Erin Go Bragh!

Tonte Getting Her Irish Up

March was nuts in my house. Mom began getting her Irish up right after Valentine’s Day. My father couldn’t stand it. Even though he was half Irish, he acted like he was born in Florence. Which I later found odd since his Italian grandparents were from the bottom of the boot just outside Palermo. Antonino Cuccia was a shepherd, his wife, Giovanna, a milk maid.

First, we got the St. Paddy’s thing going ~ my mother’s family, all Ryans. We had a dozen family birthdays in March, including me, Mom and her sister, Joan, my godmother. Those three rolled in one week, the 20th, 24th and 27th. By the day Julius Caesar got it on the Ides we were ready to go. Adding to the frenzy, our year round passion for our favorite three saints (all households), Saint Jude, Saint Francis and Saint Anthony. I couldn’t pass a hallway without my head smacking one of their miraculous statues or paintings. Why these three? My family had a stack of hopeless cases, we loved animals and we were always losing something.

The only thing I ever saw Dad do that somewhat acknowledged he was Irish was put a green St. Paddy’s hat on Tonte his dog. Tonte instantly got her Irish up.

Antonino Cuccia

Our March Madness has nothing to do with basketball.

Here's a story I wrote for Ask A New Yorker about my favorite St. Paddy's Day in 1970.

Erin Go Bragh, Ma and Buddy McMahon!

"Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts"storytelling show is coming back to Ryan's Daughter @ 350 E. 85th Street. Wednesday night, April 3rd @ 7pm. Our last show was standing room only, we plan to top it.


Our amazing April 3rd artists: Michele Carlo, Abbi Crutchfield, Luke Thayer, Adam Wade, Eric Vetter, Alex DeSuze & Seth Foster. I'll host and tell an old Yorkville yarn. Free Event!


Please drop by Cornelia Street Cafe in the West Village to see my photo exhibit "New York Scenes from a Bicycle," on view through March 31st. Framed work and my book "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," are for sale at the Cafe, my prints are for sale at Thomas R. Pryor Photography, my book is available online through Amazon.

Mom & Joannie Baloney

Tom & Mom

Tommy & Buddy 1982

Giovanna Cuccia