Little Pink House_ A True Story of Defiance and Courage - Jeff Benedict [165]
She couldn’t help resenting her situation.
Then a friend reminded her that Rosa Parks hadn’t set out to become the mother of the modern civil rights movement when she refused a Montgomery bus driver’s order to vacate her seat for a white passenger. Her civil disobedience sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, which elevated Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence and ushered in a movement that forever changed America. Every so often, an ordinary person has the chance to do an extraordinary thing that alters history. That chance had come to Susette Kelo.
As a former businessman, Ron Angelo understood why Rich Beyer and Billy Von Winkle had settled. But as a homeowner, he also understood why Susette and the Cristofaro family still hadn’t. He agreed with the governor—the city had treated these people unjustly for almost a decade.
Angelo called Bullock to establish a dialogue and set some ground rules. “Let’s not bullshit each other,” Angelo began. “Otherwise, we’re wasting our time.”
Bullock couldn’t have agreed more.
Personally, Angelo didn’t agree with the city’s use of eminent domain in Fort Trumbull and he believed that Bullock’s clients had been unnecessarily beaten down. Repeated assaults on the fundamental urge to own a home had caused deep wounds and left nasty scars. Angelo knew it would take a lot more than a couple of blank checks to make these people feel whole. It was going to take a fresh approach. He had no intention of trying to force them to do something they didn’t want to do. But he wanted to take one last look at whether there was anything besides money that would satisfy Susette and the Cristofaro family.
Bullock liked Angelo’s approach. He agreed to discuss the idea with his clients.
Susette and Michael Cristofaro traveled to Washington in mid-June to attend a dinner recognizing the achievements of the Castle Coalition. Heavy hitters, from bank CEOs to national media figures, were on hand, and Susette had agreed to be the keynote speaker. All these important people wanted their picture taken with Susette. When it was over, Susette told Bullock she wanted to talk with him alone in the hotel lobby.
She had been doing a lot of thinking. She knew the city wasn’t going to let her stay in the neighborhood. And with everyone else leaving, she no longer wanted to stay. To her, loneliness was worse than illness.
“You know …” she said, her voice trailing off as she looked up at the ceiling.
Bullock put his hand on her knee. “It’s okay,” he whispered.
“This is hard.”
“Tell me what you are thinking.”
She lowered her eyes. “I’m not quitting,” she said. “I have an idea.”
She wanted to leave Fort Trumbull and take her home with her. The city could have her land. But she wasn’t giving up her house, not to them at least. She figured the structure could be moved to a location outside the Fort Trumbull area.
Bullock was intrigued. By saving Susette’s house and relocating it elsewhere, it could become a historic landmark and a fitting tribute to the historic battle they had waged. It could even become a museum serving an educational purpose. Best of all, it would deny some NLDC and city officials the victory they lusted after most, the demolition of Susette’s emblematic pink house.
Susette confided she had another reason for choosing this course. The calls from angry fanatics were increasing, along with their rhetoric of violent opposition. If she stayed put and the city tried to force her out, Susette feared what might happen.
The institute had the same concerns. They had garnered a lot of goodwill through litigation and