So true Mark. Your family sounds wonderful. Beautiful people. I love how you talk about how hard your grandpa hugged you. So true. And how the aunts would pinch our cheeks so hard ouch. The way the women hover over the baby when she/he first learns to walk God forbid the kid falls over lol. Nonna...nobody could cook, clean or take care of you like your nonna. God bless her.

Work, work work, and work some more. I do not ever remember my grandparents or older Aunts and Uncles sitting still. They all had ants in their pants. The only time they would really relax was when we'd be down the shore.

My grandma was a seamstress too. She also used to help the Italian people in the neighborhood write money orders to send to Italy because she could read and write in both Italian and English. She said she made $15 a week doing that which was a lot of money back then lol Then later on she took over my Great Grandpa's store (he was a fruit vendor) to open up a luncheonette and had the best coffee in town. Her brother ran the deli next door.

My Grandpa graduated high school which was very uncommon in those days. He was an accountant.


Here's where our family was a little bit different...
My Great Grandpa on the other side was a priest. He came here in 1903 and used to give sermons at St. John's Cathedral in NYC until he decided to leave the priesthood when his father passed away. Then he met my great grandma and got married. We have mostly pharmacists, chemists and clergy (even bishops) on that side of the family. That side of the family is so interesting.