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Mary McClain

Molti Cugini!

It has been several years since I did this blog, and every few months, I am thrilled to be contacted by people who have read it.  I sometimes look at the history and find people from Russia, South America, and Australia have been reading it. I am amazed and sincerely touched as this blog was just a journal meant for my family and a few friends.  In hindsight, after years of research, I realize it is also full of errors and ommissions. I have learned so much since that trip (but I still can't speak Italian).

While I had only a little luck finding specifics of my ancestry in Italy; I have now filled out my great grandfather's family tree.... and been contacted by several spouses of cousins, and one probable distant cousin (we're still working on the connection).

Total strangers have done research for me "just for fun" and traced the DiGrazia roots back into the 1700's.  My father's family had no idea that there were living cousins and half cousins; so this has been a revelation.  Now two of these cousins (actually spouses of cousins) have met in Chicago.  They continue to send me bits of their research; pictures of the church where everyone was baptised etc. 

One gentleman found the blog by searching for John N DeGrazia (my grandfather... he arbitrarily added the "N") because he had some tickets from the 1920's to some dances he sponsored.  Apparently his great uncle and my grandfather were partners in these dances... his uncle was a musican.

Most people find the blog by searching for Calvello... I presume while researching their roots.  Today I spoke with a woman of no relation except that her husband has ancestry in Calvello and has been there twice.  She has finally found concrete connections to relatives there and will meet a cousin this September when they (and other Calvellesi from all over the world) come together for the festa and processionale up the mountain.

I don't know if I will ever go back to Calvello, but based on the number of Calvellesi who have read this blog, it seems that a little bit of this town has followed us into America and many other countries in the world.   Times were tough there; and often tougher after immigrating to other lands.   "Anche se tutto 'e perduto mai e poi mai ti abbandonero".  Although all was lost, I will never ever abandon you. (I take Calvello with me always).

A book about my "adopted" family

If you enjoyed my blog, you will really enjoy this book by Mark Leslie:  Beyond the Pasta: Recipes Life and Language with an Italian Family.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Recipes-Language-Italian-Family/dp/0982102364/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284853793&sr=8-1

Its the story of a fellow American who was lucky enough to spend a month with the "my" family in Viterbo (the same course I took for 2 weeks).  I am savoring every minute of this book.  Normally I read a book in a day or two but I save this one for right before I fall asleep.  That way I will dream in Italian and imagine myself at home with Alessandra, Lillo, Nonna and Thais.  And I even want to try out the recipes (Nonna made many of these dishes for me when I was there).  Now, if you know me, you know I don't cook... but I will try them nonetheless and imagine I am there.

Last month I began my second course of college Italian.  It has been about 9 months since my last class and I haven't retained much so it is a challenge.  But maybe if I pass, I can reward myself with a trip back to Viterbo!

Ciao!
Maria

La Ringrazio (I thank you)

First of all, thanks for sharing this adventure with me.  If you haven't read it from the beginning these later posts might not make sense, so I suggest you start from the first post to hear about my immersion course and my great adventure!

I know, to some people, my little adventure isn't much of an adventure.  I didn't go to a dangerous place.  For Pete's sake,  I went to the big scary world of Europe.  But because I knew I was going to a very small town in Basilicata where most people didn't speak English, well, I was a little scared. Scared enough to try to learn Italian and to take an immersion course.   I want to say how much I admire our ancestors (and people who immigrate today).  I can't believe how courageous they were.  Look at me, for instance.  I had to study my heart out for a year before I would even THINK of going to a foreign place alone.  And, in the end, I was well relieved to have my sister and brother to accompany me on the hard part.    I know that both my Irish and Italian grandparents and great-grandparents didn't have easy lives but took chances, made many sacrifices and multiple tests of courage to give us a better life.  Every time I meet someone who even moves across the country to follow a dream, ambition or a better life; I am full of admiration.  And the many many people I've worked with in California… (who moved to the US before they could speak a word of English)…. are a constant inspiration to me.

Secondly, I need to thank the people who helped me experience this crazy dream: my teachers (Anthony, Isabella, Richard, Mira and Alessandra), also Alessandra's family, my "mentors": Herman Tak and Lucio Ferri,  my new acquaintances: Vincenzo DiGrazia and the friendly people in Calvello; and especially my brother John and sister Margaret for being there with me.  I might have chickened out if I had not had so much support.  I may have made it to Calvello or become wolf bait trying to get there.

Thanks to all of you for reading my blog and encouraging me along the way. 

And mostly, my wonderful husband who loves me for the eccentric person I can be, and supports me in all that I do.  Thank you Rob.  I am the luckiest woman alive… now, it's your turn… what's your dream adventure?

Vi abbraccio (I embrace you),

Maria Catrina Rosa DeGrazia McClain

Appendix: John/Genarro and Catherine

Just to fill in the blanks, here is the story of my grandparents as contributed by my aunts, Grace and Eileen.

John DeGrazia, son of Genarro and Grazia was born on May 1 1899 in Chicago.  He was the first of our Italian family born in the USA.  He married Catherine O'Neill, my grandmother.  This is their story:

John was born as Gennaro but later his name was changed to John to make it more American.  When he was about 13 years old, he had to quit school and go to work.  He worked in a factory doing piece work, and because he was young and agile, he made more money than his stepfather.  He had to lie to his father about going back to night school. He told him he was going to his uncle's house, and his uncle covered for him.  He went to night school and graduated from 8th grade.

When he was young, working in a machine shop, he heard about a class that he could take to become a tool and die maker.  They had to have more people sign up or they wouldn't have the class.  He was excited and talked others into taking the class.  He said he was the first to drop out.  He needed Algebra to continue.  (My father, John Michael DeGrazia (aka Jack) followed in his father's footsteps and also became a machinist; later going on to become a mechanical engineer)

John/Gennaro loved music and, before he was married, he would organize dances.  He would rent a hotel room.  He'd have live music and lots of people went and it was a great way to make money during the depression.  His half-brothers helped out at the dances.  (Years later, his son, Donald DeGrazia, also organized dances in Chicago and I remember my dad helping him out.)

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Catherine Mary Margeret O'Neill was born on December 18, 1904 in Chicago.  Catherine's mother, Bridget Powers was born in County Clare and came to this country when she was about 18.  She had siblings in Ireland who died of T.B.  Two brothers did come to America, Patty and Marty.  Neither of them ever married.  Bridget's mother ( my great great grandmother..I don't know her name) later came to America, and she and Catherine saw each other from time to time.  Catherine's mother, Bridget (my great-grandmother) died when Catherine was about 17.

Catherine's father, Michael O'Neill was born in back of a general store that his parents owned in Harvard, IL.  His parents came from County Cork, Ireland.  Michael traveled some as a bachelor.  He went to the Black Hills to pan for gold.  He was quite a reader, and Catherine remembered reading some of his books by Dickens.  He was also involved in local politics as a precinct captain or an alderman..  Michael had a sister who lived on a farm with her husband (last name Leahy) in Harvard Illinois.  Michael's father lived with his sister and her husband until he died.  Michael's sister had two boys Tom and Ed Leahy.

……………………………………

Catherine and John first met at a Polish wedding they both crashed.  John went there with his half brother, Charlie Pedote and Catherine went with a girlfriend.  Neither of them knew the couple getting married but they had a wonderful time anyway.  They started seeing each other that and after a short time decided to marry. (They always commented in later years about how much fun Polish weddings were).  John had been married before and was divorced.

After Catherine's mother Bridgett died, Catherine lived at home with her father Michael O'Neill.   She was about 20 years old when she met John (aka Genarro) DeGrazia  Michael was very Catholic and certainly expected his daughter to be married in the church, however, since John was divorced that couldn't happen and Catherine was reluctant to tell him she was engaged to a divorced man. They solved the problem by being secretly married at city hall  and then, saints preserve us, were married by a priest in the rectory without Michael ever finding out.  Of course...they had to  lie to the priest about it but Michael was happy in his ignorance and I guess there was no harm done...except maybe to their souls.

The first years of their marriage were spent in Michael's flat on Jackson Blvd in Chicago.  Their first child Matthew was born there but he died at the age of 5 months, of what they think was pneumonia.  Not long after that John (called Jack) was born.   Grace was born 2 1/2 years later followed by Eileen and Donald.  Sometime during this time they lived for a short time in Westmont where Michael died from a faulty water heater.   They then moved back to the flat.  This was during the great depression and John was often out of work like so many.  Grace remembers him and Catherine sitting at the dining room table putting peanuts in little cellophane envelopes.  They would fold the open end and seal it with an eyelet.  These were to be hung on the little stands next to the cash registers in grocery stores and sold.

Both John and Catherine both dreamt of moving to the country where they could raise their children in the fresh air and sunshine but money was very short  and John was often not working.  Somehow they scraped up enough for a down payment on a little old house in Downers Grove where their daughter Kathy was born.

In the early 1950's John/Genarro and Catherine, and their three daughters: Grace (with her spouse, Don, brother John's best friend), Eileen and Kathy (still a teenager)  moved to California where John opened a grocery store.  Their two sons, John Michael (aka "Jack") and Donald stayed in Chicago.

John/Genarro died July 18, 1983 and Catherine died in December 23, 2000.  They had 15 grandchildren.

(If anyone has any further memories or history to share, just let me know, and I'll amend this post).

 

Brigands in Southern Italy: another DeGrazia

Another history lesson… As I was learning about Southern Italian folklore, I discovered a festival/reenactment celebrated every summer near Calvello/Potenza.  The reenactment is of life in the 1800's and there is a big show at the end, with fireworks, that celebrates the contribution of Brigands to the Italian Unification.  I was shocked and disturbed by this, because, up until this point, all I had read was of brigands kidnapping and ransoming people, killing others, and plundering even poor farmers.  It certainly didn't seem like Robin Hood.  Then, I thought, maybe they are celebrating the contribution of the Carbonari (the political secret society which was often more like bandits than patriots).

But, as I read more, I found that brigandage has been a part of Southern Italian society since pre-roman times: the men of the mountains were the terror of the men of the plains (the Romans).  In those times a shepherd might have tended their flock by day and steal those of neighbors in the valleys by night.  The struggle between Rome and the Samnites (Lucanians were Samnites).  At one point Romans trapped two thousand bandits in a cave and burned them all.  The constant attack of brigands upon townspeople, led to those towns wanting to seek shelter under the Roman republic..  Capua, a wealthy city, was so frequently assaulted by armed shepherds of the Appenines, that it asked protection of Rome.

On the other side, these same mountaineers sometimes allied themselves with the Romans, collecting as rewards for their services, the plunder of cities conquered and taken into the Roman republic.

This practice continued so, when there was a war (or in-fighting) brigands actually were sort of mercenaries; and when there wasn't they would supplement their incomes with ransoms, thieving etc.  The Bourbon's hired brigands, and so did Garibaldi… I think the pope did as well in the papal states.  So, brigandage was an accepted sort of profession… not just in Southern Italy, but in much of Europe.    There is a funny story of an Italian tax collector asking for taxes from a brigand… who replied to the effect was that business had been bad, but if he would let him go, he would go rob someone right away.  He was released as taxes were more important than civil protection.

After the 1860 revolution, brigandage continued, and in fact, worsened because there was basically a civil war.  Although Victorio Emmanuel was made king, the Bourbons tried to create subversion and to regain power with brigands and others who supported their return. **

The new kingdom eventually made it a priority to squash brigandage, but as the problems of the south continued to be ignored by the government… brigands became mobsters.   Many an immigrant said that they had no choice but to immigrate, starve or become a brigand.

Right after I posted this, Lucio Ferri wrote to me that he had found another infamous DeGrazia from Calvello:.

 Francesco De Grazia, son of Leonardo Antonio of Calvello was suited by a military court for being a Brigante.1863. He was supposed to be a member of the gang of the chief bandit Scoppettiello.  So, now I have yet another DeGrazia to research...

----------------

*** about the Bourbon return… Luccio says that there is still a group of citizens who support the return of the Bourban dynasty; and, in fact, when in Caserta, I was reading several local and Naples papers, and they were all about a Bourbon princess (I think in Austria?)… and there were several articles about the Kingdom of the Two Sicelies.  I guess its not ancient history at all.

Day 24: Andiamo a casa (and outtakes)

24 gennaio 2010

Its Sunday and time to go home.  No problem making that 7:30am plane, I'm ready to return to reality.  However, I did get lost in the Paris airport, just for one final adventure.  I barely made the plane… hey, what happened security-wise while I was living my dream?  In Paris I had to go through 4 security checks, and one was a full on search of my bags, making me empty everything (apparently there are new rules… even electronic cables have to come out of the bag and onto the tray. )  When I said, sorry I didn't know, these rules are different.  I was told, "you are in Paris, Madame"… Hmm.

 Here are some trivia questions  I'll tell you some of the answers but the others are super top secret and we are sworn to secrecy. 

1)      What REALLY important thing did Pliney the Elder discover?  Well, according to Gianni, who told this to our guide at Pompei, Pliney discovered the properties of Hops (and their use in brewing).  Pliney also did a few other things, including trying to rescue people from the volcano in Pompei

2)      Did you know that the children on John DeGrazia are only ¼ Italian?  Margarita says that is because it takes 4 Italians to equal one of us.  She couldn't get over how short they were...especially in Calvello.. and skinny too (but we know they climb lots of stairs all day long) We figured that out when we had to take the world's smallest elevator which is supposed to hold 4 people, but only one of us plus bags could fit.

3)      Did you know that they invented plumbing in Pompei?  Apparently they still haven't got it right (or at least it isn't sized to American standards)... TMI

4)      How many beers did Gianni the brewmaster try in Italy?  (I can only think of one, honestly), but he liked the vino rosso, limoncello and amaro… he hated grappa though…. We warned him)

5)      Does anyone see the image of a saint or other heavenly body in this picture?  If not, can you even guess what this is?

6)      Is it illegal to pass when there is a double white line?  Apparently not.

7)      What do you do when the light in the elevator goes out? (When Nonna and I were lost in the museum... and no one coming to the rescue..we went back to the elevator and rang the alarm. ).  As it turns out, if you don't immediately push a button, the lights go off to save electricity.

8)      How do you know you're lost?  (when the dogs and the sheep start to recognize you)

(this particular dog was more concerned with catching some rays than watching his sheep down the hill)

9)       When three middle age siblings go on a road trip, they regress in age and it reminded us of the long long road trips in our Volkswagon and later the Ford Stationwagon.  Nitpicking and bickering, but fortunately no biting or kicking.  However, Margarita, (aka Margaret, Maggs, Margie) decided that if Giovanni can change his name to Gianni, she wanted to change her name too (she didn't like Margarita).  She wanted the. the name she wanted to be called at about age 3.  I'll give you a hint: C_ _ _I...   We used to sing a song to her when she was little and we are on car trips "get along home C---i, C---i."  When brother Gianni and I attempted to Italianize the name, she gave up.

10) Did you know that Italian stop signs are red and octogon and say "STOP"... exactly like US stop signs... why?  Sort of a disappointment really.