Big Russ and Me, Father and Son: Lessons of Life
by Tim Russert
Review by Vicki Carver
Tim Russert has been a well-known television journalist for the last two decades and is a familiar face as a moderator on “Meet the Press”.
Russert has written a thoughtful autobiography about his years growing up in Buffalo, New York with an emphasis on his father who has the same name as Russert but is referred to as “Big Russ”. The book is titled Big Russ and Me, Father and Son: Lessons of LifeTim Russert was born in 1950 into a hard-working neighborhood in South Buffalo. His early life was similar to many of us who grew up during the 50’s and 60’s. There were lots of children to play with in his neighborhood and mothers who were home all day whose primary roles were functioning as wives, mothers and homemakers. Tim always looked up to his father, Big Russ, who had fought in World War II and then returned home to marry and raise a family. Big Russ worked two jobs to support his family. One job was with the city sanitation department where he started as a garbage man and worked up to becoming a superintendent. His other position was delivering stacks of newspapers to paper boys for the Buffalo Evening News.
The Russerts instilled strong values in all of their four children including the importance of being honest, responsible and instilling trust in relationships with others. Also, the family’s Catholic faith was an integral part of the children’s upbringing. They attended mass regularly as well as parochial schools.
Tim did very well in school an was awarded a scholarship at Canisius High School, a prestigious boy’s school. Standards were extremely high and students were under the watchful eye of Father John Sturm, the Prefect of Discipline. He then went on to John Carroll University and eventually completed his law degree.
Russert eventually became known for his affiliations with Patrick Moynihan, Mario Cuomo and Meet the Press which he now anchors. With his increasing fame he has continued to practice the principles taught to him by Big Russ.
Reading Big Russ and Me was interesting reading, partly because Tim Russert and I both grew up in Buffalo,. New York. So when he mentions names like Clint Buehlman, a popular radio announcer, or Maleki Sausage, a local Polish family business, memories of growing up in Western New York come to mind.