I S S U E 2

Michael Bonisisio, a breeder of racing pigeons, admires one of his birds.
PHOTO: Mike Axley

Michael Bonisisio is something of an expert on breeding exotic birds. Bonisisio keeps homing pigeons, racers, birds selected for their endurance and speed. He also breeds ceremonial white pigeons, the so-called doves of peace. For $100, he will make his way to a wedding or a party and release a pair from a heart-shaped, white wicker basket. At 81 years of age, he has raised pigeons for 60 years. He keeps the 28 birds making up his racing flock, as well as eight or so pairs of breeding birds, in a two-story loft located in back of his modest house on Staten Island.

Inside the loft, there is room for an adult man to stand erect. The birds hop along hand-made perches to regard their caretaker with curiosity. He shoos them into the air, driving them out the open windows. "It used to be you would see a coop on every roof," says Bonisisio. But many of New York's fanciers have died or given up the hobby over the years. A member of the The Staten Island Racing Pigeon Club, Bonisisio continues to enjoy the sport of driving his birds out of the city, sometimes up to 500 miles, releasing them, and timing their flight home. The birds can fly up to 45 miles per hour, faster when aided by wind. "You do it for honors," he says, "and sometimes for bets on the side."