BENSONHURST'S PREMIER NEWS BLOG

You know what they say about plans: Man plans and God laughs.

Bensonhurst resident Tina Panariello knows this better than most. She just wanted to be an actress, and set out to realize that dream. But, instead, she embarked on a life journey that took her from stage, to home-business owner, to struggling mom, to acclaimed artist. And now she begins a new life as author and mentor, telling her personal story of career evolution, and the trials and tribulations of living life, owning businesses in New York City, and how an obsessed hobbyist turned pro by mere happenstance – all in her autobiography, Polished: Filing Away At Life’s Truths.

Panariello was 11 years old when her mother chose to move her from her Manhattan home near the East River to Brooklyn, settling down in the Marlboro Projects in 1957. She attended Lafayette High School while she worked as an executive secretary. Eventually, Panariello moved on to get a two-year degree from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Panariello had a career in acting sparked after landing the lead role in Cabaret at Staten Island Community College. Her love of the stage eventually swayed Panariello to go into acting full-time, and she auditioned for roles both on- and off-Broadway. She owned her own children’s theater group and joined the Narrows Community Theater (NCT) for a time, during which she got pregnant with her son, Wayne.

Getting into the nail art industry was something that happened naturally for Panariello. When their son was young, she and her husband had a home jewelry business. Panariello spent her spare time dabbling with the small-canvas art of painting nails, and eventually her jewelry customers noticed the art on her own fingertips and wanted it for themselves. It started out small with several clients who she’d visit in their homes. From there, her business grew. Eventually Panariello decided to open a store called Nail Artistry by Tina, then located on 20th Avenue.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the store. During the late 80’s, the economy crashed, leaving Panariello with a struggling business.

“I almost lost my business. It was horrible. So, I had to make a decision. I had to go find a job,” Panariello said. “Between the salon and the job in Manhattan I was able to put food on the table for my son. That is how I did it. There was no other way.”

Panariello bounced back and eventually moved her business to another store at 2344 86th Street and has been there ever since.

Panariello has accomplished much in her 33 years of nail artistry, including being a nail art educator for OPI, a leading nail polish manufacturer and distributor. She has won several awards for her hand-painted nail art and has gone on to judge competitions.

The job has taken her to some exotic locations.

When Panariello was working in the city, for example, she met a woman who was impressed with her work and offered her an opportunity to teach a class in Puerto Rico. Panariello was flown to San Juan where she did several events, including television appearances. Panariello describes the trip as “the greatest part of her career.”

Source: hillelatvirginiatech.com

The late, great Maurice Sendak is receiving a rare honor in his home borough, as the Department of Education has approved plans to name a new school after the legendary illustrator and children’s author.

Unfortunately, the school will be in Park Slope, miles away from his childhood home in Gravesend.

P.S. 118, which will open this fall on Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street, will be called the Maurice Sendak Community School, reports DNAinfo.

[Presumed principal Elizabeth Garraway] said the author’s imaginative spirit fits in with what she hopes to accomplish at P.S. 118, which will have a multicultural curriculum.

“We want to be a place where kids are flexible thinkers and they step outside of the box, and Maurice Sendak was known for his creativity,” Garraway said.

… Sendak’s estate was “elated” by the honor, and the DOE approved the name quickly, she said.

Born in 1928, Sendak spent his early years in Gravesend, living at 1717 West 6th Street. He attended David A. Boody Junior High School at 228 Avenue S before heading to Lafayette High School.

Last spring, following his death in Connecticut, Bensonhurst Bean (with the help of our readers) discovered two of his earliest published illustrations – both from those schools’ yearbooks.

(First ever published Maurice Sendak illustration in Lafayette High School?)
(Nope, this one from Boody is older.)

Source: Wikiwatcher1 via Wikimedia Commons

In a recent New York Times “Answers to Questions About New York” article, a reader asked which NYC high school sent the most players to play baseball in the Major Leagues.

The answer is Lafayette High School at 263o Benson Avenue. The school can boast an all-time NYC record of 13 student-athletes. Just to name a few, Sandy Koufax and John Franco are among the superstar graduates, according to Marge Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the Education Department.

How’s that for alumni?

As for the remaining 11 alums, they are yet to be named. Perhaps a sports fan reading this can tell us.

An early block print by Maurice Sendak, published in his high school yearbook.

See the image above? It could be Maurice Sendak’s first-ever published illustration, a block print created to run alongside the touching personal essay of a friend in their Lafayette High School yearbook. That same year, Sendak, a Bensonhurst native, also illustrated a textbook titled Atomics for the Millions by Dr. Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff. It’s hard to know which came first, but the block print above isn’t just a potential milestone in the career of the legendary author and illustrator of works including Where the Wild Things Are, it’s an example of the kind, giving nature he’s renown for.

Similarly, the story behind the resurfacing of the print shows the same sweet generosity.

Bensonhurst Bean reader Michael C. Marmer tipped us off about the illustration following Sendak’s death on Tuesday. His mother, Ruth Luberoff, wrote the essay it was created for. Marmer shares his and his mother’s story below, and a copy of Luberoff’s original essay is at the bottom of this post.

Read the touching stories behind this historic illustration.