North End embraces World Cup trophy
The World Cup soccer trophy came to Hanover Street in the North End yesterday, turning this already busy thoroughfare into a maze of electric blue fandom.
The golden orb was shuttled from restaurant to restaurant on a six-hour visit under heavy police protection. On a nationwide tour after Italy's victory two months ago in the beautiful game's ultimate event, the trophy made portions of Hanover Street scenes of pandemonium as throngs of futbol faithful paid their respects.
Peter Nielsen, a 34-year-old stay-at-home father from Brighton (via Denmark), came with his 14-month-old daughter, Allison. He wore a jacket and tie.
``It's been in the hands of Beckenbauer, Maradona, and Zidane," he said, naming some soccer greats, ``so you have to show it some respect." Nielson waited in line for nearly an hour outside Strega Ristorante, the trophy's first stop, hoping to be let in for a glimpse. But the line was cut off just before he and his daughter could enter. Without pause, he shuttled Allison to Cafe Graffiti, the event's next stop, where the line stretched for a block.
When the trophy finally arrived around 4:30 p.m. and was held aloft in white-gloved hands, the crowd of about 200 erupted in cheers and chants in Italian. People climbed lightpoles outside the cafe to snap pictures.
Local politicians, including Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Senate President Robert E. Travaglini, also showed up as crowds gathered across the street to watch the spectacle.
At Strega, Rosemarie Talieri of Stoneham giddily took her glasses off before having her picture taken with the trophy. Carmelo Zammitto, 44, of Medford had skipped work. He paid $5 for a Polaroid shot of him with the trophy and held the photograph as though it were a precious jewel.
Schuyler Olsson, 19, a Tufts University sophomore from Colorado, braved Hanover Street while wearing a Zinedine Zidane jersey . Zidane, of France, head-butted an Italian player in the World Cup final and was ejected from the match.
``It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said of seeing the trophy .
That was the sentiment of the day for many. And despite chances that the trophy was one of many replicas allowed out of the hands of soccer's international governing body, it did not matter to most who came.
``I can't believe what I'm seeing," said Natale DeMarco, 16, who quaked while glimpsing the trophy.
Down the street, Ludy Garcia, 29, of Roslindale was first in line outside Bricco, the trophy's third-to-last stop before it tours Revere, Chelsea and Framingham today.
``After this," he said, ``I can die in peace."
Twelve-year-olds Marco Addonizio, Peter Franchi, and Nico Varano, as well as B. J. Neil and Michael Thomas, both 13, were driven from Lynnfield for the viewing and got a group picture with the trophy.
``It was amazing," they said in unison before getting into a high-pitched debate about whether the Red Sox World Series' win or seeing the World Cup trophy has been the best thing to happen in their young lives. Yesterday, for the time being, the World Cup won.
