Casa Emigranti Italiani 

" To Remember and Understand"

 

 

 

Hartford, CT
ppirrotta@yahoo.com

  • ABOUT US / CHI SIAMO
    • Paul Pirrotta
    • Geneology
    • Family
    • My Parents
    • My Grandparents
    • School
    • Theatre
    • Summer
    • Vienna
    • Soccer: Canicattini
    • Golf and Soccer : USA
    • VERSIONE ITALIANA DEL LIBRO
    • RAI ITALIA VIDEOS
  • THE BEGINNING
  • MY BOOKS
  • OUR STORIES
    • Agnello, Sebastiano
    • Alderucci,Sal
    • Alderucci, Sebastiano
    • Aliano
    • Aliano, Paolo
    • Padre Amato
    • Ambrogio, Pasquale
    • Amenta, Emanuele
    • Andretta, Antonio
    • Arcari, Alessandro ( Carmen)
    • Bonee, Joseph and family
    • Bordonaro, Salvatore (Sam)
    • Bordonaro, Giuseppe
    • Calafiore, Santo
    • Calderone, Santa
    • Capobianco, Gennaro
    • Caramma, Sebastiano
    • Carbone, Nick ( and family)
    • Carbone, Serafino
    • Casarella, Egidio
    • Casciano, Nicola
    • Cassarino, Sebastiano
    • Ciarcia-DiMagro
    • Ciarcia, Paul (Trigilio)
    • Ciarcia', Sebastiano
    • Cicero, Sal
    • Cirinna', Concetta ( Cugno)
    • Coco, Umberto
    • Cornelio, Carmine
    • Cugno ( Ficara) Sebastiana
    • Cultrera / Buccheri
    • D'Eliseo, Tony
    • Cultrera, Giuseppe
    • D'ambrogio, Sebastiano
    • D'eliseo, Tony
    • DIBELLO
    • D'Esopo Family
    • De Bonis, Dominic
    • De Feo, Antonio
    • De Nezzo, Antonio and family
    • De Nezzo, Frank and family
    • De Nezzo, Victor
    • DePietro ( Ursone), Barbara
    • Di Corleto, Teresa
    • Dinino, Fiore
    • DiStefano, Gaetano
    • Eliggio, Joe
    • Farina, Tony
    • Fasi, Frank
    • Ferla, Giuseppe
    • Joe Ficara and Connie Mangiafico
    • Ficara-Mangiafico/1953
    • Ficara's Restaurant
    • Fichera, Concetta and Filippo
    • Gulino, Pasquale ( Pat)
    • Ganci, Giovanni
    • Ganci, Giovanni ( part II)
    • Garro, Giovanni
    • Gazzara, Salvatore
    • Gionfriddo, Joseph
    • Gionfriddo, Joe
    • Gianfriddo (Gionfriddo), Lucy
    • Gionfriddo, Salvatore
    • Gianni, Sebby
    • Gulino, Tommy
    • Indomenico, Sebastiano
    • Gaetano Indomenico
    • Indomenico, Gaetano
    • Lalli, Frank
    • Lantieri, Salvatore
    • Lantieri, Rosario
    • Laraia, Donato
    • La Rosa, Giuseppe
    • Migliore, Emanuele
    • LAURETTI
    • Lenares, Giuseppe
    • Lenares, Salvatore
    • Listro, Joseph Sr.
    • Listro, Joseph Jr.
    • Listro Pictures
    • Liistro, Paul
    • LoBello, Gaetano
    • Lombardo, Paolo
    • Mozzicato-DiPasquale Bakery
    • Magno, Tony
    • Mangiafico , Corrado
    • Marino , Antonio
    • Menichino, Tony
    • Migliorati, Bernardo
    • Migliorati: Le Lettere!
    • Milluzzo, Joe
    • Mioli, Joseph
    • Mozzicato, Nino
    • Mozzicato, Emanuele e Santa
    • Modern Pastry Shop
    • Mozzicato, (MD.) Sebastian
    • Neri, Nicola
    • Paladino, Joseph
    • Pallotti, Nicola
    • Panaro, Nicola
    • Pandolfi, Frank
    • Panioto, Frank
    • Pantano, Emanuele
    • Pantano, Paolo
    • Pizzo, Sal
    • Pollicita
    • Reali, Tony
    • Sabatini, Tony
    • Sagarino Frank and Family
    • Sagarino, Dominic and Family
    • Sbriglio, Nuccio
    • SCATA, PAOLO
    • Sipala, Sal
    • Tenore, Americo
    • Tucci, Aldo
    • Uccello Family
    • Uccello, Paolo
    • Uccello, Paolo I
    • Vasquez, Paolo ( Rev.)
    • Zazzaro Anthony and Michael
    • Zaino, Paolo
    • Zocco, Michele
    • Zocco, Salvatore
  • FEATURED
  • 2014 EXHIBITION
  • 2015 EXHIBITION
  • 2015 DINNER DANCE
    • PHOTOS FROM 2015 DINNER DANCE
  • ITALIAN SOCIETIES DINNER DANCES
  • 2015 MOSTRE CANICATTINI E FLORIDIA
    • ANNUNCI
    • VIDEOS
  • HALL OF FAME
    • ABBATE, PAOLO
    • ANDRETTA, ANTONIO
    • BATTALINO "BAT" CHRISTOPHER
    • CAMILLERI, CESARE
    • BONEE, JOSEPH
    • CARBONE, NICK
    • CASCIANO, NICOLA
    • CASSARINO, SEBASTIANO
    • CIOTTO, BILLY
    • D'ESOPO, DONATO
    • DE FEO, ANTONIO
    • DE NEZZO, ANTONIO
    • DE NEZZO, FRANK
    • FAULISO, JOSEPH
    • DR GOLINO
    • GIONFRIDDO, GIUSEPPE
    • GRASSO, ELLA
    • LARAIA, DONATO
    • MAROTTA, ALFONSO
    • ORIGINAL FAMILIES
    • PALADINO, JOSEPH
    • PALLOTTI, NICOLA
    • PANDOLFI, FRANK
    • SAGARINO, FRANK
    • SAGARINO, DOMINIC
    • SANTIGLIA, "CHECKERS" SEBBY
    • SPADA, ARTURO
    • UCCELLO, ANTONINA "ANN"
    • VASQUEZ, PAOLO
    • ZAZZARO, ANTHONY P.
  • ANTONINA P. UCCELLO
    • ANN UCCELLO STREET HARTFORD
    • Street Name Canicattini
    • Elementary School
    • St Joseph Junior High
    • Weaver High School
    • Saint Joseph College
    • G. Fox
    • Political Memorabilia
    • Five Sisters
  • Canicattinese Men's Society
    • 2013 reception sindaco Amenta
    • LA STORIA DELLA SOCIETA MASCHILE
  • Canicattinese Women's Society
  • CANICATTINI BAGNI
    • Canicattini 1918
    • Canicattini 1943
    • Canicattini 1951
    • mayor visit to / from Hartford
    • U Santissimu Cristu
    • Social History
    • Our Holidays
    • La Biblioteca / The Library
    • I Murassiccari
    • La casa Degli Emigranti / Museum to the Emigrants
    • Cultrera, Salvatore Omaggio
  • St. Michael - Hartford / San Michele Hartford
  • HISTORY OF CANICATTINESI IN HARTFORD 1905-1975
  • FOTO SCOLASTICHE / School Pictures
  • FOTO CALCIO CANICATTINI / SOCCER TEAMS
    • FOTOS FROM CORRADO PERNA
  • COLUMBUS HOLIDAY
    • 2013 Parade
  • PHOTO COLLAGE
    • PHOTOS BARBERS / FOTO BARBIERI
    • FOTO CALCIO USA/ SOCCER TEAMS
    • FOTO MUSICANTI / The Musicians
    • FOTO I MUORTI / Memorials
    • FOTO DEI MILITARI/ Military Service Pictures
    • FOTO I SARTI / Tailors and Seamstresses
    • FOTO SPOSALIZI USA / Wedding Pictures
    • FOTO SPOSALIZI ITALY / Italian weddings
    • FOTO I SANTI / The Saints
    • FOTO AUTO DELL'EPOCA / Vintage Cars
    • FOTO Il TEATRO / Theatre
  • HISTORY OF MIGRATION / LA STORIA DELL'IMMIGRAZIONE
    • ITALIANS IN HARTFORD
    • WORLD WAR II ENEMY ALIENS
  • HARTFORD AND CONNECTICUT
    • Constitution Plaza
    • Franklin Avenue
    • Front Street
    • Front Street Flooding
    • GFOX
    • The immigrants
    • PARK RIVER
  • IMMIGRANTS LETTERS HOME
  • NA PARTITA RI CARTI
  • ABRUZZO
    • POPOLI
    • PRATOLA PELIGNA
    • ROCCACASALE
  • BASILICATA
  • CALABRIA
    • Girifalco
    • Saracena
  • CAMPANIA
    • SESSA AURUNCA
    • SOLOPACA
  • SEPINO
  • SICILIA
    • FLORIDIA
    • Gente Comune
    • Album di Floridia, 1980
    • Floridia/Hartford sister city
    • 2013 video sister city
    • 2013 Sister City visit
    • 1967 Floridia Calcio
    • Scalorino's
    • Podesta' Adorno
    • Le Vie di Floridia
    • SIRACUSA
    • Classic pictures
    • Il Papiro / The Papyrus
    • SOLARINO
    • SORTINO
    • PALAZZOLO
  • IN SICILIANU
  • ARTISTI E AUTORI / ARTISTS AND AUTHORS
    • Monsignor Aiello
    • CUGNO, SANTO
    • Aiello, Sebastiano (CHANITO)
    • Amenta, Salvatore
    • Balistreri, Antonina
    • Bonanno, Salvatore
    • Carpinteri, Salvatore
    • Cugno, Santino Alessandro
    • Cultrera, Turi
    • Di Pietro, Antonino
    • Ficara, Vincenzo
    • Granaudo, Victor
    • Mangiafico, Silvana
    • Mozzicato, Bartolo
    • Mozzicato, Michele
    • Patane', Paolo
    • Tanasi
    • Uccello, Antonino
  • OBITUARIES / ANNUNCI FUNEBRI
    • Aliano, Michele
    • Benenato, Paolo
    • Bordonaro (Mozzicato), Lucia
    • Buccheri, Paul
    • Cianci, Paolo
    • Cultrera (Giangrave), Rosalia
    • Curecino, Paul
    • DiMauro ( Uccello), Santa
    • Farina, Andrew
    • Ficara, Sebastian
    • Ficaro, Paul
    • Gibilisco, Salvatore
    • Gionfriddo, Luigi
    • Gozzo (Mangiafico), Josephine
    • LaRosa, Corrado
    • Lombardo, Giuseppe
    • Matarazzo, Salvatore
    • Mazzarello (Amenta), Concetta
    • Melluzzo (Pappalardo), Marie
    • Melluzzo, Sam
    • Miano, Paul
    • Miano, Paul I
    • Miano, Michelina
    • Randazzo (Bucchieri), Concetta
    • Randazzo, Salvatore
    • Rizza, Frank
    • Sipala (Gulino), Angela
    • Tolla ( Listro), Emily
    • Uccello (Gentile), Maria
    • Uccello (Negozio), Paola
    • Vasques, Anthony
    • Vasques ( Cavalieri), Josephine
    • Vinci (Bonaiuto), Maria
    • Zocco, Paul
  • ITALIAN SOCIETIES
    • Archimede
    • Cesare Battisti Society
    • Indomenico, Giovanni
    • Cittadini Lenolesi
    • Cittadini di Pietrapertosa
    • Corleto Social Club
    • Cristoforo Colombo
    • Daughters of Queen Marguerite Society
    • Floridiani Club
    • Fratelli Agricola Garibaldi
    • Hartford Italian Benevolent Association
    • Italian Alpine Society
    • Italian-American Stars
    • Italian American War Veterans
    • Italian Center Club
    • Italian Fascists
    • Italian Fraternal Society
    • Italian Literary Society
    • Italian Motherhood Club
    • Italian Mutual Benefit Society
    • Italian Old People Home
    • Italian Provincial Mutual Society
    • Luna Social Club
    • Our Lady of Mt Carmel Society
    • Palazzolo / St Paul
    • Popolese Society
    • Pratolani Society
    • Prince Thomas de Savoy Society
    • Principessa Maria Pia
    • Santa Lucia Society
    • Sicilian League
    • Society of St. Cristina
    • Sons of Italy
    • Sons of Palazzolo
    • St Anthony di Padova
    • St John da Capestrano Society
    • St. Oronzo Society
    • St Paul Society
    • St Rocco Fratellanza
    • St Sebastian Society
    • St Vito Society
    • Stella D'Italia
    • Trinacria Club
    • Umberto 1st
    • United Italian Aid Society
    • Vittorio Emanuele
    • Vittoria Emanuel and Star Society
    • Young Italian Americans
  • PROVERBI DI CANICATTINI
    • CANTASTORIE LOCALI
  • STORIE STORY TIME
    • Family Values
    • Alla memoria di Nino Mozzicato
    • In Memory of Carmela Cialfi
  • VERSI ANTICHI
    • Concettina Cugno in Cirinna
    • Ciarcia, Michele
  • GERGO CANICATTINI A CURA DI MICHELE MOZZICATO
  • VIDEOS
  • 1935 PERSPECTIVE
  • CONTACT US

Cirinna' , Concettina ( Cugno)

This story is a little different: Concettina is 81 and is my first cousin as my father and her mother were brother and sister! But I have always called  her Zia, aunt, given she is 20 years older than I am and that is what I called her as a child.

Concettina has a tremendous memory and can recall facts from way back: has always had a sense of history and I am sure if she had been born in another era she would have been a professor!

What I about to recount is a summary of my conversation with her about my father's side of the family.

I never met my paternal grandparents: My grandmother died in 1936 at age 60 and my grandfather died in 1952 when I was 2! Paolo and Pina , their names, had 5 children: Nana ( Sebastiana) was born in 1895; Peppe in 1910; Turi in 1913, Nano in 1916 ( my father) and Nino in 1919! All since have passed away!

Zia Nana was the glue of the family, a tough cookie ( in the mid 1930's she underwent a mastectomy and survived it!!) not even 5 ft tall who stepped up to the plate when her mother died and helped raise her brothers! She had two children of her own, Michele born in 1923 and Concettina. She also took care of her father until his death!

 

My grandparents at one point had owned land and decided to acquire some more. Unfortunately they borrowed money from an individual who ended up evicting them from the land and force them to declare bankruptcy!

Peppe was the first to disappear, literally! Apparently he suffered from some type of mental illness or disability and so the parents, as was common back then, would "assign" him to a farmer who would feed him in return for labor!

He was always troubled and was known to run away from home. He was arrested once for lack of an identity card, was released and disappeared for good shortly thereafter when he was around 30 years old. Concettina recalls receiving a postcard from Civitavecchia, near Rome, from Peppe shortly after the war ended and no other contact !

Turi contracted meningitis as a child and so he was also in no shape to take care of himself! Zia Nana would wash his clothes, send money, cook for him on his infrequent stops in Canicattini and when he died Zia Nana and her two surviving brothers took care of the funeral arrangements.

Nino and Nano had a " normal" life. Nino lived in Canicattini all his life, happy to work the land and had two boys( Pippo and Paolo) while my father came to the States in 1969 and died here in 1990. Zia Nana died in 1982.

Concettina recalls these times as both very challenging and very happy, with great family unity! They never went hungry as they always relied on self production but also they were also there to help one another as needed. My father and his brothers looked at Zia Nana as their mother!

Concettina herself has had an interesting life. Married at age 13, mother at 15, eventually would have 5 boys born between 1947 and 1970! She spent several years in Switzerland trying to make a living until coming to the States in 1966 and making a successful living for herself and all of her children!

She was able to immigrate to the States as a result of her father's becoming a U.S. Citizen!

Born in 1884 he came to the states for the first time in 1898! He would make several trips back and forth until he married Zia Nana in 1922. He would stay a while in Canicattini, Michele was born in 1923, and would return to the USA to work. He would come back in 1930, Concettina was born in 1931, he returned to the USA in 1932 and came back for good in 1952! Zia Nana never came to America, she was home raising her own children, her grandchildren and her brothers!

Concettina and her husband Santo have 5 boys , 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren!

Zia nana, my father's sister, and her husband, Zio Corrado ( Concettina's parents)  in this foto from the late 1960's.

Zio Corrado with my cousin Pippo and his mother Marietta.

 

My wife Jo-Ann with Zio Nino in Canicattini , year 2000.

Zia Nana and Michele, 1928

 Zia Nana's children in this 1936 foto!

Corrado (Zia Nana's Husband, middle) in the 1928 picture in the USA with his two brothers!

Corrado's travel paper in 1931 ( he made several round trips)

Santo, Concettina's husband, at age 10 in 1934

 Santo's gradmother.

Concettina's second grade class in 1938, teacher Mrs. Mauceri

Michele, Concettina's brother, at Ponte D'Afano, 1941

 Michele, 1941

Zia Nana's Identity card in 1944

Concettina, first from left, and neighbors, 1954

 Concettina, 1957

 Corrado Cirinna, yours truly and  Nino Cirinna, 1954, Michele's wedding.

 

 

Nino's 10th birthday, with Corrado and Salvatore.

 Nino at the gas station in 1961

 Concettina with her father, left, and his brother in 1966

Zia Nana

 

Concettina, 2012

Copyright 2019

Casa Emigranti Italiani. All rights reserved.

Web Hosting by Turbify

Hartford, CT
ppirrotta@yahoo.com