Happy Birthday, First Lady of Yorkville

Today is my grandmother, Ann Pryor Rode's 105th birthday ~ or is it her 210th?

1964, I’m 10; I go up my grandmother’s house around the corner to see what’s up.

“Hi, Nan.”
“That's it?”
“I said, hi.”
“Where’s my Happy Birthday?”
“I wished you a happy birthday on the 23rd and made you a card, its right there on top of the TV.”
“Today is my birthday, too.”
Involuntarily, my head started shaking. I was used to my grandmother’s inquisitions but I didn’t understand this one.

“Nan, I don't get it.”

She explained.

Nan was delivered by Saveria Palermo, a mid-wife from the Yorkville neighborhood on July 23, 1906 in her family's apartment at 1403 Avenue A, later named York Avenue, two buildings in off 75th Street.

When the lazy mid-wife filled out her Board of Health birth certificates the following Monday, July 30th, she used the same date, Saturday, July 28th, for all the babies she delivered that week ~ so, Nan had two birthdays, July 23rd & July 28th.

My great-grandfather, Antonino Cuccia, a fruit stern, and his wife Giovanna couldn't read or speak English so they never fixed the certificate, but they always celebrated Anna’s birthday twice.

She was the baby in the family and a spoiled brat. She told me.

Nan never bored me. I miss her. She gave her life to the Yorkville neighborhood and the New York County Democratic Party but was so smart it felt like she was there for me even when she dove in to her politics. She kept me honest.

Here is a story about her, “A Valentine for Nan,” that was published in Ducts Literary Journal.

Below are some pictures of Anna Cuccia, aka, Ann Pryor Rode.