Some of my favorite aspects of historical research are the surprising detours that inevitably take you veering off your original course. For example, while researching the New York Times (1851-2007) catalog on Proquest Historical Newspapers for information on Greenwich House founder and longtime director Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch, I came across a couple of articles featuring a man named Frank Gullino. Stopping for a moment to read these articles, I discovered that Frank was a student at the Greenwich House’s music school as a child and went on to become a violinist in the New York Philharmonic.
Before I talk more about Frank, however, let me tell you a little bit more about Greenwich House. Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch founded the settlement house in 1902 at 26 Jones Street. Greenwich House moved to 46 Barrow St in 1913. At the time, this area of Greenwich Village was largely composed of Italian immigrants. One of the house’s original aims was to reduce the infant mortality rate, but Simkhovitch also prioritized certain cultural and technical skills for slightly older children.
In her memoir, Neighborhood; My Story of Greenwich House, Simkhovitch talks about her experiences with a music school at the College Settlement on 95 Rivington St in 1897. She writes, “It is said that one child practiced on one end of the piano and another on the other end. At any rate, violin lessons soon overflowed into the basement hall…The neighborhood avidly responded to the opportunity.” [1] Thus, early on in her settlement work in New York City, Simkhovitch saw firsthand the community love and appreciation for children’s music lessons. At Greenwich House, Simkhovitch increased the arts programs for children. In addition to a music school begun in 1913, she also implemented a pottery school, a woodworking school, and a children’s theatre. [2]
On December 4, 1929, a new music school was dedicated at Greenwich House. John Erksine, professional musician and then head of Juilliard Musical Foundation, said that music was “…a social force binding the community together, and one community to another, more closely than any other language at our command.” [3] These statements mirrored Simkhovitch’s own beliefs, and indeed the sentiments of many of the community members. Indeed, at a 1956 benefit for the music school a former school director talked about many an Italian mother who “surrendered her last dollar for her son’s lessons,” and quoted a parent as saying, “‘My children must have music as they must have bread.’” [4] Greenwich House provided both.
The music school aimed to give neighborhood children an opportunity to experience and learn classical music; however, the school was not trying to train professional musicians. Its aims, as stated above, were rather to bring the community together through music. One of the school’s students who played at the Music School’s dedication had bigger plans. That student was Frank Gullino.
Emanuele Gullino, Frank’s father, emigrated from Sinagra, Sicily to the United States on May 27, 1914. [5] He was 28 and single at the time, but two years later married an Italian woman named Mary. That same year, in 1916, Frank Gullino was born. His sister, Adriana, arrived a year later. I first came upon the Gullino family in the 1930 federal census. From the census I learned that the family lived on 116 Christopher St, mostly with other Italian and Italian-American families. Emanuele worked as a presser at a clothes shirt factory. Both parents could speak English, but spoke Italian in the home. They were also literate, and both teenage children were enrolled in school. [6] Actually, Frank and Adriana had probably been in school for a number of years because Greenwich House offered pre-K and Kindergarten programs and students were allowed to take classes in the various arts schools at any age, according to their interests. Frank showed an early passion and talent for the violin and gave his first recital at nine years old.
By the time he showed up on the federal census, at age 14, he was leading a chamber-music group. Just two years later, he became concertmaster of the New York Civic Symphony. And, at age 17, Frank auditioned for and was accepted by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. During the 1930s, Frank worked with New Deal arts groups, such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and performed at concerts in Brooklyn and Manhattan. By the time 1942 rolled around, when he was 26, Frank joined the New York Philharmonic. He continued climbing the rungs, becoming assistant concertmaster in 1962, and associate concertmaster in 1971. He saved in the same capacity at the New Orleans Philharmonic from 1981-1986. His obituary appeared in the New York Times when he died of bladder cancer in 1988, at the age of 73. [7]
Though he became a national success, Frank Gullino never forgot where he first found the violin. In 1956, the Greenwich House hosted a concert in order to fundraise for its Camman Scholarship Fund. Just as he played at the Music School’s dedication in 1913, Frank was on hand to play at this concert many years later.
The Music School at Greenwich House functioned as an introduction to classical music for young children, most of who were first generation students in the United States. It sought to develop an appreciation of the arts amongst the community it worked with, but didn’t aim to develop world-class artists. That is why finding numerous articles on Frank Gullino excited me so much. At the 1913 dedication, John Erskine said that unlike conservatories, which only accepted students after arduous preparation, Greenwich House’s program, “…discover[s] talent at its source.” He went on to say that, “It is a tragedy that the gift of the average person for the arts is usually undeveloped.” [8] I think we can all agree that Frank Gullino was not the average person, but it is possible that without the Music School at Greenwich House Frank wouldn’t have discovered his love and ability for violin.
[1] Simkhovitch, Mary Kingsbury. Neighborhood: My Story of Greenwich House. W.W. Norton & Company: New York City. 1938. p. 61.
[2] http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/greenwich.html. Guide to the Greenwich House Records TAM 139 (R-7088). The Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Guides. New York University.
[3] “Erskine Views Music as Unifying Force.” New York Times (1923-Current file); Dec 5, 1929; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2007) with Index (1851-1993) pg. 35
[4] Berger, Meyer. “About New York: Philharmonic Violinist to Play at Village School That Gave Him His Start.” New York Times (1923-Current file); Feb 24, 1956; ProQuest pg. 21
[5] http://www.ellisisland.org. Port of New York Passenger Records Search.
[6] http://www.ancestry.com. 1930 Federal Census. New York City 1st Assembly District Block Number “G.”
[7] “Frank Gullino, 73, A Concert Violinist.” New York Times. Obituaries. July 19, 1988.
[8] “Erskine Views Music as Unifying Force.” New York Times (1923-Current file); Dec 5, 1929; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2007) with Index (1851-1993) pg. 35
Researching Greenwich Village History 