Mary Nagy was born Sept. 28, 1919 in Olusliska, Hungary. Her family being fairly poor, never owned much land, and so, struggled as farm laborers. Like many in Hungary at the time, America seemed the best chance for "a better life". With money gathered throughout the family , she came to America, as many, greeted by the spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty in 1938. Taken in by her aunt, Elizabeth and husband Joe Ressler, already established in New York city. Later, we always referred to them as "grandma and grandpa Ressler" and visited them very regularly in NYC. for chicken dinners on Sunday.

Dad was born in Puritan, Penna. (near Portage, PA) on March 17,1917, to Andrew and Teresa Lakatos. His father had worked in the coal mines of Penna. for 15 years, and dad was only 5 years old, before the pull of family motivated them to move back to Hungary in 1922 and use the money earned to buy 40 acres of very fertile farmland in Hernadkirsch. Grandpa was a very strong man, and even with smoking and drinking whiskey every morning , lived to the ripe old age of 95 years old.

Again, like mom and many others, the family gathered it’s money and in 1936 dad was sent to America with $400, in the company of our lifelong friend Andy Varga. Unfortunately, just before loading onto the boat, "Laconia", in France, dad was mugged. Embarrassed to return to family, dad continued on his journey to America, retaining the boat ticket and $ 4 !!!.

Having great luck with a contact here in NYC, dad and Mr. Varga , on their second day, found both work ( 28¢ per hour ) in a machine shop, and an apartment across the street, which they shared with two others. Living this close to the small shop, the foreman would often wake them on weekends to come in for extra hours. These men shared the apartment, pooling $1 between them the four could cook a simple meal, and have a beer by lowering a small pail containing 25¢ out there window to the restaurant window below to be filled by the barkeep.

Mom and dad met in 1939 at a Hungarian club social dance, run through St. Stephen’s Church. Dad still remembers taking mom’s coat when she arrived, with another date.

Soon mom and dad dated. Dad claiming his dance lessons in Hungary and NYC being of use. Dad also considered himself very social, acting on stage on occasion, and being very proud of the fact that he was often mentioned in a local Hungarian newspaper.

It was after dad landed a good job as a machinist at "Bullard’s" in Bridgeport, CT. that mom and dad became engaged and married in 1942. The first of three sons born , Andy, on Aug. 6, 1943.

But on Feb. 1944, dad was off to the war, crossing the Atlantic again on a troop ship of 20,000 servicemen.

Mom, and firstborn, would return to live with the Resslers in NYC. She worked for the war movement as a seamstress, making "Eisenhower jackets". Never spending a penny of the savings they had established before the war. The Resslers becoming second parents, took Andy almost every weekend to the Bronx Zoo.

Dad started the war as a mechanic in the 4th armored division. Daily life was terribly unpleasant, and "the action" became more and more difficult to witness. In order to get transferred out, on advisement from others, dad made himself sick by starving himself. He was transferred and life got much better as a mechanic in the 9th airforce. It was then that dad noticed many of the men with very long hair. The company barber had been shipped out. Dad took the barber tools and offered to cut a few of his friends hair. This snowballed and dad was soon cutting everyone’s hair, officers included, often making very good tips. His next job, being put in charge of the PX , also gained him much popularity supplying the men with the much sought after personal goods simple pleasures that become so precious to a soldier in wartime. He also claimed to occasionally set up dates for the men.

Dad returned from the war in 1946.

Picking up where he left off, working at Bullard’s, the family returned to Bridgeport, CT. Living with Mary, and son Andy, in a three family apartment, again within walking distance to his work.

The second son , Edward, was born, Sept.14, 1951 and with a pretty good wage and lots of overtime pay, they built their house in neighboring Fairfield and moved in on Oct. 1951.

Their finest prize was of course the birth of the third and final best son Stephen on Sept. 6, 1958.

In 1967 mom and dad returned ,for the first time, to Hungary, to find their homeland overrun by Communist controls. Military presence was obvious and intimidating. Conversations were hushed by most who rightfully feared being overheard , and taken away by the communist police.

"The Party" came to my grandfather’s town of Hernadkirsch, and demanded all landowners to turn over their properties and produce to the state. Scared and upset, a gathering of the owners was called in a town meeting hall to discuss the plans, but it was an ambush. Once together, the lights went off and all were beaten.

The next morning, everyone complied with the communist party’s wishes. Grandpa Lakatos , because of his age of 65, was allowed to keep 6 acres for self sustenance.