Article Courtesy of Williamson Daily News
By Dwight Williamson
Published
March 6, 2022
This is a
two-part series involving the amazing life of a former Logan Countian,
who, like so many other former Loganites over the years, managed not
only to prosper and make a name for himself in American history, but
also to make Logan County proud in doing so. His story, like many others
still to be relayed, should serve as a beacon of hope for those young
"stars" in southern West Virginia who hope to shine brightly someday.
PART I:
Mel Cottone recalls growing up in
Logan
Growing up in
the coal fields of Logan County nowadays is certainly much different
from the days of yesteryear when most people didn't even lock their
doors when they went to bed at night. Of course, a declining population
and a lack of jobs, particularly coal mining employment, has been a
major problem in the declining economics of the Appalachians for many
years. Throw in the drug epidemic that has virtually destroyed many
families, and it is little wonder why there is major concern for the
future of southern West Virginia and our decaying and drug-ridden
society.
Although the outlook
may sometimes appear bleak for our younger generation, I
think it is very important for them to realize just how
successful one can be by them taking a historical look at
some of the people who came from various parts of Logan
County and went on to have very notable careers.
Out of this rural county, which has seen the world-renowned
bloodshed of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud and the Battle of Blair
Mountain, has risen many stars. From Hollywood male and
female movie actors to pro football and baseball stars, to a
nine-year world heavyweight boxing champion, Logan County
has produced numerous people who have made their marks in
American society.
Long before Landau Eugene Murphy stole the hearts of Logan
Countians, there were other talented musicians and singers
who came from the hills and hollows of Logan to present
their talents on a national scale. Over the years, thousands
of Logan Countians have fought in various wars and military
conflicts, many returning home with honorary medals, while
others came home in pine boxes.
From man's first landing on the moon to the Olympics games,
there is a direct correlation to people who have ties to
Logan County. The names of many of these people cannot be
found in the annals of American history, but certainly
should he highlighted on the local level as "special" people
who will forever be known as Loganites.
There is no better example of an immensely successful
Loganite than that of an immigrant son who started out
shining shoes at what he called local "whorehouses," such as
the two-story Sidebottom Hotel that stood in Deskins
Addition, an area many older folks still refer to as Black
Bottom. |
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At 85 years old, Carmelo "Mel" Cottone - who along
with his only sibling, Katherine Adkins of Verdunville, was born in a
two-room coal camp house without electricity or indoor plumbing at No.
20 Whitman Creek - should be recognized as Logan County's best well-kept
secret. It's his amazing accomplishments since joining the presidential
campaign of John F. Kennedy in 1960 when Kennedy visited Logan County
that can only be described as "astounding." Indeed, it is Mel Cottone's
life story which should prove as the motivation for any young person to
realize that perseverance and hard work can produce near miracles,
regardless of race, religion or economic background.
The son of a coal miner, Mel Cottone, known to some
as simply Mel Cotton, grew up in what can be called the Italian part of
Mt. Gay in a house that was located behind what is the still popular
Park 'n Eat Drive-In. "My dad bought the house in 1941 for $4,000. I
don't know where the hell he got the money," Mel says. "I think the
Scaggs' owned the property at the time."
From Cherry Tree to Mt. Gay, there were several Italian families, many
of whose names are locally recognizable even today - Chirico, Esposito,
Dress, and Piccorillio, for example. Italians came to the Appalachians
from different parts of Italy, according to Cottone, who said there was
a great deal of competition between the different Italian families, and
that they did not always get along well. He noted that at one time the
Chirico family operated four stores in the local area. Cottone spoke of
other Logan Italian families he became familiar with, such as the
Varrassis, Murreddus, Nollettis, Triolos and Barbers, all of whom have
played important roles in Logan history. He said that his father, John
Cottone, loaned Bernard Codispoti (father of Magistrate Leonard
Codispoti) a wine press when Mel was just a young boy. "I don't think he
ever did get that press back," Mel said with a laugh. "I'm actually Joe
Codispoti's godfather," he added. "We were all close because we had to
be."
In Logan County today, religious and ethnic bigotry is fairly
non-existent compared to the 1960s when Sen. John F. Kennedy brought his
Roman Catholic religious tag to the political heart of the Baptist belt
seeking to gain the support of Protestants, some of whom bore very close
associations to the local Ku Klux Klan, a widely accepted organization
that was noted for its anti-Catholic sentiments.
It was a private meeting with Ted Kennedy in 1960 that would develop
into a bond with the entire Kennedy family that led to an improbable
50-year career in Washington, D.C. Mel rose into prominence as a lawyer
and aide to John and Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, John
Glenn, and several others. Over the years, Cottone has been a key
participant in many national and state campaigns, including those of
Bill Clinton and West Virginia's own Robert C. Byrd. In addition, he has
been given several presidential appointments and has served as political
strategist and advisor for many select politicians on the federal, state
and local levels.
Now retired from his work in Washington, D.C., Mel and his wife, Maria,
reside in Boca Raton, Florida, where Mel is still engaged in political
strategy development and in advisory roles. He also has appeared in
numerous speaking engagements where he has been described as a "dynamic
speaker who has witnessed and participated in political history." He
also has authored two books, "The Winning Ballot, A Candidate's Guide to
Successful Campaigning" and "A Presidential First."
Despite all of his fascinating experiences with the elite, the still
vigorous Loganite has never forgotten his humble beginnings in Logan
County. On a recent visit to his sister's family, this writer became
enchanted with Mel, after a family member invited me to meet with him.
In separate talks with him since then, it has become abundantly clear
that if there ever should be a Logan County Hall of Fame, Mel Cottone's
name should be at the top of the list.
However, to truly appreciate the life of the distinguished Mr. Cottone,
one must also consider his life on a more local level. For it is truly
the story of a man who went from the "outhouse to the White House."
In the days of small community schools and when teachers were not
burdened with all of the "technical" paperwork that is required today,
it was a teacher (Mrs. Avis) who is given credit for instilling
encouragement and confidence into the life of a young man who grew up
across from a mining operation known as Mt. Gay Coal and Coke. It was
this coal mine, owned by Harry Gay, that had produced the first ever
load of coal hauled to nearby Logan to be transported by train in 1905.
Another mentor, who Mel has given much credit for his developing an
early interest in politics, is another teacher and former mayor of
Logan, Tom Orr. Orr much later would become superintendent of schools in
Logan County. Orr encouraged him to pursue his interest in politics and
in law. Cottone's first taste of political success came when he was
elected to Logan Senior High School's Student Council.
As he recalls growing up near Logan, Mel has many many fond memories
that bring smiles to Mel's face. However, he also remembers the hard
times that had to be endured by so many families whose lives literally
depended on coal mining.
"Camello Pansera's family lived right next to me and there was a gang of
kids in that family," Mel recalled. "I remember the terrible news of him
being killed in the mines. They said his body was split in half. My
family cried, and I don't know how those kids' mother (Angelina) was
able to raise them all, but she did."
Later on, when he was fortunate enough to visit Italy, Mel said he
filmed his grandparents and other family members in southern Italy and
kept the 8 millimeter film stored on a shelf in his parents' Mt. Gay
home. Even though his father had raised the framed dwelling three times,
it was one of the many floods that have wreaked havoc in Mt. Gay for
scores of years that washed away his film. "I know my father just could
not believe that the water would ever reach the shelves where the film
was stored," said Cottone.
Although flooding has always been a problem because of the overflowing
of streams that lead into the Guyandotte River such as the Mud Fork and
Island Creek that converge at Mt. Gay, according to Cottone, the
flooding in that area was caused by the filling in of the creeks.
"The road used to be about three or four feet from the creek when they
started filling it in from the Holden Road to the Esposito store at Mt.
Gay, and all the way through Black Bottom," he recalled. "They placed
junked cars in the creeks and covered them with dirt and debris,
narrowing the creeks, and that led to the flooding. I don't think we
ever got flooded before people started filling in the creeks."
The lively Cottone is quick to revive some other childhood memories:
"When I was 12 years old, I used to shine shoes at beer gardens and
whore houses near town. I even remember shining some of those
prostitutes shoes, too," he said with a laugh.
Besides the Sidebottom Hotel, two other locations he remembers well in
Black Bottom were the Green Lantern Tavern and the Wagon Wheel. "The
Sidebottom Hotel was a two-story white building," Mel explained. "I
remember the night it burned down. There was a whole bunch of girls come
running out of there in their night gowns."
The Green Lantern, which existed as far back as 1932 when a witness
working there testified in the murder trial involving Mamie Thurman, was
replaced by what became Anderson Wholesale in Deskins' Addition,
possibly in the 1980s. During the 1960s and '70s, the Green Lantern was
notoriously known for fights, which included stabbings and shootings.
While violence certainly was a part of growing up in Logan County during
Mel Cottone's childhood, it was the violent death of a young "American
Camelot" named John Kennedy - better known to Cottone simply as Jack -
that would shock the world, and send the young Loganite's life spiraling
as he then became even closer to the Kennedy families and the new
president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson.
PART II:
Mel Cottone rubbed elbows with
presidents
History, especially local history, has a way of just
fading away with time. Unfortunately, people and places that were once
revered in our youth too often leave us without a new generation ever
knowing their former values, be them significant or just trivial.
For example, as I daily travel by the now closed Park ’n Eat restaurant
located about a mile from Logan at Mt. Gay, I nearly always think of a
sandwich that was produced there — and as far as I know — nowhere else.
The popular eatery has been closed down since the advent of COVID-19 and
it has been a while since I frequented the long standing cinderblock
building that likely for decades has withstood more floods than even
Sen. Joe Manchin-aired media commercials.
That sandwich, listed on the menu as the “Whatchamacallit” consisted of
bologna, banana peppers, onion, hamburger, and some special condiments
that made for a delightfully different taste in a sandwich. In fact, now
that I think about it, that sandwich name would fit Manchin’s tastes
quite well — neither Democratic nor Republican. Just a whatchamacallit.
But that’s not all I think about when I cruise by the former restaurant.
You see, if you will look really close the next time you go by there,
you will see a spot of vacant land just to the left and behind the
drive-in restaurant. In so doing, you must visualize a small frame house
that once was the home of one of Logan’s most successful people.
That fellow, who is now a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, and closing
in on 90 years old, is a true local example of a guy who went from the
“outhouse to the White House.” Although born at No. 20 Whitman Camp and
living there in a house without electricity or indoor plumbing, Carmello
“Mel” Cottone, who friends called Mel Cotton, said he was raised at Mt.
Gay in a house his father (John) purchased in 1941. That small house is
now a mere spot of dirt behind the restaurant.
Although time has
completely changed the Mt. Gay area — with houses and former
businesses now gone — the area once was filled with Italian
names such as Esposito, Pansera, Dress, and Piccorrillo, to
name just a few. In time, Cottone got to know even more
Italians, whose families had come to Logan in hopes of
bettering themselves. Names like Triolo, Codispoti, Nolletti,
Barber, Varrassi, and Murredu are names that most Logan
Countians can identify with even today.
So close were many of the Italian families, many of whom
could speak little or no English, that they shared wine
presses and some traditional foods together. Mel is even the
godfather of one of his friends’ children, Joe Codispoti,
Joe’s father being the late Bernard Codispoti.
Cottone’s 50-year political career in Washington D.C. all
started in 1960 when a young Catholic named John Fitzgerald
Kennedy was to begin campaigning for U.S. president in West
Virginia, a state that was dominated by the Protestant
faith.
The Kennedy campaign, realizing the importance of showing
the rest of the country that a Catholic could be embraced by
the Protestant electorate, poured every resource available
into southern West Virginia, including a yet undetermined
amount of money. Kennedy defeated Hubert H. Humphrey rather
handily in Logan County and southern West Virginia, winning
the West Virginia primary election, which helped elevate him
to the highest office in the land.
There exists even today religious and ethnic bigotry in
Logan County, but nothing compared to the 1960s when Sen.
John Kennedy brought his Roman Catholic tag to the heart of
the Baptist belt. LIFE magazine would proceed to exemplify
the prejudice with a story claiming Logan Circuit Judge C.C.
Chambers to be a Ku Klux Klan member, which Chambers — a
strong supporter of Hubert Humphrey in the presidential
election — never denied. The story also featured how votes
were routinely “bought” on election days in Logan County. |
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Mt. Gay native Mel Cottone, right, and his grandson
Rick Sargent, met former President Donald Trump last summer at the
Trump National Golf Club at Bedminster, New Jersey.
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It was a private meeting with Ted Kennedy in Logan
that propelled Cottone to vigorously organize local engagements for
Ted’s brother, John, during the 1960 primary election. The Kennedys
never forgot West Virginia and many of their supporters, including
Cottone, who followed John Kennedy to Washington D.C., where he became
an aid to both President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.
Following the tragic assaination of JFK, Cottone continued to work for
newly sworn in President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was under the Johnson
administration in 1964 that Cottone was able to first benefit his home
county of Logan.
After the formation of the PRIDE agency in Logan County in 1957, which
today is known as PRIDE Community Services and revels in an annual
budget of over $8 million — the late Ervin Queen, volunteer executive
director of the organization, traveled to the nation’s capital where
Cottone proudly handed him the organization’s first grand check.
The $150,000 check was a byproduct of President Johnson’s “War on
Poverty” program. Cottone was then serving as one of four federal
economic opportunity directors in the nation. “I was delighted to
present that check to Mr. Queen,” Cottone said. “I felt like I was
giving something back to the place I loved so much.”
Cottone’s remarkable career included numerous titles — including being
the “campaign advance man” for John and Robert Kennedy, as well as
Lyndon Johnson. In addition, Cottone was at different times appointed
deputy director of transportation, co-organizer of the National Urban
Coalition, director of economic development for the U.S. Conference of
Mayors, and several other important titles, as well as being a political
strategist, campaign advisor and legal counsel to numerous elected
officials.
From the Kennedys to Robert Byrd in 1976, Cottone had personally gotten
involved in the campaigns of several well-known politicos, including the
likes of senators Edward Muskie and George McGovern, and former Gov.
Jimmy Carter, as well as presidential candidates Tom Harkin and Bill
Clinton, both in 1992.
The former Mt. Gay native has also written two books, given several
interviews to newspapers and has appeared on both ABC and CBS television
discussing the JFK assassination and other recounts of his time spent in
and around Washington, D.C., and with former office holders.
With a law degree from the University of Baltimore and a business
management degree from Marshall University, the very talkative Mel
Cottone since his retirement has enjoyed bringing history to life by
sharing his fascinating personal experiences of working, especially with
former Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Although nearly all of his appointments involved the actions of
Democratic officeholders, Cottone says he first met former President
Donald Trump in 2004 when Trump was considered “just” a businessman.
And from most indications today, the former advisor to two of the best
known Democrats to ever serve in the White House — John F. Kennedy and
Lyndon Johnson — the feisty senior citizen seems now to be somewhat
enamored with Trump, a Republican.
Last year, Cottone, along with his wife Maria and grandson, Rick Sargent,
met the former President at one of his 14 golf courses, the Trump
National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. “He was really gracious to
us and told my grandson, he had a great grandfather,” laughed Cottone.
“He autographed a photo that my wife had of her and Trump together.”
Who knows, perhaps the former Loganite is hoping for another successful
run for the presidency by Donald Trump. And should that occur, well,
I’ll not rule out the possibility of another government appointment for
Mel Cottone.
Let me think. How about — senior advisor to a senior president?
Of course, It could be argued that we currently could use one of those
type appointments.
Regardless, Logan County should already be proud of its “rags to riches”
native son, Mel Cottone.
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