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Secret Agent Man By Julie Randle Joe DeGregorio gave up being Jack Bauer to tell tales of the neighborhood he grew up in. Like the fictional spy of "24," DeGregorio spent many years in counterintelligence. "I was a federal agent for the Defense Security Service," the 60-year old said. The Defense Security Service is an agency within the Department of Defense that oversees the protection of classified information handled by the defense industry. In his role, DeGregorio worked in counterespionage, counterintelligence and counterterrorism. DeGregorio said he could not provide any details of cases he worked on. "It was an immensely rewarding career with no regrets," said DeGregorio, who retired in 2004 after 30 years of service. In 2006, DeGregorio literally followed in his father's footsteps. As lone proprietor of Guided Tours on The Hill, DeGregorio takes his clients to many of the same places frequented by his father, Roland, who gave tours of the neighborhood. DeGregorio's father started giving tours of The Hill in 1980. The tour business grew out of the constant questions Roland DeGregorio fielded from friends and acquaintances. "For him, it was a passion," DeGregorio said. "He did it for 25 years, until his legs couldn't carry him anymore." DeGregorio's tours can run for two hours or as long as six hours. The abbreviated version covers the same landmarks, restaurants and shops, but given more time, DeGregorio offers up more history, anecdotes and trivia. Stops include Hall of Fame Place, numerous eateries for samples and demonstrations, a church, a bocce court and a craft store. Roland DeGregorio hit many of the same destinations. However, the younger DeGregorio has put his own twist to the tours. People not only learn about culinary dishes, they see how they are made. Ravioli demonstrations, sausage-making and bocce lessons are highlights. "I wanted to make it entertaining and enlightening at the same time," said DeGregorio, who lives in St. Francois County and also spends time at his parent's house on the Hill. DeGregorio gives tours year around. The cost is $5 to $9. "I'm walking in my father's footsteps with pride to entertain and educate others about the Hill," DeGregorio said. For more information, call (314) 602-3359.
The Italian Job By Julie Randle The Hill is more than just Italian cuisine, delicious delis and marvelous bakeries. "It has a rich history, culture and values," Joe DeGregorio said. DeGregorio should know. He operates Guided Tours of the Hill, who provides visitors with a rich look at the South Side neighborhood. Dressed in a green "The Hill" T-shirt and using a tennis racket as a cane, the 60-year-old maneuvers groups of visitors through the streets and shops on foot or by vehicle all the while provideing a running commentary on the history, culinary dishes, traditions, culture and sports. On a recent morning tour, DeGregorio guided Jeanne Alsop and her daughter, Laurie Guffey. Alsop, 80, a Washington Mo., resident, said her daughter had celebrated her 52nd birthday just a week earlier. After seeing a story on television about DeGregorio and his tour service, the ladies thought it sounded like a fun outing for a special occasion. Their tour started outside St. Ambrose Church, 5130 Wilson Ave. The trio began the experience by biting into a wreath of bread, which is a traditional food served on the feast of St. Joseph's Day, March 19. DeGregorio told his guests about the church, which was named after the first bishop of Milan. For more than 75 years, it has served as the heart and soul of the neighborhood community. St. Louis bricks were used to build the church, which was dedicated in 1926. Construction started five years before with funds provided by the neighborhood's blue-collar workers, many of whom worked in the nearby clay mines. Clay mines are the reason why The Hill is an Italian community. Mining companies advertised for workers in the mining areas of Italy and workers emigrated to St. Louis in 1880s and 1890s. The workers from north and south Italy brought their own cultures. They venerated different saints, spoke different dialects and brought their own cuisine. Spaghetti, lasagna and the red sauce dishes that many people associate with Italy are actually the product of Southern Italians, DeGregorio said. Those from Tuscany and other northern provinces brought cream sauces and rice dishes. Based on the menus found in many Hill restaurants today, no one would know there was a difference. DeGregorio gives his guests a first-hand look at how one Northern staple is made. At Mama Toscano's Ravioli, workers put on a ravioli demonstration for his visitors. "This is one of the few places that make ravioli for distribution from scratch," he said. Mama Toscano's Ravioli, 2201 Macklind Ave., produces 6,000 ravioli a day to supply to retailers and some restaurants on the Hill. These small meat squares contain all the food groups an individual needs to make a meal complete, said owner Patty Toscano. Not every Italian dish was made in Italy, though, The Hill is the birthplace of a well-known St. Louis delicacy: toasted ravioli. An inebriated chef at Oldani's Saloon, now the site of Mama Campisi's Restaurant, accidentally dropped a load of ravioli in the deep fryer. "He asked the boss, 'Should I throw it out?' and the boss replied, 'Serve it with red sauce and feed it to the people at the bar, they would eat it.' People liked it and kept asking for it. It became a staple on the Hill after that," DeGregorio said. No trip to The Hill is complete without celebrities and DeGregorio makes sure his visitors learn about the neighborhood's sports stars. Three years ago, the 5500 block of Elizabeth Avenue, was dedicated as Hall of Fame Place. Over the years, this block of the street was home to Jack Buck, the former St. Louis Cardinals radio announcer, Lawrence "Yogi" Berra, Joe Garagiola, two professional baseball players and Ben Pucci, a professional football player. Standing on the corner in front of Buck's former house, which was build by one of DeGregorio's relatives, he told some sports facts to his visitors. Pucci played on the 1948 Cleveland Browns championship team. "It's a very little know fact," DeGregorio said. They also learn that Berra didn't get his "Yogi" nickname from the neighborhood. He earned "Yogi" during his baseball career. On the Hill he was known as "Lawdi." "He got the name from his mother who could not pronounce his English name and it came out as Lawdi," DeGregorio said. This house has personal significance for DeGregorio. His parents met there in 1945, married a year later and DeGregorio was born the next year, he said. From there it was on to a sausage making demonstration at Digregorio Italian Foods, 2232 Marconi Ave., which is owned and operated by DeGregorio's cousins. Here everyone on the tour was able to sample cheese and Volpi salami. After a quick stop at a craft store, the trio entered a sheltered bocce court in the beer garden at Milo's Bocce Garden, 5201 Wilson Ave., DeGregorio then demonstrates and explains the object of bocce, a popular sport among Italians. The sport was invented several thousand years ago in Egypt. It is a combination of bowling, shuffleboard, pool and horseshoes all combined. "It was one of the popular sports in Italy," DeGregorio said. "It's becoming more popular today." No visit to the Hill would be complete without a meal at one of the neighborhood restaurants. DeGregorio, Alsop and Guffey had lunch at Zia's Restaurant, 5256 Wilson Ave. The highlight of the tour came at its conclusion at the Missouri Baking Co., 2027 Edwards St. "They made a surprise birthday cake for Laurie. It was packed with people and everybody sang Happy Birthday to her," Alsop said. |
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