Ciccio is a affectionate term, pronounced *Chiccio' as 'Ch' is pronounced with 'Chee'
If you go to a real Italian Restaurant like Maurizio's Trattoria and you call out 'Ciccio' all of the staff will turn around including the owner, and my brotha from anotha mutha, Maurizio Carbone.
This week I took a couple of parties there, I invited and they gracefully accepted, Frank Scatoni and Frank Tate.
Frank Tate and I go back to the 90s, we were handicapping buddies, competitors and ran a series of seminars all across Southern California and Las Vegas.
'Tater' and I always had mucho respect for each other, he was real fun to hang out, he has an infectious smile and character. He made it fun to talk horses.
I have to say that Frank had to work with me, I was wild in my youth at Del Mar, and Frank bore the brunt, like the weekend I stayed with him at his house and he got up one morning to find me and a future playboy bunny sleeping on his couch.
Frank Tate is an outstanding handicapper, we always disagreed about one thing and one thing alone, the pronouncing 'Route' vs 'Route', it's like I say D'Amato and you say D'Amato.
Every body loves Frank Tate, he is very easy to like in an industry that mostly blasts every one else. Tater' is an awesome human being.
No you won't find Tater' on social media "I ain't got time for that nonsense'' he said at dinner.
Tate is as good as it gets but he has one equal, Frank Scatoni, yes a paisano.
Frank used to frequent the press box starting in the 90s with author, the late, Bill Murray, no not that Bill Murray, the Bill Murray that wrote racing novels with the likes of classic "Tip on a dead crab''
Frank Scatoni found a niche with Del Mar, in twitter handle @ScatoniSureShots
Scatoni is also a wonderful writer as well, but neither Tate or Scatoni liked Calamari, one of the wonderful appetizers at Maurizio's.
That is the beauty of Del Mar for me, I have had chances to reconnect with friends and personalities I grew to appreciate and love for over 25 years of being at Del Mar, have had dinner with David Lanzman, 'Squirtle Squirt', Breeders Cup Sprint winner, owner, Christopher Podratz, one of the top Tournament players in the country, Steve Nagler, former head of HRTV, and longtime friend. Everybody loves Maurizio's and it is the place to go during Del Mar, recently, while visiting Maurizio on a Saturday night, Jose Valdivia, jr, and Laffit Pincay at a table in the corner, Felix Taverna, radio personality was working the room, The Chosen Vron owner was in attendance. While I was there with Tater' and Scatoni Michael McCarthy, trainer, came in with his family, we made sure he got a great table, and has walked he out he exclaimed 'See you at Churchill, Bruno!'.
Tate, Scatoni and myself, enjoyed talking racing, especially my experiences on the East Coast, where Tater' proudly announced "I have never been to a racetrack outside California.
My man 'Tater'!
Tater' was known in our seminars for identifying new trainers he didn't know with 'Who's this Clown?' in a jokingly manner.
The voice of reason is Frank Scatoni, he is level headed and thinks things thru unlike 'Tater and I, who often blurt out ridiculousness.
I don't break bread with anyone, willingly. I am picky, if anyone knows Italian heritage views breaking bread as a religious and bonding experience.
Maurizio is always around, and interjecting in our conversations, he even brought over his I-pad to highlight his bad beats in the pick 5s that day.
Del Mar is all about comraderie, playing the horses and having fun after, the North County of San Diego is as great as they say. I always sit outside at Maurizios, the view is incredible.
I even got a chance to have dinner with one of my oldest friends, Dave Seitz and his lovely wife Kathy. Dave and I were undercover partners in downtown San Diego for three years. I hired him, he came in as a student from SDSU and promptly told me in his interview 'I only want to do this thru college, he ended up making it a career, landing, eventually a job running the security for Disney land.
Dave and I made about 1500 to 2000 arrests together, in the three years, Dave and I have a great connection, we knew how to handle situations and when they got rough, we watched each others back, he was bitten once, I was thrown down stairs off the 2nd floor at Horton Plaza, destroying my ankle and necessitating surgery to rebuild my ligaments, thats relationship builder.
My favorite one was a chase thru Seaport Village in the pouring rain thru traffic after the culprit took a swing at Dave. We dragged the guy back despite his crying he had a broken nose, when we booked him his only ID was a prison release form. He had just gotten out.
Dave's training taught him some valuable lessons as Kathy told a story that one night, Dave was up late and a big man with tattoos knocked on the door at 3 am.
Dave went out and talked to him, fearless, despite Kathy frowning upon his desire to help.
Dave ended up driving the man to a hotel as his car had broken down. That's who Dave is.
Dave is very dear to me, he got sick about 25 years ago and although he has recovered he needs constant medical assistance, for years we went to San Diego Chargers game, I would push his wheelchair and get some great seats.
Dave and Kathy are family.
In contrast to being out on the East Coast, i have a life here outside of racing, family, friends, a support group. We all need that and after all how many times can I say that, Frank Tate, Frank Scatoni and myself are all Ciccios, as my middle name is Francesco, 'Ciccio.
Three Ciccio's at Maurizio's, who knew?
