Americans by Choice
(Hi story of th e Itali ans i n U ti ca )
GEORGE SCHIRO
m ‘ ‘ Member of th e New fgi'f stat e B ar
’
F orsan et haec olim memznisse iuvabi t . —VIRGIL
Gratefully D edicated
to my father
SCHIRO
g enerous made ossible m education p y . C O NTENTS
e For word Honorable William F . ofth Dowling , Justice e Appellate
Division , N . Y . State — An Appreciation Roy C . Van Den
bergh , President of the Savings Bank ofUtica Preface I — ’ Chapter —Utica s First Italian Family Pioneers of Utica Chapter II —Utica ’s Italian “ Found ” ing Fathers — Chapter III Italian Progress in Utica
A . Italians in our Schools
B . Italians in the Professions
C . Italians in Public Service
D . Italians Play Politics s E . Italians in Busine s Conclusion Appendix Sources ofInformation Testimonials An Acknowledg ment Index
FOREWORD
v . In this olume the author , Mr Schiro , has added an interesting and valuable f chapter to the history o Utica . Few resi dents of Utica are aware of the fact that the connection of the Italian people with 1 8 1 5 Utica dates back to . Mr . Schiro has
‘ given us an interesting account ofthe Ital ian pioneers who laid the foundation for the “ ” s - o called Italian Colony in Utica . The early struggles ofthese men are graphically
related . He has also drawn aside the veil so that the reader may appreciate that these fine people had an interesting and o enj yable home life . They loved music , dancing and singing when the day ’s work n f f was do e . The story o the rise o the Italian people in Utica from one Italian in 1 8 1 5 1 9 8 n No to in 3 is a moving o e. one can read this volume without feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction in the achievements of the Italian people in Utica and in the nation as well and without reaching the conclusion that the Italian 8 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
- a people of this city are a law abiding , p triotic e , progr ssive and intelligent people of and a credit to the City Utica . My con tact with Italian people began in the late eighties . I then formed the impression that they were a splendid people and more in timate contact with them for the past thirty-six years has fully confirmed that i ticans mpression . U in particular should find a great deal of pleasure and profit in
w . reading this revealing , orthwhile book I LLIAM W . W F . DO LING 1 1 1 940 e . Septemb r , AN APPRECIATION
I have read Americans by Choice with much interest because of m y personal ao quaintance with members of most of the of Italian families mentioned . The author this book is well qualified to write it b e cause he came here from Italy himself as a small boy and I well remember him as a young student at B randeg ee giving promise of e the success he has since achi ved . When I came to Utica in September 1 9 1 1 to be the principal of the new school on
B rande ee Jay Street , known as the g School , i t seemed to me that I had entered a for
ei n g city in East Utica . The Italian peo ple were a unit unto themselves with very n little i tercourse with the rest of the city . Seven years ofclose contact with these peo ple gave me ample opportunity to witness
the trials , troubles and handicaps under which they labored in establishing them selves in a strange land with a difficult new
language . How these have been overcome and the contributions which these people 1 0 AMERICANS BY CHOICE have made are related in this little book which , as far as I know , is the first attempt to give to the people Of Utica a real pic ture Of the background Of their Italian neighbors . Because Of my personal interest in hun dreds Ofyoung people OfItalian parentage who were children when I first knew them and who are now counted among Utica ’s useful and successful citizens , I find a strong desire to amplify the brief state ments contained in the book regarding this
au younger generation , but I am not the thor . Needless to say it is my opinion that thi s book will be well accepted and Widely read . May it accomplish the mission for which it was prepared with so much time and effort on the part Of the author .
ROY C . VAN DENB ERGH . PREFACE
Many able pens have recounted the vast contributions made by the Italians to the physical and intellectual development of n this the greatest country o earth . Some Of these Italian contributions have so pro foundly affected the destiny Of our United / States th at the writer deems it a duty to help disseminate knowledge ofthem among all true citizens Of our wonderful country . For that purpose and with that hope I dwell for a moment upon a few such out standing and undisputed Italian aids to
American growth . We permit ourselves a short digression to say that : World-wide is the fame Of many Italians Whose learning and deeds have substantial ly enriched civilization and advanced h u man knowledge . We are , Of course , familiar with Galileo ’s discovery Of the law Of the pendulum , which makes possible the clock that stands on your shelf or thewatch on i e your wrist . We profit from h s inv ntion
1 1 1 2 AMERICANS B Y CHOICE
re Of the telescope . The world will long member and appreciate the Madonnas Of Rafaello ; the Mona Lisa and the Last Sup per Ofthe genius Leonard Da Vinci ; the medallions Of Benvenuto Cellini ; the sculp ture of the peerless Michael Angelo . Man kind owes much to the immortal poetry Of
i e Dante , Petrarca , Carducc and L opardi ; th e literature Of Boccaccio , Goldoni , Man ’ zoni and D Annunz i o ; the philosophy Of Giordano Bruno ; the law Of the Romans ; the discoveries and explorations Of Marco
P0 10 and Columbus ; the music Of Verdi ,
' Mascagni and Toscanini ; the voices and art Of Patti , Caruso , Tetrazzini and Gigli ;
- the life saving wireless Of Marconi . The enumeration Of Italian names and ’ the contributions to the world s progress infinit m could be prolonged ad u . Lord By ron acknowledged this debt by writing “ a It ly , Mother Of Arts , thy hand was once our guardian and it is still our ” guide . This line very appropriately adorns the frontispiece Of La Casa Italiana at Colum bia University . AMERICANS B Y CHOICE 1 3
out But let me return quickly to point , for in brief , what the Italians have done the United S tates . It is a commonplace that the Italians have built our railroads and bridges and have constructed many Of
r ou buildings . We know that every indus try in the United States today feels the ef fect and influence Of Italian capital and energy ; that Americans Of Italian descent recently have made great progress in the
Of : LaGuardi a field politics , Poletti , Rossi Maestri are familiar names in high places n in government . Everyone k ows that Cristoforo Colombo discovered America (the first that Giovanni Ca b‘ ota (John Cabot) first explored its main land ; that Amerigo Vespucci provided its —L name all three Italian men ; that Giovanni ’ D Verraz z ano discovered New York Bay ; that Alessandro Malaspina was the first white man to explore Alaska , Vancouver , and the coast Of California .
I am more interested , however , to cata logue at least some Of the less widely known contributions to America by the Italians because they will engage the atten 1 4 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
tion Ofall people seeking the welfare Of this
country . How many Americans have known or
know that an Italian , Filippo Mazzei , was
among the very first men - in the American Colonies to urge publicly that they Should throw Off the enslaving yoke Of England ? Filippo Mazzei was intimately acquainted f with Je ferson , Washington , Franklin , Pat rick Henry and other famous Revolution 1 7 73 ary patriots . He came to Virginia in 1 8 after a stay in England Of years , and at
the invitation of Jefferson and Franklin . “ Of Under the pen name Furioso , he wrote articles in Italian exposing the tyranny Of
the English rule . Thomas Jefferson trans lated them into English and had them pub lish ed and scattered throughout the col ni n f o es . o e O In these articles , published ’ “ Pinckne s 1 7 74 in y Virginia Gazette in , “ Mazzei first penned the phrase : All men are by nature created free and independent it is necessary that all men be equal to ” each other in natural rights . Thomas Jef ferson himself has acknowledged translat ing this phrase and incorporating it into our AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 5
Declaration OfIndependence in the form Of “ ” the immortal all men are created equal . v After the Re olution , Mazzei was sent to
Europe by Virginia as its delegate . Later the Virginia legislature passed a resolution Of thanks to him and voted him a sum Of money . While in Europe , Mazzei was asked by the United States Government to find and send on to Washington some Ital ian interior decorators . Mazzei did this . Much Of the interior decoration Of the Capi tOl Building in Washington was done by those Italians . The records Show that several hundred Italians gave their lives in the Revolution i' fr a y War o Independence . We have some proof that William Paca , the delegate from Maryland who Signed the Declaration Of
Independence , was an Italian . The following historical facts are not as generally known as they deserve to be ; but we know from authentic documents z”< 1 . That Francesco Vigo,wealthy Italian
’ “ e chi v S e G . S a o s Italians in America before the Civil ” War for proof ab out Mazzei and the numbered paragraphs o f llowing. 1 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE fur trader Of the West made possible the victory Of General George Rogers Clark at 9 on 2 5 1 7 7 . Fort Vincennes February , His money and information very probably kept
Of the present states Ohio , Indiana , Illinois , Wisconsin and Michigan from becoming part Of Canada . 2 1 5 9 . That in 3 Fra (friar) Marco da Nizza (Nice) explored Arizona ; that he ’ led Coronado s famous expedition into the interior Of the United States beyond the Grand Canyon and into the present state Of
Kansas .
3 . That Italians were building a glass factory in Virginia even before the Pilgrim
Fathers had settled at Plymouth .
4 . 1 6 5 6 t That on Christmas Day, , abou 1 6 7 “ Waldenses (Italians) left Holland for 1 6 5 7 America in three Ships , and in they founded New Castle , Delaware . These i Waldenses were P edmontese , Protestant , i Of relig ous followers Pietro Waldo , who originally was Catholic but was later ex communicated by the Pope and his follow ers condemned by him as heretical . Bitterly persecuted , the Waldenses scattered all
1 8 AMERICANS BY CHOICE ton attended a concert given by Francesco
Alberti . 1 1 7 9 0 . 7 That in Bellini , Filippo Maz ’ zei s friend , was appointed the first teacher
col Of modern languages in America , at the lege of William and Mary in Virginia . 1 1 1 804 . That in Salvatore Catalano , with his knowledge and daring , enabled Stephen Decatur to blow up the frigate
Philadelphia in the Port Of Tripoli , thus helping America to smash the tribute -levy ing pirates Of Tripoli . Catalano signed an f a fidavit reciting the actual facts , and Con gress gave a medal to Decatur , who him self wrote in his Official report in 1 804 : “ The success Of the enterprize in the greatest degree depended on the good f conduct o Salvatore Catalano . 1 2 2 00 f . That over Italian O ficers served in the Civil War ; that two Italian boys and a brother Of an Italian pioneer Of Utica ,
Mar hi i . c s Dr John B . , who settled here in 1 1 8 5 . Utica in , served in the Civil War 1 3 . That about men and women Of Italian extraction became part Of the armed forces Of the United States in the AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 9
World War ; This was the largest single racial group serving under the American colors .
1 4 In - 1 8 7 9 t . , Carlo An onio Rapallo was elected to the Court Of Appeals Of the State f O New York , where he served with dis 1 rac tinction until his death in 8 8 7 . When p ticing law , his abilities as a lawyer were recognized by the Astors and the Vander
il s b t . , who retained him as counsel In New York City the names Of Judges
Pecora , Cotillo , Valenti , Freschi , and others bring credit to the American Bench . Further proof Of Italian influence on American civilization can be found in the
n Of our hu dreds Italian words in language , not only in the fields Of literature and music but in fact in every human activity . The expression “ Dear Me ” originally was the “ ” “ Italian Dio Mio , and the word Sir is “ a contraction Of the word Signor . Mac chiav ellian oth , fiasco , seraglio , and many ers will easily come to your mind . President Nicholas Murray Butler Of Columbia University once wrote : “ The place Of Italy in civilization is 20 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
best Shown by trying to subtract that
place from world history . Take away her
scientific accomplishments , her states
Ofthe for manship , her leadership world many years and what have you left ? The
You world looks badly decapitated . can subtract Italian culture from civilization ” only by destroying that civilization . The contributions made by Utica ’s Ital ians Obviously are not so dramatic or his
. et toric as those above outlined And y , they have been undoubtedly necessary to the f growth and development o Utica .
1 1 940 C rr 3 . o ou On August , , Vincent R , “ : f Mayor Of Utica , said The Italians o Utica have done much to make Utica ” the progressive city it is today .
The interest , the time , and the talents at my disposal necessarily limit this book to a Short study Ofwhat the American Italians have done for Utica . Indeed , this little book is born from the pursuit Of a per sonal hobby and from a desire to record certain facts about Utica ’s Italians before those who possess knowledge Of them should have passed away with that knowl AMERICANS BY CHOICE 2 1
edge irretrievably entombed in their graves . It is recorded truth that the Italians who first came to Utica were met with Obstacles
difficult enough to terrify ordinary men .
A strange land , an unfamiliar language , racial and religious prejudices , economic insecurity : all these and other barriers they met successfully with sturdy character and
r pe severance . And we profit from the vic tories Of their battles . They came ; they worked ; they won respected places in
re Utica . They helped Utica grow . We member them with pride and gratitude . Let us remind ourselves Ofthe hardships
h a t ey f ced . Let us see the contributions they made to the development and growth f o Utica . Let us also see how much our modern Americans Of Italian descent have added to their predecessors ’ contributions to the f ur expansion O o city . Let us take ’ “ ” a thoughtful look at Utica s Italians .
In this book the selection , the propor tion , and the final decision as to what to
Include or omit are mine . The result is , therefore , limited and Shaded in emphasis by personal enthusiasms and deficiencies Of 2 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
knowledge and appreciation . My survey cannot pretend at completeness ; certain or omissions , intentional accidental , may i disappoint . I make no claim e ther to lit erary excellence or encyclopedic compre h en i eness t e s v . I am satisfied Simply to cord the salient facts as I see them . The emphasis placed upon and the
Of n Mar hisi length the chapter o Dr . c may seem unwarranted . I urge in explanation , if not in justification , the fear that my lawyer friends might Object that I had not proved my case “ beyond a reasonable ” doubt . I confess also that originally I had intended writing only that chapter .
-inten However , the suggestions Of best ti oned persons eventually thrust upon me a task much larger than that which I had chosen . I can almost truthfully state that this book accumulated itself like a snow ball me nolente as it were . Let my friends lament their suggestions and their encour a ment g e if they wish . I have enjoyed the research work , the associations and the ex
eri ences p involved .
With hesitancy , therefore , I present this AMERICANS BY CHOICE 2 3
book to the public Of its shortcomings
and failings , none will be more keenly con
scious than I am . I make g rateful acknowledgment to the many who have contributed information or
given suggestions . The librarians at the Utica Public Library were very courteous
to me . I am much debted to Dr . Edwin W . M i cQu vey and to George S . Ballard ; with out their generous help and information the chapter on the Marchisi family would be
very incomplete . I am grateful also to the
late Frank P . Cavallo and to the other men whose interviews appear herein for their information concerning the earliest of the founders of the permanent Italian settle f ment O Utica . I give thanks to the clerks Of various public Offices whose records they have read
ily placed at my disposal . I am obligated to the keepers Of the ’ O f records Forest Hill Cemetery , St . Agnes
Cemetery , and Grand View Cemetery in
Whitesboro . I have received help and suggestions from the following : the late Colonel Henry L . Ballard , Dante Tranquille , Louis Paige ,
Dr . John A . De Camp , superintendent Of e schools , Murray G . Tanner , Ex cutive Sec retary of the New York Public Service
Commission , and Doctor Moir P . Tanner f - of Bu falo , brothers , and living great grand hisi Marc . children OfDr . John B .
I thank my wife , Carmelita , for the help ful Index Sh e has prepared for this volume . I am gratefully appreciative of the flat tering testimonials printed herein and written by the following able and generous
D en er h Of : . b men Roy C Van g , President f O . the Savings Bank Utica ; Leo O Coupe , prominent attorney ; Dr . John A . De Camp , Superintendent Ofthe Utica school system ;
Salbitano Professor Louis , Of the Proctor High School faculty ; the Reverend William
Pi z z o lio f Of g , e ficient pastor the Saint Mary
Of Mount Carmel Church . Especially am I deeply and gratefully obligated to the Honorable William F .
Dowling , Justice Of the Appellate Division Of New York State for his gracious fore
- word to this book . His Often demonstrated
CHAPTER I
DR OH B MARCHI I N . S . J ,
A PIONEER O F UTICA
AN D
U TI CA ’S FIRST ITALIAN FAMILY
IT is a fact not generally known among the inhabitants Ofthis city that 1 2 5 years ago to the village Of Utica came its first hi M r si . . a c Italian resident , Dr . John B He 1 8 1 5 o ula settled in Utica in , when the p p tion ofthe village was SO small that no vil lage directory had yet been published . In
M r hisi the village Dr . a c found very few streets and only several brick structures . ’ Marchisi s residence in Utica began when the fourth President , James Madison , pre our sided over the White House , and coun It try comprised only eighteen states . con tinued under the regimes of 1 9 Presidents of the United States , including Andrew
Jackson , John Quincy Adams , Ulysses S .
Grant , and Abraham Lincoln . His resi MA RC HISI—A e 95 N B . g DR . JO H d Tra ns la ti on
ea i n th e i H r g s ng ing O f th e roo ster Wi a c i ea th h ng h rt , P et er S aint ( P . ) O f i h s ow n si n rep ents
H a ppy h e wh o w eeps A nd w ee ps w i th a ll h i s h ea rt H a ppy i s th e si nner Wh o i mit a tes P et er still . AMERICANS BY CHOICE 2 7
dence in Utica was uninterrupted for 7 0
1 1 8 8 5 . years , until his death on February ,
During his life in Utica , twenty other states
entered the American Union . SO remarkable and useful a career did be “ Of live that M . M . Bagg , in his Pioneers Utica and in his “ Memorial History Of
i Of Utica , records him among the p oneers A Utica . fter stating that he came to Utica “ 1 8 1 5 : in , Bagg remarks of him Quite
trustworthy , and a faithful keeper Of his business that kept him and a large family ” and won for him the public regard .
Marchisi Dr . John B . tells us himself 1 1 that he came to Utica in 8 5 . The insert facmg this page shows a photograph Of writing in an autograph album owned by
Miss Mary Ballard , who lives with her 1 2 brother George S . Ballard at 8 Proctor in Boulevard this City . Miss Ballard be gan the collection Of the autographs in her 1 8 7 book some time in the year Of 5 . In
1 93 8 Sh e February , , related that when a young girl she used to enjoy going to the
M r hi 1 home Of Dr . a c si at 7 Blandina Street to play and practice on a pianoforte bought by him for his granddaughter , Mrs . Arietta
one E . Wightman . On of these occasions
Marchisi Dr . first wrote the popular Ital ian religious poem revealed in the photo graph and which he still recalled in Spite of his great age "the translation is mine". It “ will be noted that he added , Written per
M r hisi e . . a c 90 (by) Do t John B , age years 4 65 and months in Piemonte , Italia , and ” r n ti yea s i U ca . Recalling that Dr . Mar
on 1 1 8 8 5 chisi died in this city February ,
O f 9 5 5 at the age years and months , we conclude that the above statement was
Marchisi written by Dr . some time in Jan f1 8 0 “ uary O 8 . Since he had been 6 5 years 1 8 1 5 be in Utica , his settling in Utica in comes definitely established .
Mar hisi Dr . John B . c was born in Car ma nola on g , near Turin , in Piedmont , Italy , 1 8 9 1 6 7 . 1 8 . August , Until about 8 Dr Marchisi could never fix the exact date Of his birth . He had nothing to rely upon ex cept his memory , which , although unusually clear , could hardly be expected to be accu On rate this point . Accordingly , he was in the habit Of celebrating the l oth day Of AMERICANS BY CHOICE 2 9
February as his birthday . This is not very strange . In those days birth certificates were seldom , if ever , available . The Bureau Of Vital Statistics in the City O fUtica states that no record ofbirth is available there Of persons born in this city before the year
1 3 for 1 8 63 8 7 . Except the year , the death records in this city begin with the year 1 8 7 . 3 Apparently , public authorities in the ’ Old days were not much interested in one s birth or his death . It will interest , then , to
Marchisi relate how Dr . eventually learned his exact birth date .
1 8 8 1 Marchisi Some time in Dr . received a circular from Arthur Mueller and Com
n Messma manufactur pa y Of , Sicily , a firm ing essential Oils , like Oil Of bergamot , and il O Of lemon . The doctor looked at the name . Turning to his eldest son , Henry , on 4 1 8 2 4 born in Utica September , , he “ : t of said My son , tha is the man whom I learned my trade . I will write him a letter and see if I can find out the exact day upon which I was born . The son tried to re
Mr mind his father that . Mueller was prob ably long since dead . But the doctor wrote 3 0 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
a long letter in Italian , Of which he was still in full command , and sent it to that busi ness house in Messina . His letter asked the firm if he had not learned his business as an apothecary from Mr . Mueller and gave dates and names . The letter also asked for own any available record Of his family , from which he had heard nothing in many years . Some time later a reply came from the bishop ofthe district in which the doc tor was born in Italy . The bishop had very kindly interested himself in the matter . By searching through church records , he was able to send the following statement Of th e family : “ 1 7 2 7 The father was born in , and died at the age Of7 5 ; and the mother was born 4 1 73 7 April , , and died also at the age Of
7 5 . The following is the record Of the births
: Of the ten children Joseph Dominic , born 1 7 84 1 7 8 6 ; Joseph Argosino , born ; died
1 7 9 5 Jean B a ti ste Au ust ; Teresa ; p , g 6 , 1 78 9 1 7 9 1 ; Gaspar Joseph , born , killed in 1 7 93 battle ; Francesco Saverio , born ; Pi etor 1 7 94 Joseph born in , died in Utica 1 0 about years ago ; Maria Elizabeth , born
3 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Marchisi Civil War . Then exclaimed Dr . “ What a coincidence "Only yesterday I mailed a letter to Sicily to the man from whom I learned my trade as apothecary . I asked that man to try to find out the exact day when I was born and to try to find out something about my family from whom I ’ haven t heard in many years . Mr . Cavallo
Marchisi then went on to describe Dr . as a rather Short , stocky , cheerful Old man , clean shaven , wearing a velvet Skullcap , and apparently in fine health .
We may say , in passing , that Dr . Mar ’ C hisi s father was a music teacher who , as
th rou hou his son once said , used to travel g
iv in the territory around about his home , g g instructions upon the violin and other musi
ta cal instruments and in singing . He at ined a considerable reputation for his Skill and the famous Paganini is said to have been n h o e of his pupils . Commenting on t e of e death his father and moth r , each at the
f Marchisi r o 7 5 . ripe age , Dr once rema ked “ ’ hi s : son to son Henry My , I don t under stand why they died so young ; they must ” have had some organic disease. AMERICANS BY CHOICE 3 3
of After some years schooling , his father sent him as an apprentice apothecary to work for a German man named Arthur
Mueller in Turin , Italy . During his four n h tee t to his eighteenth year , he worked
with Mueller . From him he learned his
trade as an apothecary . It was there that young Marchisi first compounded an oint
ment which later he used in France, Italy , e h e Russia , Canada , and wher ver traveled for almost four years with the armies of Napoleon the Great in his campaigns over AS we see Europe . shall later , this Oint ment was for many years sold in Utica in “ ’ Mar hisi s . c a tin box labeled , Dr Pile Oint ” n en r f me t . T o twelve boxes O it are still ’ available at Bernard E . Tracy s Pharmacy 2 5 5 e at G nesee Street .
1 8 ld M hi si When years o , young arc was conscripted in the French army of Napo
leon , whom he grew to admire and respect “ as the greatest and the kindest general of ” them all . With Napoleon he crossed the
Alps from France through the St . Bernard ar hisi Pass . M c used to love to relate how at that time his general had ordered the provide his soldiers with some bread , cheese and wine as they passed by . While on board a French frigate in the year 1 809 a severe storm drove the craft offits course to the British port of Messina f in the Isle o Sicily . The French com mander surrendered the ship to prevent its complete destruction . With the other
Marchisi prisoners Dr . was confined there for a long time . Finally , the British offered him his freedom provided he join the British service . This he did believing it the only way to save his life . The British gave Marchisi the same rank of Sergeant which he held in the French
Army . They sent him to Gibraltar for a time and thence to Canada . His voyage
3 2 For to Quebec , Canada , consumed days . three years he was stationed at Fort George near Kingston . We find him in Fort George when the Anglo -American War of 1 8 1 2 broke out , and still there when that fort was captured by the Americans . Wherever he was , either as a soldier under Napoleon or - as a prisoner under the English , young AMERICANS BY CHOICE 3 5
s Marchisi never was a ked to bear arms . His excellent penmanship , his intelligence , and his ability to speak fluently seven lan guages made him too useful as a clerk .
or Hence , he always served as paymaster adjutant or quartermaster or as hospital steward . 1 8 1 8 1 3 r On December , , with the pe mis f - o V . sion Visher , his Lieutenant Colonel commanding Fort George , he married a pretty girl of German extraction named
Catherine Forbis , a native of Kingston ,
Canada , and eleven years younger than he .
Marchisi Dr . cherished his marriage cer tificate and preserved it until his death . It read as follows
o e ana ‘ Kingst n , Upp r C da ,
1 8 1 8 1 3 . December , I do hereby certify that the religious ceremony of matrimony was duly solemn i z ed on 1 8 Of 1 8 1 3 the th day December , ( Sunday) between Jean Baptiste Marchisi and Catherine Forbis , the former pay master sergeant in de Waterville ’s and the of latter an inhabitant Kingston , who were married on the above day by license , and 3 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
f Li euten o . with the permission V Visher , ant Colonel , commanding , by me ; George Okile Stuart Minister and Missionary of
Kingston , U . C . Utica ’s first Directory was published in 1 1 8 . . 7 . It lists the name of Dr John B
M r hisi a roxi a c . It is a very small book , pp mately four inches wide and six inches long . The original 1 8 1 7 directory is very lovingly and very securely locked up in the safe Of l the Utica Public Library , and sees the ight o of day on very rare occasions . The f llow ing were the only streets existing in the v illage in 1 8 1 7 ; the numb er after th e street indicates the number ofpeople then living
on . 1 8 1 7 that street In , Utica had twenty Short streets ; today it has fiv e hundred f o . streets , most them very long
UTICA STREETS IN
fP NO . o eople Street 3 First Many Genesee 7 Hotel Catherine 2 2 Jay n o 3 o Cha cell r Sq . J hn Division 9 Liberty AMERICANS BY CHOICE 3 7
Many Third 3 Washing ton 1 2 Water 2 Whitesboro
This 1 8 1 7 Directory states the popula “ 1 49 6 tion Of Utica as Males , ; Females , Those women must have been very popular , outnumbered as they were . “ Catchi ng a have been an easier and more enjoyable Sport than it is “ for our modern streamlined swing sisters . The back part of this Directory contains the names under an alphabetical arrange f ment o t heir occupations . There we find “ ” “ the heading Black Men , Black Women “ ” and Gentlemen (only three names ) in cluded . ’ Marchisi s Dr . name is found listed “ ’ M Ki sse 1 therein as , John , 3 ” Main Street . Reference to the presence of ’ Marchisi s hi 1 1 Dr . name in t s 8 7 Directory
‘ “ will be found in a book entitled Semi-Cen tenni l h a t e of . of City Utica , pub lish ed by the Oneida Historical Society . Page 1 9 2 Of that book contai ns the head “ he ing T Oldest Families , the following 38 AMERICANS BY CHOICE whose names appear in the Directory of ” 1 93 2 are still residents of Utica . Then 2 follows a list Of 7 names . Among them we
“
nd . find James C . Delong a John B Mar chisi , with a star preceding both these
our to names , calling attention a footnote “ f : Re at the end O that page . It reads 1 8 1 corded also in the Directory for 7 .
Marchi si What did John B . do in the vil lage of Utica when he first arrived ? His abilities were immediately recognized by f . . one o Dr Amos G Hull of New Hartford , the leading surgeons Of those days , with an 1 5 Office at Main Street , Utica . Dr . Hull
r hi engaged John B . Ma c si at a month to compound prescriptions for him and to aid him in his surgical operations .
Marchisi 1 0 r spent years working fo Dr . l of Hull , and spent nearly al his time in the ’ doctor s Office . ’ Marchi si s John B . active and intelligent mind quickly enabled him to learn a great deal about the practice of medicine from
Dr . Hull . The latter grew to regard Mar chisi more as a friend than as an employee , and willingly imparted to him knowledge of
40 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
o customer . He raised tomatoes for rna ‘ ’ e a ment . They were called lov pples and ” were not eaten . “ 2 Flour then sold for per barrel n and we boys , for the first time k ew a good came in boatloads from
Rochester and sold for a bushel . The above story concerning Robert Bailey’s remarks was found in a scrapbook 1 2 S . 90 8 owned by George Ballard , age ,
Proctor Boulevard , and very kindly lent to the writer . George S . Ballard is the man who r o iginally joined with Mr . Howarth in forming the p artnership under the firm m -'of o l na e H warth and Bal ard .
- When the Howarth Ballard Drug Store , ’ c t M r si o . a chi the su cessor Dr J . B . s drug store originally opened by him at 1 83
G s S out the a ene ee treet , sold , following p peared in the Uti ca Morni ng Teleg ram e 2 0 1 9 2 0 dated Sept mber , : “ Th e Howarth-Ballard Drug Company is one l th e of the O dest drug stores in Utica , store at 1 83 Genesee Street dating back to v w Dr. . . o er a half a century, hen J B Mar chi e of es si , the first Italian r sident Utica , AMERICANS BY CHOICE 4 1
tablished himself at this location and sold ” f r his remedies with good success o years .
. to Dr . Amos G Hull decided leave Utica to go to practice in New York City when a serious misfortune befell his brother in
Marchisi im Utica . found employment f o . mediately in the drug store A Hitchcock , 8 1 8 2 3 5 . Genesee Street , some time in Mar chisi ’s Italian Pile Ointment had begun to
fol be widely used for such ailment . The lowing advertisement appearing ln the
Uti ca S entinel and Ga ette z , published 1 0 1 8 2 8 of Tuesday morning June , , will be 1 1 2 interest . It was written years ago and
reveals the history of the ointment . It also mentions some ofthe apparently prominent
isi March . people acquainted with John B . “ ITALIAN PILES OINTMENT—The proprietor ofth is ointment having been in possession of this valuable receipt about h a fifteen years , ving used it with success in the ofth army , and in different parts e coun own in try, has been urged , against his clinations by a great number of the most respectable inh abitants Of Utica and its vicinity , to give this notice ; and as a proof 42 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
f n Certifi of the e ficacy of the Oi tment , the cates of the following respectable gentle ’ men may be seen at A . Hitchcock s Drug
— Pomere gist Store Drs . Theodore y and
P . B . Peckham , Messrs . Jason Parker , ’ Isaiah Tiffany , Cap t . Thomas Davis
Nathaniel Johnson , Elias Beebe , Esq .
Jacob T . Christman , and Captain Joseph
H . Dwight . “ This Ointment is to be had at A . Hitch ’ 8 e . 3 cock s , No Genese Street , the only ” place where it is sold . i March si . John B . worked in A Hitch ’ k s e coo drug store two or three years . Th n he went to work in the drug store ofHunt ’ Marchisi s own and Bristol . Let us read version of this episode as published in a paid adv ertisment appearing in the Uti ca
entin l an tt S e d G az e e published Tuesday , 1 0 1 8 2 9 : February , “ ITALIAN PILE OINTMENT CAUT"ON B MA HI JOHN . RC SI
deems it his duty to inform his friends , ’ and the public generally , that he bro t the receipt for this valuable Ointment with him AMERICANS BY CHOICE 3
from Italy , that he used it with great suc of cess in the Hospitals that country , f . e o France , etc At the requ st his friends
and acquaintances in this country , among whom are physicians of the first respecta bilit For y , he has made and sold the article . the last two or three years it has been
Of . vended at the store A Hitchcock , but he has never divulged to him the secret of
the manufacture nor can A . Hitchcock , after disposing of a few boxes which I left
two or with him three weeks Since , produce anything like the genuine ITALIAN PILES
OINTMENT , although he pretends to
” ‘ ’ f be The Proprietor . Certificates O the value of this Ointment , manufactured by
M rchisi John B . a from the following gen m n tle e F . : Drs . Theodore omerey and P . B
Peckham , Messrs . Jason Parker , Isaiah ’ Tiffany , Cap t . Thomas Davis , Nathaniel
Johnson , Elias Beebe , Esq . , Jacob T .
Christman , and Captain Joseph H . Dwight may be seen by calling on him at the store of Messrs . Hunt and Bristol , and many other respectable references can also be given if required . 44 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Sold wholesale and retail by Hunt and
an Bristol , John Williams , Warner d Har vey, H . Storrs and Company , Druggists , and by the proprietor who can be found at the store of Hunt and Bristol . R I I M . JOHN B . A CH S ’ Hunt and Bristol s Drug Store was then located at 1 09 Genesee Street and the above advertisement was repeated once a
for week nine weeks , ending with the issue 1 4 1 2 8 9 . of April , The above advertise ment reveals that Marchisi had placed his Ointment for sale at the then leading stores f o the village . His business ability and his capacity for making friends at once become f obvious . His climb up the ladder o suc 1 s . 2 3 82 8 ce s becomes easier On April , , we find him paying ( a considerable sum of money in those days) to Jeremiah
Renselear f Van , executor o the James Hop
s * n per e tate , for a _deed to a lot o Hopper
r e e . St eet , near Genese S tr et
On 6 2 9 Marchi si April , 1 8 , John paid for l t o i e a o n Wh tesboro Str et ,
‘ * NO 46 P 1 2 1 in nei t o Of . e a oun B o k Deeds , ag O d C y ’ Clerk s Office. AMERICANS BY CHOICE 4 5
near Genesee Street , deeded to him by
e f Sibbel Apollos Cooper , form r sherif , and , hi s f wife . The reader will find it o interest to learn that this deed * * was recorded at ’ f P M . (Today , the Clerk s O fice closes ’ at Since Apollos wife Sibb el on joined the deed with him , the following recital is found in the acknowledg ment to the deed “ Sibbel exami and the said , on a private
nation by me , separate and apart from her
Sh e said husband , declared also that ex ecuted the said deed freely and without any
or l fear , threat , compu sion by her said hus
band .
James Dean , Judge Oneida County , P Common leas .
This recital was required by the law . In
those days , when the common law pre
was or an vailed , a woman only a chattel other piece of property belonging to the
. rac husband Hence , this recital and this p tice Of examining the wife in a separate room from her husband was resorted to in
** D oo of s NO . 4 7 P 549 nei a o t B k eed , age , O d C un y ’ Clerk s Office. 46 AMERICANS BY CHOICE order to avoid future contests as to the validity Ofthat deed upon the ground that the wife had not voluntarily signed it but o or had been forced , by intimidati n other l . 8 wise , to do so by her husband On Ju y ,
1 >I< Marchisi 83 9 . , John B purchased another part of the same James Hopper estate ad joining the land he had already purchased in 1 2 8 8 .
of 1 843 1 84 5 The Utica directories and , inclusive , contain the following indication of the enterprising nature of John B . Mar chisi . The quotation explains itself and indicates that Marchisi always sought ex pansion or improvement Of any business e that he undertook . He always aimed to giv the best possible service to his customers . This principle of business is more widely used today for success . But , Obviously Dr . Marchisi recognized it very early in his career . The above directories state :
CITY GARDEN AND BATHS
OHN B MARCHISI PROPRIETOR J . ,
* oo of No 2 . 9 P 1 65 in n i a o n B k Deeds , age O e d C u ty ’ ffi Clerk s O ce .
48 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
1 9 he 3 . being Genesee Street Apparently , h ad removed his residence from Whites 1 8 2 8 boro Street , where he lived in .
1 83 3 M . In the latter part of , artin W ’ Marchisi s -in- Forbis , brother law , joined
Marchisi him from Canada . at once took him into his business under the firm name “ ” Of Marchisi and Forbis at 1 7 1 Genesee 1 4 Street and at 6 Genesee Street . Mar ’ chisi s business had grown SO that he now He owned two separate stores . continued
to own two stores until about 1 83 9 or 1 840 .
- The 1 83 7 3 8 directory lists him John B .
Marchisi , Druggist and Dealer in Surgical 1 40 1 7 1 e ee Instruments , stores and G nes ” Street and house 1 7 1 Genesee Street . The Utica Directory of 1 83 9 and 1 840 shows him doing business onl y at 1 7 1 Genesee
Street . Marchisi f John B . was not the type o s man to live all his life a an employee . His l e vast experience with the wor d , his l arning and his initiative and ambition persuaded him to take the usually difficult step of opening a business owned and operated by f o . himself . With the help John C AMERICANS BY CHOICE 49
of of Devereux , founder the Savings Bank of Utica and twice Mayor Utica , he opened “ ” 1 3 6 a Drug Emporium at Genesee Street , presently known as the Devereux Block , but then known as the “ Commercial Build ” i f ings . The exact date o the opening o this
Marchisi store by is unknown , but it was 1 8 2 9 probably some time in January . We " find him advertising his store as early as 1 1 2 2 8 9 . Tuesday , July , The following advertisement appearing in the Uti ca S entinel and D aily Gaz ette on that date best tells the story
‘
2 1 1 8 2 9 . Tuesday , July ,
B MARCHISI JOHN .
Apothecary and D rug g ist
1 3 6 omm r i i NO . C e c al Bu lding s
Gene ee Street U tic s , a Where he Offers for sale a very superior of assortment Medicines , equal to any that ff has ever been O ered in this village . Hav ing devoted his entire attention for nearly 2 0 years past , to the preparation Of Medi
cine , he flatters himself that those who 50 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
favor him with their patronage , will not f fail o receiving entire satisfaction . Phy ’ si cians prescriptions put up with utmost care and exactness . “ He also has on hand a choice assort ment of Liquors and Wines . these will be sold UNMIXED and R warranted . Also a few choice GROCE IES all ofwhich he intends to sell low for
Cash . “ ’ f r Also agent o Doctor Amos G . Hull s Th . e Truss , etc subscriber has adopted a room for the sole purpose Of wholesale and retail Of these instruments . “ Also a few dozen Boxes of the truly v aluable PILES OINTMENT . The foregoing advertisement appeared in the newspaper once every week all that
1 2 bv i 2 9 8 9 . O year , including December , ously Marchisi very early in his career “ adopted the modern slogan : It pays to ad v erti se It is interesting to note that th e cost of advertising in that newspaper was “ SOC for per square inch the first insertion , ” 2 C and 5 thereafter . 2 1 1 2 8 9 . By July , , A Hitchcock had AMERICANS BY CHOICE 5 1
’ ceased to advertise Marchisi s ITALIAN
PILE OINTMENT , apparently because he was satisfied that the preparation be longed to and could be compounded only
Mar hisi by Dr . John B . c . 1 84 7 1 8 50 In the years to , inclusive , Dr . ’ Marchisi s Drug Store was located at 1 6 7 of Genesee Street , several houses south
er son Bleeck Street . His , Henry N . Mar
old to chisi , was then enough be working and attending to the soda fountain in his ’ Marchisi father s store . The family at this 60 time lived at Genesee Street . Some time ’ 1 8 5 1 Marchi si s in the year , Dr . drug store 1 83 was located at Genesee Street . In this l oCation he continued to do business until 1 5 8 5 . f M r hisi o . a c The other two sons Dr ,
Darius and Frank , had joined the father in the conduct of the business ; Darius as a
clerk in the drug store along with Henry ,
and Frank as a watch repairer , the latter tw or o . after working a year for N . Roth “ ” 1 8 60 Marchisi n In the year , and Son co ducted the drug store at 1 7 1 Genesee
Street . ’ Marchi si s family lived at various places 5 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
in the city according, perhaps , as the num e 1 8 5 1 ber of children incr ased . In we find the family living at 1 5 5 Bridge Street h ( Park Avenue) . One year later t ey moved 2 2 1 8 5 5 to Devereux Street . In we find the 6 5 e family living at Charlotte Str et , where the family resided until the year 1 8 69 . From there they moved to 1 8 Devereux 1 8 7 . 7 Street Finally in , we find the family lastly established at 2 8 Devereux Street .
Marchisi There Dr . passed his declining
1 1 88 5 . years until his death on February ,
Since we have already mentioned Dr . ’ Marchisi s our son Henry , let us interrupt Marchisi story to state that Henry N . was the first Italian boy born in the village of 4 1 8 24 Utica . He was born on September , , on Genesee Street , on the Site where John ’ A . Roberts and Company s store used to be , m . o the present site Of J B . Wells and C h pany . He was educated in t e common schools of Utica and in the Academy on
John Street under Professor Prentice . Then ’ to he went work in his father s store , where he learned the drug business thoroughly .
- The next five years h e spent in New .York AMERICANS BY CHOICE 53
City serving as a clerk in various drug
stores . He also Spent one year as night ’ clerk in Rossiter and Aspinwall s store at
the corner Of Broadway and Vesey Street . ’ Of his three years service in the Civil War , l more wi l be said in a later paragraph .
1 8 5 8 or 1 8 5 9 Marchisi Early in , Henry
th e of for began manufacturing fireworks , 8 6 90 the first time in the city of Utica , at to “ State Street under the firm name of Henry ” Marchisi N . and Company , with Samuel
Barnum and William M . Storrs as partners . This fireworks factory was located at the corner of State and Henry Streets . The
Uti ca S aturda Globe O f 24 1 906 y April , states that Henry Street was named for t a . . . him . L er he joined with S Y Lane But the Civil War interrupted the development n of this business . Henry enlisted in Utica o 2 1 8 62 August , , and served with Company of 1 1 7 th l B the Regiment , New York Vo unteers of , until the close the war . He was 8 1 8 6 5 . honorably discharged on June , In n his absence , William M . Storrs carried o Th ti this fireworks business . e U ca Morn 54 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
1 8 63 followm adv er , carried the g patriotic tisement : THE UNION FO REVER
Fi r ork " i r ork " e W F e W s s
’ ’
m M Storrs Co . s W . . Wholesal e and Retail D epot for ’ H N MARCHISI CO . S . . Central City Premium FIRE WORKS
7 1 Genesee S treet
After his father sold the formula for his Catholicon to the firm of Howarth and 1 8 78 Ballard in , Henry continued to work as a clerk for Howarth and Ballard until 24 four months before his death , April ,
1 F or h 906 . Howarth and Ballard e made up the Catholicon and made and fitted trusses . He was an expert truss fitter . He
Of 64 died heart trouble at his home , Char lotte Street . Henry Marchisi belonged to the Old Cof
NO 4 fee Mill Fire Company . , under George
For Tracy as foreman . many years he was a member of the Utica Citizens Corps b e fore the Civil War . He belonged to the - 1 8 8 2 Half Century Club , which in cele brated the semi-centennial of the granting
5 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
M rchisi n in . a spo d g with him Dr . John lived in a brick house on Devereux Street , before you get to Blandina Street . He told me he bought that place because he thought Devereux Street was gowg to be the lead ing street in U tca . He was a healthy and cheerful Old man , and wore a velvet skull cap . His son Henry wore a black Silk skull ” cap , too . 1 5 1 8 6 1 On April , , President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for volunteers to fight for the preservation of the Union .
Marchisi Dr . admired and had voted for
too Abraham Lincoln . He believed that “ the Union must be preserved ” and that it “ ” could not last half slave and half free .
on 2 2 1 8 6 1 Little wonder then that April , , f o R . . two his sons , Alexander and Darius J ’ B . answered Lincoln s call and enlisted in of Utica , joining Company A the famous 1 4th Regiment of the New York Volun teers . Company A was the first company in the State ofNew York to report ready for duty at Albany .
Alexander , upon arrival at Albany , for " some reason was sent back to Utica and R HI F M LY PL F RE L E ME E RY MA C S I A I O T , O ST HI L C T — — r h i i Ma r hi s i l He N Ma c si 2 a B . c nry . — D r us 3 A l ex ander Ma rchi si
Not e A m eri ca n F l ag s and C ivi l Wa r V et eran st eel m a rkers f h i i ’ b ef ore ea ch g rave O Dr . Marc s s s ons
AMERICANS BY CHOICE 5 7
h never served in t e war . He died in Utica on 1 5th of 1 8 62 3 6 the March , at the age of , ’ Mar hisi s and was buried in Dr . c family plot in Forest Hill Cemetery . Darius served as a sergeant while in the army . After taking part in some of the bat of tles with his regiment , he died disease at
’ ’ Minor s* Hill on 2 9 in Virginia , January 1 2 2 7 8 6 . , at the age of His body was never located and so it was not interred in Forest of Hill Cemetery . In front both their tomb stones at Forest Hill Cemetery is a steel marker indicating that they were soldiers of the Civil War .
’ Frederick Phi sterer s fiv e-volume history “ entitled New York in the War ofthe Re 1 8 6 1 -1 8 6 5 3 3 80 bellion , , at page , tells us ’ about Henry Marchisi s part in the Civil War :
M r hi i — n a c s N. 3 7 e , Henry Age years ; 5 1 8 62 3 rolled August , , at Utica to serve years ; mustered in as Private , Company B , 9 1 8 62 August , ; promoted Hospital Stew
2 0 1 8 6 2 out ard , August , ; mustered with
rk S t a t e of New Yo , Report of A dju t ant G eneral 1899 . continue to serve as hospital steward until 1 8 8 6 5 . his discharge on June , He served
of . . M under the supervision J A owris ,
M . D . , Regimental Surgeon . Dr . Mowris , of 1 1 7 th in his History the Regiment , New 1 8 66 York Volunteers published in , at
2 3 3 : page , lists him as
HOSPITAL STEWARD
i i 2 n March s . 1 8 6 He ry N . , Aug , ; was continually with the Regiment till the close of the war , and always had the neatest ” Regimental Dispensary in the Corps . 2 40 “ The same book , at page lists Joseph
Marchisi . E . , Sergeant , Utica , Aug AMERICANS BY CHOICE 59 watchmaker ; discharged for disability 1 5 8 63 . June , ’ r i Marchisi s Joseph Ma ch si was Dr . John brother . He served over one year in the or Civil War . For four five years there after he worked as watch repairer in his ’ t brother s store . He lived with his bro her 1 1 8 4 He on Devereux Street in 8 70 to 7 . 1 4 on 3 1 8 7 . died in this city August ,
Marchisi two Dr . contributed sons and one brother to the cause ofLincoln and the
Union . With tears in his eyes he bade them farewell as they left Utica , his son Darius Marchisi never to return alive But Dr . ’ was always proud ofhis son Darius brav ld for ery in the war . The O soldier Napo
“ leon was happy at the role played by his
f r young son as soldier o Lincoln . He had grown to love this country , and was proud ofhaving had two sons and a brother par
ici e t pat in its preservation . He himself had ”< 1 9 joined the Utica Citizens Corps in 8 5 . His sons Alexander and Henry had joined
1 8 5 2 1 8 54 . in and , respectively , and Dr
S emi -C ent enni al A nni v ersary of t h e U ti ca Ci ti z ens Corp s h b ook p u bli s ed 1 887 . 60 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Marchisi continued to be interested in the
i Ut ca Citizens Corps until his death . This pioneer Italian resident of Utica v ery early decided to adopt the United 1 2 1 2 7 . 8 States as his country On March , , “ he foreswore his allegiance to Pi edmonte
Italy , in the city of Utica , in the Court of
Common Pleas before I . H . Ostrum the , " , clerk . On that declaration he stated his birthplace as Turin , his nationality as Ital 3 5 ian , his age as , the port from which he sailed as Naples , and the alleg iance he was Pi dm n e o te . surrendering as , Italy It is interesting to add that the following 1 2 other names are found on this “ Report of f M r hi si 1 2 Declaration o John B . a c and ” f o . o ther Aliens Seven these , including
Marchisi John B . , were able to Sign their names while the others signed with a cross . The other 1 2 names were :
Lewis Lewis , Owen Charles , Wm . R .
Roberts , Owen R . Roberts , James Evans ,
C rif John Erland , Jenkins Jones , Thomas
* — — P a ck a g e 2 , No. 1 0 Na t u rali z ati on Records O f 1 827 Oneida
’ County Cl erk s offi ce.
62 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
MAR HI I ’ DR . C S S UTERINE CATHOLICON
e Is in truth , the gr atest medical dis cov ery of the age and what renders the d iscovery so great a blessing is that many of these uterine complaints are of a class of diseases which have not been cured by any known means heretofore pursued by th on e Medical Faculty . Read and be C in V ced .
(Testimonial by L . D . Fleming , M . D .
Y. Canandaigua , N . , June , “ F r N 1 73 o O . sale , wholesale and retail , e Genesee Street , Utica , by the discover r
— M rchisi a . and manufacturer Dr . J . B .
’ w
hi i o. B . . Marc s s N N . Mrs Office is at 1 73 Genesee Street , under the Museum , where Sh e can be consulted from
Marchisi for A . M . to P . M . Mrs . has past three years given her attention to such
diseases , etc . She feels confident Of giving entire satisfaction to all who confide in ” her . The formula for this preparation in the year 1 8 7 8 was purchased for by AMERICANS BY CHOICE 63
i the firm O Howarth and Ballard . About that time that firm purchased the drug
store originally opened by Dr . John B . ’ Marchisi on the former site of Hewit s
Drug Store . The firm of W . Sawens and Company some years previously had i March si . bought the drug store from Dr . On the authority of Uti ca Morning Herald
of 1 8 8 5 . and of George S Ballard , Mar chisi ’s Catholicon was “ a remedy known all over the civilized world and advertised in about 1 3 00 newspapers throughout the
u . co ntry In fact , Howarth and Ballard ’ Marchi si s carried Proprietors of Dr . ” Uterine Catholicon on their stationery for
many years .
Elias V . Pellettieri , pharmacist and for
mer supervisor of the Eighth Ward , and
ofE only son lia Pellettieri , the third Italian ’ Marchisi s settling in Utica , remembers
1 1 93 8 : . 6 Catholicon On March , , he said “ In 1 9 1 3 and 1 9 1 4 I worked as a phar macist in the Howarth and Ballard Drug 1 83 Store , Genesee Street . We used to get ’ M r hisi many mail orders for Dr . a c s Cath
olicon n from all parts of the cou try , espe 64 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
ll cia y from out west . It was a very big
Marchisi seller . Then speaking of Dr . , he said : My father used to tell me that very ld often he would go and visit O Dr . John
hisi Marc . B . just to talk Italian to him Speaking their own native language was a real treat for both of them . My father said
Marchisi that Dr . spoke very excellent l ” Italian in those days as a very O d man . Since the Catholicon was a medicine that could be sold also in grocery stores , Rocco of 1 89 5 re Perretta , resident Utica since , cently recalled to the writer that he himself ’ had sold a great many bottles ofMarchisi s
Catholicon many years ago . He added that it was then very easy for him to sell it be f f cause O its wide reputation and e ficacy . ’ The present possessor of Marchisi s ’ Catholicon formula is Bernard E . Tracy s
. 1 1 1 93 8 . Drug Store On February , , Mr Tracy said “ We no longer carry it in stock . How
a - for 7 5C ever , we prepare six ounce bottle or a twelve-ounce bottle for when ot ever we get a call for it . Last year we g a call for the Catholicon from an Old lady AMERICANS BY CHOICE 6 5
in the Amlott House on Genesee Street . The last request for the Catholicon we filled about six months ago for a lady in
Cleveland , Ohio , who requested it by ” mail . Mr . Tracy then opened a drawer in
: You l his pharmacy and said see , we stil ’ have about ten items of Marchi si s Pile Ointment a ll put up not less than twenty
ne f fiv e or thirty years ago . We sold o o
them about a month ago . It is truly remarkable that there Should still be an occasional demand for an Oint
Marchisi ment that Dr . began to advertise in 1 8 2 9 and that there should be an occa si onal request for the Catholicon , first orig
M r hi i 1 inated . a c s 8 5 by Dr in 0 .
2 6 1 93 8 en On February , , the writer joyed the pleasure ofinterviewing the old
U ti can est native living , Dr . Edwin W .
Mc uiv e 2 4 5 1 8 0 . Q y , dentist , born March ,
He still enjoys robust health . His eyesight , d r somewhat immed , still pe mits him to “ Old- shave with an fashioned long razor , ’ or to walk two miles to Furno s Italian on Barber Shop , Oriskany Street , for a
haircut . One may see him almost any day 6 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE doing his house chores bringing the fur nace ashes from the cellar or shoveling the
a Possessm un snow from his sidew lk . g an in believably clear and accurate memory , timately acquainted with the Marchisi
Mc uiv e family for many years , Dr . Q y , Of : speaking the Catholicon , said “ I remember the Catholicon and all the talk about it very well . I often heard dis ’ eussions about the merits of Marchisi s Catholicon as against some medicine put out by Lydia Pinkham to be used for the m same purposes . My wife used to tell e that wherever women assembled there would be a lively debate about which medi e in cine was the better . I r call that about 1 8 60 , a newspaper published by James ‘ McIv er , under the name of Evening Tele ’ gram , a pretty loud kind of sheet , once ‘ published a note which read : The engage
f Marchi si f ment is announced o Dr . o ’ Catholicon fame to Miss Lydia Pinkham . “ Mar hisi l . c o d Mrs Catherine , as fine an of lady as ever lived , had the weakness one playing the lottery , especially after on occasion she won a prize . After that all her AMERICANS BY C HOICE 67
spare money went in to buy lottery tickets . Sometimes she would even bring a bottle of Catholicon and sell it to my wife and
r use the money fo lottery tickets . “ Marchisi - Mrs . was a very good looking
her woman , about ten years younger than hi i Marc s . husband . Everybody loved Mrs .
s She wa a kind and generous Old lady . She loved her husband and children very de l v oted y . I can still remember the night f when she died . It was towards the end o 1 — 8 7 8 . July , ( Exact date July Mrs
Marchisi f , su fering from dropsy , was suf l ocating to death because water was com
ing up her throat . Everybody was all ex
a of cited , including friend the family who
was visiting them from Schenectady . I was 8 then 3 years Old and pretty strong . I went
to her bed , grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her up and held her up in that
position , keeping her alive for an hour
longer . She died in my arms while I was
h Marchi . si olding her Poor Old Dr . was
frantic . He was normally a strong man , too but the emotion was much for him . He cried continuously all night until the late 68 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
f hours o the morning . His son Henry and
I finally comforted him . “ mi e . Yes , I used to know that fa ly w ll I attended dancing school together with
Marchi si Theresa , a very pretty girl , in the ’ of Old Concert Hall , which was part Kelly s
Hotel , where the Post Office stands . Wil liam B . Smith , then a very popular man , was our instructor . I was twelve years Old then , two years younger than she . We also attended a private school taught by a man named John Williams on Carnahan Street .
You now call it Blandina Street . Later she f married Dr . Charles E . Smith o Whites
Sh e boro , with whom had one child , Anna
M . Smith . I am glad you told me that little Anna married William Aldrich Of Whites boro , and that their daughter , Theresa ,
Hitz elb er er now Mrs . W . F . g , is now living in Los Angeles , California , with her drug o gist husband . I suppose y u would call it a coincidence that a great -grandchild Of a druggist should herself marry a druggist .
wom Unfortunately , Theresa died a young
2 ld . 5 o . an , about years Some time later Dr
Smith married again . His son Adrian Mal
70 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
States for about a year . A number of years later she returned to live with her cousin , ’ Dr . Charles E . Smith s daughter , Anna Ald of rich , in Whitesboro . She died in the city on Utica , York Street , not more than eight years ago . “ Marchisi Dr . and his family were orig in ll a y Catholics . The women of the family
at attended church regularly , but the men nl tended o y occasionally . For some good reason that I cannot divulge , after the ’ f M r hisi s -in- o . a c death Dr son law , William
m Mar hisi t . c a O S ith , the family began to
th e . tend Episcopal church , Grace Church “ Marchisi William O . Smith and Henry had gone down to the Mohawk River to watch the Baptist minister , Dr . Corry , bap ti z e about twelve converts in the river . That part ofthe bridge upon which pedes tri ans would pass and on which they stood
collapsed . William Smith was killed and
Henry was injured . It was shortly after that time that the Marchisi family began
regular attendance at Grace Church . “ After the death of her husband , Anna Marchisi Smith opened up a tea room and AMERICANS BY CHOICE 7 1
‘ confectionery store on Genesee Street near on Of Elizabeth Street , and the same side ’ Marchisi s . the street as Dr . drug store She
for 1 11 1 8 5 2 kept that store about one year ,
r 1 - o 8 53 . It was perhaps the first ice cream store in Utica . I remember that because I was about twelve years old and used to m spend y pennies there . Anna was about twenty years Older than I . I also recall her
two . sons , John and Fred Smith I learned later that those sons went to California and never came back to Utica . The Marchisis had a third daughter named Elizabeth (born in Utica on Sep 3 0 tember , She married a goldsmith
O f named Perry G . Tanner Cooperstown , to m where they went settle . I recall her co ing to Utica in 1 8 8 5 for the judicial settle ’ f Marchisi s ment o Mrs . estate according to "< her will made about eight years before . — 1 1 ( Exact date March , I am happy to learn from you that Elizabeth Marchisi Tanner had three daughters and one son and that the daughter , Anna Louise 1 8 5 1 Chrisler , born in , is still living in
*B ox 1 5 1 o , Surr gate C ourt Records . 7 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Cooperstown . ( She died in I am
out ou one pleased to find from y also , that ’ f . o Elizab eth s grandchildren , Murray G of Tanner , is at present executive secretary the New York State Public Service Com mission , and that the other grandchild Of
Elizabeth , Moir P . Tanner , is connected ’ a with the Children s Hospit l in Buffalo ,
New York . “ f . . o Dr Charles E Smith Whitesboro , son-ln- of Marchisis law the , acted as the l ’ sole executor of the O d lady s will . From him at that time I purchased the vacant lot fronting on Devereux Street and back of the Marchisi home at 2 1 Blandina
r hi Street . I can say that the Ma c si home was a well -furnished home in an Old-fash i n o ed . way There were two parlors , one one towards Blandina Street , and towards
com Devereux Street , and the house was fortabl y furnished . “ I only knew of four sons born to the
Marchisis . Henry , the eldest son , helped his father a great deal in his business . He married a girl named Emily from Sher
. 2 0 burne She died a young woman, about AMERICANS BY CHOICE 73
th e years Old , in Utica, a short time before
Civil War broke out . (Exact date Later Henry married Mary Milsted Buck
ley , a widow with two sons . She died in
Utica about five years ago . Henry was the first one to manufacture and sell fireworks
‘ in the city , over On State Street . During the Civ il War he served three years in the
army of the Union . I am pretty sure that he never had any children . When Dr . Mar chisi retired from the active conduct ofhis business and sold his Catholicon formula
for to Howarth and Ballard , Henry worked
that firm for many years until his death , putting up the Catholicon and fitting trusses on people . He died in Utica about
at f 8 1 thirty years ago the age o . ( Exact — 2 3 date April , “ ‘ ’ Frank Marchisi was the only red-head ‘ ’ f h in the family. He was the Sport o t e family , anyway . At one time he even wore
- chin whiskers . Frank owned the only horse
M r hi i in the a c s family . He kept it in ’ n Charles E . Green s stables o Seneca ’ Street , where Bremer s store was situated f r F or o many years . a long time Frank 74 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
worked with his father as a watch repairer . He married a woman named Mary Smith
Sh e at in Stittville , New York , where was
re tending school . She came from a highly spected family and was considerably e younger than Frank . They went to settl in Chicago and they were still there in
1 . 8 8 5 when I was helping Dr . Charles E i Mar h si . Smith to settle the estate of Mrs . c
nk i r In fact , Fra and his wife sold me the share in the estate of the mother in pay
ment of some money I had loaned to him . “ — Darius Marchisi we always called him ‘ ’— D eb was four or five years Older than I
for when he left the Civil War . I under stood he was killed in Virginia while serv
ing in the army . Alexander Marchisi was about fifteen years older than I . He enlisted in the army too , but for some reason he never served
“
in the war , and helped his father in the
drug store . “ NO better man ever lived than the Old
M r hisi . a c . Italian gentleman , Dr I spent
very many evenings at his home . He told me Often that he was born in Northern AMERICANS BY CHOICE 5
Italy . He used to get dramatic , describing his experiences all over Europe as a soldier ’ with Napoleon s armies . He certainly thought the world of Napoleon . Sometimes he would describe his long and difficult
1 8 1 al journey from Canada early in 5 . He ways made his conversations interesting
and enjoyable , and his Italian accent made
his English more charming . “ The old gentleman was very highly re
spected by everybody in town . Some of the most prominent people in the city were his
real friends . His velvet Skullcap , his genial
ity , and the fact that he was the only Ital i n ian the city made him a real curiosity . Even as young boys we used to like to go and take a look at him just to find out what
an Italian looked like . He always treated us very nice and used to give us cookies or 1 8 8 5 candies . When he died in , the news
paper carried a long story about him , and I guess everybody in the city was sorry to ” hear of his death . 2 5 Still healthy and spry , on March , 1 940 M i n . c u v e o e , Dr Q y celebrated his
hundredth birthday . 7 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
The Forest Hill Cemetery contains two
large plots purchased by Dr . John B . Mar chisi several years after the cemetery was 1 Officially opened in 8 50 . These two plots contain the following twelve tomb stones " of the Marchisi family
Marchi si Dr . John B . ; Catherine , his i i March s . wife ; Henry N . ; Darius J . B Marchisi ; Alexander Marchisi ; Anna Mar chisi Smith ; Emily Marchisi ; Mariella Marchi si Smith ; Frank W Marchisi ;
Marchisi . Mary L . , his wife ; Fanny A
Marchisi . , their daughter and only child The Marchisi graves are among the old
est graves in Forest Hill Cemetery . All of the Marchisis who died in Utica were f o . buried from the home Dr John B . Mar
chisi . John B . Douglas was the undertaker
M r hi i . a c s . for Mrs Catherine and F . A
Cassidy acted as undertaker for Dr . Mar
chisi .
Marchisi Dr . was a very healthy man all
his life . He lived to be 9 5 years and five
months old . He attributed his great age to of his regularity habit , and , especially , to Of m his custom eating always at ho e . All
78 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
M r hi i a c s . Dr . loved his children Some of his happiest moments were spent sur rounded by a group of his grandchildren and their playmates . He was always a old scrupulously neat , bright and happy gentleman and gave his visitors always a
For pleasant welcome . many years before their deaths , the venerable James C . De
Long , Deacon Joel Bailey , Honorable
Theodore S . Faxton (who gave Utica the M Mc uade Faxton Hospital) , ichael Q
(later a general in the Civil War) , Ezra S . Barnum and other old friends exchanged birthday visits . These visits were remark ably happy occasions for all Of them .
M r hisi . a c In politics , Dr was an ardent
Republican . He had voted for Abraham
Lincoln and Ulysses S . Grant , but his last 1 884 ballot , in November , , cast at the Fourth Ward polls where he had voted for years , went to Grover Cleveland , Demo e rat , for president . He himself had never cared to hold political Office . But he took great interest in his city and country .
Marchisi Dr . was an exempt fireman and a member O fthe Utica Citizens Corps Since AMERICANS BY CHOICE 7 9
1 9 of 8 5 . He was a life member the Utica Mechanics Association which operated Mechanics Hall at the corner ofHotel and of Liberty Streets . His certificate member in ship that association , it is interesting to “
1 848 . . relate , was signed in by Theo S ” Faxton , President . “ The first v odv il acts in Utica were too presented in Mechanics Hall . There , were presented the early opera and music concerts in the city . The Doctor was also one of the original stockholders of the on Utica Female Academy , then the pres ent site of the YMCA Building on Wash in n g to Street. It is said that the Utica Country Day School in New Hartford is the modern successor to the original Utica
Female Academy .
Marchisi 1 3 th e Dr . served years in Fire
Department of Utica , having been a mem f l ber o the O d Lafayette Fire Company NO . 4 . His Honorable Discharge from that
H th e service was signed by Ward unt , mayor of Utica and later Justice of th e
United States Supreme Court . M hi . . arc si 1 88 5 When Dr John B died in , 80 AMERICANS BY CHOICE the Uti ca D aily Observ er said of him “ There have been few people like the i March si . venerable Dr . in Utica The memory of his useful life and good works will long remain bright with all who knew ” the genial old Italian gentleman .
ti Morni n Herald The U ca g , after his “ death , under the heading John B . Mar ’ chisi , Utica s Oldest Citizen , Enters His 9 5 Final Rest , Aged Years , His Remark able Career wrote as follows : “ During his long residence in this city he made a wide acquaintance and many friends . All who knew him esteemed him highly for his kindness of heart and his so i ili ” c ab ty .
M r hi i n When Mrs . Catherine a c s died o
2 6 1 8 7 8 Uti ca D ail Observ r July , , the y e , 2 9 1 8 7 8 : July , , wrote “ At 7 7 she enjoyed the distinction of ’ being the consort of Utica s Oldest resident ,
M r hi i - . . a c s Dr John B , a well known , ven erable Italian physician , who has lived in 1 8 1 5 e Utica since her gen rosity , affa bilit y , and excellence of heart have en deared her to three generations . AMERICANS BY CHOICE 8 1
It is pertinent tO ' record what the follow ing living U ticans think of the Marchisi family : 8 5 1 0 1 5 Arthur J . Lux , age , Park Ave nue : “ I got acquainted with the Marchisis when I was a boy of 1 6 years . We had a meat market on Genesee Street and I used
' to go to the Marchisi home on Blandina Street to get their orders and then deliver them . They always paid their bills regu l rl a y . They always called the Old man ‘ ’ doctor and respected him as such , but his son Henry was among the business people ‘ ’ D oc more often , and they called him to
i hi m dist nguish from his father . Mrs . Mar
Old chisi was a little lady , weighing about 1 60 . pounds , and spoke English very well She took a liking to me as a boy and very often told me interesting anecdotes . She learned that I collected gold coins ; so one day she came to the meat market and gave me a large Italian penny, heavier and
our thicker than silver dollar . I still have
M r hi . a c si it as a keepsake Dr . was as nice , kindly and friendly an Old man as ever 82 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
lived . We never heard a thing that was not ” right about them . 90 1 2 8 George S . Ballard , age , Proctor Boulevard “ Marchisi - Mrs . was an Old fashioned , motherly woman , very generous and pleas ant . She gave my daughter , Elizabeth Bal
a lard Allen , gold cross which she treasures highly and which she wears only on rare
Marchisi occasions . Dr . was a very fine and
He gentlemanly Old man . was exceedingly
Marchisis e reliable and honorable . The wer ” first- class citizens .
Marchisi It is evident that Dr . John B . is properly numbered among Utica ’s pio n n f eers . He was o e o its useful and most respected citizens for a period Of 70 years .
His Catholicon , advertised in news ’ of papers , carried Utica s name to all parts in ll the United States and Europe . SO te i gent a man undoubtedly took part in many civic movements for the betterment and of development the city of Utica , which the concealing dust of time precludes from ascertainment and description . Undeniable
Marchisi l it is , however , that Dr . eft his
CHAPTER II
U TICA ’S ITALIAN FOUNDING FATHERS
: FRANK P . CAVALLO
1 5 93 8 . It was March , Snow covered the streets . He answered the doorbell himself . “ Come in , George , cheerfully greeted 1 2 6 Frank P . Cavallo , Boyce Avenue ,
Old eighty years , still keen Of eye , accurate of memory , one of the earliest Italians in
Utica . With his two brothers , Pietro and ’ Joseph , he founded one of Utica s largest families . Answering my questions concern ing Italian beginnings in Utica , Mr . Caval lo told this story : “ oe My brother , J , and I first came to 1 1 Utica in 8 7 . We came from Laurenzana as musicians . I played the harp and Joe the
. 1 1 . fiddle We were boys . I was 3 and Joe 6 But in those days we had to learn to earn our own living early in life . Achille Pellet tieri came on the same Ship with us . His n brother , Elia , owned a saloon o Clay
84 AMERICANS BY CHOICE 8 5
Street on the towpath . We stayed in Elia ’ Pellettieri s house back of the saloon for
three weeks and we paid 2 5 cents a night . “ There was another Italian named C on stantino living with his wife and family on
Montgomery Street . He used to sell pea C on nuts ou a push cart . We stayed with n n sta ti o a while . Then we stayed with an Italian woman who had a peanut stand on
Liberty and Genesee Streets . She lived on
Madison Lane . She had a brother named
T odeo , who later owned property in Sylvan Beach and who died in Oneida a few years ago . “G iuseppe Malatesta , Toscano , and a man named Alessandrini , Genovese , came a 1 2 8 7 . short time after I did , in , I think They were partners in a peanut stand on
Genesee and Whitesboro Streets . I recall they used to keep their stock in the cellar under a jewelry store owned there by a
Mr . Davis . “ ’ Pellettieri s -in- Allesan Elia father law , l o d . dro Lucca , was an man when I arrived
F r He was married to a German woman . o a on while they lived a boat , in the Erie 86 AME RICANS BY CHOICE
Canal . He was an image maker . They used to say he was the first Italian in Utica out
f ld Mar hisi e side o o Doctor c . He spok broken English . He was strong as a bull . Nobody would fool around in his saloon when he was around . Elia Pellettieri was ’ already married to Lucca s daughter when 1 8 8 1 . I came to Utica the second time , in
When Lucca died , Elia Pellettieri took over his saloon , and pretty soon he owned all the n land near the railroad o Broad Street . “ Oh yes "I remember an Italian woman — , — she had a son owned a peanut stand on ’ Lafayette and Genesee Streets . That s the peanut and fruit stand taken over by Achille Pellettieri and run by him for many years . “ to My brother , Peter , went back Italy to get his family . They settled here per m nen l 1 4 a t y in 8 7 . “ In 1 8 Right after I became a citizen 8 7 ,
Joe and I put up a barber shop , where the
Colonial Theater is now . After a year and a half we moved to the Arcade Building . I never forget that Tom Wheeler would not let anybody shave him except my brother AMERICANS BY CHOICE 8 7
oe 83 Joe . Yes , my brother J is years Old and is the one still living who has been in
Utica the longest time . “ 1 906 A couple of years later , about , we
got our first Italian lawyer , Gabriele Zito , of from New York City , cousin Emilio
Zito . Lawyer Zito worked with Attorney
Goldstone in the Arcade Building , but he died less than two years later . “ In 1 8 7 5 I played on a boat near Water
for town . Joe and I played in an orchestra
a number of years in Ogdensburg . Later I went to Italy where I served in the Army . And about 1 8 8 1 I came to Utica again and
t e se tl d here permanently . I have seven children and five of them have families Of
e n m ow. Co th ir My son , Rufie , is Deputy missioner of Public Safety . “ Yes , the Italian colony has grown big
all right . Why , I remember when we all knew every Italian person in Utica . Did you ever know that in 1 8 8 7 we had only 1 5 Italian votes in the Fifth Ward and still we were the balance ofpower between the two Irish factions fighting each other ? “ ? Who came after me Well , Salvatore 88 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Crisci later opened a saloon on Catherine
Street . Santo Colucci had a grocery store on Bleecker Street about 1 8 80 ; Salvatore
D etrano , Salvatore Crisci and John Motto
1 8 74 . and Emilio Zito , harpist , came about
Cristalli had a saloon on Broad Street . Mrs . Ravenna h ad a grocery store on Bleecker
Salbitano Street . Rocco , Rocco Falotico
a n D eLuna . G eta o , Antonio Sisti , Frank A L Galotti Emma , Emilio Marino , ouis ; they ” all came some time after we did .
EMILIO MARINO :
1 2 A mild Saturday afternoon , March , 1 93 8 , I met him on the Sidewalk in front of the little grocery store he has maintained 4 5 n 3 4 6 for co secutive years , at Catherine “ ’ ” Street , back of Marino s Restaurant popular rendezvous of “ arrived ” and hope ’ ful politicians . Emilio Marino s physical energy and his penetrating eye belie his 7 7 n years . We exchanged questions and a swers over the store counter for over an hour . “ Thirty days on the ship before I got to
1 8 8 2 nl ix . s Utica , early in There were o y AMERICANS BY CHOICE 89
or seven Italian families when I arrived in ” Utica . But , continued Mr . Marino , after “ b o selling a bottle of milk to a y , quite a few families came to Utica that same year . ’ I started to live above Elia Pelletti eri s
saloon . He had four rooms there in a sort f h o . double house John Motto lived t ere , too ; he said he had come eight or nine years n 1 8 4 I 7 . before I did , maybe He was work ing at the stove foundry on the corner of
and Broad Mohawk Streets , and Salvatore
Crisci was working with John Motto . Sev eral years after I arrived Louis Galotti came to Utica , about the same time as Vin n ce zo Grosso , who opened a saloon at Park
and Avenue Second Street . “ Emilio Zito ? He came about nine years before I did , about the same time as Peter
D etrano 1 8 74 Cavallo and Salvatore , in . He played the harp and travelled around a
a gre t deal . “
Yes , it was tough going in those days . ’ of us Most had to do laborers work . We either worked at the brickyards—Utica — was famous for bricks then or laying
for tracks , either the West Shore or the 90 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
’ New York Central . Some couldn t stand or that hard work , so they opened a saloon a grocery store , or some kind of business anyway . “ The gang that worked at the brick 1 6 yards worked like slaves , hours a day ,
i from sunr se to sunset . If it rained at night they would have to get up and cover the ot bricks , but get no extra pay . Some g
a month and board , some a month and board . They worked all summer and in winter most of them went back to their families in New York City . Rufie ’ Elefante s father , Pasquale , worked there . He came in 1 8 9 5 and was always a hard working man . “ 1 0 ’ I used to get shillings a day . That s
two shillings per quarter , you know ,
I suppose . “ Of course , we liked macaroni . At first we could buy it only at Pasqualina Raven ’ on na s grocery Bleecker Street . Later , four or five of us would chip in and send away to New York City for it . It was cheaper that way , and money was hard to get “ ’ Frank A . Emma , the alderman s father ,
9 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
There were horse -drawn street cars on Bleecker and Genesee Streets when I first
reached Utica .
ANTONIO SISTI : f In the public O fice Of his son , Anthony
r for Sisti , J . , Clerk of the City of Utica the 1 6 past years , under both Democratic and
Republican administrations , I interviewed 1 1 on e 6 93 8 . him F bruary , Antonio Sisti ,
7 5 e of y ars age , physically very active , gen
erall o n y sm ki g a pipe , is one of the most f successful o the early Italian settlers . He
is usually seen walking on Bleecker Street , from his home in East Utica to the County Court House or to th e City Hall almost
daily .
: Speaking English very well , he said I was a little over 1 6 years Old when I 1 8 8 2 came to Utica , in June , . There were
only a few Italian people in the city then . Peter Cavallo was foreman at Weaver ’s
Brickyard . Frank A . Emma was a clerk ’ with T . R . Thomas Wholesale Fruit Store on Liberty Street . Emilio Zito went around playing a harp . John Motto and Salvatore AMERICANS BY CHOICE 93
Crisci were also here . Domenico Romano i d d . came the same year I Sure , he is still
living and very healthy at 7 7 years ofage . l Elia , Achil e , and Salvatore Pellettieri were
all here . Vincenzo Grosso and Frank Bren
dis came a year or two after I did . There was no professional Italian man , no lawyer ,
no no . doctor , dentist “ I started to work in Holbrook ’s Shoe Factory and I used to board with a German 1 woman at 6 Catherine Street . Elia Pellet ’ ti eri s saloon was a sort ofa meeting house
for the few Italian people in Utica . It was healthier for us to stick together on account ’ Of the Irish . It was in Elia s house that we formed the first Italian society called So ” cieta di Progresso e Aiuto . Salvatore Pel
r lettieri was ou first president .
In those days , East Utica was occupied
occu by the Irish , while West Utica was
pied by the Germans . Whenever we had a
date with a girl from West Utica at night , we would have to leave her near the Old Chenango Hotel near the bridge there ; we didn ’t dare accompany her home because a West Utica gang of Germans would be 94 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
for waiting us at the bridge , ready to fight with us and tell us to stay on our side of the city . Yes , sir , in those days we Italians had plenty of fist fights with the Irish or the Germans who used to like to call us “ ” dagos . Things seem to be changed nowa ’ “ ” days . I don t hear the term dago any f more . I guess the sons and daughters o us old timers are proving to the people of this city that the Italian people are just as good as any other people . You know , every race ” has the good and the bad ones .
FRANK BRINDISI : I met him buying a cigar in the cigar and confectionery store owned by “ Mutz ’ (Amedeo D Accurz i o) in the Vincent De
Lalla Building , at the corner of Mohawk
. 7 2 and Bleecker Streets Frank Brindisi , ld f o or . years , and I sat down an ice cream Very eager and interested to talk about Old
: times , he said “ 2 9 on After days the ocean , I arrived 1 88 8 in Utica in November , . I had worked in New York City for six months as a tailor . Then I rushed to Utica because my friends
96 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
n In 1 8 9 6 I married Mary D eLu a at St . ’ You Joseph s Church in West Utica . see ,
of . the St . Mary Mt Carmel Church was not up yet . But later that same year , in of July , I was president a committee to
of . raise money to help build St . Mary Mt
Carmel Church . We had a picnic in July and we raised in one day We turned the money over to Father Castelli . That year they began to dig the cellar for f the church . Some o the people contributed ‘ ’ 1 /z days work free , digging that cellar . “ I dont suppose you know that in 1 9 1 3
I was elected Supervisor of the Fifth Ward . Carmen Scala had been supervisor of the ” same ward two years before me .
MENOTTI SINIS GALLI
I stopped him on Bleecker Street , direct ’ ly in front of Florio Vitullo s Ben Franklin 1 9 1 93 8 Department Store , February , . Sinis alli 69 Menotti g , now aged , told me he 1 8 9 n arrived in Utica in 3 . Then he co tinued :
“ Sinis alli one My brother , Serafino g , the
Sinis alli “ who built the g Building , now AMERICANS BY CHOICE 9 7
h e on owned by Isador Freed , t jeweler ,
Bleecker Street , came to Utica a number of years before I did ; in fact , he came to
Utica at two different times before me . 1 893 to When I came to Utica in , we went ’ live in a house next to Elia Pelletti eri s saloon . It was very difficult to find a room
ou elsewhere . They would not take y in if you said you were Italian . “ I was a stone mason . In New York City
ot I g a day , but they used to pay us in a saloon . Of course , we would buy a
one for drink for the boss of our job , then
t for the bro her of the boss , then one his ‘ ’ cousin , or his Compare . When we got through , we had very little money left . So I came to Utica and worked as a laborer laying the West Shore tracks , getting Not a day . long afterwards I took up my trade of stone mason again . I guess Angelo ’ DeRosa s D eRosa father , Michele , was the
first stone mason in Utica . “ ‘ ’ In those days they called us dagos . I used to go to a skating rink on Seymour
Avenue . I would be the only Italian there . ‘ When I got there they would say : Here is 9 8 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
’ n the little dago agai . But then they would try to teach me to skate . There was an Irish woman living on
Catherine and Hubbell Streets , and she had ‘ ’ a large dog which she called Sport . I used to dress up on Sunday with pretty good
of clothes . When I passed that house some ‘ ’ : " the boys called out Hey , Sport When I heard that it made me very mad because I thought they were calling me a dog . I was going over to beat up some of them when ‘ ’ some fellow told me : Don t get mad ; they ’ don t insult you . Sport also means all
ou dressed up in pretty clothes , like y are ’ now . So I started to laugh and did not
fight with anybody .
JERRY ( CIRIACO ) NUDO
69 to Jerry Nudo , now aged years , came 2 1 9 6 3 8 . my law Office on March , He said
hi s that he followed stepfather , Pasquale 8 6 1 8 8 Nudo , aged , to Utica , in 9 . After saying that Pasquale Nudo came to the 1 8 8 2 United States in , but came to Utica
1 8 8 9 : in , he went on My father and I were the very first men
1 00 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
’ ’ our Laborers Union didn t amount to much until Benjamin Schiro came to Utica in 1 1 1 9 . In a short time he became the busi 1 9 1 3 ness agent of the union . And in he got the contractors to agree to furnish the ’ tools for us on the jobs . We haven t carried the pick and Shovel with us all over the city ” while looking for a job since that time .
RAFFAELE DE ROSA
On a warm Saturday afternoon in April , 1 93 8 , I interrupted him as he was mowing a lawn in the rear ofhis home at 1 804 Onei 74 da Street . Now years Old , father of a large family , including two sons practicing law in this city , one of the Oldest Italian
D eRosa settlers of Utica , Raffaele , after 1 8 8 2 stating that he came to Utica in , con tinued : “ Before coming to Utica I spent almost
PlaIn a year working in Fort , St . Johnsville and Little Falls . We worked with large gangs of laborers , which used to come up from New York City , six or seven hundred strong , in the summer looking for work .
et We worked very hard , used to g little AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 0 1
food and we used to Sleep on the ground
or on top of some hay in Old barns . Very
of often , when the end the month came , we would not get any pay because the man had ‘ ’ skipped away with the money . That left
us without food and without money . “ One day a friend of mine suggested that we go to a place named Utica . I had never
of heard this city before , so my brother and
I walked many miles . We had no money ; we could not buy a ticket for the train , so we finally managed to get on a freight train and came here . In Utica we could not find a job . Then one day a man came from Clin f ton to hire some laborers . Some o us went
for be up there to work a day , but fore we started to work , the man who had — brought us up there the boss , we called him—told us we would have to give him ’ out of first month s pay for getting o n the j b for us . Just thi k of it "He wanted o us to buy our j b . My brother and I refused to do that and we walked all the way back to Utica from Clinton . “ We had no money and nothing to eat , but when we got back to Utica we were 1 02 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
lucky enough to get . a job shoveling the snow all night long at the railroad . In the morning we got for working all that night . We bought a sack of flour for then we spent 50 cents for lard . We mixed the flour and fried it into ‘pizza ’ and satis fi ed our hunger that way .
Yes , it was very hard to make a living in those days . As I said , we moved from
Fort Plain to St . Johnsville , to Little Falls , and then to Utica . It was easy to move in to those days . You see , we had nothing move but our legs . We had no clothes to
our move except those we had on backs , and when we were lucky enough to get a bed to sleep on we used to sleep three in a 1 1 . 7 8 bed I was or years old then . Today , ’ I can t even realize how we managed to live . We were treated worse than dogs . We could not get a house to live in . We could not wal k on Bleecker Street without having a fight with the gangs of Irish boys that stayed around the street corners . “ When I came in 1 8 8 2 there were horse
. drawn street cars on Bleecker Street . They m were so small I could pull them yself .
1 04 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
on Club in the Hotel Utica Friday , April 2 7 1 93 8 ad , , when the Rotary Club was dressed by the Honorable Edward Corsi , United States Commissioner of Immigra of tion , Rocco Perretta , one the most suc cessful business men Of the early Italian ob settlers of Utica , recounted to me the
l s stac e and hardships which he , along with the other Italians who came to Utica in
1 8 80 1 8 90 encoun the years between and , tered “ 1 890 I came to Utica in . There were then about 5 00 Italian people in the city . We Were terribly handicapped by our lack of familiarity with the English language . I can never forget the day when I went to a to mill find a job . The foreman asked me if
I was looking for work . Not understand ‘ ’
NO . ing what he said , my answer was A friend of mine came to the rescue and ex k f . n " plained the situation Thi o it I was refus"ing the very job for which I came to look It certainly was tough for us in those days .
ROCCO SALBITANO : >I< On a beautiful Saturday afternoon i n AMERICANS BY CHOICE 05
1 93 8 June , , I found him seated in his home
at 8 1 8 Broad Street . The parlor in which h e received me contained several hundred volumes touching on many fields ofhuman
Salbitano 80 knowledge . Rocco , age years , had his back turned to those books and his gaze was fixed on a narrow dirt road across the street, directly opposite to the window ofhis parlor where he sat . After a pleasant
: greeting , he related “ All those books you see belong to the professor , my son , Louis , who teaches at
the Proctor High School . I wish I could to read them now ; but I never had time I 1 8 8 5 . learn how . came to Utica in I had
no money ; in fact , Michael Elefante , who 1 8 83 had come to Utica in , sent me the
f r money o my voyage to America . There were no more than ten or twelve Italian
families . Most of them lived in houses
right over there . That is Clay Street , where -in- Elia Pellettieri and his father law , Ales
IT sandro Lucca , had a saloon . hat is the Spot where the Italians in Utica first started ld to live . The O houses were torn down and now you see the Foster Brothers ’ Factory 1 06 AMERICANS BY CHOICE on the left of Clay Street and the Oneita
Mills on the right . The bridge is no longer there and the Erie Canal is all filled up , except for the piece back of the Oneita
- Mills , and extending for about one half a mile east . “ NO , I never got back to see Italy again .
You see , in the old days we used to get
r a day working ten o twelve hours . I used to have to save some money so I could send my children to school . I remember when we rented one room from Domenico
Romano , who had come to Utica the year r 1 4 8 8 . befo e , in Six of us men slept in that f o . room , two in each three beds We used to cook for ourselves and on Sunday we would go hunting or we would go in the canal and wash our clothes . Later on , when my children got Older , I had to keep work ing hard so that they could continue to go l to school . When the professor went to co lege I had to keep working hard to save Now l . too O d money to pay those bills , I am
or to go to Italy anywhere else . “ Yes , living is a little more pleasant to it to day than used be , but today everybody
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LUCCA AND PELLETTIERI Alessandro Lucca was an image maker
O f u . from the village Lucca , T scany As a young man he emigrated to England . There he met a young woman named Margaret . to Born in Germany , she , too , had gone
England . They married and soon went to
e Canada . Th y came to Utica , probably in
1 8 5 3 3 3 of . , when Lucca was years age Ex
Marchisi cluding the family of Dr . John B . , Lucca was the first Italian man permanent l y to settle in Utica . For some time he lived on a boat with his wife and cruised on the
Erie Canal between Rome and Utica , sell ing clay images which he made on his boat .
Lacking money to purchase a mule , and possessing unbelievable physical strength , he towed his own boat himself between
. . Mc uiv e Utica and Rome Dr Edwin Q y, 1 00 ’ years Old , Utica s Oldest native citizen , four years ago still owned an image of Henry Clay which Lucca sold him for M i “ and which Dr . cQu v ey bought because ” it was a perfect likeness of Henry Clay . 6 1 8 5 7 On November , , Lucca declared AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 09
his intention to become a citizen . Later , on 6 1 8 60 al September , , he renounced his l eg iance to The Pope ofthe Papal States in Italy and embraced American citizen ’ ship . This act made him Utica s second
- Italian American citizen . His daughter , 1 8 5 6 Margaret , born in Utica in , became the wife of the third Italian resident in ’ Lucca s Utica , Elia Pellettieri . Mr . name has been variously spelled : Lucco (Utica Directory of Lucca (citizenship pa
per) , Lucas , (most popular spelling) , and uk on L e ( his tombstone in St . Agnes Ceme
r te y) . ’ Alessandro L ucca s tremendous physical strength spelled protection for his Italian friends and has inspired several legends
concerning his physical feats . When he was present in the saloon which he Operated at ’ the foot of Clay Street , near Clark s Bridge ,
at the Erie Canal , nobody dared to get
boisterous or too rough within the saloon . Everybody feared his herculean strength and the ease with which he could throw
drunks out of the premises . When he died on 1 2 1 8 74 December , , his saloon went into 1 1 0 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
4 - the hands of his son in law , Elia Pellettieri , the man mentioned so often in the inter
e views O i the early Italian settl rs . His wife
on 1 7 1 8 99 . passed away November , Fath er Castelli celebrated the high mass at Saint
Mary of Mt . Carmel Church . Elia Pellettieri came to Utica as a boy
of 1 7 1 8 6 5 , in the year , shortly after the
end of the Civil War . He came to Utica
from Cuba , where his brother , Rocco , had taken him from Italy and where they had
spent several years as musicians . His
brother , Rocco Pellettieri was felled by
the yellow fever in Cuba , and after his 1 8 7 5 death , Elia came to Utica . In he mar
Alessan ried Margaret Lucas , daughter Of
dro Lucas . His name will be found in the “ 1 8 73 Pellder Utica Directory of as Alia y , ’ ” Saloon , towpath , near Clark s Bridge . ’ Elia s saloon on Clay Street and an Old frame house next to the saloon became the first stopping place ofnearly all ofthe early
Italian settlers in Utica . During his time he amassed a considerable fortune and was thought ofas the wealthiest Italian in Utica
of ‘ n by the early settlers his race . His i
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Salvatore Pellettieri became the best known of the family and one of the most widely known Italians of the city of Utica .
He came to join his brother , Elia , from
1 8 6 7 . Italy , in , as a boy nine years Old At the age of ten , he had learned to play the violin and was earning his living as a street
1 8 7 1 or musician . In his brother , Achille , g ani z ed an orchestra and with it they trav l 1 8 7 8 e ed west and all over the country . In he returned to Italy and served with the Italian Seventh Regiment of Bersaglieri in the Italian Army for over two years . He returned to Utica in 1 8 8 1 and in 1 8 8 6 he opened a grocery store on Kossuth Avenue . He kept this business for 1 4 years and in 1 900 to he sold it his nephew , Rocco Per retta and Company . The next three years he spent in a liquor business on Nichols
Street . In 1 902 he opened a furniture business at 4 2 5 1 Bleecker Street . In 908 he bought a - 5 2 6 three story building at Bleecker Street , “ known as the Pellettieri Building , and here he conducted a furniture business for 1 8 on ‘ 1 0 years until his death October , 1 9 2 1 . AMERICANS BY CHO ICE 1 1 3
Salvatore Pellettieri was affectionately “ accom called Pop Pellettieri . He was an plish ed musician and a successful business man . He also took a great interest in poli tics . It has been said that he was the first Italian-born alderman to be elected in the
State of New York . He served two terms
of th e of as alderman Fifth Ward Utica , 1 1 2 from 1 909 to 9 .
He came from Laurenzana , Basilicata ,
for Italy , and was responsible the migration to Utica ofmany other Italians from Lau r nz n on e a a . Since he was a Republican and many occasions active as a witness when instru his friends sought citizenship , he was mental in persuading many of the early Italian settlers to adhere to the Republican party . Indeed , almost every immigrant from Laurenzana to Utica became a Re publican and many ofthem and their chil r d en still adhere to the Republican party . The Pellettieris encouraged many of “ ” their paesani ( fellow-townsmen) to come to Utica from Laurenzana . In a few years Utica gained much population at the ex f o . Cav allos pense Laurenzana The , the 1 14 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Zitos Ro Perrettas , the , the Marinos , the
. manos , and others came from Laurenzana The earliest Laurenz anese were all roving
or . y musicians , playing harps violins The founded one of the oldest existing Italian
S o Mutual Aid Societies , the Laurenzana ci et 1 90 5 y , incorporated in June , , by Sal
ore v at Perretta , Emilio Marino , Frank
Rizzo , and others . Salvatore Pellettieri had little or no for
- mal education . He was a self made man . It was said O fhim that he knew the Con stituti on of the United States better than
- C most native born itizens . Very Often he “ was heard to say that The Declaration of Independence must have been written by ” od men who were inspired by G . He helped to establish the public bath house in East
a Utic , and the Lincoln Avenue Playground . He was founder ofmost ofthe Older Italian
and of societies the Church of St . Mary of l Mt . Carme . He was a charter member ’ and the first president of the Societa di Progresso e Aiuto ( Mutual Aid and Pro
ressiv e of g Society) , the first the many such societies existing today .
1 1 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE lettieri when it changed the name ofMore head Street to Pellettieri Avenue in 1 9 2 5 during the administration of Mayor Fred erick Gillmore . We could describe with more detail the experiences of some of the other pioneer
Italian settlers of Utica . We could relate
oe 8 5 that J Cavallo , now age , and his brother , Frank P . Cavallo , now deceased ,
first time 1 8 7 1 came to Utica the in , and that a third brother , Peter Cavallo , came ’ 1 8 74 son to Utica in ; and that the latter s ,
. . one Dr Frank P Cavallo , was of the first
Italian boys to be born in Utica, and the
- first Utica born Italian professional man .
We could tell of Emilio Zito , who came to 1 8 73 Utica in , and that two of his living children were born in Utica in 1 8 7 9 and 1 8 80 respectively , and are the oldest
- - Utica born Italian Americans in the city .
We could tell more of Antonio Sacco , who 1 8 8 2 came to Utica in , and whose two sons , nk w Fra and Anthony , are practicing la y ers in this city , the latter son serving , since 1 93 9 e , as Unemploym nt Insurance Ref eree , with power to render important de isi C ons . AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 1 7
We could continue with details Of the
coming to Utica in 1 8 7 7 of Frank A . Em
ma . His son , Frank A . Emma , pharmacist , is presently clerk of the Children ’s Court of Oneida County . We could spend more time with the settling in Utica in 1 8 8 5 Of
D eRosa Michele , the first Italian stone D eRosa mason in Utica , father of Angelo , ’ one O fUtica s leading heating engineers . 1 884 of In , Domenico Grieco , father former Captain Frederick Grieco of the
Utica Police Department , settled in Utica .
F elitto More could be said of Michael , F elitto father Of James , former Deputy Chi ef Of the Utica Police Department and in 1 940 National Commander of the Ital
- ian American War Veterans . We could tell more of Rocco Lopardo , who Spent about 1 8 70 one year in Utica as early as , and that the following year he settled in Cass
. LO ville His son , Professor Rocco Anthony pardo , has for some years headed the De partment OfMathematics at the Utica Free
Academy . Further details c ould be furnished of Casaletta Celestino , Stanislaus Castelli , 1 1 8 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
of and Gennaro Camelo , all whom settled 1 8 83 CC wh o in Utica in ; of RO O Falotico ,
1 8 7 7 . came in , of Frank S Romanzo , Rocco
Urgo , John Blase , Domenico Romano and
Rocco Crisci ; Of James and Antonio Scala , who founded the Scala Packing Company ; O fLuigi Matt who has three sons living in
Utica : Joseph Matt , thrice elected Asses
rac sor by the city at large ; Paul Matt , p 1 93 7 ticing lawyer , and in Republican can didate An for Associate City Judge , and
th on . y Matt , successful undertaker We add that Tancredi Panzone arrived in Utica in 1 n 8 8 6 o e . ; that he has son , Anthony M
Panzone , a practicing physician here , and in 1 940 chosen president of the medical
our staff of General Hospital ; another son ,
Michael T . Panzone , practices dentistry in
Utica . We might dwell at length on the credit
O i able success Nicola Teti , who settled 1 8 8 6 . here in His daughter , Adelina , the wife of the well -known and eminently suc f l cess u . Doctor F John Rossi , member of the Utica Medical Club and elected presi
K dent Ofthe important Oneida County Med
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’ n ti ella so . Na gave us his , Dr Gerald , Utica s first Italian member of the Board of Edu 1 93 9 cation , and in elected President of the
Utica Dental Society . More than passing notice could be taken
O f LaRe ina Rocco g , Of Antonio Ruggiero , and his brother , John Ruggiero , whose son ,
Michele , is a practicing physician in Utica ;
O f Pietro Falvo , whose son , William , is also a practicing physician in the city ; of Rev . f O . Antonio Castelli , first pastor the St f of Mary o Mt . Carmel Church ; Vincenzo Marrone who became one of the business leaders Of Utica ; ofLouis Galotti ; ofAles
one sandro Pacelli , Of the founders of the ld . . O St Mary Of Mt Carmel Church , and est living U tican until his death on October 1 1 940 1 02 , , at almost years of age ; Gae tano D eLuna ; of Antonio Pacilio ; of Sen
Sinis alli F ra etta atro g , Joseph g , Francesco
Ulisse , Angelo Cardamone , Filippo Nico
D eVito D eTra lia tera , Donato , Dominick g , nk Thomas Drago , Fra Rizzo , Vitaliano
of Nicotera ; Egidio Garramone , Antonio Tomanio Greco , Pietro and Luigi , Michele
C alidonna of o Cristalli , Francesco ; Nic la AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 2 1
Laino , father of Daniel Laino , Common
of Council majority leader , and James and
Frank Laino , policemen ; of Salvatore Di DiIori o Iorio , father of Dr . B . Victor , and ’ long a designer ofmen s suits ; Of Benedetto
Casaletta Soldano , John ; Nicola Dolce , of Rocco Dolce , Vincenzo Fiore ; Gerardo h two Fiore ( e has sons on our Police force , Captain Vincent Fiore and Patrolman Pas
of f quale Fiore ) ; Leonard Zito , Raf aele
Mancuso , Luigi Asselta , Giuseppe Arcuri ,
Senatro Santo Paravati , Colucci , and of other Italian “ Old-timers who settled in
he; 1 8 90 Utica before t year , and whose names may have escaped the attention of the writer . But we stop the enumeration if only because we think enough has been said to give at least a panoramic picture of the
Italian pioneers Of Utica .
These , then were the founders of the per manent and fast-growing colony of Italian citizens of Utica . These were the hardy souls who dared to face the difficulties of a strange land and a stranger language . These were the men who succeeded against discouraging Obstacles and founded a place 1 2 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE for themselves and their families in this city . These men and those who have fol lowed them Since have built one of the largest , most progressive Italian colonies in the United States . These were the courage “ ” ous men who in the eighties for the most part worked in the then famous brickyards of Utica and who helped build the West
Shore and New York Central Railroads .
They generally lacked formal education , but they helped Utica with honest toil and virtuous frugality , a foresighted frugality which imposed self -sacrifice upon them in order that they might give their children the blessings Of education and culture de nied them because they were too busy to eke out a living for themselves and their families . These men and their sons have constructed nearly all of that portion of
Utica known as East Utica . Many ofthese early Italian settlers came of 1 3 1 7 to America mere boys to years , driven , perhaps , by a spirit kindred to that
F r which moved Columbus . o many years they had no professional men who might unite , guide , or lead them to improve their
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SO rapidly, and they are an important fac ’ tor in the city s industrial life It is 1 5 years since they first began to take posses sion of Bleecker Street If you engage any of them in conversation you will find you are talking to as genial and courteous a class of people as are to be found any ” where under the sun . of Charles A . Miller , formerly president the Savings Bank of Utica and later presi dent O fthe Federal Reconstruction Corpo
ration , generously befriended the early
Italian settlers . He always tried to under stand and appreciate their aspirations and
. M . their problems any years ago , Paul J M Namar c a . , local attorney , asked Mr Mil
ler what , next to government bonds , he thought was the best security for bank “ loans . Mr . Miller answered : The humble Italian who borrows to buy his family a
- home . He is frugal , honest , hard working ” and likes Utica . These pioneer Italian settlers found life hard . They worked long hours . And yet , when evening brought an end to their la
en o men in bor , they found pleasure and j y t AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 2 5
the warmth of their families and friends . Their voices brought out the music and the song God planted in their Italian hearts .
The violin , the guitar , the accordion , the so tenor , the baritone , the basso , and the
rano to p , stirred their tired bodies singing and dancing . Reminiscing recently of his ’ father s - hop farm in Sang erfield many years ago , where many such Italian pio
neers . worked , Justice William F Dowling remarked ' “ They never seemed too tired to enjoy singing and dancing after work . I used to love to listen to them singing operas and - Italian folk songs . And the Italian Ameri
al cans still love music and opera . They ways flOck to music concerts and operatic ” presentations .
Those pioneers were religious people . The story of th en early struggle to found their own church and the identity Of its founders are best recounted by the Rev erend William Pi z z og lio in a scholarly “ booklet entitled The History of Saint Mary of Mount Carmel Church written 1 9 6 and published by him in 3 . We cannot 1 2 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
avoid recording , however , on the authority
Of Pi z z o lio 1 904 Reverend g , that in , the Saint Mary Of Mount Carmel Church opened the first Italian parochial school in New York State and one of the first such parochial schools in the United States . The 1 89 6 Church established in , they organized many religious societies , the number Of which has grown constantly . Later they founded the Saint Anthony of Padua
Church . Both churches now enjoy large parishes and their societies continue the custom Of yearly outdoor colorful feste . These religious feste are picturesque and express much that lies within their hearts .
Cath olicJ aith They mirror their devout , l f O . their ove music , and their gaiety A statue Of the particular Saint being honored is taken in procession through various f streets in the afternoon . Hundreds o rev erent n worshippers make the trip o foot .
At night streets are roped off from traffic . Men and women at temporary stands sell food , special delicacies , and toys . Large
’‘ Vene z z l bands , ably led by Maestro to i or
i i in i D ed since th s pr t ng .
AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 2 7
Maestro Martino , provide classic and Oper atic concerts . Hundreds Of lights strung across the streets on poles decorated with
American flag bunting illumine the way . f Thousands o people attend , and enjoy the music , the food , and the friends they meet t there . Those who attend these feste re urn home happier and more contented citizens . The early Italian residents also formed
Mutual Aid Societies . These have multi of plied greatly . The members each such Society come from or descend from parents originally from the same village or city in
so Italy . The three Oldest existing such ci eties are : the Laurenz anese the Mi ssanellese and the Si cig nanese For years they have provided com fort and a means of expression for their membership . During the summer months each society holds a picnic in one Of our public parks . The father takes his whole “ ” family . The Older men play murra . Their children enjoy baseball , races , and other f . o sports And all them , young and Old ,
or or t sooner later , join to sing o listen to the band play some opera or the Star 1 2 8 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Spangled Banner . The next Sunday , some other Society holds its annual picnic . The pioneer Italians initiated these cus toms and practices . Their descendants have profited from their continuance Of them . Our city benefits from them spiritual
l . y , economically , socially , and morally From these men and their wives have come a considerable number of their sons who now daily practice in Utica the pro fessions of law , medicine , engineering , teaching , and other sons who are playing prominent roles in the business world Of the city . These were the pioneers who laid the foundations for our large colony of
- C Italian American itizens . In approximate ly sixty years thi s beginning has expanded to a group numbering approximately
ne- people in Utica , more than o third of c1 t the entire y population . These men and their descendants have played and continue to play a significant role in the growth and development of the city of
Utica .
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Rocco Perretta who arrived in 1 890 ) to 1 93 8 about in , although our immi g rati on gates have been practically closed " re during the last six or seven years This markable increase obviously demonstrates that the vast majority Of the Italians who migrated to Utica remained to found homes
and rear their families here . And it seems not amiss to add that approximately eight hundred Utica Italian sons served with the Stars and Stripes in France during the World War ; most of them spontaneously choosing the American flag as against the Italian flag—they were given such choice -as the banner under which they would “ ” face the enemy shrapnel over there . Let us sketch briefly the progress Utica ’s Italians have achieved in a few of various human endeavors to which men apply e th mselves .
ITALIANS I N OUR SCHOOLS
1 93 8 One day in March , , I walked into f f O . D . eCam the o fice Dr John A p , Super “ intendent of Schools . I asked : How many AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 3 1
students of Italian extraction attend our ” D m eC a . schools ? Mr . p did not know Such
NO a question never before had been asked .
such a survey had ever been made . But he displayed a genui ne Interest and generously
offered his help and cooperation . He sent a printed questionnaire to every teacher in
r : ou schools . The result A most revealing survey O f the nationality of every Single student in our schools and the racial origin — oftheir fathers and mothers the first sur
of vey its kind in the history Of Utica , per haps the first such survey of its kind in the United States "Volumes of conclusions could be drawn from the study Of these re ports from the different schools : concern ing the racial makeup of our school p opu
- lation , the various inter marriages , the geographical distribution of the races of — our City all revealing Utica as a true “ l me ting pot The Thomas R . Proctor
High School shows , by way Of example , that 2 9 different nationalities are repre sented by its students ; the Utica Free 3 1 Academy embraces nationalities , all
seeking to learn the American way of life . 1 3 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
But we are at present interested in those figures bearing upon the Italian-American ? students . And what do we find Fifty-six hundred of the ap proximately public school p opula ’ tion of Utica is of Italian descent . Utica s
Italian citizens contribute , then , about
0 3 3 7 Of our public school registration . The
Pi z z o lio of Reverend William g , pastor
e Saint Mary of Mount Carm l Church , esti mates that another 500 Italian children at tend our parochial schools . Hence , in less 50 1 8 90 than years , since , the Italian school attendance has grown from not more than 1 00 to almost as many as all the school students in the neighboring city of Rome . The writer found it interesting and il luminating to note that of the 7 2 3 high 1 93 8 school students graduated in June , , from the Utica Free Academy , the Thomas
R . Proctor High School and Saint Francis
1 8 5 0 de Sales High School , , or almost 2 67 of of them , were Italian origin . What a re markable increase fromonly four in a class of 1 1 3 graduated in 1 9 1 6 from the Utica
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ati ella Gerald A . N as one of the six mem bers Of the powerful Board Of Education , which possesses almost exclusive control
ur M r i over o public schools . Dr . a tocc o
B oll ti eri serves as school physician , Dr . et as school dentist .
ITALIANS IN THE P ROF ESSIONS
Under the American system ofeducation it takes from twenty-three to twenty-S ix years for a young man to become a lawyer or a doctor . And yet , notwithstanding the financial difficulties involved in maintain ing their children in college and profes sional a schools , tod y , Utica has fifteen
>l< ( 1 5 lawyers O f Italian extraction prac
of one ticing the profession law , of them widely recognized as one of the ablest and most successful members of the Oneida
County Bar Association . An admirable 1 908 progress from , when Anthony De
Santis , brother of Mrs . James S . Scala , alone represented the Italians in the legal profession " 1 900 . In , Dr Grana was the first and
“ only Italian physician in Utica . Today
* S ee ix for i n Append the r ames . AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 3 5
"< twenty-one ( 2 1 ) doctors ofItalian descent ’ grace the rolls O f Utica s physicians . In 4 * addition , Utica counts four ( ) dentists , nine ( 9 ) engineers?“ nineteen ( 1 9 ) phar
>< >l< macists I 5 accountants , and five ( ) public , ll a . of Italian origin And , we add , the ranks of the professional men of Italian origin are swelling rapidly every year .
THE ITALIANS I N P UBLIC SERVICE
The ability , honesty and loyalty Of the Utica Italians in the public service wins greater recognition daily and deservedly . The Utica Fire Department enrolled Gillmore Dani els as its first Italian fireman on 3 1 9 0 7 September , , the same day its l present nationa ly acclaimed chief , Joseph
N . Sullivan , was appointed . Since that day , 1 4 Italians have honorably discharged their 2 . 1 duties as Utica firemen Today , we find — Italian firemen on the rolls 6 % Of the en tire fire personnel— among them a captain and three lieutenants . The Fire Depart ment numbers 1 89 men and is nationally recognized as one Of the most efficient in the entire country . 1 3 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
The Utica Police Department has a larger percentage of Italians than the Fire
Department . The entire Police Department contains 1 6 7 men ; 3 2 of its members are of Italian extraction . Until their voluntary 1 93 9 retirement on pension in February , ,
F elitto Vincent B . and Fred Grieco both f O Italian blood , acted as a very able Dep re uty Chief and Captain Of Detectives , l 1 93 9 s ectiv e . p y Since February , , Joseph
Robilotta and Vincent D . Fiore have acted as Captains in the Police Department . In 1 940 September , , Detective James Laino
‘ and PatrOlman Patrick Orsino were elected president and secretary , respectively , of the John E . Creedon Police Benevolent As
sociation at its annual elections . While it is true that less than 2 070 of the Utica PO
lice Department is of Italian extraction , yet it should be remembered that the first
Italian patrolman , John Grande (retired in 1 93 8 July , , as Lieutenant of Detectives) , 1 90 was not appointed until 5 . 1 940 In the Utica Post Office personnel , employes of the United States Govern 2 5 7 . a ment , counted men Of them , or l
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Until about ten years ago the large ma j ority of Italian voters in Utica followed the Republican banner mainly because Of
CC Elia Pellettieri , Salvatore Pellettieri , RO O
Perretta , Vincenzo Marrone , Nicholas D .
Peters , Antonio Sisti , and Alfred Bertolini . Thirteen years following his arrival in
Utica , Alfred Bertolini became alderman 1 9 1 3 Of the Fifth Ward in , and served as
for such many years . He served as Repub lican majority leader in the Common Coun wn cil for ten years . His o ingenuity and the experienced political schooling Salva tore Pellettieri had given him brought him outstanding success in the political life Of So o ti i a did Utica . powerful a leading p li c n he become that Bertolini was generally known as the unofficial Mayor of Utica during that time .
But , in politics , as elsewhere , time ” of brought changes . The candidacy Al
for Smith the Presidency , the election Of D Charles S . Donnelley , emocrat , as Mayor of Utica , the assumption to power in Utica
Of Mr . William Bray , the late Charles Mc con Kernan , Rufus Elefante , and others AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 3 9 verted the vast majority of Utica ’s Italian
a con voters to the Democratic Party . Th t version has given strength to the power Of — the Italian vote in Utica politics a strength daily increasing under the militant leader “ ” ship for the past eight years of Rufie
Elefante , the most powerful political leader thus far born of Italian stock . His shrewd leadership has placed him high in the inner councils of the Democratic Party ofUtica . His political insight and sagacity are ac claimed wherever in Utica people discuss local politics . During the last ten years ofDemocratic n supremacy in Utica , Fra k A . Emma has served two years ( 1 934 -3 5 ) as majority
re re leader of the Common Council . He p sented for three terms ( 1 93 0-3 5 ) the pow erful Democratic Eighth Ward , in which
' most of th e drama and ballyhoo of ou r municipal campaigns take place For the 1 92 7 past six years , Daniel N . Laino , since alderman Of the First Ward , has held the post O f majority leader in the municipal legislative body . And during this same 1 7 period , of the Aldermen in the Council , 1 40 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
those from the First , Fifth , Eighth , and Tenth Wards have been ofItalian parent : age James Romanzo , Joseph Grimaldi ,
James Ricco , Anthony Daniele , Dr . Benja
DiIori O . min , Joseph Palmiero , Frank P
M . M C . arino , Anthony J arrone , Fred or Grieco , Thomas Ruggiero have served are still serving as Aldermen Ofone or other of these latter wards .
And Thomas Ruggiero , Anthony Faga , Castelda Anthony J . ( Second Ward) , Nich An olas A . Colucci , Peter G . Soldano and th ony Gigliotti have served or still serve as Oneida County Supervisors from those wards . Supervisor Gigliotti from the eighth ward is at present leading the fight to effectuate much-needed reform and mod erni z ati on in our Oneida County Govern ment . The Italian voting power has really b e gun to assert itself during the past decade .
Joseph L . Matt , the first Italian to be
- elected by a city wide vote , is serving his third term as Assessor . Prior to that time , c Charles Peters , Republi an Italian , was elected Assemblyman from the First Assem
142 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Though they have not been successful , Italians have also been the candidates of the major parties for the offices of Associate of City Judge , County Clerk , and Coroner 1 940 Oneida County . In , Henry Cappelli ,
Republican , opposed Frank A . Emma , Dem
ocrat e , el cted as Assemblyman from our
first assembly district . And it may be added
that Rufus P . Cavallo has served as the first and only Italian Registrar of Vital Statistics as the first and only Dep
uty U . S . Marshall for the Northern Dis tri ct Of New York and in 1 9 2 4-2 5 as the first Italian alderman of the Eighth
Ward . The Democratic Party and the City Of Utica have always found him an honest
and energetic public servant . Joseph J .
Vespasiano , Republican , has served as Dep f uty Commissioner o Public Works . Dr . Frank Graz iadei served as our first Italian
City Veterinarian . All public Officials Of Italian blood who have served in our City Hall have given the taxpayers honorable f and e ficient service . At the present time serving Oneida Coun t f y , we find the following Americans o Ital AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 43
ian descent : Frank Mercurio and Ercole ’ Ventura , Deputies in the Sheriff s Depart
ment ; Peter Sisti , Assistant Superintend ent of County Highways ; Philip De
George , Filing and Index Clerk in the Sur ’ ro ate s g Court ; Manuel Graziano , Deputy
County Clerk , succeeding in that capacity
Frank P . Gigliotti , who had served for a
number of years . It is disappointing to record that never in the history Of the Oneida County Grand Jury has any American Of Italian origin been called to serve on that important body . It is really surprising that not more than twelve ( 1 2 ) different Americans ofItalian extraction have been asked to serve as Trial Jurors in the city of Utica during these many years . This unfortunate situation is traceable to county politics and to various a other deplor ble causes . In fairness to the increased litigation in which Italian-Ameri can citizens are involved , it is hoped that steps will be taken to give to the Italian-American residents of Utica more equitable representation in this important phase of community life . It will further 1 44 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
Americanism to apply in this situation the same Spirit Of fai rness and equality as dis in 1 940 Cor played September , , by Mayor rou and Oneida County Judge Ezra Hana gan in the nomination , and by Governor Lehman and President R oosevelt in the confirmation Of men to serve on the Local Draft Boards and Advisory Boards re cently established in accordance with the 4 0 NO . 3 Conscription Law On Board , 4 5 1 0 1 2 1 5 embracing Wards , , , and , we l F i . find Anthony Ferro and Vincent B . e tto 43 1 On Draft Board No . , embracing Wards 8 1 3 , and the t own of New Hartford , we
find Philip L . Brindisi and James Ricco . Such equal representation promotes the general welfare .
ITALIANS IN BU SINES S Almost every business and every indus try in Utica has benefited by Italian capital of and energy . A perusal the Classified Advertisement section Of our telephone di rectory will furnish the details . We must necessarily content ourselves with the enu merati on of but few Of the better known merchants .
AMERICANS BY CHOICE
spread their name all over the country . N . “ D . Peters and Company , the sidewalk ” ; U ticans man , whose names thousands of may see every day on many miles of side i O . walks Utica , and Elis G Delia , more
O f our recently , have built many streets , roads and sewers . The Utica Construction Company with Nicholas Camelo as one Of its first presidents ; the Frank D ellecese Development Corporation since 1 90 7 (his
r son , Frank , J . , is the only Italian archi
tect . in the city) ; F _Cittadino and Sons ; Cosmo De Luca ; Angelo Rosci a ; Mancuso Brothers ; Dominick Mariani ; Talarico Brothers ; all have played prominent parts in the construction field in Utica . Nick Laino and Sons and Rufus Elefante with Peter Mazza own and operate the largest trucking firms in Utica , which haul ma teri als incident to the construction or de f struction O roads and buildings . In the general trucking and hauling business we
find Gorea Incorporated , Greco Brothers , ’ People s Express , and many others Of Ital ian descent .
I The production and distribution of g ro
1 48 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
taxi business . Frank Perretta operates a prominent neighborhood bus line . The Italians of Utica have naturally contributed much to music and its enjoy of ment . The Utica Conservatory Music 1 9 8 Observed its fiftieth anniversary in 3 . 1 8 8 9 It was founded in by the Italian , Louis
Lombard , aided by a guarantee Uti ca fund by 1 00 citizens Of the city . The
Observ er-Di s atch of 4 1 93 8 p September , , “ described him editorially as a colorful o figure , active as a violinist , c mposer and writer , who forsook a legal education to direct a staff which took up the education Ofnearly 2 00 pupils in the Old Butterfield
House on Genesee Street . The music-lovers of Utica have been grateful for the masterly direction of the Utica Civic Orchestra by Maestro Nicholas
1 9 9 re . . 3 D Gualillo In , Maestro Gualillo ceiv ed the newly-established degree of
Doctor of Music from Syracuse University , the first man to receive such honor from that
O f University . Lovers music in Utica know
: well these names Dr . Frank P . Cavallo ,
. Ca Joseph Lopardo , Louis J Scalise , rmella AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 49
a Elefante Mosca . Renato Pacini was p pointed assistant concert master Of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in Sep 1 40 9 . tember , 1 9 1 1 - In , the well known Carmine Scala was the only Italian licensed undertaker in , 1 9 1 2 Utica . In Carmine Scala joined with
Rufus P . Cavallo , today the Oldest Italian i partnersh p in Utica in any field . Andrew
Scala , Carmine Scala and Albert Scala , li censed embalmer , today work with the part n r hi D m e s . O e p At present Antonio Matt ,
Assaro nick Rossi , and Nicholas maintain similar establishments . The furniture business in Utica also feels N h I li n t e ta a hand . James Graziano and his brother Joseph , and E . M . Perretta have furnished many homes both in Utica and the surrounding towns . Florio Vitullo and Nicholas Ulisse own and operate the fast-growing Benjamin
Franklin Department Store . Opened in 1 4 93 the . , it is first of its kind in East Utica
Thirty years in business , the last twenty fiv e 704 uninterrupted at Bleecker Street ,
D eLalla e near Mohawk , Vincent repres nts 1 50 AMERICANS BY CHOICE the Oldest and most successful Of the Italian pharmacists in Utica . He came to Utica in 1 9 08 to manage the first Italian drug store in the city . It was then owned by Doctor
Rob ertaccio Francesco , who Opened it at 4 1 1 Bleecker Street at the request of his ’ D eL ll s a a . patients . Mr . son , Dr Emanuel , has become the first roentgenolog ist Of Italian origin to practice the X-ray specialty in Utica . There are other pharmacies serv ’ ing our community : Frank A . Emma s Fort i li ’ Schuyler Drug Inc . ; Egidio C ag a s (his son , Pasquale , has just become a Doctor Of ’ Medicine) ; Vincent D ardano s ; Vincent ’ ’ a n C a elli s Grim ldi s ; A nette pp , who is the first Italian female pharmacist ; J . ’ ’ i z z i P ili s ac . Lu s ; and A . o
of Three brothers , Americans Italian
oo bl d , each independently operating his 3 5 own establishment , handle about per cent of the fur business in Utica . Benedict 1 7 Danella , employing persons , operates the largest fur coat manufacturing plant in our city . John Danella conducts two stores , and Thomas Danella owns one on Genesee
Street .
1 5 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
l tr r . C a ece a f . o o J and Arnold A p , many years edited and published l l P ensi ero
Itali ana (The Italian Thought) , a paper then widely read and well patronized by
Utica advertising business men Today , Pasquale Amitrano continues for his thir teenth year to publish l l Messag i ero D el
r in O d e . , both in English and Italian The Modern Studio owned by Marcello R C asaletta otundo and Joseph , partners , e 1 9 2 6 as photographers sinc , continue a business originally started in 1 904 by
h oto ra Anthony Ricci , the first Italian p g pher in Utica . The studios of Anthony
Rotundo and Dominick M . Baleno also serve our community with their photog ra h p y business .
We could prolong the list indefinitely .
Time and space prevent it . Someone in the future may wish to write at much greater length on this subject than lies within the scope ofthis volume . Our city appreciates and is grateful for the past and present contributions by its Italian-American citizens to its progress and development . Certainly the intelligent AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 53
and unbigoted U tican recognizes and lauds the remarkable progress made by Utica ’s Italian citizens in the comparatively short
period of their residence in this city . The unusually popular Mayor Vincent Corrou R . , elected three consecutive times f to that high O fice by appreciative voters , excellently expressed this feeling when he welcomed the delegates to the national convention of the Italian -American War 1 1 4 3 9 0 . Veterans in Utica on August , ’ Pointing out that Utica s population Of slightly more than includes about of persons Italian descent , Mayor C orrou declared : “ Among them are men prominent in busi
ness and professional fields . They have u done m ch , especially in the past twenty
fiv e or ro thirty years , to make Utica the p ” res i g s v e city it is today . CONCLUSION
Pi ck th em with out re ard to race g , c l r or creed om e of th em m a h av e o o . S y com e o fth e earliest colonial stock ; some O f th em m ay h av e been brou g ht h ere as children to escape th e tyrannies o f th e O ld w orld A ll o fth em are A m erican citi z ens .
now .
RA N K L I N D RO OS E E L T F . V ,
e ni te ta tes P resi d nt ofth e U d S . N 1 eakin o f electi on can i o . 3 8 d v 9 . S ( , p g dates . )
Enough has been written within the pages Of this volume to indicate that the Italian residents of the City of Utica have pro
ressed g , and that , through their progress , they have helped Utica to grow and pros per . And we have seen the difficulties they have encountered along the way in order
to achieve that progress . These citizens of our city generally are a
- ro law abiding , industrious , religious , and p
r si f r g es v e people . True it is that some o ou
r Italian residents have violated ou laws . not But , what race or nationality does have
1 54
1 5 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
1 9 1 9 of Council in , was so truly a friend the immigrant and so patriotic that for
fifteen years he devoted twelve weeks ,
three times a year , conducting classes in
the Y . M . C . A . Building to help immigrants f become citizens . In furtherance o the 1 9 2 2 work he loved so much , in , Mr . Dun ham wrote and published a little book en “ ” titled What Every Citizen Should Know .
The late Doctor John H . Finley , then edi
O f New York Times tor the , in his Intro ’ of duction to Mr . Dunham s book , wrote “ : Mr . Dunham A prominent and busy man , who week after week through many months in the year , and year after year through many years , had been meeting the immi in grant newcomers his community , strange
ou r our to language , our customs , heri our tage , laws and had been helping them to prepare themselves for citizenship in ” nh their new national home Mr . Du am was a voluntary teacher His sole com p ensation came from the satisfaction of doing a job that he knew should be done. He derived pleasure from extending his hand of friendship , and his voice Of a friend AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 5 7 and an unselfish advisor to immigrants who needed them in their desire to understand and appreciate the new country which they had chosen as their home . The work Of
E . . George Dunham , Arthur J Derbyshire and S . Alice Smith made Americanization easier and more desirable Their admir able efforts have left but comparatively few Italian residents O fUtica wh o are not
r citizens either by birth o by naturalization .
And yet , the lack of naturalization often prevented by illiteracy only—did not of mean lack of love country , state or f city . The records O the United States Army during the World War furnish elo f quent proof O this fact . Those files Show that O f~ about men and women enrolled in the various branches of the of armed forces the United States , of them were of Italian extraction , nearly 800 of them from the city Of Utica alone . Thousands of those Italians served with the Stars and Stripes on the battlefields of
f r France . They sacrificed their lives o
America , even when they neither spoke nor t wro e its language well . Their American 1 5 8 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
ism was beyond cavil . They illustrated the statement of Theodore Roosevelt that “ O f S Americanism is a question pirit , con v iction not , and purpose , creed or birth ” place . Thus willingly giving their lives for their adopted country , they demon strated the deep appreciation they had in their hearts for the comforts , liberties , and opportunities that America had provided 1 9 8 our . 3 them and their children In June , , newspapers reported the case of a natural i z ed Italian , Cesare Gerardo , Newark , New of Jersey , who willed all his estate
To the United States of America , because it has been so good to me . In November , 1 93 8 , Joseph Kennedy , American Ambassa
Ob dor to England , wisely and pointedly “ : - served Our foreign born citizens , by large , are Americans before anything else . In Utica today the Italians are Americans
O f first . They think America only as their of country , the State New York as their state , and the city Of Utica as their city .
for our They hold affection Italy , as do
- Irish Americans for Ireland . But America In means their home and their country . the
1 60 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
for many years , all thrilled the sport lovers
Of Utica and brought glory to our city .
urcinito Sam F , James Gallicchio , James
Fra etta n g , and others , ra k high in the
Utica bowling world . When they play cards , they play Bridge , Poker , Pinochle ,
Rummy , although some have also learned the card games of their fathers , Briscol ,
- Scopa , and Tre Sette . They dance not the
Tarantella , but the Lindy Hop , the Shag , and the Dipsy Doodle . They join the various service clubs of the city , the musical and charitable organizations . They asso ciate themselves readily with all civic
f r f movements o the betterment o the city . 1 93 9 . In , Victor A Perretta , son of Rocco
Kirotex Perretta , became president of the
Service Club . Attorney Saverio Flemma has served as president ofthe Utica Council of Social Agencies during the years 1 93 9 and 1 940 And through their own service
- organizations like the Old Vis Unita Club , the present Comity Club , the Nita Kola of MO Club , the Daughters Columbus , the hawk Athletic Club , and many others , they contribute materially to the well-being of our citizens . AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 6 1
The Italians in Utica who have gained American citizenship through naturaliza
C tion Often make their ity , state , and nation its best citizens . This is true because citi z enship to them has come only after hard T work . hey have had to attend night school to learn some Of the American l an
. T guage , hey have done this , even when a hard day ’s work had completely fatigued n them . Because they have ear ed their citizenship , they Often appreciate it more than do residents who acquire citizenship unconsciously through the accident Of birth . These Italian residents have become Amer i ns ca by choice . They have intentionally and deliberately surrendered a former flag . They have preferred to adopt the Stars and Stripes as the flag for which they gladly will sacrifice their lives . Able to contrast h Old the new wit the , they have openly chosen the new country as the land in
1 which to rear the r families . They have become Americans by choice. These self-made Americans are proud Of and value their American citizenship . They give daily proof of their Americanism by 1 62 AMERICANS BY CHOICE their ready response to our new Selective Military Service Law and to our National
Defense Program . Of the young
2 1 3 5 who on Utica men , age through , , 1 6 1 940 October , , registered for the first
- peace time draft in American history , 7 9 ( almost 2 0 70 ofthe total ) enrolled in ” our Italian Eighth Ward alone in order that they too might learn how to defend their United States . Their patriotism is and will be an inspiration to others in this ’ CI‘ISIS as their fathers was during the first d Worl War . Fifth Column hunters need not
or fear investigate them especially . In Sep
1 940 Ameri ca tember , , in the magazine ,
Emond Taylor , noted foreign correspond “ : ent , wrote Naturalized citizens and citi zens Of foreign parentage are no more or less likely to be Fifth Columnists than ” Americans of Mayflower stock . R ather , the national unity , so essential to the welfare ofour country in the present crisis , will stand more seriously menaced if
- — crack pot and un American discrimina
or tions , economic political , are practiced against such citizens by unreasoning per
1 64 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
The M essage to America continues “ with this wise and timely reminder ; We are a nation of immigrants and the descend ants Of immigrants welded into a great democracy by our common faith in free dom and social justice Foreig n-born citizens from every land in Europe fought in our War Of Independence ; helped save the Union ; died in defense of democracy ” in the World War . “ We are Americans All , Immigrants All . We must daily remember and preach the
American creed of equality to all . Let us say with the Nem York Times Of October 6 1 940 : No one is a stranger in this country if he clings to the ideals Of Washington , Jef ferson and Lincoln ; if he believes in human freedom ; if he respects the rights and dig ni f - ty o his fellow men . The whole lesson Of American history and American life is that strangers from many lands have come together to make a nation . A sincere faith l n America and in its aspira tions makes brothers of those who hold it . Let us not misjudge our brother because his AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 65
coat is ragged , his grammar imperfect , or or or his preferences in food , entertainment
r n religion are different from ou ow . We ” r n need his help as much as he needs ou ow . The safety and welfare of our country make imperative the fair and equal treat
r " ment of all ou citizens The love for America in the hearts of Americans of Italian descent was eloquently
Rusoti 42 voiced by Frank , , paper mill worker of Kalamazoo , Michigan . In Feb ruar 1 93 9 Rusoti y , , renounced an Italian fortune rather than forfeit his United Rusoti States citizenship . came to America when he was nine . He grew in Milwaukee ,
Wisconsin , and fought with the United h States Army in t e first World War . In 1 93 9 January , , his father , a wealthy civil e engineer , died abroad and left his estat to Rusoti , providing that he make Castel
Mona , Italy , his permanent residence . Rusoti : Spurned this inheritance , saying “ ’ I m relinquishing my claim to the money . I would rather be a mill worker here than King of Italy My American citizenship means more to me than any ” other possession . AMERICANS BY CHOICE
of The Honorable Richard Guenther ,
re resentatl v e Wisconsin , a p American born : in Germany , once said “ We know as well as any other class Of
r American citizens where ou duties belong . We will work for our country in time of peace and fight for it in time of war , if a time of war Should ever come . When I say
our our country , I mean , Of course , adopted country . I mean the United States of
America . After passing through the cru of cible naturalization , we are no longer
Germans ; we are Americans . Our attach ments to America cannot be measured by
f r the length o ou residence here . We are Americans from the moment we touch the American shore until we are laid in Amen
. l can graves America , first , last , and al A the time . America against Germany , mer or ica against the world ; America , right wrong , always America . We are Ameri cans . We admire and honor the man who spoke those words . We believe they express the attitude and feelings of the vast majority Of American citizens born abroad ” and of
1 68 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
A PPENDIX
’ m i . La wyers D A co, Raym ond A '
Na ti ella , Gerald A . Calli Ro cc o R . o Mi T l r Panz ne , chael Ca ece a t o o . p , Arn ld, A
C a ecelat ro S o . p , alvad r J i Teachers Cappell , Henry A . o e Abb ate , R s mary Danella , Jack J . o Alban o, Agnes De R s a , Ernest E . i A M o i Alb er c o, nna . De R sa , V ctor A . i o o o Alber c o, L retta Falc ne , Anth ny S . i o B i F Azzar t , ett na lemma , S averi o
B o o M i . Mas ca ra o arth l may, ar e L , R c co S . B M lase , Grace att , Paul
B x i S . S o o ranca , Ale andr na acc , Anth ny J . o i Cen o F B rendes , J seph ne S acc , rank E. - i o o t O la S ch r , Ge rge
Tom ani o F Ca rdam one , Theres a , erdinand l i Ca s a ett a , El z abeth l i o D octors Caval o, Ph l mena
i i . C or ale , Adel ne E Ci a li a g , Pasquale Coriale Th eres a R . o i , C r ale , Arthur D a res sa ‘ , Lawrence Cu ol o p , R o ger 0 . D r M a es s a , ary De Lalla , Ema nuel r o D a ess a , R sella Di Iori O B i , enj am n A . i De S ant s , Pat Di o i o i o I r , V ct r i Di P ollina , J o seph ne F o i i alv , W ll am B . Ruggi ero i o F Gran er , rank A . D I oti , s abelle Lab omb arda i o , N c la M Emma , Co ra . ee i o L , V t S . im eulli o . G , Anth ny o F J Le ne , rank B . i o T. Gran er o , Anth ny M o arr ne , Le onard i o . Gr ec , Angela L Ma rtocci o o o , R cc J . o o Lopa rdo, R cc M o ascar , J o seph r i i o Ma tocc o, V ct r Mo o a e ntesan , Pas qu l M o a s si nelle, R se G . a o e o P nz n , Anth ny M i M i cucc , ary o o i Pa l zz , Hannib al Mu ne ati r , Angela e F Perr tta, rank i o . O l v o, Th mas C Rob ert a cci o F n e o , ra c s c P i i i ac n , Amel a o i F R , . . ss J o or Panz ne , Elean L. u i o Mi R g g er , chael P eni elleti er , G v ev e P elleti eri, Ro s ina D enti s ts
n t A Perretta , Eu g e e . Bolletti eri o M , J seph G . Peters , J osephine . AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 69
M A ccozm tants o . Peters , aryr se E o o i Rizz , J seph ne o Perretta , J hn A . i v a Rugger o , E o Mi Ro man , chael S alb itano Lo i , u s R m T o . o an o, h mas A S i i E st , dna r li . Z a ca o , Carmen A o i S pat ola , J seph ne Z oli F a car , . A . o Taleri c , Angela Y l i i ap a o o, Chr st ne A rchi tect
D ellec es F . e , rank , Jr E ng i neers P oli ce D epartment
B S . arella , ri F Al cu , red Ca lderell a , James i Arcur , Patsy Ca sa letta t o , An h ny B i o o as , R cc i Lo i Degn , u s B a i Mi s le , chael o l o De R sa , Ange Mi — t B ush , chael Sergean
i . De Tragl a , G h F C a b ou c , red La B o o M. ella , R cc o o Caput , J seph Rob ert acci o L o a , e n rd t C a s al et a , Chester o o F R man , rank s s a t elli C a , D ewey S o o ap nar , James o P Cavall , eter J . o om s Cavall , Th a Col ont on Pha rm aci s ts , Ralph i F Co r ale , rank B i o rend s , Raym nd o Danella , Ad lph i Cappell , Pasquale D eF az i O . , Peter J ar m a dre om s C a , Th a o o De J hn , J seph
Ca v i ola , Pat Fi o a re , P tsy i i — C a l a, Gerald Fi o i a i g re , V ncent C pta n
. Fo o o i Danella , J rtunat , L u s o i Dardan , V ncent F ra ett a P g , asquale D e L i o alla , V ncent Gaetan , Albert
E m F . i io t i B m a , rank A G gl t , ernard J . F M ran co, James Gra z i a d ei i , chael i i i i o F Gr mald , V ncent La n , rank ui z z i o E i o L , J hn La n , James
Lou di s o co F . M i S , R c Jr artuc c , amuel Mi i i A r o i o a i chel n , mand O rs n , P tr ck i io o i Mi Pac l , Anth ny Palm ero, cha el
P a olantoni o . i o o , J P cc la , J seph i t C a R il o —Ca Paravat , Anne te p ob ott a , J s eph p pelli t ai n i ri i o o i i Pellett e , El a S arc ne , D m n ck i o i S ch r , Carmel ta D e S ergeant o i i Lalla S teppell , Ph l p 1 70 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
F i re D e artm ent i i p Dan els , Dan el Di i o i B o i . i G rg , ened ct m . A edur , R J . J Di i o o B o F Nard , R cc ar ne , J . . Di O i o o i o r , Anth ny C pri an , A . V . o os l a i Det re , J eph Co c cco . . , P J — o M i D lce , Pasquale D ote , . J. Capta n F i o F ar ell , Gerard Emma , . C . Iov in e o , Anth ny A . E o i o . . sp s t , S J i o i F — . La n , Dan el o . B . Ca Garram ne , J p M i o o o t ain ar n , R s c e Mo a o o o in ntes n , R cc u b ert e . . L , J L M o o o o . P l tt , R cc i o . u g , J o hn R J i i o o i i o o M Pac l , D m n ck R man , J . . i i o i — . i Pac l , V ncent J S i i . . Li t r an , J J eutenan a o o i i i i i P nn ne , D m n ck A . S r an , P . A . o o Pann ne , Th mas O tom etri s t p i Mi Paravat , chael G. o i or B Cent la , V ct . o Passalacqua , J seph A . P os t Ofii ce D epartment i Pimp nella , J o seph o o i Abbate , Ge rge R . Raym nd , V ctor P . B arrella o i o o , J seph R zz , J hn B rend es o o o F , Albert C . R bertell , J hn . Calidonna i om o , V ncent R an , Anth ny o o o B Cap rale , Charles R man , J seph . o i o o Castell , Gabr el R man , Emi l R . i i o i o Cell n , James V . T rch a , Anth ny J . i h elli Mi i i i i o C c , chael A . Vend tt , Em d E .
' Cos co S o . V enettoz z i F . , alvat re J , red A i I i . Dan ele , V ncent A . Ventura , Rufus
1 7 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
TESTIMONIAL S
To the gr owing materi als Of Ameri cana must b e - “ ” added the well wri tten b ook Ameri cans by Ch oi ce . o o i s o The auth r , Ge rge S ch ro, i an att rney and over a perio d ofyears he has c ollected and si ft ed materi al i t o I i i i relat ng the tal an sett lement n Ut ca , New i i York . The results he has enterta n ngly put t ogether i n o a small v lume . M i o r. S chi r o starts h s ac c unt wit h a th or oug hly o o M rch h o d o c u mented acc unt Of D r . J hn B . a is i w n 1 1 s c ame to Uti ca i 8 5 and f ounded a dru g t ore . ’ M i o r. S ch r o s acc unt o f thi s alert pharmac ist and h i i s widely markete d n o strums makes l vely readi ng. The auth or then sh ows h ow the c ity of Ut i ca was s ettled in large part by t h e i ncreas ing mi grati o n o I H i i i fr m taly . e ncludes several ntervi ews w th - " Old ti mers and thro ugh thei r w ords sh ows the a c l era n i fl i h ce t i g n ux unt l t e W orld War . Mr i i m . S ch r o assesses the pr of e s s onal and co m e ci a l o i i o O I i Hi s r c ntr but ns f these tal an settlers . b o ok elo quently sh ows h ow in on e generati on the o m n i i br ad j ump was ade , i many cases , fr o m ll teracy o o o i o o h and manual lab r t pr fess nal w rk . T e s ons Of i m o o i d ggers beca e lawyers , d ct rs , teachers , publ c Offi ia i O o c ls , and bus ness men . The theme f the b o k pr oves over and over t hat Ameri ca i s t h e land o f i opp ortun ty . M i o i - r. S ch r , h mself an example of thi s one genera i t ion leap fr o m uns killed lab or t o pr o fes si onal s m , has pr o duced a s ympatheti c acc ount that i s a n ot a i io t o o i o O r i able dd t n the l cal h st ry f ou nat on . 5 1 4 i l a n t 9 0 . o a i S ep . , Pr of L u s S b t o ( Pr o ct o r Hi gh S ch ool F aculty)
I read with pleasure and pr ofi t the b ook entitled i ’ Amer cans by Ch oi ce . I o i t c ontai ned inf rmation wh ch I was glad to get . I feel that a readi ng Of thi s b ook wo uld b e pr ofit i able t o every c tizen of Uti ca . 2 1 4 o S ept . 7 , 9 0 J hn A . De Ca mp ’ S uperint endent of Uti ca s S ch ools AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 73
The auth o r o f Ameri cans B y Ch oi ce i s t o be con gratulated up on the splendi d acc o unt h e has given us of the struggles of the Italian p io neers Of Uti ca
and Of thei r ultimate succes ses . S ome may not fi n d a ll t h e parti culars given in thi s b ook of genera l i nt erest and use : but even the m o st hard - to- satisfy criti c wi ll hai l thi s b ook as the m o st c omplete and un i que o f it s kind and fi nd it a wel c o me s o urce o f info rmati on fo r all w h o are inter est ed i n the h i st ory o f the early begi nni ngs of the city o f Uti ca and of it s pr o sper ous and very pr om I i o o o t o i si ng tal an c l ny . The a uth r has an eye as what has been d one in the past and an insight as t o what a re th e amb iti on s o f the Itali an res idents o f i B i n ot thi s c ty . ei ng h mself an example , he d oes c onceal t h e h ope o f seei ng the Ci ty Admini strati on represented i n larger numbers by pers ons o f hi s ex i i i i i i n m con tract on . D str b ut ve j ust ce s ot a ere si derati on fo r any pr ogress i ve and dem o crati c na i n i o o i o , but a necessary r ght t be c ped w th . May th i s little b ook pr ove of lasting s ati sfacti on for the p i oneers w h o are sti ll living a nd wh o se feats are here rec o unted : and an incentive for the present generati on t o emulate and better their spiri t and
S U C C E S S .
20 1940 i i i z z o i S ep t . , Rev . W ll am P l o D . D . g , P o of t M of ast r the S . ary M t . Carmel Church
’ Mr . S chiro s b ook Ameri cans by Ch oi ce i s b oth interesti ng and instructive and i s a va luable addi ti on ’ t o what h as already been p ubli shed ab out Uti ca s To h early days . th os e w o treasure t h e names o f ’ Utica s leadi ng ci ti zens of a century a g o the b ook will have an espec i al si gnifi cance i n that i t c ontains t h e o f— M O . o B r h i si st ry Dr J hn . a c , the first Itali an i of ou r i for fi res dent c ty , and the rst ti me , so far as I a am ware , t here i s publi shed an intimate acc ount h i s i B Of l fe . Wh ile a gg and other hi sto rians have i o M r h i M i . a c si r ment ned Dr , . S ch ro i s the fi rst t o i o h im in i g ve the facts ab ut deta l . The pi cture pre is o i i s ented m st nterest ng . Arri ving i n Uti ca i n 181 5 o o i o f i o I fr m the pr v nce P edm nt , taly , he lived a. l ong and useful li fe here until death t ook him in 1 5 H 88 . e was an a p ot hecary and druggist wi th an 1 74 AMERICANS BY CHOICE unusual skill in c omp o unding dr ugs and m akin g ffi i o i i m i e cac us med c nal re ed es , and he was kn own generally t o the pe ople of th is city wh o patr onized i h i s establi shment . He had the respect and affect on - f h o h i m h i s i fl i n O all w knew , and n uenc e was felt
Mr. thi s c ity for nearly three quarters of a century . ” S chi ro qu otes the Uti ca Daily O bserver which said “ ofh im at h i s death : There have been few pe ople like ‘ M i the venerable Dr . a rch s i in Uti ca . Th e mem ory of h i s useful li fe and goo d wo rks wi ll l o ng remain bri ght with all wh o knew the genial Old It alian ” gentleman . 20 1940 eo O o S ept . , L . C upe Attorney and C o unselo r at Law
AN ACKNOWLED GMENT
Th e auth or expresses h i s special gratitude to t h e i i o i f ollow ng pers ons . The r uns li c t ed fi nanci al con trib u ti ons materi ally enc ouraged the publi cation of thi s b o ok .
o C a ecelat ro S alvad r J . p Angel o Cardamo ne S ons Vi ncent de Lalla
D r. Emanuel de Lalla
Charles S . D onnelley Rufus Elefante
Frank A . Emma Ni ck Lai n o S ons Frank and J oseph Marin o F o i Dr . . J hn Ro ss S avi n g s B ank of Uti ca S cala and Cavallo S cala Packing Com pany
o S i i . Anth ny st , Jr Fl ori o Vi tullo
1 7 6 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
o o 1 20 1 45 o o 1 6 Cardam ne, Angel , , Clark , Ge rge R gers ,
45 il Fi r f No 4 54 o A . 8: o 1 o e . Cardam ne , , S ns , C ffee M l , 1 l i P 1 0 F 4 5 o ac cco . . 7 Cardamone , rank , C , J , a o o 1 45 C ol onton 1 6 9 Card m ne, J seph , , Ralph ,
a o e 1 45 o i i o A . 1 40 Card m n , Samuel , C lucc , N ch las , o 1 6 8 o c i o 8 8 Cardam ne , Theresa , C lu c , Sant , m 1 2 1 2 2 a i F k . 1 47 o C rd nal , ran J , C lu bus , , i 1 2 o i ‘ 1 60 Carducc , C m ty Club , o 1 2 o m i i i 4 9 Carus , C m erc al Bu ld ngs, h m r 24 l o 1 69 ki n a . Casa etta, Anth ny , C oo , Hen y J , Casaletta e e i o 1 1 7 oo o o 44 , C l st n , C per, Ap ll s , Casaletta e 1 69 oo S ibb el 44 4 5 , Ch ster, C per, , , in E 1 Casaletta iz 1 68 o i . 68 , El abeth , C r ale , Adel e , l 1 2 1 1 68 Casa etta o o i a . , J hn , C r le, Dr Arthur, Casal etta o 1 5 2 o i F 1 69 , J seph , C r ale, rank , Casatelli 1 69 ori s 1 68 , Dewey, C ale , There a , F A r i R 2 0 1 4 1 i . 6 or ou . s . 7 C Ca s dy , , , V ncent , , , telda n o 1 0 1 C as , A th ny J . , 4 53
a i . o i o 1 20 70 o . C stell , Rev Ant n , C rry , Dr , i 1 1 04 e i 1 7 or i Hon . Cast ll , Stan slaus , C s , Edward , o i 1 70 C osco o 1 70 Castell , Gabr ele, , Salvat re J o o 1 8 o i o 1 9 Catalan , Salvat re, C t ll , t i 54 6 1 8 2 L o 24 1 74 a o o o e O . C h l c n , , , C upe, , , o F P 1 1 i o o 1 1 8 . . 6 i Cavall , Dr rank , Cr sc , R cc , F 2 1 8 93 o P . 3 3 84 i i S o 8 8 9 Cavall , rank , , , Cr sc , alvat re, , , l o o 3 1 5 5 84 i i i 1 20 Cava l , J seph , , , Cr stall M chele l P 2 1 68 o 4 8 6 9 o o e O . 8 a o . Caval , eter, , , C p l , Dr R g r , o P 1 69 Cavall , eter J. , ’ v l o P i o 1 68 D Accurz i o Amedi o 94 Ca al , h l mena, , , ’ o f P 1 1 1 5 1 . 8 7 4 D Alessandro t o Cavall , Ru us , , , An h ny , ’ 1 49 i on A . D Am co . , Dr Raym d , o o 1 69 1 6 8 Cavall , Th mas, G v i o Pat 1 69 1 a la , , Danella , Adolph , 69 i i o 1 2 i 1 50 Cell n , Benvenut , Danella , Bened ct,
li ni V . 1 70 1 68 Cel , James , Danella , Jack J . , o i o B 1 0 1 1 C ent la , Dr . V ct r ., 7 Danella , J ohn , 50 , 69 e 60 a o 1 50 Charl s , Owen , D nella , Th mas , i o ise 7 1 i n o 1 40 Chr sler, Anna L u , Dan ele , A th ny,
o T . 4 2 43 i i A 1 0 i . 7 Chr stman , Jac b , , Dan ele , V ncent , Ci a li a i i o 1 50 1 69 i s i 1 3 7 1 70 g , Eg d , , Dan el , Dan el , , 1 50 1 68 ni i o 1 3 5 Ci ag li a , Pasquale, , Da els , G llm re, i A 1 0 Da i z o Fra 1 6 Ci ch elli . 7 , M chael , N z a , Marc , ’ 1 D Ann nz i o 1 2 Cipriano, A . V . , 70 u ,
i ta i o F . o 1 46 1 2 I C t d n , , S ns , Dante, i t 46 o P c 1 50 C ty Garden and Ba h , Dardan harma y, 1 1 4 7 Dardano, Vincent, 50 , 68 AMERICANS BY CHOICE 1 7 7
Dares a 1 68 Di Gi or i O e di . 1 70 s , Lawrence , g , B ne ct J ,
Daressa 1 68 DiIori o . in 1 40 , Mary , , Dr Benjam , , B o 1 68 aressa , R sella ,
e of o 1 60 DiIori o . B . i o 1 2 1 Daught rs C lumbus , , Dr V ct r, , o o 1 2 1 68 Da Vinci , Le nard , i o 42 43 DiIori O o e 1 2 1 Dav s , Capt . Th mas , , , Salvat r , a 45 DiNardi oc o 1 70 De n , Judge James , , R c , 2 DiOri o o 1 70 D ecamp , Dr . J ohn A . , 4 , Anth ny , DiP lli n e i R 1 6 1 1 1 O a o . 8 30 , 3 , J s ph ne , e 1 8 o i o 1 2 1 Decatur, Steph n , D lce , N c la , D eFaz i O P e 1 69 o P 1 70 , et r J D lce , asquale , D eGeor e P i i 1 43 o o o 1 2 1 g , h l p , D lce , R cc , e i i 1 o l 1 D gn , L ou s , 69 D nnel ey , Charles S . , 3 8 M 1 D hn o . eJO , J oseph , 1 69 D te , J . , 70 DeLalla l 1 50 o i sa l 1 68 , Dr . Emanue , D t , I be le, 1 o 68 D uglas , J ohn B ., 76 D Lalla i 1 0 1 69 o i Wil i F 2 1 2 e , V ncent , 4 , D wl ng, l am . , 4 , 5 D Li 1 46 t o 1 44 e a li G . , E s , Draf B ards , F 1 46 o o 1 Dell ecese, rank , Jr. , Drag , Th mas , 20 1 69 o i 49 Drug Emp r um, D ll e Fra A 1 eo E 1 e ec se, nk . , 46 Dunham, G rge ., 5 5 ’ D L n D Verraz z ano i e o g , James C . , 3 8 , 78 , G ovanni , 1 3 D DeLuca o o 1 46 i . ose 42 43 , C sm , w ght, Capt J ph , , L De una, Gaetano, 88 , 1 20 e t Mi 1 05 El fan e , chele , DeLuna 96 P e 90 , Mary, Elefante , asqual , r i t 1 5 5 R 90 1 3 8 1 46 De bysh re, Ar hur J Elefante, ufus , , , 1 5 E 1 6 7 mma , C ora M . , 8 D eri i o o 1 5 1 F 1 0 s e C . 7 , J s ph , Emma , . , D R - e osa n o 9 7 1 1 7 1 4 7 Fra A . 1 1 7 1 3 9 , A gel , , , Emma, nk , , , DeRosa ui di 1 47 1 50 B l ng, D R F ' e a E . 1 1 6 a A os s 03 8 . Sr. 88 90 , Erne t , , Emm , rank , , , , D eRos i 1 92 a Heat ng C O . , 4 7 DeRosa i e 9 7 1 1 7 r o 60 , M chel , , E land , J hn , DeRosa 1 i o 00 o S . 1 70 , Raffaele , Esp s t , J
DeRosa i o A . 1 68 a 60 , V ct r , Ev ns , James , s i Pat 1 34 1 68 ni e 66 De ant s , , , Eve ng Tel gram, e o 1 D t re, J oseph , 5 9 , 1 70 D eTra li a o e i o 1 20 F An - g , D m n c , aga, th ony, 1 40 , 1 5 9
D eTra lia G . 1 69 F o i o oc o 88 1 1 8 g , , al t c , R c , , Detrano o 88 F alcone o 1 , Salvat re , , Anth ny , S . , 68 x o 49 F o P 9 1 9 9 1 20 Devereu Bl ck , alv , eter, , , x o F C . 49 a o . Wil i B 9 9 Devereu , J hn , lv , Dr l am . , , DeVito , D onato, 99 , 1 20 i o F 99 Fa i o 1 Dev t , rank, r ell , Gerard , 70 o . 78 79 Faxt on , Theod re S , , m s 1 1 7 1 36 Feli tto, Ja e , , Felitto i e 1 1 7 , M cha l , B 1 44 Feli tto, Vincent . , A o 1 44 Fe o . t rr , J n h ny , o 1 2 1 Fi ore, Gerard , 1 2 1 1 69 Fi ore , Pasquale , , 1 2 1 1 3 6 D . Fi ore , Vincent , , , 1 6 9 z 1 2 1 Fi ore, Vincen o, F e o 1 4 1 l mma , M se, 1 Flemma , Saveri o, 68 F o i e i 3 5 rb s, Cath r ne ,
Fo i i W. 48 rb s , Mart n , F o s i 23 5 7 re t H ll Cemetery , , , 76 i 1 69 Fortunat o, L ou s , F o F o 10 15 o . ster Br s act ry , F 1 rankli n , 4
Freed, Isador, 96 F Fragetta , rank (Tex) , 1 5 1 F 1 ragetta, James , 60 F 1 2 rag etta, J oseph , 0 Fra etta i ol 99 g , N ch as , Fr ag etta , Pasquale, 1 69
Franco, James, 1 69
Freschi , 1 9 F r i t u cin o, S amuel , 1 5 1 , 1 60 ’ P o r o 6 5 urn s Ba ber Sh p ,
Gaetano, Albert , 1 69 i i Gall cch o, James , 1 60 Gal otti o i 8 8 9 1 2 , L u s , , 8 , 0 o i i o 1 20 Garram ne, Eg d ,
o B . 1 70 Garram ne, J . , i n 1 4 7 Gatt , Er est , o a e 1 58 Gerard , Ces r ,
Gigli , 1 2 i i o i 1 G gl tt , Anth ony , 40 i i o i r 1 69 G gl tt , Be nard , i i o i F P 1 G gl tt , rank . , 43 i F G llmore, red , 1 1 6 Gimelli t , An h ony J ., 1 68 o i G ldon , 1 2 o G ldstone, 8 7
1 80 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
i s a o 1 20 uad e i 78 Pacell , Ale s ndr , McQ , M chael , o i o 1 20 1 50 , W. Pacili o Ant n , , uiv e . d i , McQ y , Dr E w n , 1 69 omi ic 1 70 i 79 Pacili o, D n k , Mechan cs Hall , o i 1 70 i o i i o 1 47 Pacili , V ncent J Mercur , B ag , P ini i 1 6 8 i o F B . 1 43 ac , Amel a , Mercur , rank , i o 1 49 i h i i r a o 1 69 Pacin , enat , M c el n , A m nd , R ini 3 2 i i 1 68 Pagan , M cucc , Mary , P i o i 2 4 Mil e A . 1 2 4 a ge , L u s , l r, Charles , 1 5 1 Palace owling Alleys , i o i S . 6 1 B M ller, M rr s , natro 1 4 7 1 2 7 Paladin o, S e , Missanelles e S ociety , o 1 7 e i 1 60 Palma , J hn , Mohawk Athl t cs Club , mi o o 1 40 o o P 1 68 Pal er , J seph , M ntesan , asquale , i o ich e 1 69 o o oc o 1 70 Palm er , a l , M ntesan , R c , M 70 o o i i k A . 1 o e Pann ne , D m n c , M sca , Carmella Elefant , o e o 1 70 1 49 Pann n , Th mas , r 1 4 1 o o o 8 8 89 92 Panza , Har y , M tt , J hn , , ,
' o M . Panz one Dr . Anth ny , o o oc o . 1 70 , M tt , R c J ,
i A . 5 8 o . . M wr s , Dr J ,
P o e o L . 1 68 Munerati 1 68 anz ne , El an r , , Angela ,
o i a T . 1 1 8 un o -Pro o i Panz ne, ch el , , M s n ct r Inst tute, M 1 5 1 5 1 68 1 1 8 Panz one , Tancredi , lla A 1 20 Nati e . . 1 6 , Dr Gerald , , Paolantoni o, J . , 9 i 1 68 Paolozzi , Dr . Hann bal ,
Nati ella o e A . 1 1 9 P i li , J s ph , aravat , Annette Cappel , i K o 1 60 1 N ta la Club , 69 i 1 1 7th 1 70 o P i i G . New Y rk Reg ment , aravat , M chael , O B 53 1 2 1 C . , Paravati , Santo,
o o 1 4 P o A . 1 70 New Y rk V lunteers th , assalaqua , J seph , 5 C o . 6 1 2 A , Patti , P 1 1 9 1 46 C O . B 2 43 . . P . 4 P . N D eters , , eckham , , , i o Fi i o 1 20 Pe o 1 9 N c tera , l pp , c ra , Judge , ico o 1 5 1 P i G eniv ev e 1 68 N tera , J seph , ellet er, , i o e i i o 1 20 P i ri il e 3 1 5 5 84 N c t ra , V tal n , ellett e , Ach l , , , 98 1 1 6 o P i i . Nud , Jerry , ellett er Ave , o P e 98 P l ie i i i 1 1 2 Nud , asqual , el ett r Bu ld ng, P ll e i i i 63 84 93 e tt er , El a , , , h s 1 68 Olivo, T oma C ., P i i li V . 63 ellett er , E as , i o i S o One da C unty Med cal Pe i i 1 33 llett er , Laura , ci et 1 1 9 y , P l t i i i 99 1 1 1 e le t er , M chele, , Oneita i 1 0 6 M lls , Pe i i o o 1 1 0 llett er , R cc , ino P i 1 3 6 1 69 Ors , atr ck , , P le i i o i 1 68 el tt er , R s na , I H 60 Ostrum, . . , 1 2 Pelletti eri , Salvatore, 93 , 1 , 1 1 3 8 Paca , William , 5 BY CHOICE 1 8 1
o e Wm . R . 60 R b rts , , o o F 1 70 R obertell , J hn 1 3 6 1 69 Robilotta , J oseph , , Foo e 1 5 9 R ocki es tball T am, o o 1 70 1 R man , Anth ny ,
o o B . 1 70 R man , J seph , , o o o e i o 93 1 0 6 R man , D m n c , , , 1 1 8
o o i R . 1 70 R man , Em l , F 1 69 o o . R man , ,
M . 1 70 o o . R man , J , o o i 1 69 R man , M chael ,
o o o A . 1 69 R man , Th mas ,
o o F S . 1 1 8 R manz , rank , o o 1 40 R manz , James , 1 46 Rosci a, Angelo, o i 1 3 R ss , o i i 1 1 8 R ss , Adel na , o i o i i 1 49 R ss , D m n ck , F 1 1 8 1 4 1 o i . o R ss , Dr . J hn , , , 1 68 o si i or R s ter Asp nwall St e , 53 o 1 03 R tary Club , o o o 1 5 2 R tund , Anth ny , o o l o 1 5 2 R tund , Marcel , i e o o i o 9 1 1 20 Rugg r , Ant n , , i o Ev a 1 69 Rugg er , , ie o o 9 1 1 2 0 Rugg r , J hn , , i o i 1 20 Rugg er , Dr . M chele, , 1 68 ie o T o 1 40 Rugg r , h mas , R ti F uso , rank , 1 65
Sacco, Antoni o, 95 , 1 1 6 o 1 1 Sacc , Anth ony J . , 6 , 1 68 o F 1 Sacc , rank, 1 6 , 1 68 o r Sacc , Gab iele , 9 9 albit n S a o, L ouis , 2 4 , 1 0 5 , 1 69 S albitano o o 8 8 1 04 , R cc , , o i i 1 Sarc ne , D om n ck , 69 o o 1 1 1 Sap nar , James , 4 , 69
Scala , Albert , 1 49 1 Scala , Andrew, 49 S c a o i o 5 1 1 1 5 al , Ant n , 9 , 8 , 4 1 8 2 AMERICANS BY CHOICE
96 1 49 o Wi i N. 53 Scala , Carmen , , St rrs , ll am , o 1 49 li ose 1 3 5 S cala Cavall , Sul van , J ph N 1 1 Scala , James, 95 , 8 5 i o P i C o . 1 1 8 1 4 o 1 46 S cala ack ng , , Talar c Br thers , i o i 1 48 i o n 1 6 S cal se, L u s J . , Taler c , A g ela , 9 S i o mi 1 00 ' a liz e March isi ch r , Benja n , T nner, E ab th , " i o i 2 4 1 69 7 1 72 Sch r , Carmel ta , , , i S i ci nanese o i 1 2 7 o P . 24 72 g S c ety , Tanner, M r , , i 2 S inis alli o 9 6 G . 2 4 7 g , Men tt , Tanner, Murray , , in alli enatr 1 2 e P S isg , S o, 0 Tann r, erry G ., 7 1 in lli r fi i Ni o 1 S i sg a , Se a no, 96 Tet , c la , 1 8 , 1 4 7
: i S i i ni . 1 70 e i 1 2 r a , J J T trazz n , i i i P A 1 o i . . 70 1 5 1 S r an , , Tex B wl ng Alleys ,
Si i o i o 8 8 92 1 3 8 o s . P o o oo st , Ant n , , , Th ma R r ct r Sch l , i i o r 2 1 1 1 015 1 3 1 S st , Anth ny , J . , 9 , 4 ,
S i i 1 69 o . R . to 9 1 92 st , Edna , Th mas , T , S re , , i if i Sist , Peter, 1 43 T fany , Isa ah , 42 , 43 i i Tomani o F in D 1 8 68 . 6 Sm th , Adr an Malsan , , erd and , Smi M r i Tomani o i i 1 20 th , Anna a chis , 68 , Lu g , 1 Tomani o Pi 7 , 76 , etro, 1 20 o i S i . E 68 72 o o 1 7 m th , Dr Charles . , , T nt , Alf ns , i F 7 1 o i i o 1 7 Sm th , red, T nt , Enr c , i o 7 1 o i o 1 Sm th , J hn , T rch a , Anth ny J . , 70 S mi i 69 76 o i i 1 2 th , Mar ella , , T scan n , mi 74 ern E 65 S th , Mary , Tracy , B ard . , S i r S . i 1 5 E 7 . m th , Al ce , T acy, Bernard , Drug S i Wi i B S o 33 m th , ll am . , 68 , 69 t re , , 64 S mi Wi li O . 6 o th , l am , 9 , 70 Tracy, Ge rge, 54 ’ o i Pro o i o i 2 S c eta gress e A ut , Tranqu lle , Dante, 4
93 , 1 1 4 S o o to 1 2 1 li F o 1 2 ldan , Benedet , U sse, rancesc , 0 S o o P e G . 1 40 Ul i e i o 1 49 1 5 9 ldan , ter , ss , N ch las , , o o i 1 69 i i i o 54 5 9 Spat la , J seph ne , Ut ca C t zens C rps, , , i o Spr ngs , Th mas , 69 78 in Sp a , mi di o i C o o of i E , Ut ca nservat ry Mus c , i o o 1 5 1 1 Sp na , R cc , 48
St . Anth ony of Padua i i O er 80 Ut ca Da ly bserv ,
hurch , 1 2 6 i i P 1 1 9 1 5 5 C Ut ca Da ly ress , , t F S . rancis de Sales Sch ool i F 7 9 , Ut ca emale Academy , ’ 1 3 2 i Fi i o Ut ca s rst D rect ry , 1 3 6
St . Of Mt l i a F Mary . Carme Ut c ree Academy 1 1 7 , , C c 96 1 2 hur h , , 0 , 1 2 6 1 3 2 o 1 4 1 Stefan , Ray , i i oci i o Ut ca Mechan cs Ass at n , o P i i Steppell , h l p , 1 69 7 8 o H , . , C o. 44 54 i a i 1 1 8 St rrs , , Ut c Med cal Club ,