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Mary "Mama" Scinta
This Mother's Day month , Vegas Community Online would like to honor a fine lady with an incredible talented family... Mary "Mama" Scinta
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Each May we gather to celebrate our moms on the second Sunday of the month. If we’re in the same location we probably do it together. If we’re separated, we call. But, for at least one family here in Las Vegas, Mother’s Day is every day. The Scintas will tell you from the stage or in conversation that their mother is at the heart of their very close-knit family. For her part, Mary Scinta is bursting with pride at the accomplishments of her children — Joe, Frank and Chrissi (whom she calls “Christine”) who comprise Strip sensation The Scintas and Tony, a retired Buffalo NY homicide detective. |
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"When the three performing Scinta children moved to Las Vegas from Buffalo in 2000, Mama Scinta and Tony followed. While Tony works as director of merchandising for the family, Mary is herself a performer. ?She says, “I never acted in my life. But when I was going to see my kids’ show and the casting director from Tony n' Tina’s Wedding saw me and asked me to play Mama Nunzio. I kept refusing but agreed to try it when she said all I have to do is be a senile grandmother. I thought’ that isn’t too far from the truth,’ so I did it and I loved it.” “My husband and I always believed that it’s good to love your kids unconditionally,” she recalls, “but it’s good to give them tough love. If we made a threat of punishment we carried it through. There was a lot of love, but there was discipline. “My husband never hit them. I spanked Joey once but there were rules and they had to be followed. For example, my kids love to eat. We did a lot of cooking and the kids knew they had to be at the dinner table at five o’clock. If they were around the block my husband would whistle for them and they had to be at the table promptly. If not, they were punished.” |
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Bucko was one of eight boys and two girls and he grew up
with a winning combination of love and discipline. “He saw in his family
that having rules is important. All of the children in his family were
successful,” Mary says. Asked to cite a rule, she quickly says,
“Never sit at the table with a hat on. That is rude. And respect for
your elders is very important. We taught by example and that’s
important, too.” She says life in Las Vegas is good. “I walk every day with my dog, have lunch with my friends. I just love Vegas. I miss my beautiful friends and nieces and nephews in Buffalo, and two brothers. I love the weather and the people here. I love the cast in Tony n' Tina’s Wedding. I feel that they’re my second family.” In addition to her pride in her family, Mary is very proud of Scinta Sauce, the marinara sauce sold by the family. “It’s a simple recipe handed down from my mother-in-law and her mother.” Asked the ingredients for a successful family, Mary Scinta says, “It’s harder today, but I recommend a lot of love, a lot of discipline and a lot of food.” |
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