Table of Contents Hold Me Gently Case 9999: The Dalmatian Duck Epitaph Hello, Operator? The Life of Mary Edna Charlotte Vecchio Pappalardo Forward My Father (1869-1949) My Mother (1878-1947) Very Early Years in New York City The Big Move to Long Island Early Years on Long Island A Family Growing Up My Youth and Adolescence My Last Three Years as a Vecchio and an Introduction to the Pappalardo Family The Pappalardo Family Our Wedding Our First Ten Years (1937-1947) Our Second Decade (1947-1957) Our Third Decade (1957-1967) Our Fourth Decade (1967-1977) My Fifth Decade (1977-1987) My Recent Years (Since 1988) Epilogue Mary Edna Charlotte Vecchio Pappalardo (1917 – 2021)