Burke: Its right on the Boulevard and it goes down to the beach. Thats when she said to me, George, go save my house. And I came down and looked at it. So that had the outside kitchen. Burke: No, who gave me that? Just as long as its saved and its here. And Ill see to it that, financially, things work out for the two of us. George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. I mean, this whole ceiling was shot. Because look how long the war went, and England had nothing. Burke: Oh, its in beautiful condition because the guy I told you, Jimmy Pistilli, he had it landmarked. If you lived in Alaska, where it was always cold, it was fine. I dont want you in this house. She lived up on Lighthouse Hill. Q: Well, Im pretty much at the end of my questions. Or is that real? That was real. Burke: I think that waswhod ya call-it got me involved with that. I want to go back and ask for some more details about your childhood. Frank was born in Brooklyn, NY June 26, 1943. Its still there, you can see it. And when I seen it all over there, and when I seen the British people were poor as church mice, they were selling everything. And thats where she was. She said, You saw her in your dream. I said, Holy shit, I said, you think that was her? She said, It could have been her. I said, Then she went like that and chased me out of her house. She said, That was her. And through all the years that the old lady had this woman taking care of her, the lilacs were always in bloomwhen they were in bloom, they were in the house. Burke: And its great when you have friends come, you have extra bedrooms, you can put them all up. So I come home dead tired. They were great. But the basement was the summer dining rooms and summer kitchen. Good God! They bought a house. Burke: After I had the house, then I got the big pieces of furniture. Daller: But it feels like home. The Seguine Mansion, also known as The Seguine-Burke Mansion, is located on Lemon Creek near the southern shore of Staten Island. But the old lady that lived there was very, very sick. Burke - 1 - 2 and grew up 90% of my time on Staten Island until I became old enough and I joined the military. The stables, everything has to remain the same. And then when I went looking for myhis name was Joinerand everybody was saying, Well, Sergeant Joiner is leaving, Sergeant Joiner is leaving. And I never thought much of it. Daller: And when he wasnt doing that, he was horseback riding because he loved to ride and thats kind of segued himself to the Seguine House and to Bess. And I would just would go around and Id just pick stuff up. And he was the one that took me around and showed me where to get the good fabric. George Memon's passing on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 has been publicly announced by Martin Hughes Funeral Home in Staten Island, NY. I found a beautiful place in Tottenville and I opened it and called it the Tidewater Inn. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. Viewing times and guestbooks can be found here . So itll be part of Staten Island that people, maybe fifty years from now when theres not a spot left, theyll all come out and theyll look and say, Wow, this is what it used to be.. So I would walk around, Id look and Id see some beautiful stuff for sale, for nothing. Q: Andif this is something that you cant discuss, let me knowbut, for example, if you decide to repaint, like you did in this room, is that something that the board fundraises for? I was always in the operating room or someplace like that. Daller: Well, its just the fact that the South Shore has gotten very built-up. Burke: Her sister has it [indicating Daller]. I know all the grounds that were around it were beautiful gardens. Id love that old house. I said, But Bess, I said your houseI dont know about saving it. So we brought that point up a few times. And Luis Caizares painted that. Ill do the whole window. He did the White House and everything. When I was over there looking at their house. And if theyre gonna make a museum out of it, theyre gonna have to pay somebody to greet people and take them on tours. Mom, you own the house, you own at least part of it, or half of it. It was so overgrown. Q: You mentioned that the South Shore has changed in the last few years. Burke: Yes, its a big oil painting, a big painting like this. And while I was up there, I was sent up to work with Father Tom. Facebook. That was a bigits still there. 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. The developers came in with bulldozersbulldozed that mansion, bulldozed the stables. But anyway, she said, Im not going in the house. When he came he got everything going. Daller: And he formed the board in order to support the house. And on top of that, I still worked for Sherwin Williams. And my neighbor across the street, who had lived there forever, she comes over again with a couple of little plants for me. Or was that brother Ed? And I decided, well, Im going to pick up some nice buildings. So my sister Bess said, Well, come on, lets go to Florida. So Id go up there and Id say, Ed, Adriana, what do you got? Well, we got some old fabric, out of date fabric. Give it to me! And Id take it. The front porch was up high. And he was studying art and he painted my portrait that shell show you, thats upstairs. Because he lived right here, lived right here on Staten Island. Thats how I got to know Adriana Scalamandr and the Scalamandrs. Thats ittheres no more of them. George Burke was born on Staten Island and grew up in Annandale before moving to Florida with his family. And then I shipped it all back home. And it didnt take long to sell because it was a big piece of property, nice house. So thank you. Q: Right. But, God, that was almost 100 years ago, you know? Q: So tell me about what its been like for you to live here. There was the main house, over here was the bar, over here was this big dining room, and this was the main house. I saved it years and years ago. She said, Now you can save it., And I said, Well, I can save it. George Burke is one of these dedicated keepers: He minds the Seguine Mansion, which he bought in 1981. Burke: Okay. Daller: But thats how he [referring to the painting of Mr. Seguine] came back to the house. Q: Can you tell me about studying interior design? So it just became a moot point. And they were big floors. She stated, George, I want you to save my house, and agreed to sell the house for a feasible sum in exchange for his promise to restore it. He worked by himself. And I said to the real estate lady, I said, Well, how do you know theres a ghost in there? She said, Because the old lady that originally lived in the house. Its Meissen. 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. Daller: You werent here. Theyd go in and theyd take the windows out and theyd use the windows, and they destroyed it. Burke: Oh, what I want to do isover that fireplace, I want to take that painting downand bring my painting and put it over that fireplace. More beautiful than peoples houses. 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: Right across the creek. Q: And how did you decide, I guess, how to rebuild? Syracuse. Burke: One was a necklace with a heart on it. The house is haunted, she said, if youre interested in it, George, heres the key to the front door, you go. And as I said, there was a big flight of stairs that went up and a big porch across the whole front of the house. Burke: Well, when it came to really heavy construction, like this whole wall being rebuilt and things, I had to hire carpenters and I had to hire plasters to plaster the ceiling. . They couldnt handle it, the clientele that came in. We were doing other parties at the time, the only thing we still maintain is the White Party. You could see with all the houses over here, its gotten very built up. Daller: Well he formed that, thats the board. And I was a medic. My sisterher mother [indicates Daller], Francesmy sister living in the Bronx, she got me a little apartment and she got me a job working for Saks Fifth Avenue. And then, on the side of the house in the back, there was a little piece built out. It was a mess of a mess. Formal gardens, stablesstables that you could live in. I dont know if it ever took off. I forgot whose house it was. I bet shes there. But because I was military, the military shippedwhen they moved me, they moved all my stuff. So I went up with Father Tom and I had to take care of all those Eskimos, if any of them got sick or hurt this or that. And I had more bargains from Mrs. Murphy. Daller: Right, we really dont discuss any of that. The Old Bermuda Inn. Burke: Yes, he did that little sofa there. And Ill invest in a couple of other things that will give me a nice little income, and I wont have to worry about it. But some strange things did happen in the house. If you are going to stay, you better do this this and this, whatever the hell it was. All rights reserved. But thats what that was. And finally, we met with John Krawchuk, when he became in office. Ill help renovate it, fix it up and such. And thats what we did. Was very little time on here. And then when they decided thatthey owned a beautiful house on one of the Keys in Florida. I, being the youngest, of course, seeing everybody growing up. I restored that, and that was an old mansionan old pillar-fronted mansionlooked like the house, similar. Q: Okay. Burke: Yes. And she was laying like this. Q: So those things that you got later on, afterthey didnt come from Europe. Daller: Yes. When I bought it, I didnt know what was that ones house. And thats what they were doing in France to keep from getting it taxed. He brought a crowd with him and it was just to tell him thank you for everything that hes done. Its Greek Revival. And I studied architecture and the history of design and everything, I know all that. The income from the Seguine Equestrian Center, which stables some twenty horses a stone's throw from the mansion, helps. He was the top interior designer in New York. Burke: Oh, well, when I was inI guess I was in England. And my nephewwhat the hell was he? She left things there. So I rented the apartment next door, and I broke a hole in the wall. Because we went to about every Air Force base in Europe there was, and I got around to see everything. That was her name. I cant go and say, You know, fifty years ago that was mine, and I never gave it to you. Burke: Yes, she held the mortgage on it. The one owned by the steel companywas that a beautiful house! So that makes sense. But how many people really have a sense of history anymore? And I was the assistant to the general who was the surgeon for the European Command. Thats annoying certain people. What was it, in the city? Q: And did you keep records of the restoration process? [laughs]. I probably gave it to Bess. Q: And so, what sort of vision do you have for, you know, the next the next forty years, for how the grounds are maintained and how. And Id go downtown and Id wheel and deal for a bottle of whiskey. You want to have someone living in it, you cant have an empty house. And it was the most amazing party. 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. With that old fabric, theres enough to make drapes for one window. Births: July 1847-48, July 1853-1909 Deaths: 1795, 1802-04, 1808, 1812-1948 Marriages: June 1847-48, July 1853-1949 *Includes records for western Bronx, 1874-97, and eastern Bronx, 1895-97. Q: So about this house, I wanted to ask about the Friends of the Seguine Mansion. There were some gorgeous mansions. Tell me when you want me to start. Daller: Yes, definitely. I slept in it, lived in it, ate in it. And they said, Well, we cant handle it, George. Staten Island, New York. All the grounds, the stables, everythingthey cant change a thing. I cant think of the name of the thing now. But unfortunately, all the stuff up there was cured by urine. So he came out. What are we gonna do here? So he said, Well, I really love doing this, George. And I said, Okay, John, thats fine. Bulldozed that down. But, thats what I did. Q: Yes. Yes, but it was weird. Daller: Well, you got involved with Burkes Landing with Scalia. Q: You mentioned that the South Shore has changed in the last few years. And I got these. Well, he didnt want the bull with the little girl. I put the post on it up under the floor where the newer posts in the staircase was upstairs, and then, when I took the jack away, it sat on the post. So, I would saywhat was it?the spring, and in the back of the house was the entrance to the cellar with the double doors, where you walked down the stairs, and it was all brick, and it had the doors. And, you know, who has that!? Ill make you the drapes. The drapes are still up there. That was the most beautiful mansion. Because, now, they cant tear it down. I wanted to know some more details about the life tenancy. I dont need The Death of Cleopatra hanging above my fireplace. They really dont know what history is all about. Things like that? I mean, lets face it. Burke: So, my sister Marge, and my sister Bess, would come over and help me. You cant ride anywhere but in a circle arena. If you stood outside and looked at it, the staircase went that way. Q: How did you establish a relationship with the Parks Department and the Historic House Trust? And I dream that I heard some noise. She was great because she would know. Staten Island was very early on, and then Florida, and then off to Europe. Or you can do a small whatever. And that makes more sense to people when they see something. But I dreamt it and I knew every single thing about it. Its, all the numbers are accounted for. And then when we realized we were broke, all my brothers joined the military, got married, moved away. And I made a lot of money. She had a caretaker or she had a woman that took care of her, or something. And a couple of my friends came as bartenders for me. Burke: Well, I wanted a beautiful Victorian look. And the only reason why this survived is because nobody wanted the farmhouse! And I took that room and made it into the dining room. Id bring her bottles of whiskey and shed say, Listen, George, Im going to an estate for saleeverything in it is going! And that was a kitchen, and that was bedrooms and a little living room, all up there. I had the best collection of the most beautiful carved ivory and things because they didnt have money but they would give you things. And I finally got to meet Mrs. Seguine because she had stables at that time. I said, I still have friends that myour parents met before we met. Lets keep fighting it, because there was no way to fight. Theres a ghost in there. And I said, Well, I dont believe in ghosts. Q: Yes. Burke: And he was one of the top portrait painters in Madrid. It makes sense because she was an old lady. Like there was old Greek, like the Parthenon, the Greek templesoh, it was beautiful. And so I had all that stuff in my apartment. I mean, we had clocks, baby-Ben clocks, hanging in apartments. Skip to main content (800) 896-5587. Theyre all gone. Because thats what I bought with the money. I had the house put back together. Q: And, do you keep records on, on those kinds of things? And people were selling anything out of their house to support themselves and live. I moved in the house, and I would come in the house, and right in the front hallway, you could always smell lilacs. But they donated it to the Sisters of Charity, figuring that the nuns could live in that gorgeous mansion. And I had beautiful big pieces of Meissen that I got when I was in Germany, and it all went here and there andI cant get it back. It was his first time off of Staten Island. Wed go down through the junk yards and whatnot. So I went out and I said toI had two roommates, and I said to my roommates, Wheres my box? And they said Oh, well, Sergeant Joiner came in and took it. I said, Oh, no! I went running out. 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. Daller: What about the coat? While stationed in England, he studied interior design and architectural history and began to collect antiques through estate sales and flea markets, focusing on ceramics, paintings, light fixtures, and many other decorative items from the Victorian era. Thats the only way to explain it. I can get that. Because you could get it through theand once I got involved, I did really, really well. Burke: Ed. 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. I need to get someone in to do a good cleaning on the house, someone to take care of maintaining it. He was in the Air Force. You know, he just passed away. And in order to have food and such, youd have to bring it up the back stairs. Finally, I think his wife got sick with that lung disease, didnt she? I know the Port Richmond store you just bought. If we can reach an agreement with Historic House Trust, by all means. You werent on Staten Island. His family was like aristocratic. Right? Its just a shame. And is there a way where, according to how you would like the house to be maintainedwould everything stay in its place? Facebook gives people the power to. Isnt that a huge house theyre building, you told me? 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. I grew up loving it and always having it, and my mother was great with it. Got a good price for a couple of other real estate pieces that I bought and fixed up and sold. And thats what I did. And he was so good. I would have saved it. They gave me the fabric and they did it and such. I bet. I went to boot camp, I loved it. But those things, I couldnt. So one day, my sister Bess said to my mother and me, she said, Go pack. And Im looking at looking at it and I said, You know, thats the last house. And they did. 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. And I looked in the thing, I said, Holy shit. Beloved husband of Rosanna (Ialuna) Burke. Because she would always want her bottle of booze. And Id go in and Id buy all the liquor with those stamps. I mean, I could do a little woodwork, but I wasnt a carpenter. 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. In my early twenties? Search Staten Island obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. I bought those buildings. And in the summer, he sits outside, enjoys the outdoors, enjoys the lawn, the grounds. Daller: But when you got it, it really was in need of repair. Just landmarked. But the only thing was it was too small. 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. Burke: And Im leaving everything thats in the houseits staying. Q: Is there somebody in particular that you work with for reupholstery or restorations? Click here to view all obituaries Search Obituaries Contact Us / Location. And there was nobody but my mother and I now, living in our house. Most of them were little things. Then upstairs, was all the bedrooms. But that was a condo. Help NYPAP document and celebrate NYCs preservation movement. And I had to laugh. Burke: Yes. Burke: I had a beautiful big old house in Tottenville that I loved. All Rights Reserved, Town Departments at Work: The role of each part of your local government. If you want to come, behave yourselves. What a shame. Burke: Yes. The Secret Service, as well as a Cohasset school accounting specialist and the superintendent, are determining how much the operation cost the town. And the house was like this, a big piece with two big wings. But when I die, they say theyre going to make a museum out of it. Would you like to elaborate on that? See Photos. And the only problem with that was the kitchen was downstairs. I wanted to ask about the Equestrian Center. And then Id been in Europe all that time. And my brother Bill and my brother Ed decided to go into an automobile repair shop. All went into the landfill. And now theyre buildingI havent seen it, but Linda says its a huge house theyre building. So while I used to work then with them, and then I decided, this is not for me. Burke: Yes. STATEN ISLAND, NY 10309. She married her husband Thomas Burke on April 24, 1965, and had five children. Matthew Funeral Home Inc 2508 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY (718) 761-5544 Send flowers. The walkway going to the beach, its still there, where the house was. You could imagine what the mansion looked like. But, Q: Let me ask you some more about the items that you collected when you were. I got one or two things out of it. Absolutely gorgeous. The columns werent square wooden ones, like these, they were beautiful fluted ones with all the Corinthian leaves on the tops of them and all that stuff. Devoted father of Matthew I. Burke, Jason L. Burke, and Georgina P. Burke, all of Hull. And I got a big certificate for saving that. He moved into the house shortly after the sale, and worked from the basement to the roof, and outwards throughout the grounds and stables, to complete the restoration. George Burke Obituary It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Oh, God, it was gorgeous. And then upstairs was like a big balcony above that porch. Burke: Yes. Do you remember that? And she said, George, you have so much with design and such, I want you to take over the wallpaper department and the fabric department. I did fantastic for the store. Burke: Oh, well, look what I did. Burke: I never lived in a little small house, I have no idea. Daller: Then you got rid of thatbut those are the early days. And she was laid in a dress with a big lace collar. Are you still interested? And I said, Well, of course I am. And with the Air Force, I enjoyed every minute. She was great, I loved her. And, of course, being in the military and traveling with them, the government shipped all my stuff that I bought and picked upshipped it all back to America for me. Burke: Oh, it was all overgrown with undergrowth. But it doesnt work that way. But I still have a lot of it. Daller: Well, no, Mrs. Seguine allowed him to buy, Burke: No, I already had this house from the first deal. Im giving nothing away. WHEN George Burke was growing up on Staten Island in the 1930s and '40s, he used to ride horses with a pair of sisters, Elizabeth and Belle Seguine. You couldnt tell what it was. Like this chair that youre sitting in, these are Chippendale chairs in the Chinese style. So it didnt matter. But he was excellent. From what youve described, the different places that have been demolished over the years were extremely different from each other. But I put the kitchen in the basement and sealed up that, because once that filled up with water, it would leak into the basement. Burke: But I forgot what the other two things where. But I dont remember seeing the main house. But when they were building houses, if you had a third story, your taxes went out of sight! I had a dream thatin my dream, I woke up and I was laying in bed upstairs, and I could smell lilacs. So thats my uncles hope for it as well. So I figured, hmm! So I went down in Rossville and I bought a beautiful, big old, rundown place and restored it completely. So Id go over there and, of course, Bess Seguine was always over there. We are a big family. I dont know what it is. But I was glad that I got this. Frank Tredici Jr., age 79, of Staten Island, New York, passed away on Monday, February 20th, 2023. Burke: So, in other words, fifty years from now, if someone wants to learn about the house, they can find out. And I took interior design and the history of architecture, and something else. Oh, that was the ghost in Tottenville. What were the things that you did when you were young? They just couldnt handle it. 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. And what they did is they bought a whole fleet of old taxis. Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow. 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. The son and his wife took over Scalamandr. But this is too much for you, George. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Staten Island, New York on facebook. They just went and just vandalized it to hell until there was nothing but a shell left. I mean, one year, the oil bill here was $11,000. The Seguine nestled in the back of his mind, Burke joined the Air Force and moved to London when he was 19. Burke: Down in the basement, my friend Eriche was great, with this Ouija board and all this stuffand he said, George, lets do a seance! So we got a bunch of people together and we went all down in the basement. . I bought another restaurant, didnt I? She was on TV complaining about it. So she was always, Come on, George. It was terrible. And then I was able to get all my stuff out of storage and out of peoples homes where I stored them, and furnished the house and moved and lived in the whole house, took care of it. But big stuff like couches and chairs and that kind of thing. I think so. She had to move them to New Jersey. And I was in the medical department, worked in the operating room. If you want to come in a business with me, John, lets make into a beautiful restaurant. So he said, Okay, Ive never owned a restaurant, but Id be willing to try it, George. So I said, Well, John, youre gonna have to put a lot of money in it because you have all the money, as being who you are.
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