About Patsy Buttino
Did any fireworks artist ever receive a standing ovation from 20,000 fans? Patsy Buttino did. And it was well deserved, according to his neighbor Louie Falso. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s a legend. The name is just synonymous with fireworks.”
Falso grew up at 38 Pomeroy Street in Cortland, New York. Patsy Buttino lived next door at 40 Pomeroy Street with his wife Mary and their 10 children. The history of Cortland in the 20th century must include the story of Patsy Buttino, his extended family, and the fireworks company he built.
A Religious Tradition
For over 50 years, the Italians of Cortland proudly relied on Patsy to announce each June’s St. Anthony’s Day festival with an early morning salute of 13 aerial bombs. Then in the evening, festival goers and others in the Cortland community went to the Cortland County Fairgrounds for a fireworks show of aerial bombs and his original ground set pieces.
A Civic Tradition
Each July 4th, all of Cortland celebrated with two of Patsy’s fireworks shows, a large show at the County Fairgrounds and a smaller show on the grounds of the Cortland Country Club. But Patsy’s fame spread far beyond Cortland. He provided July 4th fireworks shows at fire department field days, church celebrations, and national holidays throughout central New York communities including Homer, Truxton, Elbridge, Marathon, Hector, Tully, Norwich, Auburn, Skaneateles, Watkins Glen, Trumansburg, Earlville, Groton, Mecklenburg, Morrisville, Pompey, Oxford, Chenango, Marcellus, Whitney Point, Union Springs, Afton, and even into Pennsylvania at Mansfield and Carbondale.
Above, Patsy at a fireworks show holding a punk, a smoldering stick used for safely lighting fuses.
[Photo: Marion Wesp]
Falso grew up at 38 Pomeroy Street in Cortland, New York. Patsy Buttino lived next door at 40 Pomeroy Street with his wife Mary and their 10 children. The history of Cortland in the 20th century must include the story of Patsy Buttino, his extended family, and the fireworks company he built.
A Religious Tradition
For over 50 years, the Italians of Cortland proudly relied on Patsy to announce each June’s St. Anthony’s Day festival with an early morning salute of 13 aerial bombs. Then in the evening, festival goers and others in the Cortland community went to the Cortland County Fairgrounds for a fireworks show of aerial bombs and his original ground set pieces.
A Civic Tradition
Each July 4th, all of Cortland celebrated with two of Patsy’s fireworks shows, a large show at the County Fairgrounds and a smaller show on the grounds of the Cortland Country Club. But Patsy’s fame spread far beyond Cortland. He provided July 4th fireworks shows at fire department field days, church celebrations, and national holidays throughout central New York communities including Homer, Truxton, Elbridge, Marathon, Hector, Tully, Norwich, Auburn, Skaneateles, Watkins Glen, Trumansburg, Earlville, Groton, Mecklenburg, Morrisville, Pompey, Oxford, Chenango, Marcellus, Whitney Point, Union Springs, Afton, and even into Pennsylvania at Mansfield and Carbondale.
Above, Patsy at a fireworks show holding a punk, a smoldering stick used for safely lighting fuses.
[Photo: Marion Wesp]
A Cornell Tradition
For the last ten years of his career, the highlight of
each July was Patsy’s most elaborate fireworks show staged in Cornell’s Schoellkopf Field, a stadium that was always packed.
At left is the crowd at Cornell in July, 1958 waiting for the show to begin. Many of Patsy's Cortland neighbors came every year. In this photo the girl with the glasses is 10-year-old Kay Zaharis sitting next to her friend Lenore Zampino. In the row behind the girls are Kay's parents Jo and Carl Zaharis (man with mustache).
Kay remembers the thrill of seeing the fireworks that night. “We went to the fireworks because the Buttino family were friends of my parents and we wanted to support their endeavors. There were thousands of people there, and I was in awe of the fireworks. The pinwheels would spin around while fireworks shot out from all the spokes. In another set piece, a bow shot an arrow, and it traveled all the way down the entire football field. The torch on the Statue of Liberty lit up and fireworks shot up from it. Then the American flag lit up and appeared to be waving in the wind. After all of the set pieces and aerial bombs, the finale was so bright that you could see all the spectators’ faces. It was truly a magical night for me.”
For the last ten years of his career, the highlight of
each July was Patsy’s most elaborate fireworks show staged in Cornell’s Schoellkopf Field, a stadium that was always packed.
At left is the crowd at Cornell in July, 1958 waiting for the show to begin. Many of Patsy's Cortland neighbors came every year. In this photo the girl with the glasses is 10-year-old Kay Zaharis sitting next to her friend Lenore Zampino. In the row behind the girls are Kay's parents Jo and Carl Zaharis (man with mustache).
Kay remembers the thrill of seeing the fireworks that night. “We went to the fireworks because the Buttino family were friends of my parents and we wanted to support their endeavors. There were thousands of people there, and I was in awe of the fireworks. The pinwheels would spin around while fireworks shot out from all the spokes. In another set piece, a bow shot an arrow, and it traveled all the way down the entire football field. The torch on the Statue of Liberty lit up and fireworks shot up from it. Then the American flag lit up and appeared to be waving in the wind. After all of the set pieces and aerial bombs, the finale was so bright that you could see all the spectators’ faces. It was truly a magical night for me.”
In 1961 officials estimated that 28,000 people were inside the stadium while thousands more stood outside or clung to the field’s fence. It was to be Patsy’s last show as he was ill and in the hospital at show time. But with an OK from his doctor, he made it to Cornell that night and was driven around the field in the back seat of an open convertible accompanied by a police motorcycle escort to a standing ovation from the crowd.
Patsy Buttino described himself as an artist, a carpenter, a chemist, and a pyrotechnician, with an emphasis on the artistry. What he left unsaid is that he was also an inspiration to the Italians of Cortland’s East Side while creating an indelible chapter in the history of Cortland, New York.
Patsy Buttino described himself as an artist, a carpenter, a chemist, and a pyrotechnician, with an emphasis on the artistry. What he left unsaid is that he was also an inspiration to the Italians of Cortland’s East Side while creating an indelible chapter in the history of Cortland, New York.