Date: Fri 16-Jul-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

bocce-The-Pleasance-DiSora

Full Text:

A Pleasance Diversion: Bocce

(with photos)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Every Tuesday around 6 pm, a group of men gather at The Pleasance on Main

Street for two hours worth of tournament bocce.

For these Italian men, the weekly bocce game is a great form of recreation,

especially after a long day of baking bread and assorted doughnuts and Danish

pastries at Andrea's Bakery on Queen Street.

Andrea's owner Philip DiSora is usually the first one to arrive at the bocce

court, which was installed during the creation of The Pleasance, a private

park created and maintained by The Newtown Bee at the corner of Main Street

and Sugar Street for the enjoyment of the public.

"It's a great game -- very friendly," Mr DiSora said. "In Italy, they usually

play for drinks. If you lose, you buy the drinks, either beer or soda."

For those unfamiliar with the sport, bocce is defined in Webster's Dictionary

as a game of Italian origin similar to lawn bowling played on a long, narrow,

(usually) dirt court.

Mr DiSora and three others were spotted rolling their balls down the

regulation court earlier this week. They were forced to postpone last week's

match due to the incredibly hot weather. Barring rain or heat, these bakers

say they'll be out there every Tuesday evening through September.

"The area is just wonderful. It's a beautiful park," said Mr DiSora, who was

born in Italy, the birthplace of the bocce sport.

Mr DiSora opened the bakery 18 years ago and has been arriving there each

morning long before the sun even thinks about rising. A Bridgeport resident,

Mr DiSora is usually out of bed around 2 am. After a long day at the bakery,

he heads home around 2 pm. On bocce day, he'll take a one-hour nap and then

head back up to The Pleasance.

The bocce court is open for public use both day and night. For those wishing

to play at night, there is a light for the court; the switch is by the nearby

electrical panels. (Don't forget to turn the light off when you leave.)