 "Let me start with
perceptions of mine, formed in early childhood as
my memory dates back to about age three or four.
This generational handing down of our history was
mostly had at my mother's knee and my
Grandmother's knee. The story evolves from lore passed
from Mama Caterina and Grandma Mariangela to me
of a family about two dirt-poor peasant parents
and nine children bonded by a deep loving tie
ravished by a perpetual search for food, shelter,
and employment.
All of the
Rossomannos originated in the general area of
Crotone, Cutro, Sila, and Papanici in the
province of Catanzaro-Calabria; located
geographically in the instep of Italy where
peasantry predominated, superstition abounded,
religion was medieval, and hard, cold
determination helped these people to survive.
Calabresi are
reputed to be very adamant and stubborn. Suffice
it to say that one trip to that region and its
unyielding ambience will explain this. - In this
region, a gypsy life-style developed here in this
both swampy and malarial environment (in
antiquity, denuded and deforested by Hannibal's
rape of the land and people during his retreat
back to Africa). Largely ignored by consequent
Roman, Norman-Spanish conquests and invasions,
Calabria became a corridor- paths trampled
through the mountains, hills and valleys of this
region in transit to eastern destinations.
The Calabresi, for
this reason, do not feel a great loyalty to any
central political authority. Only a strong
clannish family, blood link to one another and
xenophobia concerning outsiders.
Pietro Rossomanno,
Great-Grandfather to me, came from a family (I
understand by word passed down through the
generations) of twelve boys orphaned out to
different environments by poverty. Four of the
twelve brothers remained together: Pietro,
Gerardo, Vittorio, and Giosúe.
Pietro fathered
Francesco Saverio, who in turn sired Dionora. -
As to Dionora Agliuzzi, she was Pietro's first
wife and mother of Francesco Saverio. I don't
know how many other siblings Francesco had, with
the exception of one half-brother (also named
Giosúe, recently deceased in Buenos Aires,
Argentina) since Pietro outlived Dionora Agliuzzi
by many years, thus remarrying later in life.
Mariangela
Criserá, Theresa's grandmother and mine, was the
daughter of Domenico Criserá and Rosa Iornese
(pronounced Yornese). She had two brothers and
one sister. Her brother named Fortunato, I
understand was extremely brilliant, but died at a
young age in Italy. Her brother, Giuseppe,
immigrated to New York City, lived many years
there, raised a family, which is still there; and
died not too long ago. Marianna left a family in
Italy by the name of Bonaccorsi.
Our family, large
as it was, always fighting for survival (missed
meals and all) began to fragment into foster
places as far back as the 1860's. The unification
efforts of Garibaldi notwithstanding, Uncle Pete
(elder brother of Dionora and Caterina) was the
first to emigrate to America at about age 17. - A
search of the passenger records, indicates a
Francesco age 38, shoemaker from Casino and 17
year-old son Pietro, arrived in New York on 4
June 1907 from the port of Naples on the ship Virginia; and that the relative they were
meeting was their cousin Giosúe Rossomanno whom
it is believed arrived in the U.S. on 21 March
1907 on the Germania, from Naples. Ages at the
time of arrival and places of birth for all
three, seem to substantiate this information.
Armed with only
his cobbler skills, Pietro found his way to St.
Louis, the site of shoe manufacturer, adjacent
coal mines, and other industries which promised
basic living in this land described over there as
having streets paved with Gold - only to realize
that in fact, streets were paved with sweat.
Uncle Pete worked
hard. He married, but never had children. He sent
money to the old country for transport of his
family to this land of milk and honey. In
chronological order came: his sister, Caterina, Mama
Mariangela, Papa Saverio and brothers Salvatore, Joseph,
Frank, and Armando. These latter six came to the
United States together on the Providence which
departed from Naples and arrived in New York on
the 15th of April 1921. - Papa Saverio was listed
as 55 yrs; wife Mariangela Criserá age 51; son
Giuseppe age 13; Francesco age 9; and Armando age
six.
Caterina
(Eduardo's mother), had preceded these, coming to
the United States on the 15th of February in 1920
on the ship Patria. The passenger manifest
indicates that she was coming to meet up with her
brother Pietro who was living at 919 La Beaume
Street in St. Louis, Missouri. She was listed as
24 years old, five feet six inches with fair
skin, brown hair, and chestnut eyes; and appears
to have come on this passage unaccompanied by any
other family member, which according to Eddie,
would not be surprising! After arriving and
finding employment, she joined Pete in the
financing of the immigration of her parents,
grandmother, and brothers.
Caterina's sister,
Dionora (Eleanora), had at this time been married
in Italy to Armando Laratta, who had met Pete in
St. Louis and had returned to Italy and married
her. He returned on the Canada on May 3, 1920
stating in the passenger manifest records that he
had been in the U.S. in 1904 and in 1914 and that
he now intended to remain there. He was to meet
up with his brother-in-law, Pietro Russomanno who
was living at 820 Mound Street in St. Louis,
Missouri. His wife Eleanora and their son
Pantaleone who was about five years of age,
followed him about eight months later coming to
the U.S. on the Patria on the 8th of January in
1921 to join Armando and Pietro. Also upon this
voyage was her brother Salvatore who was listed
as a 16 year old shoemaker from Casino, son of
Saverio.
Mariangela's two
other sons, Antonio and Pantaleone, who were
married in the old country, eventually immigrated
to Argentina (upon running into newly legislated
quotas in the U.S.), with the hopes of
round-about eventual entry into the U.S. - but it
never happened! There was found in the passenger
records a family who departed from Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil who were from Buenes Ayres and
entered the U.S. at the New York port on the 8th
of Feb 1907. This family consisted of Concetto
Citrulo a 46 year-old dressmaker of Italian
descent whose passage was paid by her son; Lucia
Russomanno, daughter of Concetto, who was 19 and
of Buenes Ayres, her passage paid by her brother;
Grazi Maria Russomanno age 22 and son Pasquale
Russomanno age 17 listed as a barber - all of
Buenes Ayres who were coming to Newark, NY to
meet up with Concetto's son Raphael Russomanno.
Whether or not this family is of any relation to
our family who also went to Argentina, is not
known.
Though the
Rossomann/Russomanno family split between the
U.S. and Argentina, through the efforts of
Caterina, (God bless her soul) and Eddie (God
bless my soul), the family has maintained to this
day the bond of name and famiglia; but the
Argentine contingent never again saw the great
mother of all- Mariangela, alive again.
In America,
together, we all survived the 30's (Depression
years) through determination, accommodation,
loyalty and hard work. - Fortunately, because of
new prosperity in our lives, both socially and
financially, the branches of the family reunited
beginning in the 1950's. Our cousins in Argentina
have been here by me several times, and I, to
Buenos Aires, three times.
My father's plight
in the U.S. can be described peripherally as hard
work, dedication to family, and survival. As a
person, he was a good role model, a symbol of
Security, a very good shoe maker and a thorough
taskmaster. I learned to work under him, the
discipline imparted by him served me well
throughout. He dearly loved his Poker game on
weekends, his extremely sharp, keen intelligence
and eye (memory) made him a winner in this,
overall.
A small man
(5'7") in physical stature, he commanded
respect in his environment through his innate
lack of fear and his positive sociability. - He
was a very earthy man (as was Mama Caterina),
both possessing this brand of humor, a great
safeguard against mental chaos and disorder. I
suppose this comes as a result of greatly
depressed beginnings.
Caterina, really,
was the Rock of the family combining in her such
virtues as sensitivity, courage, Power, charisma,
love, tyranny, and magnetic animalism as to cause
the mind to boggle. What a Survivalist!! The only
person ever to intimidate and dominate me with
the only real power on Earth - Love. The entire
family benefitted and will forever feel her
presence. Immortal!! I believe that I
am her true heir.
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