FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com APRIL 10, 2014 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 A celebration a century in the making BY LIAM LA GUERRE [email protected]/@liamlaguerre Woodrow Wilson was president, Babe Ruth played his fi rst professional game and the world’s fi rst transcontinental telephone line was established, the year Maria Regina Lucarelli was born. Lucarelli, a resident of Brandywine Senior Living at the Savoy in Little Neck, will turn 100 years old on Sunday, April 13, and she will have a birthday party at the senior home to celebrate her experiences during the last century. To reach the century mark, Lucarelli didn’t have to rely on a fountain of youth or a special anti-aging potion. Her advice to younger people is to just take it easy. “You let each day go with whatever happens,” she said. “Go with the fl ow.” Lucarelli’s life has been a wild ride through some of history’s darkest moments, including World Wars I and II and the Great Depression, as she struggled to achieve the “American Dream.” Lucarelli was born in Toritto, Italy, in 1914. As a child, she traveled with her parents to America, where she completed junior high school and learned English. Eventually, she moved back to Italy to settle down and help her family during the Great Depression. In 1947, she married Filippo Lucarelli, a conductor and musician, and the pair had two daughters in Italy. In 1953, when the family decided to board a ship to move to America permanently, the couple learned at the last minute that Filippo’s papers weren’t in order. She went alone and he remained in Italy with the children. Initially, the problem with Filippo’s papers should have taken a few weeks to fi x, but ended up splitting the family up for about seven months, becoming the most devastating period of Lucarelli’s life. “That was the biggest obstacle I think my mother and father had to face,” said Lucarelli’s daughter, Chiara THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Brandywine Senior Living will host a century birthday party for Maria Regina Lucarelli Ceglian. “I just can’t imagine the heartache that everyone felt at that time.” After the family was reunited, they lived in a small apartment near Gramercy Park in Manhattan, where the rent was a bargain at $50 a month. In America, Lucarelli used her skills as a seamstress to become a fashion designer working for department stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. She also mended clothes for private clients, “saving every penny” she earned, Ceglian said. After Lucarelli gave birth to her fi nal daughter, the family moved to a house in Long Island with a relative. Then Lucarelli used her savings to buy her own house in Long Island, where she remained until she retired. Her daughters are hosting her century birthday party, but cake and drinks aren’t on Lucarelli’s mind these days. “I made it through the bad,” said Lucarelli, who is a great-grandmother of two. “I’m happy to be alive.” Spring is blooming with great rates. BestRate 1.00% Checking APY2 On balances of $5,000 or more 1.00% 24-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit Plus, get up to $1503 when you open a new checking account. At Flushing Bank, we’re small enough to know you and large enough to provide you with the great rates you’re looking for. Hurry, an offer like this can’t last forever. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New Accounts and new money only. APY effective February 25, 2014. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. For IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $1,000. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. 2 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. The APY is effective March 1, 2013. The annual percentage yield (APY) for BestRate Checking is 1.00% and will remain in effect for 90 days after account opening. At the end of this 90-day period the rate will revert to 0.60% and rate may change at any time without notice. You must maintain a daily balance of $5,000 for the statement cycle to receive the disclosed yield and to avoid the monthly maintenance fee of $10. A daily balance below $5,000 will be assessed a lower Annual Percentage Yield. Fees may reduce earnings. 3 New accounts and new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. This offer is limited to one checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new checking account is $100. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $75 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25 or more. Online Banking Bill-payments OR Direct Deposit – You will receive $75 for completing 5 online banking bill-payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal OR signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more. Each online bill-pay must be $25 or more. Tax refund checks do not qualify as direct deposit. Online Bill-payments, Debit Card Purchases and Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $150. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about 75 days after the account is opened. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more information. All offers are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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