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Nominated name: COSIMO TUCCI LANE

Nominated by:
George Kourtis and Jack Tucci:

Suggested Location: City Lane Number: #3102
Described Location: Runs North-south from Oscar Ryan Lane and London Street, between Palmerston Ave. and Euclid Ave.

At Euclid Ave., looking east (Euclid Parkette) At Palmerston Ave., looking west.
Rationale and References:

I can remember living on Euclid Avenue in the 1970's as a young boy. Cosimo Tucci (Mr. Tucci to me at the time) was our neighbour. He was very friendly & helpful to us. Although my parents did not speak English very well at the time, they always understood what advice Cosimo had for them. My parents were always proud to say that they learned how to make tomato sauce from an Italian! Although they were both immigrants from the Mediterranean, Italians perfected sauce better than Greeks. My late father would always tell Cosimo that he had the sauce but we had the olive oil!

In 1975 my parents purchased our current family home on 761 Markham St. Even though we were only 3 street blocks away from our old neighbours it seemed much further. Through my teen years, I often found myself at the Tucci home after playing soccer or ball hockey. Our group of friends would be welcomed for a sandwich. I was always welcomed into their home & always valued the advice that Cosimo gave me.

In the early nineties my dad passed away and I found myself running the family business. My new daily routine had me waking up much earlier. For years I enjoyed seeing Cosimo walking his dog at Markham & Barton 6:30am every morning. There was no better way of starting my day than a friendly wave or a quick chat with him.

I think the naming of a lane for Cosimo Tucci gives great tribute to a hardworking, well respected family man. He was passionate about his work, his gardening & living in this great neighbourhood.

George Kourtis

My name is Jack Tucci and I live at 753 Euclid Ave. I am also a courier who serves the Seaton Village. I am a childhood friend of George and Bill from Kurtis Coffee. They explained to me the process of the naming of the Lanes. As a former member of Oliphant's Academy, I was extremely pleased and proud to see the naming of the William Oliphant Lane. George and Bill suggested that we could do the same for my late dad. I mentioned it to family and friends and the idea was received very well.

My dad was Cosimo Tucci. He arrived in Toronto from Calabria, Italy in 1953. My dad married my mom in 1960. The Seaton Village has been home to the Tucci family since their arrival to Canada. My parents helped bring many family members to Canada for a better life. Most of our family settled on Euclid Ave. Until this day, there are still several Tucci homes on Euclid Ave & in the Seaton Village. One of my dad's passions was gardening. Throughout the decades my dad shared his passion with his family & neighbours. Many received great tomatoes & lessons on how to grow their own vegetables from him. In the early years, sharing his passion with non-Italians helped him break the language barrier. His vegetable garden was his pride and joy. He shared his tomatoes, beans and cucumbers with many. A few that would come by weekly were Mr. Patrini, Mr. Rossi and Mr Gerivas. Dad did try to start gardens for his weekly guests but they said it wasn't the same. Dad was also the go to guy if you needed your fruit trees pruned.

Mum said dad would bring her homemade cookies to the homeless guys that made the "Euclid" Parkette their home. He made extra homemade wine so he could share with the neighbors and his colleagues. He would welcome new neighbors with a bottle of homemade wine and mummy's homemade cookies.

My dad worked for the City of Toronto from 1959-1994. He was forced to retire early with his 2 1/2 years' worth of unused sick days. My dad was proud to say that he had worked on the sewers and drain systems in our own neighbourhood. The staff at the City also valued his passion for gardening. He was often given a patch of unused land to grow some vegetables. After retirement, my dad enjoyed his days gardening. Unfortunately, we lost my dad in 2007 after a long battle to cancer.

This is a statue that the City of Toronto made of my dad gardening

As a spokesperson for my family, I can say that we would all be honoured if my dad was considered for a lane naming. My mom and the second generation of Tuccis still live in the area and intend on living here for a long time. If my dad would be selected, we would ideally like the lane that runs parallel between Palmerston Ave. & Euclid Ave. from the lane north of Bloor St. to London St. -the reason being, the close proximity to the Tucci home.