Mary Rotolo
Encyclopedia
Mary Teresa Pezzati Rotolo Bowes (January 28, 1910 - September 27, 1990) was an American writer and political activist. Her daughters are Suze
and Carla Rotolo
. Suze Rotolo was one of Bob Dylan
's early girlfriends in New York City
.
, on January 28, 1910, the daughter of Italian
immigrants Sisto Pezzati and his wife Cesarina nee Opizzi. Her older brother was Pietro Pezzati
, who was a noted American
portrait painter.
While in Boston
, Rotolo dated B. F. Skinner
and was acquainted with Conlon Nancarrow
, who later renounced his American citizenship because of his membership in the Communist Party
. In the 1930s, she traveled to Spain
supposedly to report on the Spanish Civil War
but she was, in fact, working for the communists as a courier between Spain and Italy supplying American passports for Italian communists so they could leave Italy and join the International Brigades
fighting in Spain. On her return, she went to New York City, where she wrote for various liberal newspapers.
In March 1940, she married Joachim Rotolo in New York and they had two daughters, Carla and Susan (Suze). Mary and her husband were also friends with American writer Charles Flato
who, it was discovered only in the 1990s, was a Soviet spy.
Joachim Rotolo died of a heart attack on February 18, 1958, before Suze met and lived with Bob Dylan
in the early 1960s. When Mary's daughters knew Bob Dylan she thought very little of him and later remembered him as "a twerp" and informed Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes
, that he had "green teeth", was not generous with money, and that his attitude left a lot to be desired adding: "I didn't trust him and I didn't like him and I certainly didn't want him living under the same roof as my daughter."
Rotolo married Dr. Frederick P. Bowes on January 8, 1962, in Hoboken
, New Jersey
. They moved to Santa Teresa Gallura (Sardinia) where they lived most of their lives together.
Rotolo predeceased her husband and died at Norwood Hospital in Norwood, Massachusetts
, on September 27, 1990, from lung cancer
.
Dylan had this to say about his girlfriend Suze's mother:
"Mary, though, who worked as a translator for medical journals, wasn't having it. Mary lived on the top floor of an apartment building on Sheridan Square and treated me like I had the clap. If she would have had her way, the cops would have locked me up.
Suze's mom was a small feisty woman-volatile with black eyes like twin coals that could burn a hole through you, was very protective. Always make you feel like you did something wrong. She thought I had a nameless way of life and would never be able to support anybody, but I think it went much deeper than that. I think I just came in at a bad time.
She glared at me, cigarette in her mouth. She was always trying to goad me into some kind of argument. My presence was so displeasing to her, but it's not like I'd caused any trouble in her life. It wasn't me who was responsible for the loss of Suze's father or anything. Once I said to her that I didn't think she was being fair. She stared squarely into my eyes like she was staring at some distant, visible object and said to me, 'Do me a favor, don't think when I'm around.' Suze would tell me later that she didn't mean it. She did mean it, though. She did everything in her power to keep us apart, but we went on seeing each other anyway."
Mary Pezzati's concerns as to Dylan's character were realized to a certain extent when Suze Rotolo discovered that he was not only conducting an affair with Joan Baez
, but also with a married woman, Sara Lownds
and also expressed a desire to continue his relationship with Rotolo.
Suze Rotolo
Susan Elizabeth Rotolo , known as Suze Rotolo , was an American artist, but is perhaps best known as Bob Dylan's girlfriend between 1961 and 1964 and a strong influence on his music...
and Carla Rotolo
Carla Rotolo
Carla Rotolo is the older sister of Suze Rotolo, one of Bob Dylan's early girlfriends in New York City.Carla was the first child of Joachim Rotolo and Mary Pezzati Rotolo who were union activists...
. Suze Rotolo was one of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's early girlfriends in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Early life
Mary was born in Roxbury, MassachusettsRoxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, on January 28, 1910, the daughter of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrants Sisto Pezzati and his wife Cesarina nee Opizzi. Her older brother was Pietro Pezzati
Peter S. Pezzati
Peter S. Pezzati aka Pietro Pezzati was an American portrait painter who was located in the Boston area. His art was rooted in the Renaissance tradition. His artwork included landscapes, pen and ink drawings, watercolors, pastel and oil portraits.-Early life:He was born Peter S...
, who was a noted American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
portrait painter.
While in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Rotolo dated B. F. Skinner
B. F. Skinner
Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American behaviorist, author, inventor, baseball enthusiast, social philosopher and poet...
and was acquainted with Conlon Nancarrow
Conlon Nancarrow
Conlon Nancarrow was a United States-born composer who lived and worked in Mexico for most of his life. He became a Mexican citizen in 1955.Nancarrow is best remembered for the pieces he wrote for the player piano...
, who later renounced his American citizenship because of his membership in the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
. In the 1930s, she traveled to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
supposedly to report on the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
but she was, in fact, working for the communists as a courier between Spain and Italy supplying American passports for Italian communists so they could leave Italy and join the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
fighting in Spain. On her return, she went to New York City, where she wrote for various liberal newspapers.
Marriage and Children
Mary was married three times. She first married Dominic Testa in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 28, 1933. On July 1, 1933 while taking a sailboat trip along the Eastern United States coast her husband fell overboard and drowned. His body was never recovered.In March 1940, she married Joachim Rotolo in New York and they had two daughters, Carla and Susan (Suze). Mary and her husband were also friends with American writer Charles Flato
Charles Flato
Charles S. Flato was an American writer, American Communist Party member and a Soviet agent....
who, it was discovered only in the 1990s, was a Soviet spy.
Joachim Rotolo died of a heart attack on February 18, 1958, before Suze met and lived with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
in the early 1960s. When Mary's daughters knew Bob Dylan she thought very little of him and later remembered him as "a twerp" and informed Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes
Howard Sounes
Howard Sounes is a British author, journalist and biographer.Howard Sounes began his career as a newspaper journalist as a staff reporter for the Sunday Mirror. He broke major stories concerning one of the most notorious murder cases in British criminal history, that of Fred West and Rosemary West...
, that he had "green teeth", was not generous with money, and that his attitude left a lot to be desired adding: "I didn't trust him and I didn't like him and I certainly didn't want him living under the same roof as my daughter."
Rotolo married Dr. Frederick P. Bowes on January 8, 1962, in Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. They moved to Santa Teresa Gallura (Sardinia) where they lived most of their lives together.
Rotolo predeceased her husband and died at Norwood Hospital in Norwood, Massachusetts
Norwood, Massachusetts
Norwood is a town and census-designated place in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,602. The community was named after Norwood, England...
, on September 27, 1990, from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
Dylan had this to say about his girlfriend Suze's mother:
"Mary, though, who worked as a translator for medical journals, wasn't having it. Mary lived on the top floor of an apartment building on Sheridan Square and treated me like I had the clap. If she would have had her way, the cops would have locked me up.
Suze's mom was a small feisty woman-volatile with black eyes like twin coals that could burn a hole through you, was very protective. Always make you feel like you did something wrong. She thought I had a nameless way of life and would never be able to support anybody, but I think it went much deeper than that. I think I just came in at a bad time.
She glared at me, cigarette in her mouth. She was always trying to goad me into some kind of argument. My presence was so displeasing to her, but it's not like I'd caused any trouble in her life. It wasn't me who was responsible for the loss of Suze's father or anything. Once I said to her that I didn't think she was being fair. She stared squarely into my eyes like she was staring at some distant, visible object and said to me, 'Do me a favor, don't think when I'm around.' Suze would tell me later that she didn't mean it. She did mean it, though. She did everything in her power to keep us apart, but we went on seeing each other anyway."
Mary Pezzati's concerns as to Dylan's character were realized to a certain extent when Suze Rotolo discovered that he was not only conducting an affair with Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, but also with a married woman, Sara Lownds
Sara Dylan
Sara Dylan , born Shirley Marlin Noznisky and later known as Sara Lownds, was the first wife of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and mother of singer Jakob Dylan. She was married to Bob Dylan from November 1965 until June 1977.-Early life:Little is known about Sara Dylan's early life or family...
and also expressed a desire to continue his relationship with Rotolo.