PARSIPPANY — The cooking crew of Morris County’s Sons of Italy ~ Lodge 2561, armed with their pots, pans, and culinary skills, arrived at Parsippany’s Police Athletic Building, 33 Baldwin Road, to provide and prepare a hearty Italian dinner of pasta, meatballs, in support of Parsippany Wrestling Annual Pasta Dinner Fundraiser.
Over Three Hundred attendees were expected as ticket sales were brisk, so the Lodge knew there would be a lot of hungry adults and children in the house. Head Chefs Joe Jannarone Jr. and John Gangone arrived around noon to prepare the homemade sauce for dinner, which was scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.
After a much-spirited debate between the two Chefs over how much basil to use, they managed to put together a mouth-watering, award-winning sauce. Other Lodge members arrived shortly thereafter to start on the many other cooking preparations needed for an event of this size. By the time the guests arrived, fifteen gallons of homemade pasta sauce were ready to go, along with seventy pounds of Rigatoni pasta and 500 meatballs, both of which were freshly cooked and served as the guests arrived.
While the kitchen staff was doing their thing, the Parsippany Wrestling staff and supporters, under the direction of President/Commissioner Robert Campbell Jr., were busily setting up the many long rows of tables needed to accommodate the crowd, as well as the extensive Tricky Tray and Raffle tables, and food serving stations.
Salad, bread, and various tasty-looking desserts were also being readied by fundraising Chairwoman Beth Caponegro. An anxious, hungry, and happy crowd filled the spacious hall when the doors opened.
At the end of the evening, there were many happy and contented people savoring the last of the desserts. Quite a few also left with some very nice Tricky Tray and raffle winnings. Beth Caponegro and Robert Campbell Jr. addressed the crowd, thanking them for their support throughout the year.
A special mention was made thanking the Sons of Italy for their continued support throughout the years.
It was a very successful event for a great community cause. Everyone, adults, kids, the working staff, and supporters, had a fun time enjoying the dinner and each other’s company. Make sure to keep an eye out for this event next year—a great time for a great cause.
