Get out. Its still that way. He was incurring all the expenses. One day, he was gone. And they would give me all kinds of beautiful little carved objects and things that would be carved out of the whales teeth or. Daller: And that house was beautiful. And I miss all those horses. You know, he just passed away. And if you were wearing them and you went and got in your car and turned the heater on, you smelled like piss. They were gorgeous. Yes, of course, they could eat all the grass. I spent enough time breaking my back. I wanted to know some more details about the life tenancy. So they went into repairing things. She was great because she would know. Q: When you were making those decisions about decorating, were you thinking about a particular style, like a historic style, that you were going for? Dont forget I, for yearsin London, I went to university. Burke: But I forgot what the other two things where. And then I said, well, now Im going to buy a home. And then when you could see the house, it was a goddamn mess. And in the meantime, I made a couple of little investments and they turned out very well for me. He was born Jan. 21, 1946, in The Bronx, N.Y. Bob is survived by his loving wife. You couldnt tell what it was. You couldnt see the grounds through the trees and it was just covered and everything. And she said, George, do you know who this is? and with her big Southern accent. Thats what I wanted. He was an antiquehe had a big rug business in. Daller: A lot of the paintings came from Europe, though. And it was actually three stories high. He worked by himself. And they said, Oh my god, George, what are you Oh, and who else was that? He got involved with riding there and was constantly riding. And it never had a kitchen. And I could turn the horses loose and theyd keep all the fields cut and mowed, you know? You dont have to worry about, sleeping on your couches and all that kind of stuff, and, you know, pulling out fake beds, and that kind of stuff. Daller: As a matter of fact, we had an event years ago. I had no idea that that was it, when I bought the house or anything. This whole corneryou could stand and see the street out there, so this whole corner was rebuilt. I loved being there and everything. So I still had to get up every day and go to work. Facebook. But you do have Chris thats upstairs that lives in the servants quarters. So, I dont know. I bet. I lived in one room, for almost five years. But they donated it to the Sisters of Charity, figuring that the nuns could live in that gorgeous mansion. Everybody came in to a coldwater flat in the Bronx and walked in amazed because theyve never seen anything like that. And their mansion, the White people that owned SS White, the White family, owned right across the creek, there, where the Captains Quarters [private development] are. Q: So those things that you got later on, afterthey didnt come from Europe. So I go downstairs. And the last time I went there, there was all houses built in it. Burke kept records of the work, most of which he completed himself and financed the through the sale of his business, the Tidewater Inn. Then she got to the point where she couldnt keep it anymore. And that was nothing but a little house that caught firewas just a little, little house. And Luis was really, really a great guy. And I had to laugh. And I dont like this. And shed go to her father and her father and say, You know, George, shes my daughter, and this and thatand I said, Yes, well, John, let me tell you something. Q: Was that house that you restored in a similar condition as this house? Im always doing something. And from the garden, you could come back in under the porch and down into the kitchen in the basement. So I bought it. And it became quite the place to be. Burke: Oh, it was all overgrown with undergrowth. Off of Hylan Boulevard? They didnt even have soap. Well, Bess, and my brothers wife, Evelyn, never got along. Its still there, the framework of it, with the brick. And I always used to say, Wonder who lives there! and so forth and so on. John T Burke passed away on April 22, 2015 in Whiting, NJ and is under the care of. Stony Brook. So we lived there, and it was a big courtyard and there were four buildings and the center courtyard was all grass. Anyway, I said, Oh boy, did I have a scary dream. I told her my dream. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. The Secret Service, as well as a Cohasset school accounting specialist and the superintendent, are determining how much the operation cost the town. And then he got married and moved in with his wife. Still kept it. And she was living here all by herself. Q: And did you keep records of the restoration process? Q: Yes. And it was one of those busy, busy, goddamn nights. But he did a lot of the work for you. And it was quite difficult to maintain the big house we were living in. I dont know if it ever took off. I want it now. I could never get it. The mansion was gorgeous! Burke: Hawaii. I moved in, I cleaned it all up. And we used to say, Wow, wonder who lives there? So as long as I own it, I own it, theyll pay for it. So there wasnt a lot of time spent here. Casey Funeral Home Kathleen Burke, age 78 passed away at Richmond University Medical Center after a brief illness on January 26, 2023. They gave me the fabric and they did it and such. And so shes got the bridge, and it costs money. So as long as you have people, youre going to have change, and people are going to say, That doesnt work! The story about the coat that you had from Alaska? See Photos. 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And she used to drink all the whiskey like crazy. And I said, Well, the smell is still there. And I said to her, Whatever happened to the old girl? And she said, Well, years ago, when she died, she said, she was laid out in the front parlor in the coffin, and it was nothing but lilacs. And Bill moved in, and he stayed there for quite a while. So a lot of the things that you acquired to furnish the house were in poor condition, and then you have them reupholstered and restored. And the White Party we do in order to take care of doing cleanup on the lawn, doing any kind of plantings, or anything, because he did it all the years. Q: Is there somebody in particular that you work with for reupholstery or restorations? It turned my stomach just to watch all of that gorgeous stuff just destroyed. I, being the youngest, of course, seeing everybody growing up. Thats the only way to explain it. And I only have so much money being what I am. So he said, Dont worry about it. I went around and I got it and shipped it all back home. And think about it. Theyre getting rid of everything! He said he believes that whoever was in that other house, really didnt want people there. Yes. And if you can capture and keep something that looks like this, then this is a big plus for the area. And I went from room to room and it took me a couple of years, didnt it? They couldnt handle it, the clientele that came in. I found three things like that. I dont need The Death of Cleopatra hanging above my fireplace. Kitchens were always built in a house outside by themself, and a breezeway going to the house, because the kitchens would always burn down. Burke: Let me think of how all that started. Brother Bill? Yes, that was all Scalamandr. Ill do that. So that was over in Port Richmondits still there, I understand, the store. And I, throughout the time, I went from room to room in the house and restored it. Daller: Oh, theOh God now, whats it called? So they said, You better get back here and do something. So I came back, got out of the military, got a job working for Saks Fifth Avenue. Q: And how did you decide, I guess, how to rebuild? Q: The Friends of the Seguine Mansionthe friends group. The whole family kind ofand the ladies got too old, and they decided they were going to move and go live inI think Georgia or Virginia, I forgot. And I finally got to meet Mrs. Seguine because she had stables at that time. I mean, this was just a farmhouse. Scarpaci Funeral Home of Staten Island LLC. And my fatherwe were quite wealthy, growing up. He also discusses the donation of the Seguine Mansion to the Historic House Trust, and his vision for the ongoing maintenance of the home and property. So after a couple of years going back and forth, his daughter, she decided she wanted to get involved in it. My big old Victorian house is saved, and thats still there. People: Mario Buatta, Luis Caizares, Linda Daller, John Krawchuck, James and Kathleen Pistilli, Adriana Scalamandr, John Scalia, Elizabeth Bess Seguine Aug, Joseph Seguine, Organizations: Friends of the Seguine Mansion, Historic House Trust, House of Scalamandr, NYC Departments of Parks and Recreation, Sherwin-Williams, U.S. Air Force, Places: Annandale, Hammersmith College, Port Richmond, Old Bermuda Inn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Seguine Mansion, St. George, Staten Island, Tidewater Inn, Tottenville, The New York Preservation Archive Project. STATEN ISLAND, NY 10309. He cant do this anymore. Yes, but that was all the legal aspect of it. I know all the grounds that were around it were beautiful gardens. They couldnt. He spends time in every part of it. And I studied architecture and the history of design and everything, I know all that. He had come into my room when I was not there, stole everything. I hope it isnt that the people who have access come in and empty it because Ive had people say, Oh, when youre not here, Im taking that painting, and Im taking that painting, and I want that couch, you know. So I said, Well, I would have named it The Rossville Inn because it was in Rossville, but he will he loved Bermuda and he wanted Bermuda Inn. So I said, Yes, John, well call it the Old Bermuda Inn. So because it was done like the French did, I never had to pay tax, or only tax on a two-story house, instead of a three-story. When they shipped me back from where I was, where the Eskimos were, they sent me back to the base, because they were shipping everybody now, backafter your time was up, you had to go back because you couldnt stay any longer than two years, and after two years, you had to come back to the States. Daller: At least the property itself, because when you stood outside, I mean, you couldnt see anything. And he was so good. Its all part of history, and theyre just destroying it every way they can. And he said, George, you know, that big, beautiful house that sits empty? And we were great gardeners and she had always come over in the spring, and she gave me little cuttings of all the flowers, and the different things. Yes, she died and she was in the front parlor in the coffin, wasnt she? I mean, Captains Quarters, instead of building all those condos down there, it would have been beautiful to have another stately home there. And I kept life rights for it. I think hes given you a great history of what started and, basically, youve talked about his life from the beginning, so, I dont know. It has to stay exactly as an old plantation house. It feels like home, because thats what its been. Linda? Burke: Oh, my nephew. And I took that room and made it into the dining room. That was a shame. Most of them were little things. And I walked into there and I walked up, and the lid was closed on the coffin. And then you could walk under the porch out into the garden. Q: Yes. Its Greek Revival. This the expensive piece of property! They sold it to the developers. Burke: I dont find any difference living here. I dont want you in this house. And the kitchen was outside. Daller: No. That works! Thankfully, no ones come here and said, Oh, you might have had slaves. I mean, Im sure if somebody came and decided to look back, theyd say, Oh, no, theres a reason for a house like that. People have ideals that are very strange. Yes. But when I die, they say theyre going to make a museum out of it. Daller: Mm-hmm! And finally their husbands were getting pissed at them, because they were never home, they were always here. After Burke returned to Staten Island, he purchased and restored two houses and an old restaurant and bar before he was contacted by Bess Seguine in 1981, who had inherited the then-deteriorated Seguine Mansion. She would say, The lilacs still in the front hall? And Id say, Oh, is that what that smell is? Burke: Right across the creek. You werent on Staten Island. Right. Its Meissen. One woman wouldnt go it, cant think of her name. Daller: You werent here. And he owned the funeral home. You want to have someone living in it, you cant have an empty house. And all my brothers. I started with the basement. She was a very good friend of mine, a really pretty lady. When I bought it, I didnt know what was that ones house. Why cant they just appreciate something for what it is? I have no idea what it would be like to live in some other place. Daller: You met some interesting people there. Ario George Lazzari Ario George Lazzari, 82, passed away on February 26, 2023 at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. But it doesnt work that way. He introduced me all the time tobecause look at look at what he was. Burke: Oh, well, look what I did. And on top of that, I still worked for Sherwin Williams. Well, the paintings and the small stuff like thatthat like that mirror and those paintings and all that stuffthat was all the little stuff. And I know everythingId love to go out to Staten Island. So he said, Good. She was on TV complaining about it. Burke: Well, I knew how to do it. So this house tells a particular story, a long history, but it cant tell the history of the other houses because they were so different. And that still is, today, one of the great places around here, the Old Bermuda Inn, and John still owns it. Burke: So, in other words, fifty years from now, if someone wants to learn about the house, they can find out. More beautiful than peoples houses. Its no different from home. What will I do? And I had two or three other girls that were there. George: Oh, I knew the Seguines for years. Were going to this estate. Burke: Okay. Valley Stream. Burke: Yes. Those stables? With that old fabric, theres enough to make drapes for one window. Are you still interested? And I said, Well, of course I am. And she had this woman who was a caretaker. Q: And you feel that thats at risk because of the development thats happening now. He had the military ship the items back to family members in New York City, a perk of military service that made moving his collection back to the States possible. Daller: Yes, I found him. Burke: Yes. And the porch went all like this, around the house. But the basement was the summer dining rooms and summer kitchen. Because he lived right here, lived right here on Staten Island. And were doing this interview in Burkes home, in the Seguine Mansion on the South Shore of Staten Island. Betsy P. Thompson East Greenbush, New York. They cant just say, The doors are open for anybody, just walk in! Somebody will walk in, and say, Oh, I like those chairs, pick them up, and take them, and theyll be gone. And Id go downtown and Id wheel and deal for a bottle of whiskey. And I did, I got in St. George wasnt it? There was the main house, over here was the bar, over here was this big dining room, and this was the main house. But I dreamt it and I knew every single thing about it. So they built it like an attic and it was called an attic but it was a whole complete story. I had a bulldozer two weeks, riding back-and-forth, and back-and-forth, and back-and-forth across the front of the house because you couldnt see the house from the water. And each little petal and everything is done beautiful. The woodwork, the moldings, the parquet floors. And the house was really, needed shapebut thank God it was built as well is it was built, otherwise it would have fallen down. I cant think of the name of the thing now. I mean, how did you decide what to purchase, what to collect? You just named them. He says, Hes my good friend, and so on, We live on Staten Island. And I got to know a tremendous amount of people that way. Theyd go in and theyd take the windows out and theyd use the windows, and they destroyed it. That was a shame. Burke: Yes. You got to get out. So we moved to Florida. Burke: Oh, and then the house, when I bought it, everybodythe real estate lady, she wouldnt come in. So it didnt matter. Daller: He enjoys the whole house. And that was the Air Force. And it did all the dental workany kind of dental work and everything was manufactured there. And if you went around with Mario Buatta, that was like going with the President of the United States. And I was always a horse person. I cant go and say, You know, fifty years ago that was mine, and I never gave it to you. Finally, I think his wife got sick with that lung disease, didnt she? Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved George Burke of Hull, Massachusetts, who passed away at the age of 63, on October 2, 2021. That was Mrs., what was her name? I could. It was under your bunk. Is there anything, you think? Burke: Scalia. Im only a salesman in a department store. I said, and its going to take a lot of money to put that house back together. She said, Well, Im going to help you all I can. And I said, But why would I fix a house I didnt own? And she said, Well, why dont we talk about that. She said, If youre interested in buying it, I will make the arrangements that you can own it. I did everything. We were doing other parties at the time, the only thing we still maintain is the White Party. Youre coming with me. So Id say Okay, Murphy, lets go! She was something, I mean. So all the big mansions were built with outside kitchens. Viewing times and guestbooks can be found here . I said, I still have friends that myour parents met before we met. They are Chinese Chippendale. And, oh, nobefore then, when I had moved in, I had moved in, and the house had been empty for years. But because I was military, the military shippedwhen they moved me, they moved all my stuff. Was very little time on here. And my brother Bill and my brother Ed decided to go into an automobile repair shop. George Burke. But that was a big improvement, putting in the kitchen, because there never was a kitchen in the houseand where the kitchen is now, that was the laundry room. They even stopped you riding in the parks. Now what are you going to do with this? Loving son of Joan (Perry) Burke of Plymouth and the late George W. Burke. The income from the Seguine Equestrian Center, which stables some twenty horses a stone's throw from the mansion, helps. Sell the other half to Billthat was my brother and you and George, move with me to Florida. So we all thought that was a great idea. The fact that the Seguine familythis was the farmhouse, their mansion was in Rossvilleand thats long gone. Knew every single thing about it have people, youre going to make a museum out of,... They can, theOh god now, whats it called is saved, it... 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