It meant we had
to do it. Any doubts I had were
gone at that moment.”
Joseph got up from the sofa in
the living room of his Lynnfield
home and grabbed something
from the fireplace mantel. It’s
the “Dream” square, which he
had framed.
The results of two years of
hard work and the dream
becomes reality on April 7, when
Freda World Music performs
at Lynn Auditorium. Joseph
and Anthony will be joined
by soprano/pop artist Ryann
Murray and “rock star” Patty
Vellucci. They will be backed by
a 25-piece orchestra, conducted
by Boston Symphony/Boston
Pops percussionist Neil Grover.
In addition to the Freda
brothers’ original music, the
night will include familiar tunes
by Verdi, Puccini and other
opera giants, crossover songs
blending Joseph’s love of classical
and jazz, plus some pop.
“It is dynamic entertainment,”
said Anthony.
But, with some 30 people on
stage, how can this show be
profitable? Even if all 2,100 seats
in the Lynn Auditorium are
filled?
“Make money? No, that won’t
happen. We will do it anyway. If
we lose our house, so what,” said
a joking Joseph. “We are crazy,”
pipes up Anthony, drawing a
laugh from Murray and Vellucci.
“The management at the Lynn
Auditorium have been very, very
helpful. I’m so glad we decided
to do this show locally,” said
Joseph, adding that Berklee
Performance Center, Jordan Hall
and the Cutler Majestic, all in
Boston, were willing to book the
show.
Even holding a guitar as a
7 year old in his native Italy,
Joseph knew music would play
a major role in his life. “I started
writing music at age 9,” said
Joseph, who moved to America
at age 16, staying with his
older brother Italo in Revere’s
Beachmont section.
After two years of private
guitar lessons, he attended
the Boston Conservatory,
concentrating on classical guitar.
Contemporary artists such as
George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie,
John McLaughlin, and others
inspired him to look for more
versatility in his playing, so he
enrolled at Berklee College of
Music with a concentration in
jazz writing.
Anthony arrived in America
three years after Joseph, and the
two brothers, with much help
from Italo, pursued their musical
dreams. “We have always
composed music together,” said
Anthony, who studied classical
music and opera at a very early
age. While playing bass and
The “Dream” square.
20 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Freda World Music will present an evening of entertainment April 7 at Lynn Auditorium. The featured vocalists and musicians are, from left,
Ryann Murray, Anthony Freda, Joseph Freda and Patty Vellucci.
singing with different pop bands,
he developed a love for all kinds
of music.
Anthony graduated from
Berklee College of Music with
a Bachelor of Music degree,
with a focus on arranging
and composition. At age
21, he entered the Boston
Conservatory where he earned a
Master’s degree in Composition
and Conducting. All the while,
he continued voice lessons and
developing a lyric tenor voice
suited for opera and pop music.
Through the years, the brothers
also performed with local bands
in clubs and at weddings and
private functions.
Joseph says Anthony makes
his songs come alive. This spirit
of collaboration between the
brothers began in childhood,
from the moment Joseph
received that first guitar. Joe
would play and Tony would sing.
It’s still that way.
The Fredas grew up in
Avellino, Italy, a little village in
the mountains about 35 miles
east of Naples. “It is small, with
a population of about 400,” said
Joseph. “Four-hundred? Maybe
if you count the chickens and
the cows,” added Anthony, with
a smirk.
“Our mother loved to listen to
classical records. My grandfather
loved opera,” recalled Joseph.
“That’s the music I, we, grew
up with. Classical music is in
my blood. And I love jazz; it
offers so much more freedom to
explore the music … a little jazz
falls into the classical part I love.
That’s my style.”
Vellucci, who grew up in
Winthrop and lives in Saugus
and works for FedEx, and Joseph
Freda were in the local top 40/
rock band Obstructed View
some 25 years ago. Murray, a
North Shore resident who works
as an esthetician at a local spa,
is a graduate of The American
Musical and Dramatic Academy
in New York City. The two
women perform together in area
nightspots and restaurants as
Girls Night Out.
Patty Vellucci and Joseph Freda rehearse a song in Freda’s Lynnfield home.
The Lynn show will not be a
one-time-only performance. The
recording of a CD is planned at
Oak Grove Studio in Malden,
and Joseph said the dream will
live on.
Freda World Music, “The Dream”,
April 7, 8 p.m., at Lynn Auditorium,
3 City Hall Square, Lynn. For
tickets, go to lynnauditorium.com.
Music samples can be heard at
fredaworldmusic.net.
21 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

22 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Thomas M. McGee was sworn in as the city of Lynn’s
58th mayor on Jan. 2. He was previously state senator.
1.
He loves
to ski.
“Skiing is one of the things that
I really like to do if I can get to
it. It’s always been a challenge,
but it’s one of the things I really
enjoy doing when I can make it
happen. Sometimes it’s only one
or two times a year, but I’ve had
the chance to ski in some really
great places and travel.”
The first time he skied, it was
at Gannon Golf Course in Lynn.
There used to be a rope tow there
when the course was named
Happy Valley.
McGee has been helicopter
skiing at Powder Mountain
in Utah. A small helicopter
transported him up to a peak
and he skied back to the ski area.
“It was just tremendous.”
2.
He’s a big
fan of music,
specifically classic
rock ’n’ roll.
McGee, 62, grew up with the
Beatles, the Rolling Stones and
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
He’s attended many concerts
through the years, including
1985’s Live Aid in Philadelphia,
which was organized to raise
funds for Ethiopian famine
relief.
Of today’s performers, he likes
U2, the Dave Matthews Band
and The Killers. Some may be
surprised that the mayor also
enjoys Katy Perry’s music; he
took his daughter to the pop
star’s concert.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
3.
He’s
half-Irish
and
half-Italian.
“Irish, I think most people
would know,” he said,
adding that his mother’s
parents were born in
Sicily. His mother was the
youngest of nine.
His Italian heritage is
reflected in his taste in food.
The mayor cooks when he
can and said some of his
favorite recipes were handed
down by his grandmother.
He said his mother was a
tremendous cook, but his
grandmother was even
better, no offense to his
mother, he said with a smile.
4.
He loves to travel.
He’s been to more
than 40 states.
When he was 19, McGee traveled
cross-country with his brother and
a couple of friends. They visited the
Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park
and numerous states out west.
When he lived in Colorado, McGee
supported himself by washing dishes
and doing odd jobs. He lived in Basalt,
about 20 miles from Aspen. At the time,
he said it was fairly cheap to live there.
As state senator, McGee had a chance
to travel internationally, visiting Japan,
Israel, Ireland and Mexico.
“But I think getting a chance to
travel to other places (made me)
realize how special a place the United
States is. It’s a beautiful country with
so many things to see.”
5.
McGee loves sports, especially Boston teams.
McGee is a big Celtics fan, but also roots for the Red Sox, Patriots
and Bruins.
In the 1970s, he attended lots of Celtics games. The team won
championships, but the games seldom sold out until Larry Bird
joined the squad.
“In the ’60s, they won all those championships, but they were never
like this big deal, but they were a tremendous team to watch. So,
when we were kids, we would go and see some of those games.” He
got to see Celtics legends, such as Jo Jo White, John Havlicek, Bill
Russell, Bird and others.
McGee was at Fenway Park for the final two games of the 1967 season,
when the Red Sox won the pennant. He went to the second game of the
World Series, which the Sox won when that season’s Cy Young Award
winner Jim Lonborg held the St.Louis Cardinals to one hit.
He was also in attendance when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in
1970. His favorite players were Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Eddie
Johnston.
He said the Patriots never used to win. Fans could just go to the stadium
and buy a ticket. Now, there are 50,000 people on the waiting list.
In addition to watching the transformation of the Patriots, he’s
seen the Sox go from heartbreakers, enduring 86 years without a
championship, to winning three World Series titles since 2004.
“I tell my kids all the time, they’re in the Golden Age of Boston
sports. We all are. It’s amazing.”
23 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

“Taking Flight,” a mural by Temp, brings life to a building at 173 Oxford St. in Lynn.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
How do you top an event that brought
art, culture, curiosity, pride and
thousands of visitors to downtown
Lynn?
Do it all over again.
Beyond Walls, which kicked off last year
as a grassroots effort to create a sense of
place and safety through a multi-faceted
installation of public art and lighting, is
gearing up for another mural festival this
summer. Last year’s 10-day festival, which
culminated with a block party on July 22,
celebrated the installment of 15 largescale
murals, commissioned and painted
on Central Square buildings by nearly two
dozen international and local artists.
One of those artists was Lynn native
Eric Temple, who goes by Temp. Temp got
his start in the graffiti scene in the 1980s
and early ’90s. In 1987, he created his
first mural inside the J.B. Blood Building
(recently bought by KIPP Academy Lynn).
24 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

It featured a computer screen and was titled
“Opportunities for the future.” How fitting.
Temp has since created hundreds of murals
across the country, and he returned to Lynn
for the 2017 mural festival to transform a
wall at 173 Oxford St.
“When I heard about this project, I
couldn’t sleep,” said Temp. “I was like a kid
before Christmas. Festivals like this are
happening all over the world, but to have
them so close to home is fun.”
Beyond Walls founder Al Wilson said the
feedback from last year’s unveiling of the
murals was exactly what he had hoped for.
“It’s been fantastic,” he said. “We’ve seen
how powerful the art is and it was great to
work with such amazing talent. There was so
much excitement from the community, from
city officials and from funders.”
Support for the festival was vital in
terms of bringing the idea to fruition. The
International Union of Painters and Allied
Trades District Council 35 financially
sponsored the 2017 festival, provided
materials and primed many of the walls prior
to the artists’ arrival.
This year’s mural festival is scheduled
for Aug. 6-19. Wilson said a new group
of internationally acclaimed artists will be
selected to participate.
“It’s important their cultural identities
match up to those of the city,” said Wilson,
who hinted that in addition to murals, other
unique street art projects will be popping up
as well.
“It should be really fun,” he continued.
“Hopefully we’ll be cementing Lynn as the
culturally rich environment that it is.”
The 2017 artists will also be invited back to
exhibit their work at the Lynn Museum, and
that show will run through mid-September.
In the meantime, Beyond Walls, which
is currently in the process of incorporating
as a nonprofit and has set up headquarters
in Lynn, has a few other projects to wrap
up. More pieces of vintage neon art have
been placed downtown, and all of the
underpass lighting in Central Square and
Washington and Market streets is being
permanently installed. Last August, Beyond
Walls received a $200,000 grant from the
Barr Foundation to support the continued
installation of the lighting projects, which
will help to illuminate the MBTA tracks
and sidewalks and make the downtown
more pedestrian-friendly.
By summer, a large-scale sculpture
featuring a jet engine produced by GE
in 1942, and refurbished by high school
students from Lynn Vocational Technical
Institute, will be placed downtown to pay
homage to the city’s industrial roots.
Outside of Lynn, Beyond Walls has
helped to oversee the installation of a
three-wall mural in Cambridge, and
provided technical assistance and artists
to the Murals Live project in Peabody.
Coordinated by the Peabody Cultural
Collaborative, Peabody Main Streets and
Peabody Access Telecommunication, and
working with Beyond Walls, Murals Live
has taken a similar approach in inviting
graffiti artists — including Brian Denahy,
Caleb Neelon, Cedric “Vise” Douglas and
Chris Coulon — to visually transform
buildings throughout the city.
Caleb Neelon works on his mural at 33
Munroe St. in Lynn.
David “Don Rimx” Sepulveda painted this mural at 515 Washington
St. in Lynn.
Nicole Salgar and Chuck Berrett’s “People of the First Light” mural.
25 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

When you hear “the
fabric of our lives,”
you no doubt think
cotton. Yet, isn’t there a material
that better tells the story of our
lives?
If you guessed newspaper, you’d
be in the same thinking camp
as fashion innovators Kathy
Cormier and Michelle Kane.
Cormier and Kane have
built a successful business on
a simple concept: Turning one
person’s trash into another’s
treasure. Their eco-friendly,
Lynn-based company, Couture
Planet, manufactures sustainable
handbags and accessories from
recycled newspapers.
Each bag, which might feature
the face of a supermodel or
athlete, picturesque palm trees
or a beautifully crafted cocktail,
tells its own story. Events, trends
and headlines are frozen in time
as Cormier and Kane cut and
transform pages into wearable
art. They draw their inspiration
from advertisements as well
as the style, travel, dining, arts
and sports sections of The New
York Times, The Boston Globe
and The Wall Street Journal.
Even a crossword puzzle might
make it into the mix. They also
work with magazines that are
oversized, such as W and Wine
Spectator.
“People are drawn to brands like
Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Prada,
so we use a lot of those ads,” said
Cormier. “The travel and lifestyle
pages are in high demand too. It’s
all very aspirational.”
A sample of the handbags available at Couture Planet.
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK
26 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
Kathy Cormier trims excess laminate from around newspapers that will
soon be turned into handbags, above, and shows off some of the clutches
for sale in the Lynn shop.
PHOTO: OWEN O’ROURKE
Couture Planet co-owners Michelle Kane, front, and Kathy Cormier.
“I still enjoy the excitement of combing
through the Sunday papers and seeing what
images might work for us,” said Kane. “Then
comes the search, and luckily we have a
good relationship with the recycling centers.
If there’s a good ad or front page, we want
hundreds of them.”
Also popular, of course, are the products
featuring New England sports icons such as
Tom Brady.
“Fans love them,” said Cormier. “We make
bags representing every New England sports
team, and we usually have a list of pre-orders
before a big game like the Super Bowl.”
The idea for the venture began in 2009
when Connie Carman, manager and buyer
for the gift store at the Fairmont Copley
Plaza Hotel in Boston, noticed how many
newspapers were discarded each day by
hotel guests. She knew there had to be a
better means of recycling and repurposing
them. Tapping into her knowledge from the
Fashion Institute of Technology, she came up
with a design and sold her first set of one-ofa-kind
handbags at the hotel.
“Newspapers are iconic, historic and
beautiful,” said Carman, who still serves as
Couture Planet’s founding partner, but works
full-time at the Fairmont Copley. “The idea
was to create a unique, American-made
product that means something to its owner.”
Cormier and Kane joined the business
early on and were added as partners when
the company was reworked in 2013. Shortly
after, the group brought the manufacturing
in-house. They operate out of the Lydia
Pinkham building on Western Avenue —
drawing inspiration from Pinkham, the
city’s first female entrepreneur, as well as the
numerous other small businesses and artists
housed there.
“There’s such a great vibe being surrounded
by photographers, sculptors, glass blowers
and other types of artists,” said Cormier.
The purses, which range in price from $38
to $90, come in five styles. The wristlets and
clutches are on the more affordable end and
the two larger bags — the Coco and Stella
— feature snap closure, inside pockets and
clear Lucite or tortoise handles. Each one
is treated with a cool-press laminate, which
makes it waterproof.
With 2,500 sales last year, the company
produces an average of 200 bags each month.
The products are sold in approximately 60
boutiques and hotel gift shops across the
country. Cormier and Kane also travel for
shows, pop-up events, holiday fairs and more.
Customers can place online orders as well, or
even special orders for weddings, birthdays
and other occasions. Locally, shoppers can
find Couture Planet products at Zimman’s in
Lynn, J. Mode in Salem and Sweetwater &
Co. in Marblehead and Beverly Farms.
Cormier, who lives in Swampscott, and
Kane, who lives in Marblehead, both strive
to be as involved as possible in the Lynn
community, putting on fashion shows,
working with youth and hosting open studio
events. Kane also serves on the board of
directors at the Lynn Museum.
“We really love Lynn, its resources and the
revitalization amongst the arts community,”
said Cormier.
27 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

By Steve Krause
Two years ago, the St. Mary’s boys hockey
team lost to Franklin in double overtime of the
Division 1 state championship hockey game.
It wasn’t the first time coach Mark Lee had
come so close. But in his 30th year of high
school coaching, he also understood that chances
such as the one his team had that evening at the
TD Garden in Boston do not come often.
“You try to stay positive,” said Lee, a
Lynn Police school resource officer at Breed
Middle School as well as the coach of the
team for which he played in high school.
“But to make it to the Division 1 state final
game, and to lose in double overtime — it
took a long time to get over.”
Fortunately, it only took a year.
Last March, in the very same game and
in the very same venue, the Spartans beat
Framingham and won the state title.
On top of that, Lee was later inducted into
the State High School Hockey Coaches Hall of
Fame. And this year the Spartans qualified for
the state tournament again, with weeks to spare.
If there’s one thing Lee has learned in
three decades of coaching, it’s that you’re
only as good as your players — and that he
has been blessed with some special ones.
“The worst thing about (2016) was how it
affected the kids,” he said. “It was devastating
to everyone involved.
“But they were special,” he said. “They were
mature beyond their years, and they handled
it well.”
The championship team reflected that
resiliency. One of Lee’s four captains, Dante
Maribito, developed a cardiac issue halfway
through the season, and was out of action for
almost a month.
“It was a very frightening thing,” Lee said.
“We weren’t sure whether he was going to
come back. They had to use a defibrillator on
him at (Connery Rink). He’d been our MVP
since his sophomore year. You lose a kid like
that — and to a serious medical condition —
and it can disrupt a team. But the leadership
moved forward. We stayed focused and
weathered the storm.”
Lee credits his three other captains (Mark
and Mike Zampanti and Andrew Kreamer)
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK
Breed Middle School Resource Officer Mark Lee stops traffic to let students cross as they leave
school. Lee also coaches the St. Mary’s boys hockey team.
for keeping the team focused, as well as
goalie Andrew LoRusso.
Ultimately, Maribito was able to return
(he scored a goal in the state championship
win), but the Spartans’ run of bad luck with
medical issues continued. They went into an
end-of-the-season tournament riddled with
the flu and lost both games.
“I’ve never seen a team with so much
sickness as this one,” said Lee.
Despite all that, the Spartans regrouped
and gathered steam. The MIAA tournaments
are single-elimination, with the exception of
Division 1A (not the category in which the
Spartans were placed). One loss and you’re done.
That could have easily happened right
away, with the Spartans needing overtime to
beat Reading. Then, it was wins over Triton,
Catholic Central League rival Arlington
Catholic, and finally Andover - a 2-0 shutout
in the North Sectional final.
“A year earlier, just getting to the Garden
was a big deal,” said Lee. “Last year, it was
like walking into another rink for the kids.
They were determined to get the win instead
of taking in all the atmosphere.”
That these teenage boys were able to
overcome such a tough loss and stay positive
without pointing fingers is a direct reflection
of Lee’s priorities when it comes to coaching.
“Athletics is the other half of education,”
said Lee. “There are so many lessons you
learn away from the classroom that help
build who you are as a person.”
When Lee began coaching in 1986, St.
Mary’s was a Division 3 program that hadn’t
won much. He nurtured the program, taking
the Spartans to the top echelons of the
division, and then moving it up a rung to
Division 2. He did the same thing there, until
the time came to graduate to Division 1 about
15 years ago. The Spartans even made the
Division 1A tournament (Super 8) one year.
He’s proud of where he’s taken the
program. But he’s just as proud of other —
equally important — aspects of his tenure.
“I’ve been doing this for so long I’m coaching
kids now whose fathers I coached. I’m proudest
to see these kids go onto college, and to be
productive people in society. One of my bosses
at the station was once one of my captains. Now,
he’s a captain of the police department. These are
the things that I look at, and it makes me proud.
I want to see guys go out and do well in life.”
He teaches those lessons to his players.
Team first. Defense first (“If you play good
defense,” he said, “it creates good offense”).
He enjoys the part of coaching where he sees
a group of kids from different backgrounds
bond into a collective unit with the same
goals, and who are willing to subserviate
themselves for the greater good.
And that’s why winning the state
championship last year was as special as it was.
“These kids were determined to get back to
that game,” he said. “It’s almost like a fairy
tale, because it almost never happens. But it
did for us.
“They deserved it,” Lee said. “I wouldn’t
have wanted to experience this with any
other group. To see them all so happy … it
overwhelms you. It was a special feeling, and
one that I’ll never forget.”
Coaching in his 32nd year, Lee has had
to navigate the changes in the culture not
only of sports in general but youth sports in
particular.
“Everything has changed,” he said. “The
style of coaching has changed. The style of
parenting has changed. Society has changed.
Everything is different than it was when I first
started (in 1986; he was 24).”
His years of experience have told him that
there are times to stand your ground and
times to be flexible.
“No matter what,” he said, “you have to get
CONTINUED ON PAGE 31
28 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

Since 1942, Girls Inc. of Lynn has
responded to the changing needs of
girls and their families by providing
essential resources and stimulating
programs to disadvantaged, low-income young
ladies, serving more than 1000 every year.
At the Hilton Doubletree in Danvers
on April 5, hundreds of community
leaders, elected officials, businessmen,
businesswomen, girls and supporters of
girls will unite to celebrate Girls Inc.’s 30th
annual celebration luncheon. The event
will be co-chaired by Jen Hardy Thornton
of Marblehead and Chris Meninno of
Swampscott.
Deb Ansourlian, executive director of Girls
Inc. of Lynn, said “We are thrilled to celebrate
the accomplishments of the 2018 graduating
class and our girl heroes. I am honored to be
part of an organization that celebrates girls
and women as leaders in the community.”
Girls Inc. of Lynn alumna Lani Sanethong,
founder and CEO of Lanergy Solutions, a
New Hampshire-based website designer,
said “Girls Inc. played a major role in the
development of my leadership skills. By
providing a strong support structure and
unique opportunities, I gained confidence
and self-esteem at a critical stage of my life.
Sometimes what young girls need most is
for someone to have faith in them, provide
the right resources, and push them to greater
heights. I have seen
firsthand that the
programs at Girls Inc. do
that and so much more.”
Bridget Brewer,
who now serves as
supervisor of the Teen
Pregnancy Prevention
Program, agrees. “Girls
Inc. is my second
home,” she said. Brewer
first visited Girls Inc. as a seventh-grader,
taking part in the summer Eureka program
that engages girls in STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math) classes.
As a high school freshman, she got a paid
internship at Time Warner Cable. As a
peer leader, Brewer embraced the FRESH
tobacco prevention program that educates
girls about the dangers of smoking. While
attending North Shore Community College,
she continued to work at Girls Inc. and she
‘I am honored to be part
of an organization that
celebrates girls and women
as leaders in the community.’
kept in touch with the organization’s staff
while interning at Disney and at her first
couple of jobs. She joined Girls Inc. full-time
in 2006. “I love my relationship with Girls
Inc. As a Girls Inc. girl, I am thrilled to help
the next generation,” she said.
Daisy Angel also
treasures her bond
with Girls Inc. The
philosophy major
at University of
Massachusetts Lowell
was introduced to Girls
Inc. in the sixth grade.
She eventually became
a Beach Peer Leader
in high school, helping
an Americorps member oversee a marine
biological environmental program. “I am
so grateful that I joined Girls Inc. The
experience really got me out of my comfort
zone and I really discovered myself. We
learned that we are powerful and can do
anything we want to,” said Angel, whose
younger sister, Genesis, later joined the
program.
A highlight of the April 5 luncheon will
be a keynote speech by alumna Jomaira
Salas Pujols. Pujols is a third-year Ph.D.
student in the Department of Sociology
at Rutgers University. Her research
focuses on higher education, race and the
academic achievement of girls of color.
Last spring, she became a National Science
Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Program Fellow.
Ansourlian, the executive director,
said Eastern Bank will be honored at
the milestone celebration luncheon.
“Throughout the years, Eastern Bank has
provided valuable support through the
board governance, and program support.
We congratulate the bank on its 200th
anniversary, as well as applaud the Eastern
Bank Charitable Foundation on its plans to
donate more than $1.5 million in grants to
community-based organizations working to
eliminate barriers and advance women in its
communities.”
United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack
Valley joins Eastern Bank as a sponsor.
Those interested in attending the luncheon are
encouraged to contact Donna Crotty at dcrotty@
girlsinclynn.org or at 781-592-9744, ext 243.
Deb Ansourlian
29 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

By Thomas Grillo
There’s hardly been a time when Ira Rosenberg wasn’t in the car business.
Sure, as a kid he worked as a soda jerk at a drug store in Malden, where he
grew up. But from age 20 to his recent retirement as CEO of the
Prime Motor Group, which operates 30 dealerships in New England, the
81-year-old executive has had automobiles in his blood. He and his wife Judith own a
waterfront home on Front Street in Marblehead and have three children, David, Brian
and Lori. We talked with Rosenberg from his retirement home in Boca Raton, Florida,
where the temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees.
Q You began your love affair
with the car industry in 1959
as a tire changer at Porter
Chevrolet in Cambridge, worked
in their service department, sold
Corvettes and then became sales
manager. Is that the best way to
break into the business?
A You don’t have to
start out changing tires
anymore. Most dealerships have
management training programs.
If you love people, it’s a great
opportunity, especially for women.
Today, a young college grad, just
out of school, can sell cars and
make a hell of a living. Many
grads go into retail like Macy’s and
Staples to become manager. But
in the car business they can make
more money working fewer hours.
Q What was your first car?
A It was a 1961
Chevrolet Impala coupe. It had
turquoise painted on the bottom
with a white roof. It cost $1,900.
Q What are you driving today?
A I love the car business but I’m
not a car guy. I drive an Audi Q5.
Q Your wife Judith wasn’t
wild about you being in the car
business, and as a result, you
switched careers for a while, right?
A Yes, I quit the car business
in the mid-’60s and took a
variety of jobs selling all kinds
of things, advertising, welding
materials, whatever.
Q How did that go?
A I starved. My wife
was pregnant with my first son,
David. We had no money and
no insurance. While she was still
in the hospital, she spotted an ad
for Sea Crest Cadillac-Pontiac
in Lynn looking for salespeople.
She told me I always loved the
car business, perhaps I should go
back into it.
Q That seemed to work out well.
A I waited on the
sofa in the Sea Crest showroom
for three days for an interview.
They gave me a 30-day tryout,
but I was fired for not selling cars.
I noticed that all the customers
I had talked to in the showroom
were buying cars from other
salesman. They were stealing my
customers, but I wasn’t smart
enough to know what was going
on. But I’m a fast learner. I asked
for a second chance and told the
sales staff that if they stole one
customer from me, I will steal
three from them. It worked. I
became a lion on the showroom
floor and within a year I was best
salesman, selling 18 cars a month.
Q From the Lynnway you
founded North Shore Auto
Brokers in Salem.
A I wasn’t sure I could make
a go of it. The management of
Sea Crest Cadillac-Pontiac spent
three hours insisting I stay. But I
eventually launched it and stayed
for seven years.
Q Tell me about how you
acquired your first dealership.
A Someone told me they
heard a Toyota dealership was
going out of business in Danvers.
I got a suit, borrowed a Cadillac
from a friend, put a cigar in my
mouth and went over. The bank
was there ready to foreclose. I
threw the owner an anchor and
within a half-hour I owned it. I
offered to take on the $130,000
debt and settled it for about
$70,000. Today, buying a good
Toyota dealership can cost as much
as $10 million on the East Coast
and up to $25 million on the West
Coast, so it was a good investment.
Q Why do people dread the
process of buying a car?
A They have been accustomed
to being lied to and harassed.
There were dealerships that used
to take the keys to your trade-in
and tossed them to keep you
in the dealership. When I first
started in the business there were
lots of thieves and liars. I was
young when I started and I saw
what was being done and how
it should be done. I contributed
to helping to sell automobiles
without all the pressure.
Q What are your plans in
retirement?
A I feel much younger than 81,
and there’s only so much golf you
can play. I’ve taken up painting
and I’m becoming an artist, but
most of all, I love having people
around me.
30 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28
your point across. And you have
to have discipline. That never
changes.”
What might have changed
over the years, he says, is the
method and severity of the
discipline.
“With social media, for example,
everyone’s under a microscope
now,” he said, “and I think there
are a lot of people who could
potentially be good coaches who
won’t get involved because there’s
so much negativity.”
Lee feels it’s incumbent on
coaches to set the tone, both with
players and parents, early on.
“We try to start out real early,
and let everyone know that
the high school experience is
to be enjoyed,” he said. “But at
the same time, it’s all about life
lessons. We try to make things
realistic for the parents. No one
here is going to be playing in the
NHL, and if they are, they won’t
be here long because (some other
organization) will grab you.
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK
Lynn Police school resource officer Mark Lee relaxes in his office.
“Also,” he said, “it’s over before
you know it. If you can stick
to that philosophy, you’ll enjoy
it. As for us, we’re in a highly
competitive league and we
schedule all the best teams. We
have the best high school hockey
right here at St. Mary’s.”
He feels his position in the
police department (he was never
much interested in advancing
beyond patrolman, as he enjoys
his coaching avocation too
much) gives him credibility with
his players.
“I think they understand that
I have some street smarts,” he
said, “and that I know a little bit
about the world they’ve living in.
And that I might be able to steer
them away from some of the
things they may end up getting
involved with. It has helped me
relate to them.”
Nothing, though, could have
prepared him for what is truly
his worst moment as a coach
— the death of Patrick Reddy
on 2007. Reddy had been a
captain the previous season. He
is friends with the entire Reddy
family, serves on the force with
two of them, and played hockey
with them.
Reddy died in an auto accident
while returning to school in Maine.
“It was devastating,” he said. “It
joined us together as a community,
and we honored him. But it was
a tough, tough time for us. He
was true Blue and Gold, through
and through. It was so sad, what
happened.”
Reddy’s hockey jersey hangs
above the ice at Connery Rink
in Lynn, where the Spartans play
their home games.
As he prepares for another
state tournament, Lee
understands how fortunate he’s
been, however.
“I’m lucky not only to have
been a police officer, but to have
coached in Lynn as well,” he
said. “I’m glad to have had this
opportunity.”
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