And she had this woman who was a caretaker. I loved being there and everything. Yes. We were only allowed so much. And they were the big windows that lookedand that was a whole, bigjust like here, it was another story. But the upper story of the house was two more floors. I bet shes there. Q: Was that here in the house? So whenever the big surgeons traveled, I always traveled with themtraveled all over Europe. Thats what I wanted. Destroyed. Because she begged me. I mean, one year, the oil bill here was $11,000. So she was always, Come on, George. Daller: Yes. And then finally she sold the house and she bought a beautiful place in Greenwich Village and moved to Greenwich Village. So thank you. I dont know, Im just used to it. Lookit, I saved the police station and the two buildings next to the police station. And he said, George, Im selling my business. So she said, Bess said, Were going to have to quit, George. I said Oh, shit. Daller: See, now you learned about kitchens. Thats how I got to know Adriana Scalamandr and the Scalamandrs. Daller: No, I dont. She was the girl who hired me, and she ran the big Sherwin Williams store. So I still had to get up every day and go to work. They didnt have it six months and they went under. And if you can capture and keep something that looks like this, then this is a big plus for the area. Q: Yes. Im sorry that, during all that construction, I wasnt taking photographs, of step by step. No, it wasnt that. 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. Most recent obituaries in New York. So my mother decided she would make it into a two-family, and rent out one part of it. Too bad that there wasnt somebody with a brain. So I said, The hell with this. Frank Tredici Jr., age 79, of Staten Island, New York, passed away on Monday, February 20th, 2023. So, unfortunately, there arent many people that care that way anymore. And I went in and I noticed my big box was gone. Its been so long now. Theyre very few. Before he died, thats what he was. From last time I saw it, it looked like it needed a bulldozer! She said, No, no, no. She said, you can save it. 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. Daller: A lot of the paintings came from Europe, though. Bulldozed that down. Syracuse. I said, No, no, no. Q: Yes. And it was quite difficult to maintain the big house we were living in. And it was the most amazing party. If you are going to stay, you better do this this and this, whatever the hell it was. And it was actually three stories high. Burke: Let me think of how all that started. And they were slate, the roof, and by walking on the slates, they broke and they slid off, and wherever they slid off, the rain poured through because it was holes. Yes, he helped me with the colors, and this and that, and what I should getgood orientals for the floor, which I had but they werent these. And he did the big sofa in there, didnt he? Then there was the main hall that went through, just like this: door, front door, back door. Unfortunately. Daller: Plus the fact, it cost a fortune to take away the manure. Everybody had left, and Bess and Marge were there, and Bess said to me, George, sit down. They were the Mackeys. Q: And so when you were deciding what to collect, were you thinking about. The income from the Seguine Equestrian Center, which stables some twenty horses a stone's throw from the mansion, helps. It was piled up in their basement. This was all field, all the way up, and she used to turn the horses loose on all the fields out there. Im giving nothing away. And, oh, nobefore then, when I had moved in, I had moved in, and the house had been empty for years. Q: So its confidential becauseoh, okay. There isnt a room he doesnt go into. Because, now, they cant tear it down. Are you still interested? And I said, Well, of course I am. Daller: But it was the thing with the lilacs smell. Q: So this is going to part of an online archive. It makes sense because she was an old lady. [laughs]. And if I couldnt take care of them, Id call down to the base and theyd send a helicopter and theyd pick them up and take them down to the hospital, because we had to take care of them, because Alaska was ours, and all the Eskimos was our responsibility. And I didnt realize it because I was always working. I mean, as a kid going down here crabbing, down on the beach, we used to look back at the house all the time. I restored that, and that was an old mansionan old pillar-fronted mansionlooked like the house, similar. And they were good investments. But Id go off with Murphy and wed go to these estate sales and most of the stuff thats in here was, I bought and shipped it all back. So we need to get help. Save my house. And I thought, Oh, shit. I was down on the beach one day, I forgot what were doing. Burke: Well, I was always an antique collector. Because you never finish, youre always finding something to do. Theyre getting rid of everything! Burke: Okay. All my life, I was raised in a big house. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. So we brought that point up a few times. I restored all those buildings down in Tottenville, all those great old buildings. And then the Eric woke up, and I said, Well, I dont know. Valhalla. Oh, that was the ghost in Tottenville. I have no idea what it would be like to live in some other place. Q: Thank you for that story. But when he was in Europe, he rode. Because I certainlyI never passed up a bargain. Thats the only way to explain it. Come here, Marge. I said, What? They said, Sell this goddamn place. STATEN ISLAND, NY 10309. Then upstairs, was all the bedrooms. That was Mrs., what was her name? Facebook. And if theyre gonna make a museum out of it, theyre gonna have to pay somebody to greet people and take them on tours. Lots of photos, costs, everything. And then upstairs was like a big balcony above that porch. That poor horse. Hes been maintaining it for forty-plus years. I bought the house and Bess and Marge came over. But before we know it, there wont be a thing left in the house. They were all six floor walkups and, thats where you lived! Burke: Oh, it was all overgrown with undergrowth. So when he left the apartment and came to Staten Island, things started to move back into different sisters again until he was ready to relocate it again. Then I went looking for the big pieces. Its still there in Port Richmond. Utica. Burke: Oh, well, the Eskimos up there would give me beautiful mukluks and all kinds of things. Q: Okay. I woke up with a sweat. Interviewing George Burke, and. Okay. And I took that for years. George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. Thats what I was. But not long ago, I was talking about it. And then Id been in Europe all that time. So there wasnt a lot of time spent here. She was a very good friend of mine, a really pretty lady. The ceilings had fallen down because a lot of the drain pipes had leaked. So I said, whew! Because people will come in, and therell be four or five people and somebody will walk by and just pick this up, and pick that up. Or was that brother Ed? And in the basement, I put the kitchen and a dining area and everything. And we were sitting in the kitchen in the basement and he was going on the Ouija board and I said, What does it say, what does it say? And Eric is sitting there and hes talking, and hes sounding like a lady, and hes saying, Youre in my house, and I dont want you. Put through the years, people recognized it and everything. And I went from room to room and it took me a couple of years, didnt it? We all got coupons. Yes, Mrs. Mackey. And you can ask[gesturing to Daller], Daller: Everybody got something. You know, he just passed away. 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. And I looked in the thing, I said, Holy shit. And they would give me all kinds of beautiful little carved objects and things that would be carved out of the whales teeth or. Create an obituary. Burke: Oh, yes. But I mean, that wasthe holes, the plaster gone. My mother and his wife never got along too well. Oh, God. Staten Island, Brooklyn, New York, Kings, Long Island, and New Jersey (718) 966-7800 But I dont remember seeing the main house. Burke: Oh, well, look what I did. Burke: Its never finished! I know the Port Richmond store you just bought. Stole all that carved stuff, stole all that stuff, that whole box of stuff. Donald was born August 16th, 1954, in Staten Island, New York, to Michael and Eleanor. Will they appreciate it? So I found this big beautiful, French, mansard roof, big Victorian house in Tottenville. And as you see it today was from me doing all those little things. On a goddamn pillared mattress sleeping? And he said, Mom, Ill move in to the other part of the house. [laughs]. Unfortunately, all the grounds areI dont even know if the house is there anymore! And how people went along with them, I dont know either. And so shes got the bridge, and it costs money. You cant ride on the street. And I want my painting. Burke: To put it backbecause the house was ruined, it was in terrible shape. And he was the one that took me around and showed me where to get the good fabric. They tear down one house and build five. Either you buy me out, or I buy you out. Would you just sell me two acres there? And all these houses would never here! Q: Yes. What the hell is this? All of a sudden, she went, Youre in my house, and get out! Holy Christ. Well work it out, one way or another. And so the two of us started and we madecalled it the Old Bermuda Inn because John loved Bermuda and he was putting a lot of money in it. I was born right in the hospital across the street, and grew up 90% of my time on Staten Island until I became old enough and I joined the military. And I only have so much money being what I am. So he said, Dont worry about it. Daller: It was like, we cant even find him anymore. And he did these two chairs. So then I said, well, what the hell am I gonna do? See Photos. And a friend of mine I was very good friendly with was John. Theres one here, theres one there, and theres one in the other room. It was so overgrown. He come over he looked at it. Burke: So, my sister Marge, and my sister Bess, would come over and help me. Kitchens were always built in a house outside by themself, and a breezeway going to the house, because the kitchens would always burn down. What were the things that you did when you were young? And, you know, who has that!? Oh, God, it was gorgeous. Daller: Oh, thats exactlyI mean, because that was the reason for getting a board, was to also help get things done. I grew up loving it and always having it, and my mother was great with it. And then you could walk under the porch out into the garden. The front porch was up high. Is that what you want? And think about it. Join Facebook to connect with George Burke and others you may know. And I wanted these little chairs tufted but he had passed away before he could get around to tuft. Q: [laughs] How did you figure out what needed to be done with the house? Theyd come out and Id say, Look, I can get you this. Because the water was in the basement for so many years, all the dampness had lifted all the floorboards and everything, and so I had to dry the house out, and replaster the walls. Tell me when you want me to start. And my father died, and we were all very young. That was gorgeous. They cant do anything. 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. Q: Your collection of the items that you bought from Mrs. Murphy. Burke: Oh, my nephew. And then, it wasI guess that was in the spring, then later on, I dont know what I was doing. So I took that out of the brick and I got some cement, put it all back in, put the wall back up. He said he believes that whoever was in that other house, really didnt want people there. By Carol Ann Benanti | benanti@siadvance.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's designated one of Staten Island's signature society events of the year, a. Sure, Id no idea of ever owning his house because I had a beautiful big house in Tottenvillebig French style house. Valley Stream. So if this can remain a part of the history, thatll be great for people to appreciate. Its Greek Revival. And thats what this house is. George Burke Obituary It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. And I had the two apartments! And there was a big flight of stairs that went across the big porch across the front of the house, posts. Eventually, he was able to move his collection of Victorian-style furnishings safely into the home, and add to it larger pieces of furniture to complete the restoration. And Id go in and Id buy all the liquor with those stamps. Get out. 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. Burke: But everything will stay here exactly as it is, because if its going to be a museum, people are not going to come in and look at empty walls. And that was nothing but a little house that caught firewas just a little, little house. And I, throughout the time, I went from room to room in the house and restored it. I mean, look, theyve been trying to get rid of the carriage horses in the city, for how long now? And theyd come out and Id get involved with them. And we were great friends. George: Oh, I knew the Seguines for years. And that was a kitchen, and that was bedrooms and a little living room, all up there. I saved that, thats still there. And he was stationed here, in St. George, and he would come home and wed live in the house. Everybody smelled like that. And, minute he bought the house, did a little work in it, put it right up for sale. Still kept it. In Europe, he felt like he had been. Then I startedI said, You know, theres a lot of things on this end of the island nobody wants, its the forgotten-end of the island. Daller: That was the house that had ghosts. Q: And how did you keep track of all the items in your collection as they were moving from, Burke: Well, a lot of this stuff, I never got back, because once you left it for years and years, you werent going to go back and say, Well, give me that, and give me this. Was it your mother I gave her all the blue and. 6389 Amboy Road. What a shame. And he wanted to retire and he gave his son the business. Of course, I went to school here. So while I used to work then with them, and then I decided, this is not for me. They didnt even have soap. Burke: Oh, God, I stood on the edge here and I watched what was going on over there. And he had helped meyou know, while I had my own ideas for design, and whatever I thought of, he said, George, thats great. Would you sell me the acres in the front? Im getting rid of everything. He said, I have three of the most beautiful Persian carpets from Persia, said, You cant get them anymore. He said, Theyre antiques but they are brand new, never used. He said, Im giving them to you. And this is them. Did you know that from? Yes. And in the back of the house, its still there, is aChrist, it must be half the size of this roomis a huge, huge lilac bush. And they said, Oh my god, George, what are you Oh, and who else was that? And Luis Caizares painted that. If you want to come, behave yourselves. Oh god, that was a gorgeous mansion. Staten Island . And here was the street. And if you were wearing them and you went and got in your car and turned the heater on, you smelled like piss. And he and his wife, Adriana, they retired and moved to Florida. Burke: Oh, and then the house, when I bought it, everybodythe real estate lady, she wouldnt come in. So I figured, hmm! So I went down in Rossville and I bought a beautiful, big old, rundown place and restored it completely. Then she got to the point where she couldnt keep it anymore. I know everything, what to do. So most of the stuff is Victorianturn of the century and Victorian. 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? According to the funeral home, the following services have. And a couple of my friends came as bartenders for me. George Burke is the restorer of the historic Seguine Mansion on the South Shore of Staten Island, where he has lived and taken care of the property for over four decades. Would you? Its unreal! Yes, she died and she was in the front parlor in the coffin, wasnt she? The stables, everything has to remain the same. Its still that way. Daller: Yes, I found him. Q: And you knew the style from having studied the history of design and architecture. Daller: Mm-hmm. But they are the ones thatup in arms, saying, Aww, that poor horse. They were gorgeous. The roof was shot because the old guy that was caretaker here, he used to walk around on the roof and watch all the boats in the harbor. Daller: Thats been acquired over the years. Hell utilize every room of the house. Daller: You met some interesting people there. I bought those buildings. I said, Well, the only one I know that talked like that is Bess Seguine. She said, Well, this is me. I said, What is it, Bess? She said, I want you to come and save my house. I said, Are you kidding, Bess? I said, as a kid growing up, we were always down on the beach, looking back up at this big white house that looked like a big Southern mansion. I took forty-four big trees down in the front field just so you could clear the front and see the house. When did it start to feel done? Frank Tredici. Staten Island. You could see with all the houses over here, its gotten very built up. The Old Bermuda Inn. And then finally I had a man come in and talking to me about how hes bought a place on Staten Island that hes opening up a place like Saks only not as nice. 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He used to stay out here. Burke: Yes, and I had a beautiful apartment for years in St. George. Its all stay in here. But they tore the house down to build that school. But you do have Chris thats upstairs that lives in the servants quarters. Q: And you feel that thats at risk because of the development thats happening now. All went into the landfill. Now theyre worth a couple hundred-dollars apiece. Daller: The staircase wasnt even straight. And that was inwhere the hell, what did they call that area where all the Eskimos lived? Q: Well, tell me about getting started on this house. And the house was really, needed shapebut thank God it was built as well is it was built, otherwise it would have fallen down. Burke: But anyway, it was a big beautiful cameo brooch, and was wrapped in an oil cloth rag! So I gave it to them. And she couldntthey couldnt keep up with it anymore. 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