By Stephen Turk
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

As you enter the apartment home of Angelo and Caroline Fanelli at Ann’s Choice, it doesn’t take long to notice the telltale signs of a craftsman. The first examples are obvious: intricate scrollwork carvings of animals and angels line the wall, and a large wooden chain—each link individually carved—hangs by the door. But when you realize that the picture frames, the bowls, the desk, the footstool by the TV, and even the grandfather clock were all made by Mr. Fanelli, you are struck in awe by his immense talent.

Angelo Fanelli began woodworking while in high school. Growing up, he heard stories of his grandfather working a lathe (a machine which spins material in order to sculpt a symmetrical object) in the absence of electricity. These stories interested him enough to learn the skill himself.

His first project was a privy. Despite a less-than-glamorous first assignment, he stuck with the trade and went on to work at a cabinet shop, making cabinets for television sets. "I made sets for RCA, DuMont, Philco, and Westinghouse," he says.

Life’s work
Over the years, he moved on and worked extensively in construction, building homes, contracting, and even doing work at the site where Ann’s Choice now stands.

But through his careers, he also remained true to woodworking as a hobby. "Any time I had a chance, I was making something," he says. All manner of family, friends, and associates have been lucky recipients of his work. "I must have made 15 footstools for all my brothers’ and sisters’ kids," he says. And in his living room stands a beautiful grandfather clock. He’s made eight more of them for relatives.

The wood shop
Aside from the grandfather clock, many fascinating creations can be found in the Fanellis’ apartment home. But the place you’re most likely to find the man himself is in the wood shop at Ann’s Choice. "It’s been a godsend for me. Someone said to me, ‘Why don’t you move your bed down here?’" he says because he spends so much time there.