Angelo Peruzzi

Angelo Peruzzi was born in Treviso, Italy, on 7 July 1846, the son of Domenico Peruzzi and Louisa Pandolfi.

As a young man was enrolled in the forces of Garibaldi. Converted to Protestantism, Peruzzi spent many years traveling as a colporteur and evangelist, serving in Milan, Venice, Rome and Switzerland. On 22 Dec 1872, he married Elvira Morlachi (12 Dec 1851, Milan, LO- 29 July 1942, Wilkes-Barre, PA). Together, they would have five children: Arnaldo (Arnold) Giovanni (1874–1951); Mario (1875–1955); Irma Maria Luigia (1877–1958); Giovanni 'John' (1879–); and Elena (1888–1975). In 1876, he was evangelist for the Free Church in Verona.

In 1890, the Presbyterian churches in Audenried and Hazleton Italian Mission established an Italian mission, the local ministers organizing the first meetings with the oversight (for some 18 months) of New York missionary John Gozzelino. A small frame church was built, and Gozzelino then handed over to a student minister, John Maugeri, and then to Emanuele Tealdo (who went on to become the founding minister at the widely studied Italian settlement of Roseto). In order to stop the turnover created by too many works being served by too few ministers, Hazleton and the Italian Mission Committee of Lehigh Presbytery sought a minister in Italy. Peruzzi, already an experienced missioner, responded. It reflected something of a pattern in his life - when the challenge of ministering to large numbers of Italian migrants pressed itself on local Home Mission committees, Peruzzi's missionary experience made him a very desirable acquisition.

In 1893, he emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York on 1 June. Elvira and the children followed in 1894, arriving in New York on 17 October on the Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm. He served in Hazleton, PA, until his work enabled the Mission to be elevated into the First Italian Presbyterian Church of Hazleton, at which point he was succeeded by Davide Aeguaron, and moved to work in Haverhill and Boston, MA.

His next ministries were in Albany, NY, and Haverhill MA. There he built up the Sunday School, and had a steady flow of people asking to be baptised. In 1899, Peruzzi took over the Edison Street Italian Baptist Church in Buffalo from Ariel Bellondi, his second pastorate. The author of numerous religious tracts and biblical studies, a copy of part of Il Primo Capitolo Della Genesi ["The First Chapter of Genesis"], part of his Studio Biblico, was published the year before his death.

Peruzzi expanded the church building, providing a wing containing a reading room for young people, to serve the Young People's Society which he founded. Its first president was Peter Saltarelli, the future pastor of the church, who as a boy had followed his father, Cesidio Saltarelli, from Italy. It was also during this time that the church had its first woman officer, for in 1900 Mary D'Arcangelo was elected clerk, and served for the ensuing year. Also during the Peruzzi ministry, the Buffalo Baptist Association accepted the church into full fellowship. Additional mission centres were established in Cedar Street, Prospect Street and the Terrace. In 1903 he transferred out of Buffalo, and was succeeded by Luigi Scelfo. In 1904, one of Peruzzi's sons, John, became the first church member to lead the Sunday School. He served as Sunday School superintendent until 1910, then again from 1913 to 1923.

In 1905, Peruzzi raised funds for the earthquake victims in Calabria, holding meetings at the Hanover Street Italian Baptist Mission in Boston, MA.

From 1909-1913 he succeeded M. C. Marseglia at Dean Street Italian Chapel in Providence RI. There they lived at 95 America St, and 134 Atwells Ave., Providence, with Peruzzi (assisted by Mrs M. L. Minutilla and his daughter Irma) building the work (and, when the Home Mission committee ran out of money, took over both mission centres, Dean Street and Marietta Street, in Providence).

By 1916 he appears to have retired from active ministry work, to live in Wilkes Barre.

In 1921, Angelo and Elvira left for a tour of Europe (and to visit relatives in Italy) aboard the Cretic. His son Mario having settled in Pennsylvania, was (with Amedeo Obici, whose sister Elizabeth he married) one of the founders of the Planters Peanut Company, and he succeeded Obici as CEO. His success could be attested by the large and expensive party thrown by 50 of his closest associates in 1925 at the Hotel Redington, Wilkes Barre. Mario and his wife became community leaders of the Wilkes Barre social set.

Angelo Peruzzi died of cancer of the oesophagus at his daughter's house on Park Ave, Wilkes Barre, PA, on 11 June 1927, and was buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery and Mausoleum. The attendance of no fewer than 4 clergymen (including S. Scalera of Pittston Italian Presbyterian Church, and his 'life long friend' Joseph Butgelli, instructor in the Presbyterian seminary in Bloomfield, New Jersey) indicated the esteem in which he was held.

Descendants of his family are still members of the Edison Street Baptist Church in Buffalo. Mario Peruzzi became president of Planters Nut and Chocolate Company upon the death of his brother in law Obici in 1947 and continued to grow it to a firm with over 8,000 employees and $60,000,000 turnover by the 1950s. He continued to be its president until his death on December 10, 1955.

Family:

Arnaldo (Arnold) Giovanni (1874–1951), Syracuse NY, and Pomonia CA.

Mario (1875–1955), Wilkes Barre and Buffalo.

m. 1 Mary J MacCartney (1859–1910)

• • • Mario Peruzzi Jr (1897–1988), manager of Planters New York Office;

    • Rita E (1900–1996); m. Dr Earl H. Ridgeway

m. 2 Elizabeth C Obici (1884–1975)

Irma Maria Luigia (27 Jul 1877– 18 Mar 1958, Connecticut) - m. Rev. David Acquarone, Providence, RI and then Hartford CT. Buried: Highland Memorial Park

• Paul

• Isabella Acquarone, Hartford CT - went to Syracuse University and became school social worker.

• Louise E. Acquarone.

  • Anne Acquarone Hannaford

  • Karen Acquarone Angelucci

• Elvira A. Slater

  • Barbara Slater Frank

Giovanni 'John' (1879–) - Buffalo.

Elena (1888–1975). In 1914 she m. Park Ave Shoe repairer Sebastiano Guarnaccia, an elder of the First Baptist Church, South River St.

• • Robert Gaurnaccia (5 Dec 1918, MA- 14 Mar 1920, Wilkes-Barre, PA)

  • Ruth (17 Apr 1921-17 Mar 1997) m. Shipman, lived at Wallingford, DE.

  • Elizabeth, m. Deans, lived at Cornwells Heights.

Sources:

Ancestry.com

Millar, G., Edison Street Baptist Church: The First Italian Baptist Church in the United States - A Centennial History, 1996.

Minutes of the Rhode Island Baptist Anniversaries, 1908

newspapers.com.

Foreign Evangelization Society, A Guide to Evangelical Work on the Continent of Europe 1876, (London: Foreign Evangelization Society, 1876)