Love Story: Carmela and Joseph Amico

Carmela "Millie" Amico of Valley Stream recalls the day she finally met her husband, Joseph.

In the 1940s when I was a teenager, my family built a bungalow in Bay Shore. Back then, Bay Shore was a small country town, distant from our Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, neighborhood, in both miles and character, and a nice break from the bustle of the city.

Joe's family lived in Jamaica, Queens, and also had a bungalow in Bay Shore. Our dads took the same train to work. Though I knew his family, I didn't meet Joe until the summer of 1951.

I was 24 and working as a chemist at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan. During the week I'd drive my father to the rail station to catch the 5 a.m. train and zip past red lights to get home and back in bed for a few minutes before I got ready for my 7 a.m. train. Joe also commuted to Manhattan, but we didn't meet on the train.

We finally met the day I drove my father, Angelo, to visit Joe's father, Giuseppe, at their house. I stayed for a softball game, and we started talking. Joe, 27, had served in the Navy during World War II as an air traffic controller in Hawaii. We hadn't met sooner because he didn't always come out to Bay Shore.

A week later I invited him to join me at a barbecue. We found out very quickly that we were meant for each other and started dating.

A favorite stop for us was Entenmann's Bakery, then a small shop on Main Street. We also drove out to Riverhead in his red Pontiac convertible with the top down.

When summer ended we continued dating. A month later, Joe told me the ride from Jamaica to Brooklyn was getting to be a bit much. He said, "You know, I think I may have to marry you," to which I replied, "You better had!"

On Nov. 25, 1951, three months from the day we met, we married in St. Bernadette's Catholic Church in Brooklyn and celebrated at the Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn Heights. Guests enjoyed a feast, beginning with ravioli -- like many good Italian meals -- followed by turkey, though I still regret serving that so soon after Thanksgiving.

In 1955, we moved to Valley Stream. We have three children and seven grandchildren. Joe retired in 2000 as superintendent and chief envelope machine adjuster at Commercial Envelope Manufacturing after working there for more than 50 years.

We have traveled to Italy, Spain and Portugal and enjoy spending time in Florida. Last year we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary with our children and grandchildren, friends and several nieces and nephews at a restaurant. Plenty of ravioli was served, but no turkey!