Marj's Mafia Party at Murgo

We celebrated my principal Marj Lewallen's twenty years in DoDDS last night with "an offer you can't refuse" retirement party at the Murgo Winery near Zaffarana. Over sixty friends gathered for an evening of fun, wine, singing, wine, videos from three schools, wine, wine, tributes, wine, food, wine, roasts and toasts, more wine, and "The Top Ten Quotes of Marj Lewallen."

Marj was, of course, "The Godmother"--Mafia Marj, and she played the part to the hilt with a black dress and a big black rose on it, tons of jewelry, sunglasses, a Godmother ring, a cigar, and a special chair. She was escorted in by two bodyguards in black (Da Matthews Boys) and then approached by various guests and supplicants including Pat the Sicilian peasant and a rubber chicken.

The setting at the winery was perfect. We had the entire place to ourselves, to begin. The yard and restaurant look down on the Mediterranean on one side and look up on Mt. Etna on the other. The fixed menu included the well-known Murgo spumante and wines flowing freely the rest of the evening, putting everyone in a further fine mood. The food was excellent--mixed antipasti dishes, two types of pasta, two meat dishes, potatoes and salad, and tiramisu (Marj's favorite) for dessert.

One of the musical highlights was the singing along of Jimmy Buffet's "Volcano" song ("I don't know where I'm a-gonna go when the volcano blows"), the unofficial theme song of Sigonella. The words were altered a bit to fit Marj, the live music of Hope and Lynn was great, and the everyone joined in. The entire restaurant staff came out to watch. I don't know if they noticed the Mafia theme, by the way, but they really liked our music.

To see all the photos of the event, go to the My Photos of Sicily link on the sidebar at the right and open "Mafia Marj's Retirement."