The Regulators Sr. Fife and Drum Corps

Welcome to the Homestead

In the fall of 1996, a group comprised mostly of former Young Colonials and Young Colonial parents met at the Cuccia home in Dover Plains, New York to begin plans for a new fife & drum corps. There was no doubt who would be director: the man who ran the Young Colonials so successfully for better than ten years, Gus Cuccia, Sr. Joined by Sue Piscitello (vice president), Lori Armstrong (secretary) and Janice Welton (treasurer), Gus continues to lead our corps in the right direction. The name of the corps came from an old western term regarding Billy the Kid’s gang. In the late 1800’s, Billy the Kid and a gang of cowboys sought revenge for the cold blooded murder of a father figure to the kid, John Tunstall. Billy the Kid’s gang “self deputized” themselves because the lawmen at the time were working for the Murphy-Dolan cattlemen who would stop at nothing to keep their monopoly on the cattle and merchant trade secure. Although they were outlaws and murderers, The Regulators considerer themselves the “good guys” who were looking for justice for a friend. For more on Billy the Kid and the Regulators, visit www.badhombres.com/outlaws/billy-the-kid.htm

The Regulators fife & drum corps modeled their uniforms according to the period and looked back to their influences for the style of ancient music they would play. Influenced by some of the greats, the Regulators tried to combine the sounds that they loved. The CT Yanks, NY Regimentals, Bethpage Colonials and CT Blues are a few of the many corps the newly formed Regulators admired. Gus Cuccia, Jr. wrote the street beat and the corps picked out about thirty street tunes from the general jam session repertoire and went to work on trying to distinguish their own sound and style. The corps rehearsed at Gus and Debbie Cuccia’s house for the first year ~ inside the house during the winter and outside during the summer. Many times during the summer someone would notice eyes peeking through the split rail fence that surrounds the Cuccia homestead and the faint sound of applause could be heard.

During their first year out, The Regulators booked about 25 firemen’s parades and were thrilled to play at the Deep River Muster, Young Colonials Muster and Westbrook Muster. The corps also decided to begin competing. They joined the Greater Danbury Area Drum Corps Association and won their way into the Northeasterns. During the past ten years, the corps has competed at the Northeastern Competition three times and won Best Sr. Fife & Drum Corps twice.

Catherine Cuccia-Cavallo and Jason Malli arrange most of the fifing, but the corps also enjoys playing fife arrangements by John Benoit, Bill Hart and Duke Terreri (who composed, “Prussia Variations” fife and drum parts), to name a few. Gus Cuccia Jr and Bill Dillon wrote most of the drum arrangements until Dominick Cuccia agreed to come on board as our drum instructor and arranger.

The Regulators decided that they would not only like to be a fife and drum corps, but a social club of sorts. The Regulators would have a picnic at the Dover Pool and a corps dinner every January (we still do!) The corps traveled to Westchester’s Broadway Dinner Theater to see My Fair Lady, then to NYC to see A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. And the following year, to the Radio City Christmas Show. In 1999, the corps decided to take on the true spirit of the old west and visit the Pinegrove Dude Ranch where they were thrilled to head up a cattle drive and call out “Yee-Haw” without making heads turn.

Following the dude ranch, The Regulators were inspired. They planned their next big trip to San Antonio, Texas, home of the Alamo for 2001. According to all who attended, Texas was amazing. The Regulators spent most of their time on the River Walk drinking frozen concoctions that immediately froze their brains (probably because the heat was sweltering!) The corps traveled the town on trolleys with the fifers serenading the passengers on one particular occasion. Eileen Kenny, a member of the color guard, coordinated this trip and was able to book the corps on a dinner cruise around the River Walk. When the corps noticed that the boat was coming up to their hotel, they bribed the “captain” to let them dock and run for instruments. The rest of the evening was filled with Margaritas and Music! In gratitude for such a great time, the corps serenaded Eileen for months (I-I-Eileen…think mariachi!)

The corps enjoyed their time together in Texas so much that they decided to try another group vacation this time aboard the Carnival Victory Cruise Ship in 2003. The ship took them to Saint John, NB and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Besides drinking and eating, the corps enjoyed the sights and sounds of the cruise ship. As they embarked upon Halifax, they hired a limousine to discover the city. On their final voyage into New York harbor, The Regulators rose before daylight to watch the sunrise on the greatest city in the world.

Since they weren’t able to play (much) on their cruise, The Regulators decided their next trip would be a performing trip. And since the corps was experiencing a baby boom (which seems to continue), they decided it should be a family trip. When Mickey’s name was mentioned, all agreed that in 2004 they would travel to Florida. How to travel to Florida seemed to be the main question. A group flew down south, but many of The Regulators traveled via Amtrack. Although the kids would tell you the train ride was “totally cool,” the adults didn’t appreciate the four hour delay. The Regulators marched downMain Street USA and received a huge hand, especially through Frontier Town. After the long, hot days marching around Disney, the corps would take midnight swims as the children slept… many of the corps member agree that the swims were one of the best parts of the trip.

In 2005, The Regulators were thrilled to have their good pal, John Benoit, write a “Cowboy Suite” for them. Throughout the years, the corps enjoyed playing standard fife and drum tunes arranged by Benoit, so this was big for them. With Dominick Cuccia’s drum arrangement, The Regulators truly consider this one of their favorite concert arrangements.

Back to Billy & his Regulators: They say that there’s a tombstone where Billy the Kid’s and two other Regulators were buried. At the top of the tombstone, the word “PALS.” We have many drum corps pals. And although we can’t mention all of our pals by name, we have to mention three or four… take Ed Shook & The Confederate’s, for example. Constantly feeding us (and anyone can tell by looking at us that we’re not starving!) and giving us the old Rebel Yell every time we pass by. And Westbrook Drum Corps who graciously lent us their public address system… it’s the best one on the muster circuit! Duke Terreri was a great pal. He would call the day after the Northeastern competition every year to see how we made out. And when we first started discussing The Regulators, he even offered to make our drums for us! Al Dennis lent us equipment from the Greater Danbury Area Drum Corps Association until we were able to afford to buy our own. Two great guys, who gave so much to drum corps.

The Regulators have been blessed to have so many good pals in the fife and drum world. Pals that have inspired us, pals who helped get us started, pals who cheer us on, pals who with we jam, pals who attend our muster… thank you to all. We would be nothing without our pals. Where will The Regulators be ten years from now? Hopefully here… again. Enjoying our time with our pals. Watching the next generation of our corps coming into its own… giving us old cowhands a break. Enjoying more picnics, shows, trips, but most of all friendship and music.

FFor Information Contact:

Madcat920@charter.net

P.O. Box 28

Dover Plains, New York 12522