PORT JERVIS– There was no shortage of conversation during the annual gathering of railroaders in the Tri-State area last Friday morning, May 17. Many of the railroaders meet monthly in smaller groups, and at various locations across the region. This annual breakfast gathering brings a larger number of railroaders together, with some traveling from other counties and communities.
Twenty-nine attended this year’s breakfast at Perkins, Matamoras, PA, including Jim Andriac, Jim Barbehenn, Bill Bogach, John Bogach, Jr. (Bogie), Ronnie Collins, Neal Daniels, Dan Dooley, Bill Dudko, Hank Dunn, Fred Eyer, Chuck Gardner, Jim Garrity, Jim Guinn, Jeff Hulse, Chuck Hunt, Bill Keane, Al Lambert, Butch Lemon, Mike Latini, Jr., Ed Mosher, Russ Mosher, Larry Murray, Joe Norell, Joe Robinson, Stan Siegel, David Smith, Wayne (Bones) Stevenson, Bill Tidd, and Howard Umnik.
Many of the railroaders in attendance follow generations of family workers on the railroad, Mike Latini’s family is one of them. Latini completed his military service in the Navy and returned to work on the railroad, and then as a teacher. Latini recalled his grandfather, Tio Latini, being the first generation of Latini family railroaders.
“My grandfather, Tio, was born in 1892. He came to Port Jervis in February of 1909 from Anagni, Italy, a little village outside of Rome. He knew Eracol Codachini, who started Gino’s Restaurant, and Barney Tortorini, who was a blacksmith on the railroad and who also owned his own blacksmith shop. Eracol and Barney were both from Anagni, and were already in Port Jervis,” Latini said. “Tio became a shop hostler on the railroad. He cleaned old fires out of engines and started new fires, getting the engines fired up.”
The second generation was Michael B. Latini, Sr. (Mike, Jr.’s father) and George Latini. Both began working on the railroad as firemen in the early 1940s. They shoveled coal on steam engines.
The third generation was Michael “Mike” B. Latini, Jr. and his brother Jack Latini. Mike started in 1970 and Jack in 1971. With Michael, Sr. and George still working on the railroad at the time, there were four Latinis employed by the railroad at that time. All four were promoted to engineers over time, and all four worked in freight service.
Currently, Jack’s son Matthew Latini is the senior trainmaster out of Port Jervis. He was formerly a conductor, and has been employed in railroad passenger service since 2007.
Many of those in attendance at the breakfast have stories of generations of family railroading service and countless memories of railroading years past. The group traveled to Port Jervis’ historic railyard after breakfast for photos, and where other memories continued to be shared on site.
