Jerome Alongi

Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle-- move over. The man who celebrated baseball legends is among you.
Jerome "Mimi" Alongi was '78' when he died Sunday and his story  is borrowed from the life and laughter of baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berri who use to say that "When you come to a fork in the road--pick it up."
That's what Jerome "Mimi" Alongi did, took baseball card collecting and memorabilia from a cigar box hobby to part of a national passion. He bought Topps packages for the cards while most of us bought them for the bubble gum,
He knew that a 1953 Mickey Mantle rookie card--stashed in a shoe box under a bed with butterfly wings and bits of string-- would be worth thousands as the stock in America's national pasttime grew.  He was part of that passion. 
He knew what had value and what didn't, remembered from the lessons of his father, Guy Alongi, who was born in Cinisi, Italy in 1888 and came  to America as an immigrant. He found value in the 10 and 14 hour days at the family restaurant.
He found love in his family, certainly in his great and gracious wife--Dorothy Rothensburger Alongi, raised by Judge Harold Farmer after her own parents died. She was his mate and healer after his stroke in 1994 and was his comfort after his diagnosis of cancer last December.
"I grew up with baseball," remembers son Guy, longtime director of the Perry County Housing Authority.  "I remember the world series game he took me to in 1964. I was 11 and dad was scouting for the New York Mets. Through his connections he got us tickets to the game in the fifth row of the old Sportsman's Park. I remember players like Kenny Boyer, Tim McCarvey and I remember Mike Shannon playing third base," he said.
"Mimi' wasn't a name-dropper. He knew the players, coaches, owners and managers by their first names--many a phone call away. Certainly anybody connected with the Cardinals, Met, Astros, Mariners and Padres. Locally, he influenced the lives and decisions of local sports greats like Don Stanhouse.
"He's got baseball articles that go back into the 1920s and 1930s," remembers Guy. "I probably didn't realize until after his death on Sunday how many friends he had. The past two or three weeks, his house had a revolving front door."
His relationships were so strong that even his therapist--"Katie"--who now lives in Phoenix, flew back on Friday to be at Mimi's side over the weekend.
"Dad always loved the restaurant--Alongi's.  I was a pizza boy all the way through high school," he said.
"And, when I came back to Du Quoin to be Perry County Housing director, he taught me something I always remember," Guy said. "Don't lie to the press--people who buy ink by the barrel and paper by the roll." 
"I remember another funny story about dad getting involved in a car deal. We didn't think he came out very well on the deal," Guy remembers. But, Mimi was philosphical. "They must have needed it more than I did," he said.
Alongi was not only a charter member of the John A. Logan college board, but a member of the park board. Longtime friend Thelma Pettiford remembers that Alongi always chose to stay the course. Never flamboyant, always unassuming. He was part of the board that established Du Quoin's Municipal Swimming Pool.
"When he died, he was at peace," said Guy this morning. "He said 'I'm ready'."


