I am one of the hearty Springfield transplants that now call the Boston area their home. We are a spirited phalanx, often with a geographic inferiority complex, yet deeply proud of our '413' roots. On the occasion we meet at networking events, bars, baseball games, or simply waiting for the T, a common icebreaker, appropriately, emerges.

"Have you ever had Albano's Italian ice?" That one line unequivocally engenders both a big smile and a warm familiarity, an instant bond for us Western Massachusetts ex-pats.

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Source: http://www.masslive.com/