April 1, 1980: My First April Fools Prank

I am ecstatic to make this memory my first blog post for the Abruzzo Unscripted project. Besides vividly remembering Christmas (Natale) of 1979 and the Epiphany (la Befana) of January 1980, this is my first Abruzzo spring memory of 1980: April Fools Day (Pesce d’Aprile). It’s hard to believe that as of the writing of this post, exactly 45 years have passed - a memory that remains indelible in my mind. Since I am launching this blog (and website) on April 1st, 2025, I find it apropos to share this story with you!

I don’t believe I ever understood or knew what April Fools was all about, but for reasons I don’t recall (perhaps a second-grade discussion with my new friends), I learned that you simply played a prank on someone, and this was a VERY special day to do it. Not much more needed to be said. This was - and still is - right up my alley! I decided that my first prank would be grand, and the victim would be my dear nonno Arduino, my maternal grandfather. Nonno was a stoic and regimented guy, so it wasn’t difficult to figure him out. I mention this because it allowed me some precious quality time with Nonno to get a sense of his daily routine and rhythm. 

For the sake of context, I will provide you with indented and italicized text to deepen your understanding of any story or circumstance I might have founf myself in while living in Abruzzo. During this time period, my mother, brother, and I had moved from Boston, Massachusetts (USA) to Sulmona in the province of L’Aquila in September 1979. My dad was pursuing new work opportunities in Venezuela, so we had no other choice but to go live in Italy ... more on that later. This difficult situation introduced a circumstance that to this day represents one of the best experiences for my brother and me; having the pleasure of living with Nonno Arduino and Nonna Maria Nicola for the first ten months of our “new” life in Italy. It would become a bond that even in death is as string toda as it was almost a half-centurt ago.  In July 1980 we would find an apartment to rent just a few miles down the street, and a second chapter of our Sulmona, Abruxzzo life would begin.

So, back to my April Fools plans! A few days prior I spent a lot of mental energy trying to figure out what the prank would be, and after cycling through many ideas, I settled on one prank (scherzo) that I thought would have the most impact. I cut out about a dozen fish-shaped paper figures (about 4 inches long, or 10 centimeters) from my school notebook (quaderno) and carefully sewed and taped them to a long piece of sewing thread that Nonna Maria Nicola had given me. I honestly do not remember if anybody else was in on the prank - I assume I needed helpers at the ripe-old age of 8.  The string and paper fish were light enough to flop in the wind, and the whole idea was to have people laugh at my grandfather (horrible grandson) as he ran his morning errands around town.

Nonno was also known for gathering with his colleghi (friends - but it technically means colleagues) and chatting over an espresso before returning home with the daily provisions.  This was going to be great. I thought the dangling display of flying fish would be a hit. Although I would not see it happening with my own eyes as he walked around town, in my mind I was content with seeing his expression and reaction to my prank when he returned home. If I reflect upon it, I guess I expected him to return with the fish still intact and point it out to him, and his surprise and reaction would have been good enough for me as a good first April Fools prank.I think that’s how I perceived it.

Just before he gets ready to hop in the car, and with the right amount of distraction, I pin the string to the back of his collar. As an important side note, Nonno was accustomed to being poked, prodded, jumped-on, and teased by my brother and me, so the extra effort it took to position things just right hadn’t made him suspicious.  

The fish were hooked to his collar, and there he was - Nonno Arduino in all his fishy glory! He gets into the car, starts the engine of his red hot rod, and … off he goes into unchartered April Fools territory of downtown Sulmona!

I eagerly awaited his return. Time could not go by any slower as I was eager to see if anything had transpired while he was gone. Upon his return, I instantly saw a different expression on his face. He looked confused and told us that someone had pranked him while he was out, and that at the very end of his outing, one of his friends pointed out that he had a string of fish hanging from his collar. I was in tears! It worked! My first April Fools prank was a hit! Within seconds my mother would reveal to him that I was the culprit!

If I recall his exact words correctly, he called me a brutto mascalzone (rascal or scoundrel) and that day went down in family history.

It’s been 45 years, and not one April Fools Day goes by without thinking about that wonderful day in 1980. Simple times, simple pleasures, and the incredible memories of a time that are long gone. I was so blessed to have the love and devotion of the best grandparents a young boy could ever wish for.

Happy April Fools Day, everyone!