Where did he come from?

Giuseppi was from southern Italy. Believe it or not, this was the source of many of the fights between him and his wife who was from northern Italy. Southern Italians were known to be poor, working class people, while northern Italians were wealthier and a little bit snobby. Giuseppi and his wife were wed through a marriage arranged by their parents, and remained married until the day he died.

Coming to the US

When Giuseppi was sixteen, he was forced to emigrate to the United States from Italy due to starvation. He lived in Italy during the early 1900s, right as the Italian Socialist Party was beginning to gain power. When deciding to leave his home, he knew that not all of his family would be able to make the treacherous, multiple-week-long journey to Ellis Island in the steerage of a rickety, wooden ship. Giuseppi knew he had to travel alone. As my grandmother described it, his journey would be "the nightmare of nightmares". With him though, he took his family's pride and joy: their food. He brought in a suitcase roots for tomatoes, basil, fig trees, grapes, and any other spice he could grow. When emigrating to the United States, it was required that you had a sponsor who could secure you a job upon arrival. Giuseppi's sponsor met him at Ellis Island, and took him to work in Newton, Massachusetts.

"It's funny, they kept sending money back home for the people that were left there because Italy was starving."

-Elizabeth Sherman in reference to Giuseppi and his wife

This is a photo of Sturno, Italy today. Because it is such a small farming town, there is not much information available online about the area.

Beginning to Plant Roots

Upon arriving in Newton, Giuseppi began work immediately digging sewer lines, saving every penny. After a couple of years, he had saved enough to be able to purchase a home on Clinton Street. Believe it or not, at the time he bought it, Giuseppi paid only $6,500 for the house. Even though he was eventually able to find someone willing to sell him their home, there was great prejudice toward Italian immigrants which made it exceedingly difficult for him to find that house. He purchased it partly because that was the only owner that would sell to him, and party because it was a two-family style house. He knew he could rent out the other side to cover the mortgage. Soon after purchasing the house, Giuseppi sent for his wife. In that time, it was common for parents to arrange the marriage of their child with a partner that they deemed a suitable match for them. This was precisely the case for Giuseppi. He was married, and so began his new life in Newton, Massachusetts.

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