The Woman Behind The Man

Louise Kessinger (AKA: Ma, Joya, Lou)

She was born Louise Napolitano to Ernest and Lucy Napolitano in Brooklyn, New York. She was the second of four siblings to a family of one older brother (Frank) and two younger sisters (Tina and Fran). Her dad was a butcher by trade and ironically, her grandparents owned two fish markets in the Brooklyn neighborhood. At the age of 16, her family moved to South Ozone Park in Queens. She graduated high school from Franklin K. Lane in Richmond Hill in1953. In the summer of 1952, she worked her first job as a clerk in the unemployment insurance office in New York City. After high school, she worked for four years as a secretary for the F&M Schaeffer Brewing Company in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her boss was a scientist (PhD) that worked in the brewery's laboratory on the top floor. I'm sure they had great office parties.

In the summer of 1955, her ship sailed in as a young lanky man named Richie Kessinger moved in next door with his family and they quickly became sweethearts. Louise lured him with the appropriately selected maidenly baits, set the hook, and eventually reeled him in. They were married on January 26th 1957. Soon thereafter, her career in beer was over and she spent the rest of her years as a housewife and mother to the five children they would raise in Baldwin, Long Island.

As Richie's career solidified and he became the sole proprietor, Louise became an integral part of the business. Working quietly behind the scenes, she was the chief operating officer while her husband, the commander in chief, was out fishing all day. She served faithfully as the banker, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, receptionist, switchboard operator, gopher, fleet manager, dispatcher, chauffer, and keeper of the five children. To this day I'll never forget Mom's words. "Wait until your father gets home" and the consequences associated with that. We can't forget to mention Rusty, Gooza, and Mickey, the golden labs that blessed the house. It wasn't uncommon for Richie to kiss the dogs and pat the wife on the head after a long day at work. Even after 50 plus years or marriage together, she still waits patiently for her man to come home from fishing.

Capt Richie and his best catch!