There aren’t that many local folks who can say that both Cornwall-on-Hudson Mayor James Gagliano and Cornwall Supervisor Josh Wojehowski have stopped by their homes – at the same time – to sit at the kitchen table and chat.

But Cornwall’s Anne Venezia Capone can.

Last Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Capone got a special birthday visit from the mayor and supervisor, and her good friend, Cornwall Recreation’s Phylis Murphy. The three, who followed a visit by Mrs. Capone’s Catholic Daughters of America friends, were there to wish her a happy 100th birthday.

They couldn’t stop by on her actual birthday (Sunday, Sept. 8), you see, because Mrs. Capone was going to be busy that day with her fourth birthday party of the summer. When you get to be 100, her daughter Daria said, it takes more than one party to host all the folks who want to celebrate you!

Mrs. Capone was thrilled to see the mayor and supervisor and enjoyed sitting comfortably at her table – surrounded by birthday cakes, cards and balloons she has been receiving -- with them for the better part of an hour chatting about her life. To culminate the visit, the mayor presented her with a proclamation declaring Sunday, Sept. 8 as Anne Venezia Capone Day in the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson.

The kind gesture, and the official proclamation, brought tears to the eyes of the feisty birthday girl.

She’s lived in the community since 1950, hailing from Brookyln.

From the mayor’s proclamation:

“The youngest of 12 siblings, and in a sign of the times, Anne was the only child to be delivered in a hospital. Anne’s mother and father were Italian immigrants drawn to this country by the allure and promise of ‘the American Dream’. With little to no schooling, her hardworking parents were able to build a better life for their family by opening an Italian bakery, tightening their belts and going without, thus saving their earnings to purchase a six-family apartment building that still exists today; and

Whereas, Anne, a fiercely independent woman imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit, was known for her kindness and generosity, she also excelled at engaging with the public she loved to serve. While in her 20s, she opened a seamstress shop right across the street from the bakery her parents owned in Brooklyn. Anne and her beloved husband Paul met in the borough a year after the end of World War II and were married in 1948. Paul worked for the Brooklyn-based company known as Lightron, where he had been employed since the age of 14. Tasked with opening the company’s plant and warehouse based in Cornwall-on-Hudson, Paul brought his family north and they settled in our village. Years later, after her children had long left the nest, Anne opened the Fair Lady shop and His Corner apparel shop on Main St., where she operated for some 20 years. She remains a proud member of the Catholic Daughters of America and the revered matriarch of her extended family. Now, as she official enters rarified air, becoming a centenarian, family and friends have mobilized across these United States, traveling great distances to come help her celebrate this milestone. Anne truly embodies someone who lives the motto ‘my door is always open’.

In closing his proclamation, the mayor called Mrs. Capone’s life “richly beautiful” and said the entire village “rightly acknowledges the occasion”.

As Gagliano and Wojehowski sat with Mrs. Capone, with her children Daria and Steven looking on, they talked about everything from what they have in common (Mrs. Capone’s family first lived on the street where the mayor now resides in Cornwall-on-Hudson; and she was a big fan of the supervisor’s mushroom soup when he owned Fresh, on Main St. in Cornwall!).

She also told them stories of her life in Brooklyn before moving north and made everyone in the room’s mouth water with descriptions of the breads that her adored father made in his bakery.

Later in the day, in social media posts, Gagliano called the meeting that day “the best part of being the village mayor” and Wojehowski called it “a pleasure.” The supervisor also commented on, “the interconnectedness” of the Cornwall community, after learning during the chat that Mrs. Capone was friendly with his mom and other relatives.

FYI, the year Mrs. Capone was born, 1924, saw J. Edgar Hoover being appointed as the director of the FBI, the merged company Mercedes-Benz was created, and the first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France. As well, the country had 48 states; gas cost 13-25 cents per gallon; Wheaties cereal was just introduced; the Statue of Liberty was designated as a National Monument, and the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held.

Happy birthday, Mrs. Capone!