Francesco Emma

Francesco Emma was born on 18 October 1875 at Scordia (Catania, Sicily), the son of Michele Emma (b 1857) and Francesca Mantello (b. 1853). Family memory holds that in Italy he was in the police force - though his level of education on migration would seem to indicate that this was not the national force (the Carabiniere).

On 22 October, 1902, he married Maria nee Tomagro (b. 15 August 1882) with whom he had eight children (Michele, b. 20 April 1904, Militello, Italy-d. 1988; Giuseppe 'Joseph', 10 April 1910-1993, New York; Paolo 'Paulino', b. 3 Sept 1915, New York; d. 1999; Concetta, b. 20 March, 1916, NY; d. 1971; Samuele, b. 3 Jan 1918, NY; d. 1972; Rachele, b. 13 Nov 1919; NY; Eliseo [aka 'Lee'], b. 27 Sept 1921, NJ, d. 6 May 2011, Arizona; and Antonio 'Antony', b. 26 Feb 1923, NY, d. 2003).

On 5 March 1909, Emma arrived in the USA from Palermo aboard the SS San Giovanni, as an unlettered labourer. Indeed, the original of his naturalization papers were clearly dictated to an English speaking clerk - on this declaration, he is given as immigrating on 1 October 1906 aboard the Algeria. His signatures on both forms (the first in 1920, the later typed version in 1925) point to his analfabetismo - though it is unclear why he would fill in two separate naturalization forms. There are passenger manifests for both voyages - in his earlier 1906 trip aboard the Algeria, he nominated Rocco Emma, on Mulberry St., as his cousin and where he would be staying. Three years later, he returned to Scordia to collect his wife and son Michele for the trip on the San Giovanni. He came as a farm labourer, and found work on Pier 8 in Brooklyn, working for Joseph Quartaro. By 1917 they were living in Hamilton St.

Formerly a Roman Catholic, in New York he would from time to time attend a number of Protestant churches - including the Sea and Land (or "Henry Street Presbyterian") Church, Manhattan. At the same time, Giuseppe Petrelli [q.v.] had commenced house services in the area. It was from this community that Pasquale 'Patsy' Tedeschi witnessed to Emma, leading to his conversion on 1 October 1913. Thirteen days later (14 October) he was baptised in the Holy Spirit. He began to attend the church being run at 23rd & 109th Streets in Manhattan by Silvio Margadonna, a former Salvation Army Lieutenant who in 1908 had accepted the message of 'Pentecost' from the Assemblea Cristiana (Chicago) evangelists Pietro Ottolini and Giovanni Perrou.

His conversion, empowerment and connection to a highly missionary movement posed a problem for Emma - he could barely read and write. As, now at the age of 38 years of age, he began to press into the Bible, to preach and evangelize, however, he found that he was 'taught of God' to read the bible and to write (a common story among early pentecostals). He soon founded a church at 206 East 11th Street, New York (a site which now features a Ukrainian Orthodox Church). As this grew, he extended his work to develop communities in Jersey City, on Long Island at Corona and Patchogue, and at Peekskill. His particular work, however, was in Brooklyn, where he pastored the 11th St Church for over 30 years. In 1942, under Emma's leadership, this church moved into a new building on 14th Street. His was, and remained, a ministry closely attached to the early outpouring of the Spirit on Italian Churches. His ministry was thus followed by reports of baptisms in the Spirit and miracles of Healing.

As a foundational figure in the Christian Churches of North America (CCNA), he was long Overseer of the Eastern Distict. Personally, he had a strong prayer life and strong influence on others through his private consistency both with his family and in close friendship circles.

Frank Emma died on 3 May 1948, and was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Flushing, Queens. The New York Times reported that when he died, his funeral lasted five days as seven thousand people visited from various parts of the world.

His gravestone read: 'Elder Frank Emma, Oct 18 1875 - May 3 1948, Founder and Pastor of N. Y. Pentecostal Italian Church, 1 Thess 1:10 [the text of which is 'and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath']. Beloved Wife, Maria Emma, 1882-1971.'

Maria died in 1971.

Family:

Michele married Antoinette Visalli (1906–1993), and had three children, including Frank Jr (1928-2001).

Connie married Jerry Gangemella (b. 1914) and had three children

Joseph married Josephine Lardizzone (1916–2004)

Eliseo married Angelina (1921–2005). He served in the US Navy during World War II, and later expressed his Sicilian heritage by opening Angelina's Pizzeria in Staten Island (1957) and Pizza Town Pizzeria in Tempe (1981). He was active in church life and evangelism (the latter as a director of Full Gospel Evangelistic Ministries). He retired to Arizona and died in May 2011, shortly after hearing about the death of Usama bin Laden. He was survived by his daughter, son, daughter-in-law, two grandsons and granddaughter. He was buried at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

Sources:

Ancestry.com

Bongiovanni, Guy, Pioneers of the Faith (Wilmington, 1971).