Burke kept records of the work, most of which he completed himself and financed the through the sale of his business, the Tidewater Inn. Aug. 16, 1954 - February 25, 2023 Loving and loyal husband, father, brother, uncle, great uncle and friend. Because Evelyn didnt like the house, his wife. And so shes got the bridge, and it costs money. It was gorgeous and very ornatewas very, very much like Greek Revival. So I went down and I just went around and everything I seenall the stuff you see hanging in this house, most of it come from me going around and wheeling and dealing in, you might as well say, the black market. Born in the Province of Pola, Italy, "George" settled in the Bronx. But how many people really have a sense of history anymore? I restored all those buildings down in Tottenville, all those great old buildings. Daller: I mean, that big wrap-around porch that went all the way around the house. Burke: Theyll come in, but youll have to have somebody as a guide. And they would give me all kinds of beautiful little carved objects and things that would be carved out of the whales teeth or. But the upper story of the house was two more floors. They cant do anything. They really dont know what history is all about. The kitchen was never in the basement. Yes, that was all Scalamandr. People: Mario Buatta, Luis Caizares, Linda Daller, John Krawchuck, James and Kathleen Pistilli, Adriana Scalamandr, John Scalia, Elizabeth Bess Seguine Aug, Joseph Seguine, Organizations: Friends of the Seguine Mansion, Historic House Trust, House of Scalamandr, NYC Departments of Parks and Recreation, Sherwin-Williams, U.S. Air Force, Places: Annandale, Hammersmith College, Port Richmond, Old Bermuda Inn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Seguine Mansion, St. George, Staten Island, Tidewater Inn, Tottenville, The New York Preservation Archive Project. It would have been spectacular but greed set in, and thats what they did. Sign up for NYPAP mailings and our Newsletter to stay up-to-date. The columns werent square wooden ones, like these, they were beautiful fluted ones with all the Corinthian leaves on the tops of them and all that stuff. Staten Island, Brooklyn, New York, Kings, Long Island, and New Jersey (718) 966-7800 So I said, Well, Bess, if youre interested in doing it, Im interested in doing it.. Well, Bess, and my brothers wife, Evelyn, never got along. Burke: Well, I was always an antique collector. He moved into the house shortly after the sale, and worked from the basement to the roof, and outwards throughout the grounds and stables, to complete the restoration. Burke: Yes, I paid off this house. Because she would always want her bottle of booze. Prince Edward Island. So finally, I think, the old lady died, didnt she? Developers. I know the Port Richmond store you just bought. Q: Thank you for that story. This was in the East Bronx, this was on 167th and College Avenue. And it was actually three stories high. Well, he didnt want the bull with the little girl. Q: Can you tell me about the ghost in that house? So while I used to work then with them, and then I decided, this is not for me. This the expensive piece of property! They sold it to the developers. That was the most beautiful mansion. That was the mansion. Its some very wealthy unknown-known person who was there. New York obituaries and death notices, 1986 to rent. That was gorgeous. So I rented the apartment next door, and I broke a hole in the wall. She lived up on Lighthouse Hill. And he wanted to retire and he gave his son the business. And Bill moved in, and he stayed there for quite a while. And it was very much built like this house. Daller: What about the coat? 174 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10075Phone: (212) 988-8379 | Fax: (212) 537-5571Contact Us: info@nypap.org. Oh, God, I worked so damn hard. Daller: So can you imagine a three room apartment filled to the brim with antiques? Because look how long the war went, and England had nothing. And I never had timesometimes Id be sleeping on the pool table there because I just couldnt leave! And then, on the side of the house in the back, there was a little piece built out. Daller: Oh, thats exactlyI mean, because that was the reason for getting a board, was to also help get things done. Burke: Well, I dont know if people will ever realize in years and years to come that I saved so much, but they did give me a plaque for restoration. I, being the youngest, of course, seeing everybody growing up. But that was a condo. And their mansion, the White people that owned SS White, the White family, owned right across the creek, there, where the Captains Quarters [private development] are. Burke is joined in this interview by his niece, Linda Daller. Q: So about this house, I wanted to ask about the Friends of the Seguine Mansion. I mean, I could do a little woodwork, but I wasnt a carpenter. Burke: I was thinking about getting a big home, having a home, and what I would want in itthe paintings, what kind of furniture, carpets, everything. Theres too much business going on here. So were talking about this and talking about this. Put a candle right in the middle of that floor and go take a walk. [laughs] He called it the one-candle house. That was her name. Q: Andif this is something that you cant discuss, let me knowbut, for example, if you decide to repaint, like you did in this room, is that something that the board fundraises for? Because thats what I bought with the money. Daller: Well he formed that, thats the board. Hes the man that built the house. Burke - 1 - 2 and grew up 90% of my time on Staten Island until I became old enough and I joined the military. Burke: Oh, it was a relationship over whole period. They cant develop it. Q: and Linda Daller for the New York Preservation Archive Project. When I bought it, I didnt know what was that ones house. I was an interior designer. It was unbelievably gorgeous. It doesnt happen on the North Shore because were very condensed and its a dense population. So when I get out of the service, I got a job. Thats the only thing in the house left from the Seguines. Destroyed. All went into the landfill. And it became quite the place to be. Daller: No. I grew up loving it and always having it, and my mother was great with it. The stables were here for years. Thats the only thing people could bring. And that went for years. Yes, Mrs. Mackey. And I would just would go around and Id just pick stuff up. Now what are you going to do with this? I lived in one room, for almost five years. I wanted to ask about the Equestrian Center. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. And I had a beautiful restaurant and a bar connected to it. And is there a way where, according to how you would like the house to be maintainedwould everything stay in its place? Daller: Its life estate that he has. And I gave that, I thinkI dont know if I gave it to Bess. Those stables? Lets stay friends. So, Id do that. And finally their husbands were getting pissed at them, because they were never home, they were always here. That wasyou probably dont rememberthere was this great big factory right down here, built on the beach. The Seguine Mansion, also known as The Seguine-Burke Mansion, is located on Lemon Creek near the southern shore of Staten Island. Q: And will the board continue and play a role in in that? And then you could walk under the porch out into the garden. And he asked me would I be interested in working for him out here on Staten Island. Devoted father of Matthew I. Burke, Jason L. Burke, and Georgina P. Burke, all of Hull. My sister, Frances, got me a nice little apartment in the Bronx, right next to her. Burke: But what were we going into before I got into the architecture? The developers came in with bulldozersbulldozed that mansion, bulldozed the stables. Burke: I think, what was left of it, the sons moved to California and they opened up a Scalamandr in California. Daller: Well, he said, he felt that house had spirits in it. Burke: You want it from the first day I was born in the hospital across the street? With that old fabric, theres enough to make drapes for one window. I cant think ofdoesnt matter, the name of the people. Burke: Anyway, she was well known here on Staten Island. They cant just say, The doors are open for anybody, just walk in! Somebody will walk in, and say, Oh, I like those chairs, pick them up, and take them, and theyll be gone. [laughs] But, itll be here. I think so. And Luis Caizares painted that. But it doesnt work that way. She was on TV complaining about it. And in the meantime, I made a couple of little investments and they turned out very well for me. And I went around and we all hadyou were only allowed to buy two bottles of wine and a bottle of whiskey, or something. So, thats it, I said, to hell with it. I said to him, Are you kidding? I found these here on Staten Island in somebodys basement! Of course, nothings there. And I often wondered what happened to that brooch because I gave it to Bess. But the only thing was it was too small. And I always used to say, Wonder who lives there! and so forth and so on. Wantagh, Seaford . And I saved quite a bit of money. What are we gonna do here? So he said, Well, I really love doing this, George. And I said, Okay, John, thats fine. Oh, we were crabbing. But that was the cistern for doing all the laundry and everything in the basement. Tell me when you want me to start. Because it was a big roof, like this, and then the gutters run around. So there wasnt a lot of time spent here. And I wanted these little chairs tufted but he had passed away before he could get around to tuft. After Burke returned to Staten Island, he purchased and restored two houses and an old restaurant and bar before he was contacted by Bess Seguine in 1981, who had inherited the then-deteriorated Seguine Mansion. So if this can remain a part of the history, thatll be great for people to appreciate. What a shame. I went to grammar school and high school here. From last time I saw it, it looked like it needed a bulldozer! She said, No, no, no. She said, you can save it. And I didnt realize it because I was always working. Theyre all gone. Burke: Yes, there was a little man in New Jersey. Before he died, thats what he was. But those things, I couldnt. The mansion was gorgeous! Was her name Mackey? And getting an American Dollar from being in the service, getting my payeven though it wasnt that muchbut at that time, over there, it was worth a fortune. Burke: Yes. Burke: One was a necklace with a heart on it. And my other sisternow, of course shes passed awaybut now her daughter took it, and the daughter gave it to her daughter. [laughs]. And I went from room to room and it took me a couple of years, didnt it? Burke: Let me think of how all that started. Ticonderoga. Its just a shame. Is there anything, you think? And I loved it. They were great. Did you know that from? If you want to come in a business with me, John, lets make into a beautiful restaurant. So he said, Okay, Ive never owned a restaurant, but Id be willing to try it, George. So I said, Well, John, youre gonna have to put a lot of money in it because you have all the money, as being who you are. George Burke. I should really do something to save it. And it just was luck that I had just sold a real estate deal and made a lot of money. Mom, you own the house, you own at least part of it, or half of it. And I just got a call from all my lady friends saying that my house is falling apart. So it shows you that you have a friend forever. I open the door to the parlor. Tell us about when you were born? Daller: But it feels like home. Q: What grabbed your eye? And Id go downtown and Id wheel and deal for a bottle of whiskey. And in the basement, I put the kitchen and a dining area and everything. And one day, I was sitting in the dining room. And Diane said, Oh, Marian has it.. The roof was shot because the old guy that was caretaker here, he used to walk around on the roof and watch all the boats in the harbor. So Walter was re-stationed to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Q: Was it Mario that suggested the life tenancy agreement? And how people went along with them, I dont know either. Daller: At least the property itself, because when you stood outside, I mean, you couldnt see anything. And a couple of my friends came as bartenders for me. I spent enough time breaking my back. And that was it. All the way to the Great Kills Harbor. They couldnt. And the people that lived there, they got a little too old to stay there. It was a mess of a mess. And he and his wife, Adriana, they retired and moved to Florida. He was born here. And thats what I called out for was help. So it didnt matter. And I was in the medical department, worked in the operating room. The house is haunted, she said, if youre interested in it, George, heres the key to the front door, you go. And as I said, there was a big flight of stairs that went up and a big porch across the whole front of the house. And, minute he bought the house, did a little work in it, put it right up for sale. Wed go down through the junk yards and whatnot. And then I decided Id get involved again with things that are going on. Burke: Okay. Youre working too hard. Burke: Oh, when I was a kid, we lived in Annandale. Ill help renovate it, fix it up and such. And thats what we did. So that makes sense. I mean, lets face it. I did everything. Kathleen graduated from St. Peter's Girls High School in 1962. And the porch, I dont thinkone end of it, you wouldnt dare walk on because the whole thing would have collapsed. Q: Is there somebody in particular that you work with for reupholstery or restorations? Its empty. I dont think anythings missing? And they said, Oh my god, George, what are you Oh, and who else was that? Q: Was it a similar style? Troy. Burke: Yes. I said, Where are you? She said, Well, I moved out years ago and went back to Georgia. But this is too much for you, George. I fixed it up. And I had beautiful big pieces of Meissen that I got when I was in Germany, and it all went here and there andI cant get it back. They were all along the waterfront here. And if you went around with Mario Buatta, that was like going with the President of the United States. Now, this is a portrait of Joseph Seguine. I found a beautiful place in Tottenville and I opened it and called it the Tidewater Inn. I slept in it, lived in it, ate in it. That was a shame. Theyre going out for the garbage. I said, No, no, no, Im trying to take them. So I took them and I had them all redone and reupholstered, and here they are. Burke: But I forgot what the other two things where. So when he left the apartment and came to Staten Island, things started to move back into different sisters again until he was ready to relocate it again. There isnt a room he doesnt go into. George James Manger , 100, of Staten Island died on May 4, 2022. In my early twenties? Burke: Oh, I forgot about that. Cohasset crypto case: Everything court documents reveal. I got one or two things out of it. Oh, that was the ghost in Tottenville. Loving son of Joan (Perry) Burke of Plymouth and the late George W. Burke. They didnt have it six months and they went under. So a lot of the things that you acquired to furnish the house were in poor condition, and then you have them reupholstered and restored. Betsy P. Thompson East Greenbush, New York. And through all the years that the old lady had this woman taking care of her, the lilacs were always in bloomwhen they were in bloom, they were in the house. Id come back up and I could still smell it in the hallway. More beautiful than peoples houses. So I said to her, I said Bess, the only thing Ill save your house is a bulldozer! Theyd come out and Id say, Look, I can get you this. And I never got along with her that much because everything I wanted to do, she said, No, no, no, I dont like that. Burke: After I had the house, then I got the big pieces of furniture. Big fluted columns with big Corinthian capitals on them. Yes, of course, they could eat all the grass. Burke: Oh, its in beautiful condition because the guy I told you, Jimmy Pistilli, he had it landmarked. And I think we can end there. He was from Central America somewhere, and he just believed in everything had to be right. But I dont remember seeing the main house. He had the military ship the items back to family members in New York City, a perk of military service that made moving his collection back to the States possible. And I took the money. Because he paid for the entire outside himself. They gave me the fabric and they did it and such. And they added this big dining room to the other side of the house. They just couldnt handle it. I was And then the people that moved out left a bunch of old furniture, and these were the two that they left. You made enough money. Brooklyn Births: 1898-1909 Deaths: 1847-53, 1857-1948 Marriages: 1866-1949 *Pre-1898 records are for Brooklyn city only. I put the post on it up under the floor where the newer posts in the staircase was upstairs, and then, when I took the jack away, it sat on the post. All the grounds, the stables, everythingthey cant change a thing. Burke: Its never finished! And then when I went looking for myhis name was Joinerand everybody was saying, Well, Sergeant Joiner is leaving, Sergeant Joiner is leaving. And I never thought much of it. So that had the outside kitchen. Eric. So this house tells a particular story, a long history, but it cant tell the history of the other houses because they were so different. And what they did is they bought a whole fleet of old taxis. So I picked up this one building that had a little old bar next to it. I dont know if it ever took off. It wasnt fair to him to keep paying for it. A lot of the windows were broken out of it. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. So thats where I got most of the stuff thats here in the house today. So I bought it. Lots of photos, costs, everything. So, I dont know. People didnt want it because it had such a reputation as being haunted. My father was in the political-end, and he was in Borough Hall and everything like that. Utica. Theyre deciding they want to build, so they tear down and build. She spent most of her life as a homemaker. Q: And so, what sort of vision do you have for, you know, the next the next forty years, for how the grounds are maintained and how. You got to get out. So we moved to Florida. And then when you could see the house, it was a goddamn mess. They were the Mackeys. And I had more bargains from Mrs. Murphy. And right there in front of the windows was a coffin with all the flowers around it and everything. And we used to say, Wow, wonder who lives there? Q: So well have audio recording and a transcript for researchersand Ill remove those names that you mentioned, Linda. She said shell keep the doors locked and call Linda if anybody wants to get in and take anything out. Scarpaci Funeral Home of Staten Island LLC. 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