John and I go way back back but this you have to hear. John came up in 96' to visit me. He did miss the 1990' 20 yr class reunion for reasons, lets just say don't ask. I insisted that he gets his butt to the 30 year class reunion in 2000.. he promised he would. He called me a few times around 97 to tell me he was separated from wife, shacking up with a dancer from a local strip club. He said his mother had passed away and his dad was not doing so well either. (I knew both his parents very well). Anyway, when the time came for our 30th, I/we on the reunion committee couldn't find him anywhere. I called his parents,number disconnected. I knew he was separated and living on his own but for the life of me, John was no where to be found. Even Sasso tried looking him up through various resources cops can locate people, again nothing.. Our 30th came and went with John Matte missing once again. I did not give up my search for him well after our 30 year class reunion. His two sisters were married, no clue their married last names. His brother Richard had an unpublished number.. there are a few Richard Matte's living in Florida, I called each and even mailed letters explaining who I was..still nothing.
Determined to find John I called every state agency in Florida there is. Nothing! Dead ends every time. I still didn't give up my search.. even more surprised he never called me.. that was not like him to not call me. Somewhere around 2003 I was curious about his parents and since I had just lost my own father 12/30/02...I went on the SS death index site. checke out my dad there, weird to see that..then I started checking our names of relatives or just people I know in general on that web site. I was curious to find out the year John's dad had passed away. I figured something must have happened to Mr Matte since the home number was disconnected. Ok so I get to the page and found both his parents listed..Then I got the shock of my life. There he was John "Jackie" Matte! He died.. How did I know for sure, Because Joe Gervasio and John Matte share the same birthday 11/26/52 I WAS IN SHOCK TO SAY THE LEAST. John Matte died April 16th 1998.
HOW THE *&$%@ did that happen I thought. I had to know how he died. Not being family I can't get a copy of his death certificate. Once again my search was on! Forget his brother and sisters, tried that one and failed searching for him for our reunion. I remember he told me he was separated, OK where is this going nowhere I figured because I could not remember his wife's first name. Until some time later when I found out Florida divorce records are all public information. The year is now 2005, I found the them from the divorce records. All I could do now was try to locate his X-wife. Here we go again..another intense search. This time I got smart and paid one of those sites to see the records with phone numbers that we all know is kept private unless you fork over the money to find that private information. I called the number (same first name) I found on the divorce records. Ok now, I made the call! Dammm,I got an answering machine. I left a message that went something like this, "Hi my name is Kevin Cerciello from North Massapequa, NY, I grew up with John Matte. If you are the wife of John Matte can you please call me back". (I didn't want her to know I found her via divorce records. Nothing, no reply. Months passed and there was a message on my home phone answering machine. I hit play and this is what I heard. "Hi Kevin, this is John Matte's wife, you had called and I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner, please call me back".
Ahhh yeah I thought, like right now I will. I called her right back and she told me... to make a long story short.. John drank himself to death. He consumed so much alcohol every functioning organ in his body failed. Sigh, so that's what happened to him I said to myself. For a while there I thought he got wacked by... ok not going there either. For the next hour or so I spoke to John's son Jason, now 16 (2005) I told Jason all the great memories I had and what it was like growing up with his father when we were kids in N. Massapequa. He cried, and I cried, he laughed and I laughed. So many stories he never knew about his father. Stories that only his closest friends, myself, Rocco Medaglia, Sal Liquori and Joe Gervasio would know. The five of us were only houses apart from one another when we all lived and grew up together from age 5 in N. Massapequa. As many of you know, John was quite a character! One that this close friend will never ever forget. Rest in peace my friend, I'll see you on the flip side! I left it with his son Jason that he is welcome to call me anytime, I have many stories about his dad "Jackie Matte" to tell him.
I remember John as a drummer way back at Robert Picken School He loved the Beatles as so many of us did and I remember doing a kind of winter chorus thing with Rob Cullen, Gene Cubeta, Me, and John, on drums singing Twist and Shout for the Teachers / Parent winter show, six grade Also Medaglia,Liquori,you Frank and a few others from the Southedge boys climbing into the sump behind the High School when Joe Morrello cracked his head opened and Frangione lost his ring finger climbing a fence. John brought the two groups together Southedge / Northedge before Sylvia Packard split us up again only to be re-united at Plainedge High School 10 11 and 12th grade Is my memory failing? but that's how I remember it. Oh yeah and Fred Pesce. Play on My friend Rest in Peace John
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