Vincent Morello: One-Weekend Bachelor

One weekend every summer, the commissioner of the Male Bonding Association would lead eight buddies to the Hamptons — but what happened there remained a mystery. His rules: No guy could call his wife. No guy could mention his wife. If a wife asked what the husbands did, the guy had to reply, "I can't tell you."

Each year the rules became sillier, in direct proportion to the commissioner's happy descent into family life. Debi Morello, his wife, never worried about those weekends. That's because Vincent Morello, 34, a firefighter with Ladder Company 35 in Manhattan and the son of a retired battalion chief, would still surprise her throughout the year with flowers, candles and wine for no other reason than love.

And he kept everything around the house in fine order: he was great with his hands, especially when cooking holiday meals for the family. Funny thing, though: the first time he held his son, Justin, he was awkward and fumbling. He wanted so badly to be a good father that he never seemed to let go of the baby, now 8. By the time Paige, now 6, was born, Mr. Morello was more than ready. While Paige wrapped her father around her finger, the commissioner's Hamptons rules grew sillier still.

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