Giuseppe Greco

Giuseppe Greco was born 31 October 1880 in Sant'Andrea lonio (Catanzaro), Italy. He arrived in New York on 29 November 1903 (though his 1920 Census form indicated that it was in 1900), on the SS Neapolitan Prince.

He married Anna Rose 'Rosie' Calzaretta (b. 1886, Oliveto Citra, Salerno-), with whom were born eight chlldren. Rosie arrived in the USA in 1909. Two of their children went into ordained ministry (Frank, 6 Nov 1911–29 Oct 1961; Emanuel 4 Jan 1924-12 Jan 1989, pastor Coney Island Pentecostal Church, the successor church to Greco's Assemblea Christiana Radunatu Di Jesu). Other children included Concetta 'Cettina' (b. 16 Nov 1909 – ); Alexander (1914–); Theresa 'Tessie' Cesina (22 Nov 1915–2000); Alba (20 Oct 1917–); Ida (27 Mar 1920- ) and Ruth (1927–1999).

Greco had little formal education, but did show early leadership traits. At age 18, he supervised teams of workers in a clothing shop, and was an active leader in socialist worker causes. He rose to become foreman and director in factories designing patterns (such as Blauner and Co), cutting and sewing on machines. He also had musical skills, playing clarinet in an orchestra. He was also (as was common among those people for who socialism was a form of protest against the heavy hand of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy) an atheist.

Greco was challenged by what appeared to be an incurable illness, caused by pleurisy (a not uncommon health outcome in unhealthy factory settings). The damage to his lungs - which his doctor indicated would leave him with only six months to live - caused him to quit work and seek to reconnect to his friends, one of whom was a tailor from Benevento whose wife, Giuseppina Zollo [q.v.], had had a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit and was having significant evangelistic influence in Italian circles both in New York state and in Italian communities of Matera, Ginosa, Naples and the like. Greco's naturalization papers were witnessed by Giuseppina's son, Armando Giuseppe Zollo (then working as an electrical contractor) and Frank Calzaretta, possibly Rosie's brother. Armando may be the 'Peppino' Zollo who helped Joseph Greco "trust Jesus for healing". In prayer, Greco had a vision of Jesus on the cross, from whose bleeding body blood flowed over his body. He felt a pair of hands touch him, and he later testified that he was healed instantly.

Within six months Greco was baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit. As a former socialist organizer, he was now doubly outside the mainstream of Italian-American life - an apostate from both the great faith traditions of the Middle Ages and the modern age. He began witnessing to his own faith, an act which brought about persecution. Soon, he was preaching in Giuseppina Zollo's church, and spreading the news among clusters of Italians in Long Island and the boroughs. Needing a place to meet (individual converts often could not hold meetings in their own houses due to family opposition), Greco met a Dutch Reformed Church woman who brought him to a small cottage available for services. Discovering that the hall at no. 14 Neck Road was empty, in 1925 he acquired it and began services with two families. This was a frame chapel bought from Gravesend Reformed Dutch Church in 1899 for the short-lived Gravesend Methodist Episcopal Church (on the corner of Gravesend Neck Road and Van Sicklen Street). The Gravesend M. E. Church disbanded in 1914 and the building sat vacant for a time, acted as a scout hall, and eventually it was acquired by Greco for his Italian Pentecostal congregation, “Assemblea Christiana Radunatu Di Jesu” (Rallied Christian Assembly of Jesus). [Ditta 2009: Ditta translates this as the 'Rallied Christian Assembly of Jesus', but it 'Assemblea Cristiana' is a reference to the movement - so it would be better translated as 'Gathered in Christ' Christian Assembly.] Greco remembered it as a time of 'mighty revival', with reports of many conversions, baptisms in the Spirit and cases of healing. Following nineteenth century divine healing practice, the crutches of the lame who were healed were retained to demonstrate the power of God.

In 1937 Greco replaced the wooden chapel with a stone sanctuary, calling it the Coney Island Pentecostal Church. This congregation moved in 1979 to the vacant Gravesend Reformed Dutch Church at 121 Gravesend Neck Road, now called Trinity Tabernacle of Gravesend, and the stone church at 14 Neck Road is now home to the First Korean [Presbyterian] Church of Brooklyn.

Greco was active in the national CCNA structure, and retired with the title Overseer Emeritus. Emanuel took over his pastoral duties at the Trinity Tabernacle.

Greco died on 5 January 1949 in Brooklyn, New York.

Family

Frank married Teresa 'Tessie' Salato (1913–2002); the daughter of Girolamo Salato and Giulia Julia Aurecchio (20 Jun 1913 New York City-7 Aug 2002 New Jersey).

Emanuel married Concetta Pelosi, and had two children; Rose Marie (m. Mancuso); and Louise (m. Panagoulakos). After 4 years of high school, he became a Carpenters apprentice, before (on 26 Mar 1943) enlisting in the US Army.. He was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery.

Sources:

Ditta, Joseph, 'Movable Churches: Shifting Religions And Adaptive Reuse In Gravesend, Brooklyn', Gotham Center for New York City History, 29 September 2009, https://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/movable-churches-shifting-religions-and-adaptive-reuse-in-gravesend-brooklyn