SONNY BENARDO
Ship Builder
Did you know that we have a ship builder in Building One and
that he has built ships in his apartment? Of course, these are replicas
of actual ships that are slowly and carefully put together. His
wife, Alicia, is a talented artist who assembles three dimensional
paintings. You will see a woman selling pretzels on this page as well
as a splendidly dressed woman. In the actual painting the pretzels
are individually made and attached to the painting. The elaborately
dressed woman stands out, as do the two chairs.
The impressive Nantucket The sleek Santa Maria
Photos courtesy of Sonny Benardo
HOW DID YOU START BUILDING THESE
SHIPS?
It started 24 years ago when I retired from
my plumbing supply business. I was always
skillful with my hands and had put together
huge jigsaw puzzles as a leisure activity. This
hobby took me to the next level. Alicia did
intricate needlepoint and the three dimensional
artwork.
WHERE DID YOU BUILD YOUR FLEET?
Some of them were built on my dining room
table at North Shore Towers as you can see in
one photo. Others were made at our place at
Gleneagles in Florida where we spent the winter.
There I frequently worked outdoors on my
terrace and took advantage of the bright light.
The disadvantage was shipping them home to
New York. They are made up of hundreds of
pieces and the completed ship is quite fragile.
Fortunately they all made it without a scratch
or torn sail.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SHIP?
No, that’s like asking a parent if they have
a favorite child. At times some of the ships
presented special problems in their development
before their handsome completion, but
so do some children. My collection includes
a wide diversity of ships as you can see from
the photos that appear here.
HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY
OF YOUR COMPLETED
REPLICAS TO FAMILY
MEMBERS?
Yes, one of my World
War II ships was a
1944 Destroyer Escort
that saw action in the
Philippines. My son,
who is dentist, asked
if he could display
it, under glass, in his
office. I gave it to him.
Shortly after we made
the transfer, to my son's
amazement, one of his
patients excitedly told
him that he was a US Navy veteran who served
on that ship during the war. It brought back
many memories to him.
IF ANY OF OUR READERS WOULD LIKE TO
EXPLORE THIS HOBBY, IS THERE SOME PLACE
WHERE THEY COULD SELECT A MODEL TO
BUILD AND GET SOME GUIDANCE?
The kits were purchased from two hobby
shops: one located in Searsport, Maine, and
the second on Willis Avenue in Mineola.
Alicia’s unique art
The Charles W. Morgan Whaling Ship.
Alicia’s elegant Victorian lady Started 1999, completed 2002
4 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ May 2019