As a follow up to our recent blog post, “Michener Staff Share Their Immigration Stories“, staff member Hollie Brown, provided me with audio of her great uncle being interviewed by one of her family members. This excerpt shares part of her great uncle’s story of his arrival to Ellis Island from Russia in the 1920s. The audio was taken sometime in the 1960s.
Remember, if you have a story, please be sure to share it with us! The exhibition, Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom will be up through October 10, 2010.
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My dad (Gullio Tito/new name: Julius Theodore) came through Ellis Island from Italy in 1920 as a baby along with his 3 older sisters (Silvie/new name Sivia, Rosa/new name Rose, Gina/new name Jean, & twin sister Erminia/new name Irma, and parents Oreste and Domenica. Two of my dad’s brothers had died earlier. I have the ship manifest and pic of the ship (since scraped). They had $50 when they arrived, and were sponsored by my grandmother’s brother Anaboli Paoni who owned a grocery store in North Phila., PA where they settled (not far from where Temple University is today–but a bad section now) At the time the rowhouses there had alot of Italian and Irish immigrants living there and it was well kept up. My grandfather, Oreste, had come over some years before then to work on the TransAtlantic RR with the Chinese to make money to go back and bring over the family. My dad left school early to work at his uncle’s store (a tyrant possibly due to having to be confined to a wheelchair because of being shot/paralyzed due to a gunshot robbery). My dad’s sisters worked as hand-beaders on wedding dresses. Three of the four sisters had arranged marriages (my dad ended up going into the service during WW II, and met my mom (Mary Colleen Conway) on a train (100% Irish!) whose people came over from Ireland generations pre-Ellis Island through Albany, NY). I loved visiting my Aunt (dad’s sister who made all her pasta by hand, rolling it out on the long kitchen table in the row huse she shared with my grandparents). The family get togethers were so lively–home-made wine, Italian Wedding soup, and meatballs to die for! Her way to get us to eat more (to bursting!) was to drink some Ginger Ale, then eat more, Spumoni, Italian butter almond cookies—ahhhh! I remember seeing my grandmother laid out in the upstairs bedroom with tons of massive flower arrangments everywhere and candles surrounding her body. Even at three, I was expected to ‘kiss her goodbye”, and was very afraid. I still can ’see’ the giant flower wreath in the shape of a clock with hands at the time she died, hanging on the wall. Quite the opposite of the Irish wake -for my mom’s side of the family.
The movie “Avalon” is the closest I have ever seen a depiction of the way it was back then. A great movie. I wish my children had the privilege of such vivid memories of immigration. They have lost out on the close family ties, traditions, and foibles that went with it all, as my dad passed away at the young age of 52. Thanks for letting me share.
Thank you for sharing such a great story! As a daughter of two immigrant parents myself, I understand how its so important to keep those traditions and stories alive!
I am wondering what Holly thinks about that?
This is the greatest topic that I have read this week
Possibly the GREATEST paper that I have read all month!!!
The BEST topic that I have read all year…