Trouble with the state’s interpretation of Aboriginal Rights continues to plague Tribal fisherman. The state has directed Cape stores not to buy fish products from our fisherman. Claiming that the products are contaminated, which
Tribal fishermen continue to be harassed and beaten for exercising their legal right to fish.
of course, is not true….Further complicating the problem is the failure of the state to compromise on giving Tribal fisherman the right to fish for sustenance and sale, which is considered an Aboriginal Right. Vice Chairman Carlton Hendricks, Jr .and the Tribal Game and Fish Committee remain diligent in the fight to exercise Aboriginal Rights and are pressing forward with strategies that will not only elevate the Tribe’s business profile but put money in the pockets of Tribal fisherman.
Chef John launched a simple marketing strategy that buoyed the quaint cafes’ presence year-round.
When Tribal member John Marcellino took over the Falmouth Station in 2019, it was a newly renovated historic site paid for by a $1.4 million dollar grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The Mass DOT and Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation essentially made EDIC the landlord. EDIC operates as a non-profit functioning off grants and money raised by the Executive Director.
Marcellino, known as Chef John, brought the property to life with a consistent flow of cafe patrons and a diverse
Marcellino equates hard work with success. He never thought discriminatory practices would derail his dream.
menu of Cape Cod and Jamaican fare. Even during the winter and COVID Marcellino had a steady business because loyal patrons held their meetings and small gatherings at the “Station Grill.” He also enhanced the property’s curb appeal while handling the cleaning and ticket sales for Peter Pan. His marketing instinct meant he maintained a constant presence in the local newspapers and on TV…. more than any other restaurant in Falmouth. Marcellino was a Mashpee Wamp making it in Falmouth.
Lingafelter claimed he would work to connect with the community which hasn’t exactly worked out, meanwhile he’s sharing $140K (in salary) with his assistant to manage The Station Grill project. Great work if you can get it.
So Lingafelter jacks up John’s rent by about $2k a month. Lingafelter’s assistant tells John he “needs to hire more White people.” Marcellino alleges racism with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). Why? The dramatic increase in rent, slow on maintenance and neglect in repairs. “It would be different if I were White, they need the money and they’re trying to force me out,” Marcellino says. And it spirals out. So they want to put a White vendor into the venue that “Johnny Wampanoag Built?” The attempt to put affordable housing in the area failed, so it seems plausible.
The MCAD is investigating, and they say the (under the radar) EDIC must conduct
Galasso it trying to find a compromise but graceful he is not.
diversity training for their staff which is Lingafelter and his assistant. Lingafelter pledged, “we very much want to continue our efforts to reach out to the community and understand the business community’s needs,” hasn’t exactly come to fruition. The newspapers have been all over the story and Lingafelter chastised John about “going to the newspapers.” So now Mike Galasso decides to insert himself, and he says in a text that he was going to rat him out to “Chief Earl Mills” about the accusations and that he’s friends with members of the ” Mills, Peters, Binghams and Hendricks families.”
The popular Jim Kalperis and beloved principal Russell Marshall were positive forces at LHS. They could have schooled Galasso on the art of diplomacy.
Well, while we don’t all look alike, most Mashpee are related to or are Peters. John Marcellino is a Peters (Anne) and his oldest sister (Gayle Marcellino) was in Mike Galasso’s graduating class at Lawrence High. So chances are that that his parents (if they were from Falmouth) were at Lawrence High School with John’s mother, uncles and aunts, Earl Mills (who was athletic director) and a host of their cousins who are Mashpee Wampanoag. At Lawrence High School we were truly a United Nations and prided ourselves with keeping our prejudices to ourselves. It makes you long for those high school days when James Kalperis or principal Russell Marshall would come in and straighten things out.
