Dominic and Ross, My Two Uncles by R.J.Mentone

Raymond C. Principe’s character is depicted in one of the two uncles that inspired the book by Ronald J. Mentone.  (Don Mentone is the 2nd Uncle.)

The book is set in the Taylor Street neighborhood from 1929 to 1945.  The neighborhood that helped to define Ross and Dom.  (Ross, the college graduate, is Ray Principe.)   The opening chapter includes the following paragraph:   

The social club was located in the Italian neighborhood known as the “patch.”  The “patch” was bordered on the south by Roosevelt Road.  The northern boundary was a street called Congress. Eight blocks separated Roosevelt Road from Congress. The eastern border was Halsted Street and the Western border was Ashland Avenue. East to west the “patch” was about a mile and a quarter long. Figuratively speaking, the “Patch” was a perfect rectangle.

That opening chapter concludes with:

Only a few days ago Ross heard, first hand, the threat on Dom’s life. Now Dom was at the social club to save himself.  Something in Ross’s heart and head told him to be here. Now he had to convince the rest of his body to follow. Ross grabbed the door knob to the front door of the social club. He pulled the massive door and entered.  Little did he know that after opening that door his life would never be the same.    

The following is excerpted from the Epilogue:

Eventually, everything came full circle on the first Saturday in May of 1955.  In the back of St.  Rocco’s Church Ross and Dom were talking.
“We’re back here again,” Dom said.

  “Yeah, Dom, we’re back where we started,” Ross replied.

And indeed they were.  They were both at St. Rocco’s to watch their daughters’ First Holy Communion.