Peter Calamatta writes:
Sigi Bergmann passed peacefully away last Sunday NOV 13. Sigi was a stalwart of the hospitality industry. His solid reputation was known worldwide. The Corinthia Group were very wise to snatch him and recruit him when he came on the market several years ago. At the time, my landscaping company was in charge of developing all of the Corinthia garden properties.
His passing away means that my best friend and mentor has passed away. Ours was a friendship cast in gold.
I first met Sigi when, one day, Anthony Bilocca phoned me and told me to go to Mistra because this new gentleman at the top of the Corinthia Group wants to see me. Anthony told me to be prepared because this guy was sacking a lot of contractors. I was not unduly worried because I was happy with the work we were doing so I approached this interview with an open mind.
When I went into his office, Sigi just said “Do not sit down, we are going for a walk!” However, as our eyes first met, I felt that a spark of synergy was lit and that the two of us had a lot in common starting from the way we dressed. We walked around the Mistra gardens and discussed in great detail how to make them better. When we returned to his office, we sat like two old friends who had met after a long absence and had our first drink together. The rest, as they say, is history.
I feel that few people in Malta understood and appreciated Sigi the way I did. I saw in him a gentle giant who was the epitome of professional conduct. Many painted him as a harsh disciplinarian but that was because they did not see the bigger picture.
Sigi came up his long ladder the hard way and he wanted to impart all of his knowledge to those around him. He made the Corinthia Group an international entity and it is from Sigi’s time that Corinthia grew into the worlwide hospitalty giant that it is today and for which Malta is justifiably proud.
He also made me and my family what we are today and for this we will be eternally grateful.
On the day he passed away, I was relating to the owner of my favourite restaurant, who had just promised to bring me from Venice a rare bottle of grappa, how my friend Sigi converted me to this wonderful drink and how every Saturday morning we used to down a bottle between us while discussing wonderful things and how we can improve this great counrty of ours. We so well understood each other that we actually talked with our eyes and immediately knew what was going on in our minds.
In recent years, when, unfortunately, we were far away from each other, my conversation would very often come round to my mentioning Sigi to tell my friends how much I owe this person and what a great friend and mentor he was for me and my son Carlos.
Dear Sigi, I will miss you but I will never forget you. We had many great moments together and our lives were that much richer for having met each other. Our frienship was and will remain a very special one.
May God Bless you and keep you by His side. Perhaps when we next meet again we will give the Heavenly Gardens a makeover the same way we did at Mistra and the other Corinthia gardens.
Sigi, come Saturday morning, I will open a very special bottle of Grappa in your honour.
Cheers Sigi... for the good times.