C RY D E R
P O I N T
FEBRUARY 8
Whitestone woman celebrates
her 106th birthday
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
SMONTEVERDI@RQNS.COM / @SMONT76 ose Girone, who lives at Cryder
Point in the Beechhurst section
of Whitestone, celebrated her
106th birthday with her family at an Italian
restaurant on Long Island earlier this
month. The centenarian credits a love of
dark chocolate as one of her top secrets
to longevity.
The longtime Queens resident has
led a remarkable life. Girone was born
on Jan. 13, 1912 in Poland, according
to her granddaughter Gina Bennicasa,
who calls Girone “Oma.” Girone lived
in Vienna, moved to Hamburg, Germany,
and married Julius Mannheim.
The new couple then moved to Breslau,
Germany, which is now known as Wroclaw,
Poland.
Shortly after in 1939, with Nazi aggression
against the Jews escalating, Girone,
her husband, and daughter, Reha, needed
to leave the country. After finding out
China was the last remaining country that
was still accepting immigrants, the family
departed for Shanghai on a month-long
voyage by sea and moved into an international
settlement.
After enjoying a brief period of peace,
war touched the family once more. The
Japanese occupied Shanghai and forced
Jewish residents into a ghetto, where Girone
and her family shared a small room
once used as a bathroom. Food was rationed
and hot water was purchased from
street vendors.
Aside from her family, the bright light
that kept Girone going through the tough
times was knitting. She was able to start a
small business and save up some money
before she moved to the United States
after the war in 1947.
Girone eventually opened a knitting
store, Rose’s Knitting Studio, on Austin
Street in Forest Hills, which she operated
for 40 years. There, the business owner
was able to explore her passion, coming
up with unique and intricate designs customers
couldn’t find anywhere else. She
also sold knitting supplies and taught
classes to locals interested in learning the
craft.
“Here, I was able to start a business. It
was a great success,” Girone said. “I was
well-known, gave instruction and made
up some crazy designs.”
“She was very popular on that block,”
Bennicasa added. “Some of the sweaters
she has made are just unbelievable.”
Eager to help others learn her trade,
Girone continued to teach classes at local
senior centers into her second century.
After retirement, she also helped a fellow
entrepreneur, Dina Mor, open up her own
store in Port Washington called The Knitting
Place.
To show her appreciation, Mor threw
a party at her store for Girone’s 100th
birthday. At the end of the celebration,
the business owner had a surprise for the
centenarian: a painter had quietly drawn
the birthday scene. The colorful painting
now hangs in Girone’s dining room for all
visitors to see.
8 CRYDER POINT COURIER | FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM
Girone has lived in Cryders Point since
1968, when she married her second husband,
the late Jack Girone. Today, the
centenarian likes to knit, eat dark chocolate
and read mystery novels, or whodunnits,
as she calls them. She enjoys
good health and dressing up in her knit
creations.
Some of Girone’s other secrets to longevity
are always waking up with a purpose,
having good kids and not sweating
the small stuff.
Photo courtesy of Gina Bennicasa
“Don’t let anyone aggravate you,” she
said. “It’s why you have two ears: in one,
out the other.”
Bennicasa said she and her tight-knit
family are amazed most by Girone’s resilience.
“It’s been an unbelievable life. She’s always
remained positive, even when conditions
were horrible,” Bennicasa said. “It’s
so good to have that attitude.”
“Whatever happened, I was smiling,”
Girone said.
