Bert and his brother João, late 1970s
In January 1978, Bert arrived in America. His first job was as a janitor at St. Anthony Shrine, a Franciscan church on Arch Street in downtown Boston. He mopped floors. He cleaned the toilets. He did what needed to be done.
Years later, he would remind his friends John Reilly and Bob Falconero about this job whenever they walked past the shrine—how good he was at keeping the place clean. He said it was good, hard, honest labor, and that he respected anyone who made a living this way.
But he wasn't just working.
In the fall of 1978, less than a year after arriving in America, Bert enrolled at Harvard Extension School. The course was "English E-Eb, Intermediate Practice Course for Foreign Students."
By day, he cleaned. By night, he studied at Harvard.
In January 1979, the Dean of Continuing Education signed a letter certifying his completion. The evaluation: "VERY GOOD."
Later in 1979, Bert entered state service, working for the Department of Welfare. He was just getting started.