Mr. Arnoldo Ignacio Gonzalez

Arnoldo Gonzalez Born: December 10, 1926 Birthplace and where he grew up: Central Preston, Cuba Family: Mother – Maria Isabel Sanchez de Campo Father-Lorenzo Gonzalez Siblings: Lorenzo, Dalmacio, Jorge, Ernesto, Victor Manuel, Antonio, Elvira Work Experience in Cuba: Carpenter Arrival to NYC from Cuba – 1953, age 27 Work Experience in NYC during the early years of arrival: Carpenter Last job: Shop Steward at Bar Ray Corp. Married: July 1st, 1956 Leaves behind: Wife Maria Gonzalez Children: Arnold Jr & Elizabeth Grandchildren: Alex and Alicia Sole Sibling: Jorge Gonzalez Activities he loved: listening to music, dancing, swimming, family & festive gatherings Arnoldo’s age: 88, was soon to be 89 years old Destiny brought Arnoldo and wife Maria together… Where: 1955 – movie house on Court Street, off Atlantic Avenue called “Teatro de Amor” Maria was sitting in the movie theater…behind her in the next row were 4 Gonzalez brothers, Ernesto, Dalmacio, Jorge and Arnoldo. Arnoldo began to flirt with Maria by asking her questions…what time was it, what was the name of the movie, when does the next movie start, etc? Maria told him to stop bothering her and go outside to get his answer. While this was going on, Maria’s father walks in to the movie theater to escort her home. The week of a new premiering movie, Maria goes to the theater, Arnoldo is there and notices her there. He once again sits behind her and starts to speak to her. Once Maria’s father comes to escorts her home, Arnoldo decides to follow them to see where she lives. He notices that they walk into a grocery store on Atlantic Avenue called “La Espanola” (meaning the Spanish lady). When he notices that the grocery store had apartments above, Arnoldo realizes that Maria and the older man were Spaniards and that they live there. As fate would have it, Arnoldo would run into her again. Maria began to take English classes in an after work program on 3rd Avenue. She begins speaking with another woman in her class, who was Cuban. When the class is over, Maria leaves the room with the other students. The Cuban woman leaves the building first to meet up with a friend of hers, who was waiting for her outside, and her friend just so happens to be Arnoldo! Arnoldo was taking an English class as well, but was in another classroom. His friend comes up to him and says “in my class there is a young Spaniard girl…(obviously Arnoldo had told her how he smitten he was with a beautiful girl he met at the movies, and how he followed her home. As soon as Maria came out of the building, Arnoldo’s friend points Maria out to him, and asks Maria to come over to introduce her to Arnoldo. After the greeting, Maria scoots away in a hurry, and Arnoldo catches up to her and walks her home to grocery store. As they said their goodbyes, her father comes out and asks Maria “who is this man”? Maria tells her father that Arnoldo takes the same English class as she does, and Maria’s father eyes him from head to toe, he turns to Maria and tells her “he’s an old man!”. A year later, on July 1st, 1956, they married. And in 1958, they began to raise a family, had two children, Arnold Jr. & Elizabeth. Arnoldo and Maria have two grandchildren, Alex and Alicia, now both graduates of Hofstra University. Arnoldo and Maria have been part of the Sunset Part community for over 40 years. Arnoldo was to be 89 this year

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Mr. Arnoldo Ignacio Gonzalez

December 10, 1926 - July 29, 2015