South Brooklyn Profiles: Aurelio Putignano

Aurelio Putignano
During World War II Aurelio Putignano, called Reilly for short, was stationed in New Guinea. He calls it "the devil's hideaway," and to Reilly, that's not a figure of speech. He's convinced he has actually met Satan, though he understands that few people believe him. That's all right. He's seen the devil in person just the same. It happened while he was on a small boat with other soldiers, a pleasure outing for an afternoon. His buddies told him to head in a direction he would have preferred to avoid, a patch of water that was perfectly still. After considerable argument, he finally directed the boat to the glassy water his friends were so attracted to. Sure enough, they fell for this most obvious of Satanic ploys. The devil, enraged and swift, popped out of the water to warn the men that they had tread on unholy waters and needed to move out fast if they wanted to save their American hides. He did not look like that Underwood devil, all red and spiky. This guy was handsome, wearing a velvet blazer and a shirt with frilly cuffs and collar, a sort of Ray Davies circa 1966. Somehow, Reilly and company made it out, but the experience, understandably, was a defining moment for Reilly, whose wife Rose raises her eyebrows when the story begins.
The two can often be found on their Union Street stoop where years ago Reilly would smoke his cigars. He's quit now, but the habit of watching the block still holds. The dandified Satan notwithstanding, Reilly is a practical, wry, and observant neighbor. He was quite close with Flo and Marty Carbone, who lived across the street, until Marty died of cancer and Flo moved to Pennsylvania with her daughter. He was friendly, too, with Matteo, a tan and vigorous man who was referred to as The Mayor, as in "the mayor of this block." Matteo moved to central New Jersey, a fate Reilly and Rose are considering too. Their daughter lives in Manalapan, one of the Brooklyn outposts of Monmouth County, New Jersey -- the Mayor is just south in Howell. Reilly, who has always wanted to visit Arizona, is ready to hit the road even if it's just across a couple of rivers. Rose, though, has more reservations. "Here, I can walk down the street. I don't need to get in a car for everything."

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This project is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Development Fund of BAC/Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc., which is made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.