Italian Catholic Online (ICO): Please tell us a bit about the club’s origins.
Russ Gumina (RG): The Salesian Boys’ Club was founded in 1918 by Father Oreste Trincheri, a Salesian priest who was assigned to Sts. Peter and Paul Church in the North Beach section of San Francisco. Father Trincheri was born in Barge (a town in the province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy) on June 2, 1885.
ICO: The Club was founded in the spirit of St. John Bosco to address the trouble that many young boys were getting into. Please tell us about the challenge that Father Trincheri faced.
RG: In the early 1900’s the juvenile delinquency rate in the North Beach District of San Francisco was one of the highest in the city. Once the Club was formed, that rate dropped dramatically and continued to drop with each ensuing year. After a few short years, the North Beach District of San Francisco was hailed as one of the safest places to live in San Francisco.
ICO: Please describe the ethnic makeup of the North Beach area when the Club was founded. Also, were most residents poor at that time?
RG: The Club was predominantly Italian from 1917 until 1960. Many of the children were from poor Italian immigrant families. According to Father Armand Olivieri, there were also fairly strong Irish and Spanish-speaking contingents – hence Guadalupe Church and St. Francis Church in North Beach. Sts. Peter and Paul Church was the Italian parish.
ICO: From which parts of Italy did the inhabitants of the neighborhood come?
RG: North Beach had a strong Sicilian flavor in the early 1900’s. There were, however, immigrants from every province of Italy.
ICO: What attracted the Italian immigrants to North Beach?
RG: Italians were attracted to San Francisco because of the opportunity to get a job. There was a strong fishing industry, and jobs were also available in the California mines and railroad. Because there were so many Italians in North Beach, immigrants used their Italian connections to get work.
ICO: According the Club’s website, lawyers, doctors, priests and other fine young men were products of the Club. Do you have any stories of particular individuals you may be able to share?
RG: Joe Alioto was a lawyer who literally grew up at the Club and went on to become a famous corporate attorney. He later ran for public office and became mayor of San Francisco. Athletes Joe DiMaggio, Gino Cimoli, and Fred Scolari frequented the Club when they were boys and went on to become professional athletes. Fred Scolari became Executive Director of the Salesian Boys’ Club in 1957 after he had retired from professional basketball. He was an All-Pro player that played and coached in the NBA for nine years. Gino Cimoli played about the same number of years in the majors. He played for a number of major league baseball teams. Joe Di Maggio needs no introduction. He, however, did not frequent the Club as regularly as did Cimoli and Scolari. He was married at Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Many of the people who now serve on the Club’s Board of Directors either went through the Club or had children who went through the Club. Many of them have become very successful business people and want to give back to an organization that has meant so much to them.
ICO: What types of activities attracted young boys to the Club during its early years?
RG: The activities at the Club were varied. In the early years, there was a strong emphasis on “the arts”. The Club’s first Executive Director, Angelo Fusco, encouraged boys to play musical instruments (he conducted a large orchestra), participate in plays and musical revues. He brought boys to the opera, the symphony, and musical productions. There was also a strong emphasis on athletics and school related activities. There were teams in baseball and basketball. Boys were asked to write for the Club newspaper and participate in the book and stamp clubs. Members were also brought to camp every year in the Santa Cruz Mountains. As mentioned already, as soon as the Club was formed the juvenile delinquency rate began to fall. Boys now had something to do after school and during the summer months. The “Salesian Preventative Method” advocates keeping the kids busy so they will stay out of trouble.
ICO: Did Father Trincheri have the aid of many volunteers and/or workers to help him in his endeavor?
RG: The Club has always thrived on using volunteers. In fact, that is part of the Salesian philosophy – getting the older kids (college and older high school kids) to supervise and mentor the younger children. Even today the Club uses that philosophy. We have approximately 1,000 members in the Club today and have only four full-time staff people. We have five college students who we send to the University of San Francisco on full scholarship. In return for their scholarship, they volunteer at the Club during the school year. We also have parents who coach teams for us and have a very active Mothers and Fathers’ Club.
ICO: How did the parents and neighborhood residents respond to the Club? Were they supportive of Fr. Trincheri initially?
RG: The early Italian parents looked at the Club as a home away from home for their children. In many instances, both the husband and wife were forced to work to make ends meet. The Club then became a safe haven for their children. Father Trincheri and his successors were considered father figures for the boys.
ICO: Were young boys given catechesis in the Catholic faith while attending the Club in addition to the other activities?
RG: Catechism was taught in the parish by the Holy Name Sisters and Presentation nuns. I can remember very vividly, however, Fr. Larry Bryne hearing Confessions at the Club and teaching us about St. John Bosco. Even though no one was restricted from attending the Club, there was always a strong Catholic influence.
ICO: Is the Club still linked to Sts. Peter and Paul Church in any way?
RG: Yes, the Club is considered the youth program for the parish. Although we do not receive any funding from the Church, we are on their property and pay no rent. The Club’s Board of Directors raises in excess of $650,000 annually to pay for its programs.
ICO: San Francisco gets a lot of attention in the press for being what one would consider a “liberal” city. While you can’t slap a label on everybody, there seems to be strong support coming out of this city for gay marriage and for abortion rights. If what the rest of America is told about San Francisco is true, then how are the Club and Sts. Peter and Paul Church able to stand strong for the Catholic faith in such an atmosphere? Has the Club or the parish come under protest or verbal attack by pro-choice or pro-homosexual groups for their fidelity to the Catholic Church?
RG: You are correct in assuming that San Francisco is a very liberal city. In 1994, the church’s pastor, Father John Malloy, a Salesian priest, took a strong stance against same-sex marriage. He also championed the “West Coast Walk for Life” in San Francisco and played a major role in its success. Today, the West Coast Walk for Life event is stronger than ever and is backed by the Archdiocese as well. Many of the participants who come from all over the Bay Area are put up in the parish (our auditorium, the Club) so that they can participate. The Club has not had any repercussions for their stance. We are looked at as a Catholic organization and, as such, are entitled to our beliefs.
ICO: Does the neighborhood still have a sizeable Italian-American population? What other ethnic groups are prevalent in the area? Have young boys (and now girls) of other ethnic backgrounds taken advantage of the Club? Has the Club been a source of unity between people of different backgrounds?
RG: Even though the neighborhood does not have a sizeable Italian-American population, it still maintains its Italian flavor. All the restaurants in North beach are still predominantly Italian, and the Church and Club are still looked at as Italian strongholds. The Club has an Old Timers Dinner every year on the first Monday in May that attracts 500 men and women, most of whom are Italian. The membership of the Club today is diversified and reflects the make-up of the city. I would guess that our membership is about 30 percent Caucasian, 30 per cent Asian, 15 percent Hispanic, 10 percent African-American, and 5 percent other. The thing I pride myself the most on today is the fact that the children get along so well with each other. We insist that the children respect one another’s ethnic background.
ICO: Did you attend the Club as a young boy? If so, what are your fondest memories of the Club?
RG: I joined the Club when I was six years of age and have never left. The Club was a second home for me. Executive Director Fred Scolari took me under his wing and mentored me as I was growing up. I was a wonderful athlete and honed my skills at the Club under Fred’s tutelage. I attended the University of San Francisco on an athletic scholarship and was drafted by the Boston Celtics when I graduated. I actually tried out and made the team but opted to come home and attend law school instead. Several years later, in 1969, Fred Scolari asked me to come to work for him at the Club and I have been here ever since. I worked as an assistant to Fred until he retired in 1988, which is when I became the Executive Director. My fondest memories at the Club were playing sports, attending summer camp, going on ski trips and outings, and becoming part of the Club’s supervisor team.
ICO: What changes have you witnessed during your time at the Club?
RG: The first thing I did when I took over was to start the process of including girls in the program. The Club officially became the Salesian Boys’ & Girls’ Club in 1994. Other than that, the Club has remained pretty constant. We still do a lot of the things we did years ago, only to different children. We have obviously kept up with the times and have added computer-related programs, a tutorial program, and, more recently, a performing arts program. We still hold true to Don Bosco’s “Preventative System” and try to provide programs that will keep the children occupied and off the streets. Last year we awarded over $200,000 in financial assistance to members who attended private schools.
ICO: To which part(s) of Italy do you trace your roots? Did your family come directly to San Francisco from the old country?
RG: Actually, I am full-blooded Sicilian. My mother was a Tarantino and my father a Gumina. Their families both came from a small town in Sicily called Sant’ Elia (located about 45 minutes south of Palermo). My father was born in Sant' Elia and came here when he was 26 years old. My mother was born in San Francisco. Her parents, however, came from Sant’ Elia in the late 1800’s. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a fisherman, as was my father.
ICO: Does the Club have any major plans for the future?
RG: My immediate goal is to buy a piece of property to build our own campsite and retreat center. I have been working on this for several years now and hopefully will find something soon. As a matter of fact, I am looking at a piece of property in Petaluma, CA on Monday.
