The Honey Pot Discovery, 1957
— A Southwick Time Machine Original Mystery
On the morning of May 22, 1957, Dominick Loupinski of Loomis Street in Southwick, Massachusetts, was hunting crows when, at about 9:30, he came across a 1950 DeSoto with a white top and green body, parked on a little-used wood road off Honey Pot Road near the Westfield-Southwick town line.
Mr. Loupinski said he noticed a small red sticker on the car and immediately went to contact the police. In actuality, he contacted James L. Lyons, a retired Massachusetts State Police corporal who managed Southwick’s popular Point Grove Club with his wife, Elenora (Battistoni) Lyons. Mr. Lyons then notified police. It remains unclear what the sticker represented or why Mr. Loupinski contacted Mr. Lyons rather than the police.
When officers arrived to investigate, they noted the lifeless body of a man in the backseat.
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| 1950 DeSoto Advertisement |
A Search Begins
Mario Risciotti disappeared on March 10, 1957. When last seen, he was wearing a gray Army-style jacket, blue dress pants, and a blue hunting cap. The following day, local police asked the Massachusetts State Police to issue a general broadcast describing the missing man. Official documents listed him as approximately five feet, five inches tall, with blue eyes and brown hair. For reasons that remain unclear, Mario reportedly had a glass eye.
Police also used teletypes to circulate descriptions of Mario's two-tone 1950 DeSoto across the country, along with its Massachusetts registration number: 465-094.
Westfield authorities assigned three patrol cars and six officers to search the Whip City’s back roads. On March 12, Civil Air Patrol from Barnes Municipal Airport joined the effort, and later one from Bradley Field widened the search area.
But the search produced no trace of Mario or his DeSoto.
Mario’s family reported that he suffered from a cardiac condition. Because of his condition, it was feared that he had a heart attack while driving. He was also said to be suffering from diabetes. It was also thought that me may have gone to New Hampshire, where he reportedly had family.
For more than two months, his whereabouts remained unknown.
The Man Who Disappeared
Mario was born on May 12, 1900, in Dubino, in Italy’s Province of Sondrio. He came to America in 1921, traveling aboard the S.S. La Touraine, which left Havre, Italy, on January 4.
On September 2, 1929, at the age of 29, Mario married Giacomina Richiedei, who was 19. She had arrived in America in 1920.
The couple had three boys: Robert (b. 1930), Richard (b. 1941), and Ronald (b. 1950).
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| Giacomina Risciotti (far left), Robert Risciotti (center), 1934 |
Mario held several jobs over the years, but by 1954, he was working as a maintenance man for Stanley Home Products Company, Inc. During the summer months, he also operated a popcorn wagon in front of his home on Franklin Street, across from Wemette’s Market, making him a familiar face to many in Westfield.
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| Wemette’s was a popular neighborhood market. It was in business from about 1915 to 1982 |
Loupinski's Discovery
The search ended on May 22 when Dominick Loupinski discovered the DeSoto.Two patrolmen were the first to arrive at the scene. They were soon joined by other officers, including a police detective who photographed the body and the car.
Using the DeSoto's license plate number, police headquarters identified the vehicle as belonging to Mario.
Medical Examiner Arthur J. Logie viewed Mario’s body at the scene before it was taken to Cusack Funeral Home on Main Street. Dr. Logie determined Mario's cause of death to be self-inflicted: suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
— Preserved by the Southwick Time Machine
Mario Risciotti
May 12, 1900 – Missing March 10, 1957
(body found May 22, 1957)
Dominick James Loupinski
November 12, 1909 – January 23, 1979
This article is based on original primary-source research, including but not limited to official documents and records, census data, and period directories and newspapers.
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otherwise noted. In keeping with historical preservation standards, some
of the images may have been digitally enhanced for clarity and detail,
without
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The Risciotti House Fire of 1950
On February 20, 1950, Mario’s home caught fire in near-zero weather. Firefighters were already fighting a large plant fire on the other side of the city. When firefighters arrived, the architectural bronze casting plant was already a total loss. Because it was outside the water district, firemen had to chop through the ice in two nearby streams to get water to fight the blaze.
When the Riciotti alarm came in at 1:04 p.m., several off-duty firemen responded, as did the only remaining apparatus at headquarters: a hook-and-ladder truck. Later, a fire truck that answered an earlier call arrived to help.
Authorities determined rubbish thrown into a container of hot ashes beneath the cellar stairway caused the Risciotti fire. The fire intensified when the heat caused a nearby barrel of fuel oil to expand, forcing oil over the top. The spilled oil ignited, causing considerable damage to the cellar ceiling.
A Passion for the Game
Tragedy struck the Risciotti family in
1973, when Mario's son, Robert, suffered a heart attack while playing
golf at Tekoa Country Club on July 14. He died about three hours later.
He was only 42 years old.
Robert competed in multiple golf tournaments. He graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1950 and enlisted in the military that same year. He served in the Korean War. Upon returning home, he immediately resumed playing golf. He also coached basketball at St. Mary's.
Ill health eventually forced Robert into early retirement from Northeast Airlines, where he worked as a maintenance mechanic.
Cusack Family Legacy
Before opening his namesake funeral home on May 15, 1948, Robert E. Cusack apprenticed at the Philip O'Meara & Son Funeral Home. He started with O'Meara in 1936. When Robert ventured out on his own, his establishment was reportedly the first building constructed specifically as a funeral home in Western Massachusetts. It was considered state of the art, and Robert was reportedly the youngest funeral home owner in the Bay State at the time.
On February 14, 1987, two men pulled Robert Cusack from a smoke-filled automobile that was on fire at the Westfield Shops. Robert was rushed to Noble Hospital, where he arrived in full cardiac arrest.
A nursing supervisor speculated that a cigar Robert had been smoking started the fire. She added that neither smoke inhalation nor burns caused his death. Authorities later reported that Robert had suffered a heart attack.
Services for Robert were held on February 19, 1987, at his namesake funeral home and at St. Mary's Church, where he was a communicant. Robert's son, Thomas F., took over as funeral director. Thomas had joined the family business in 1979. Robert was a 1935 graduate of St. Mary's High School and also graduated from the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Boston. Robert belonged to several organizations, including the Southwick Lions Club and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.
Robert's brother, Thomas F. Cusack, was a well-liked and highly respected sergeant with an impressive record at the Westfield Police Department. His career began with his appointment to Civil Defense on February 3, 1928. He became a regular patrolman on October 18, 1933, an acting sergeant on November 16, 1950, and a regular sergeant on July 7, 1951.
Thomas also served as a police detective, helping solve numerous local crimes. He received various forms of recognition over the years. One of his more notable ones was for locating an elusive key witness in a New York murder and was instrumental in creating and developing various programs for the police department.
Sergeant Cusack died at Noble Hospital on May 27, 1964. As news of his untimely death spread, tributes poured into the Westfield Police Department. His funeral was so heavily attended that St. Mary's Church reached maximum capacity, leaving some mourners outside. The 1965 edition of the Westfield Policemen's Ball souvenir program was dedicated in his honor.
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office began receiving complaints about the funeral home's most recent funeral director, Thomas F. Cusack, the founder's son. Initially, eight people filed complaints concerning prepaid funeral expenses.
Ill health eventually forced Robert into early retirement from Northeast Airlines, where he worked as a maintenance mechanic.
Robert Aminio Risciotti
December 9, 1930 – July 14, 1973
Cusack Family Legacy
Before opening his namesake funeral home on May 15, 1948, Robert E. Cusack apprenticed at the Philip O'Meara & Son Funeral Home. He started with O'Meara in 1936. When Robert ventured out on his own, his establishment was reportedly the first building constructed specifically as a funeral home in Western Massachusetts. It was considered state of the art, and Robert was reportedly the youngest funeral home owner in the Bay State at the time.Robert never met his older brother, Edward Cusack, who died at about four months old in 1909. His funeral was handled by Philip O'Meara, who was then associated with Hearn & Company Furniture Store on School Street in Westfield. The store also provided undertaking services and purchased land for a new location on Elm Street in 1911.
Mr. O'Meara's son, Philip Jr., entered the family business in September 1929. The firm's name was then changed to O'Meara & Son. Philip Jr. died in 1937. He was only 35.
On February 14, 1987, two men pulled Robert Cusack from a smoke-filled automobile that was on fire at the Westfield Shops. Robert was rushed to Noble Hospital, where he arrived in full cardiac arrest.
A nursing supervisor speculated that a cigar Robert had been smoking started the fire. She added that neither smoke inhalation nor burns caused his death. Authorities later reported that Robert had suffered a heart attack.
Services for Robert were held on February 19, 1987, at his namesake funeral home and at St. Mary's Church, where he was a communicant. Robert's son, Thomas F., took over as funeral director. Thomas had joined the family business in 1979. Robert was a 1935 graduate of St. Mary's High School and also graduated from the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Boston. Robert belonged to several organizations, including the Southwick Lions Club and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association.
Robert's brother, Thomas F. Cusack, was a well-liked and highly respected sergeant with an impressive record at the Westfield Police Department. His career began with his appointment to Civil Defense on February 3, 1928. He became a regular patrolman on October 18, 1933, an acting sergeant on November 16, 1950, and a regular sergeant on July 7, 1951.
Thomas also served as a police detective, helping solve numerous local crimes. He received various forms of recognition over the years. One of his more notable ones was for locating an elusive key witness in a New York murder and was instrumental in creating and developing various programs for the police department.
Sergeant Cusack died at Noble Hospital on May 27, 1964. As news of his untimely death spread, tributes poured into the Westfield Police Department. His funeral was so heavily attended that St. Mary's Church reached maximum capacity, leaving some mourners outside. The 1965 edition of the Westfield Policemen's Ball souvenir program was dedicated in his honor.
Brother, George Cusack, of Melrose, Massachusetts, died in 1970 at age 56. Gately Funeral Home was in charge of his arrangements.
Another brother, James Edward Cusack, died at Noble Hospital on April
11,1986. He had been associated with St. Mary's Cemetery for more than
55 years and served as its superintendent for 40 years, retiring in
1978. He assumed the position following his father's death in 1938. His
father had held the position since 1911.
Decades later, the funeral home's legacy would take a different turn.
Decades later, the funeral home's legacy would take a different turn.
In 1994, Robert's son, Thomas, proposed opening a second funeral home at 4 Princeton Street to serve the city's north side. At a Planning Board meeting on October 4, more than a dozen residents were denied the opportunity to comment when the chairman halted proceedings because important project information was missing. The city planner said Thomas shouldn't be faulted, explaining that city staff had failed to provide him with the sheet listing all the information required with the application.
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office began receiving complaints about the funeral home's most recent funeral director, Thomas F. Cusack, the founder's son. Initially, eight people filed complaints concerning prepaid funeral expenses.
The funeral home's abrupt closure around August 2017, reportedly prompted the complaints.
State investigations found that the Westfield funeral home had been operating without a valid license since its license expired in October 2010. Investigators also found that the business had mismanaged prepaid funeral funds.
Under a Voluntary Surrender Agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Embalming and Funeral Directing, Funeral Director Thomas F. Cusack permanently surrendered his funeral directing and embalming license in October 2017.
State investigations found that the Westfield funeral home had been operating without a valid license since its license expired in October 2010. Investigators also found that the business had mismanaged prepaid funeral funds.
Under a Voluntary Surrender Agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Embalming and Funeral Directing, Funeral Director Thomas F. Cusack permanently surrendered his funeral directing and embalming license in October 2017.
In 2018, Thomas sold the former funeral home building to the Polish National Credit Union for about $420,000.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Cusack family story extends well beyond what is presented here. From the legacy of Westfield Police Sergeant Thomas F. Cusack and his contributions to the community, to the history of the Cusack Funeral Home, its proposed expansion, and its eventual closure, there are many more details and connections worth exploring. Readers are encouraged to follow these separate historical threads and discover more about the people, events, and institutions that helped shape Westfield's history.
Robert Emmett Cusack
May 21, 1917 – February 14, 1987
Sergeant Thomas Francis Cusack
November 4, 1905 – May 27, 1964
George Joseph Cusack
February 22, 1914 – June 24, 1970
James Edward Cusack
April 5, 1904 – April 11, 1986
Edward Cusack
1908 – February 25, 1909
Philip O'Meara
December 25, 1866 – June 7, 1949
Philip O'Meara, Jr.
August 15, 1902 – October 18, 1937
Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes
Mario and his wife had at least three boys:
Robert Aminio Risciotti: December 9, 1930 – July 14, 1973 (42 years old)
Richard John Risciotti - March 1, 1941 - June 25, 1989 (48 years old)
Ronald Risciotti: August 1950 -
Robert E. Cusack Funeral Home: May 15, 1948 - 2017.
Mario's wife’s name is sometimes spelled Jiacomina Richiedei.
Dominick was quoted as saying he came right in and called the police, but he was likely referring to Lyons.
Elenora (Battistoni) Lyons eventually renamed the Point Grove Club. It became Nora's. Today, it is the Bar Shoppe.
Some sources say Officer Thomas F. Cusack's date of birth is November 3. He may or may not have had a son who works in law enforcement.
When Robert E. Cusack's son, Thomas F. Cusack, took over the funeral home, he sometimes called it Thomas F. Cusack Funeral Home.
In 1946, Mario Risciotti and Rocco Calegari won first place in the rapid-fire bocce tournament at the Italian Fraternal Club grounds.
The Point Grove Club's building was likely the original home of the Southwick Progressive Club, which relocated across the street in 1940. There, it became known as the S.P. Club, Nashville S.P. Club, Louie B's, and, more recently, others. It became Louie B's to honor Louis J. Biscaldi, who died on May 28, 1986.
When James Lyons died in Noble Hospital on June 2, 1961, following a brief illness, Nora took over the Point Grove Club, which she had already been actively managing. Years later, she renamed her restaurant Nora's Point Grove Club, before simply calling it Nora's or Nora's Restaurant.
The Honey Pot District in Westfield dates back to the 1800s.
Behind David Drake’s farm was an enormous bowl-shaped hollow that gave Honey Pot Road its name. David Drake had a cheese factory just south of his home. He was a big farmer, having raised horses and keeping sheep and bees. Drake kept his numerous beehives in the hollow.
Dominick’s father, Joseph W., died on January 13, 1951.
Dominick’s brother, Anthony, died on July 3, 1953. He was a Southwick resident.
Both Joseph and Anthony died at Noble Hospital. They all lived on Loomis Street.
A committal service for Mario was held on May 23, followed by a Mass on May 24, 1957. Calling hours were omitted.
Dominick Loupinski had another interesting situation involving an automobile. In 1967, police charged him with allowing an unreasonable amount of smoke to escape from a motor vehicle. In Westfield District Court on February 1, he was fined $5. He appealed the decision, explaining in court on Saturday, February 4, that the truck was steaming over. The court allowed his technical defense.
Dominick Loupinski died suddenly at his Southwick home at 447 Loomis Street on January 23, 1979.
Sometimes Mario Risciotti’s middle initial is listed as P.
Mario Risciotti was elected president of the Italian Fraternal Society in 1935.
Over the years, Mario worked at a variety of jobs. During the 1920s, he was employed as a laborer in a brickyard. By the late 1930s, he was working as a laborer in a quarry. In the 1940s, he was a machine operator, and by 1949, he had become a painter.
Wemette’s Market’s slogan was “Nothing but the BEST.” The store’s owner came from Canada. The store was located at 98 Franklin Street. The store was known for its premium meats. They also offered free local delivery. The store went into bankruptcy in 1982 and its assets were auctioned off in early 1983.
The Wemettes owned a five-room summer cottage at Congamond Lake in the 1920s. (How long they kept it/when they sold it wasn’t researched)
The Wemettes lost their five-month-old son in 1926. Another son died during World War II.
The castings plant was uninsured.
Ronald had run-ins with the law in 1967. He and three friends were arrested for blocking the entrance of Friendly Ice Cream. A few months later, he was arrested for drunkenness at a teen dance party.
In 1988, Ronald was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon (a sledge hammer).
The first funeral at Robert E. Cusack Funeral Home was possibly William P. Walsh in May 1948. The last one was possibly Rita D. Rodden in August 2017. Born on May 26, 1923, she was 94 years old.
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