Santo Stefano Di Filicudi Family Picnic: Clear, Cool & Spectacular! Tug of War: separating the men from the boys

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1 The Newsletter of the Filicudi Associates of Waltham, Massachusetts _t VtÇÇt f ÜxÇ Volume II Issue 2 Autumn 2004 Santo Stefano Di Filicudi Family Picnic: Clear, Cool & Spectacular! Tug of War: separating the men from the boys We all had the jitters as Sunday, August 1st drew near. The early forecast was identical to last summer s when light rain intermittently joined our revelry from dessert onward and our picnic was drenched by midafternoon. But this year, the clouds never broke into rain and the day was breezy and comfortably cool, yet warm enough for some of our children and adults to enjoy the spray pool. Another spectacular bonus over last year s rainout were the games: tug of war, bocce, horseshoes, and ring toss, attractions for the many young children and adults. Al Bonica organized and hosted the event as skillfully as he did last year. Six men led the procession, carrying the statue of Saint Stephen and Father Jack Mandile, SJ again offered an inspiring outdoor Mass in his honor, ending with some touching recollections of his trip to the islands in June. Despite threats of bad weather, attendance surpassed last year and we look forward to our next old-fashioned summer picnic and festa for our patron saint. Next year we may even open the event to the public. Thanks to all. Eolian Islands Trip: 52 Strong Visit the Homeland Fifty-two members of our society enjoyed a fantastic guided tour of the Eolian Islands and Taormina from June 11th to June 24th thanks to the work of Cathy Umina, Roland Vanaria, the Durgin Travel Agency and their excellent tour hostess and guides. The itinerary included a six nights stay on Lipari, with day visits to Vulcano, Stromboli and Salina, a two nights / three days stay on Filicudi and four nights in Taormina. On Lipari, Sonia D Ambra of Centro Studi greeted our group for a beforedinner drink of Malvasia, the popular, sweet wine of the islands, and a tour of Centro Studi. On Salina, Clara Rametta and her husband, Michele Carusso, proprietors of the Hotel Signum, hosted a delicious typical Eolian meal prepared by Michele. Clara then gave the group a tour of the Eolian Museum of Emigration in Malfa. Our travelers returned with touching stories, some of which are included in the Going Home section of this newsletter.

2 PAGE 2 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME II ISSUE 2 Heritage Day 2004: Full of Sun and Human Warmth Pat Rando with Rando family exhibit. An enthusiastic crowd, tasty food, professional looking exhibits and a beautifully decorated hall made Heritage Day April 24th a memorable event. Our exhibitors, Angelo Taranto, Alfred Bonica, Frances Rando Dufromont, Trudy and Nicholas (Vanaria) Sottile, Gaetano Tom LaCava, Rose Taranto, Elizabeth (Taranto) York, and Anthony and Patricia Rando, graciously displayed their family treasures, talked with people about the history of the old days and told some wonderful stories. Tom LaCava and Maria Taranto set up our society table, Jennifer Taranto manned the genealogy table, and John Umina digitized family photos for our archives, while Gregory M. Rando, Jr. photographed the displays and the people who attended. We Thank them all and look forward to sharing our photos and memories of the day with those of you who were unable to join us. Millione grazie to Anna Taranto, Rose Taranto, Sal Pinzone, Marianne Priante, Eolian Emigration Museum News Joan and John Taranto, Nancy O Connell, Curt Mahon and Maria Taranto, Tom LaCava, Cathy and John Umina, Nick and Trudy (Buscemi) Sottile, Angela Aucoin, Lynne Fallo, Tom Taranto, Carmella Mazzarella, Marianne Priante, Joan and John Taranto, Angelo Taranto, Anthony Rando, Phil Giardina, Tom Taranto, Bill and Marianne Priante, and all others who helped to make the day special. Thanks also to Sal Pinzone for getting us the Sons of Italy Hall, to Kerry Cincotta, the function manager, to Dolly, our barmaid for the day, and to Marcel, the custodian for all their thoughtful help. Peter and Lucille Galuzzo, Charles and Linda Casella, Carolyn Cusolito Tavares and her parents, Richard and Isabelle Cusolito and Fr. Jack Mandile and his sister Geraldine Robson, all who attended for the first time, raved about the event, and each spontaneously offered to exhibit at our next Heritage Day when we plan to exhibit family photos and records of the immigrants and enlarged excerpts of family stories So start unearthing and collecting your family photos, records and stories and start collecting your grandchildren, grand nieces and nephews to share this event with them. Heritage is more than recounting history. It is educating the young to respect their personal past. Prof. Marcello Saija with students enjoying watermelon. Eolian Museum Director Visits the Filicudi Society. Professor Marcello Saija director of the Eolian Emigration Museum on Salina in the Eolian Islands and professor of political science at the University of Messina, along with 30 students and three colleagues met with about 20 members of the Filicudi Associates on July 3rd, 2004, during their four week educational program and cultural tour of New England (Southern Connecticut State University) and New York (State University of New York at Stony Brook). Professor Saija conversed with a number of emigrants about their experiences at an Italian-American picnic hosted by John and Cathy Umina at their home in Concord, MA. Tasty Italian caponatina, pasta lentiche, sausages, peppers and onions, mussels risotto, ziti al forno, cassatedde, spicchetedde, and spumoni along with the traditional American hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, coleslaw, strawberry shortcakes, brownies and watermelon were provided and served by members of the society. Serving our families with care and compassion for over fifty years. 773 Moody Street, Waltham, Massachusetts (781) Trapelo Road, Belmont, Massachusetts (617) Facsimile: (781) Wbrasco@aol.com or pjsjbrasco@rcn.com

3 PAGE 3 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME II ISSUE 2 David Drucker & Prof. Marcello Saija Norwich Historical Exhibit for Lipari Colony. On July 9th, Maria Taranto, president of the Filicudi Associates, David Drucker, director of the Chenango historical museum in Norwich, and Prof Saija, director of the Museo Eoliano del Emigrazione on Salina met at Central Connecticut State University to estab- lish a connection between the museum in Norwich and the museum on Salina, and the two men agreed on exchanges of memorabilia and manpower. The Chenango County Historical Museum plans to host an exhibit of photos and memorabilia next spring to honor families who came from Lipari to Norwich around the end of the 19th century. These immigrants made impressive economical changes in the town by establishing food markets with fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as restaurants and variety stores. The colony also provided a mainstay of workers in the mills, factories and quarries of Norwich and neighboring Oxford, NY for the first half of the 20th century. Surnames of those who prospered and improved the area are Taranto, Biviano, Benenati, Famolaro, Juifre, Natoli, Maiurano, Mirabito, Scafidi, and many more. Filicudi-Family Histories Most of the Eolian islands were not settled until the 1600s. Did you ever wonder where your ancestors lived before they migrated to the Eolian islands? Eric Umile of Pennsylvania writes that his friend Marcello Mollica is willing to research Filicudi family histories regarding where they lived before they came to Filicudi, how they got there and why. That means he will find out where families were before they were on the island. Most of our ancestors either came from Sicily or most likely, Spain. As an Italian and a scholar Marcello Mollica is fluent in Italian and Italian history and has access to books and records that most of us do not even know exist. Price for such an undertaking would be negotiated before he begins his search. He is surely willing to do historical research of families from other Eolian islands as well as Filicudi. Please contact Maria Taranto ( ) at minervasowl2@earthlink.net to learn more about this exciting project. Raffle Funds to be used for Family Archive Project Spring Cookie Bake 2004: First row: Rose Taranto, Rose Zeno, Nancy O Connell, Joan Taranto, Anna Taranto, Back row: Maria Taranto, Mary Ann Priante, Emily Taranto-Kent, Allana Taranto. Photo by Lynne Fallo Eolian Cooking Workshop This past spring some of us gathered to learn how to make sfingi and cassatedde. (see photo above) For our next workshop, Anna Renzella Taranto has agreed to show us how she makes her delicious chicken soup with meatballs and escarole, also known as Italian wedding soup. Cathy (Zagami) Umina, has offered to demonstrate making gigi and Maria Taranto, how to make spicchetedde. So, join us on Saturday, November 27th at Anna Taranto s house on 62 Forest Street, Newton Highlands, MA from 10:30 AM until 3PM for another fun-filled Eolian cooking workshop and, please contact us to let us know that you will come. Call Nancy O Connell ( ) or Maria Taranto ( ). Snow date, Sunday, November 28th. If anyone wishes to demonstrate an Eolian recipe in future workshops please contact us. The atmosphere is casual and there are about six to ten women to a group. Men are welcome! Marcello Saija, director of the emigration museum on Salina is pleased with the Society s new project to collect and assemble photos, records, history, anecdotes, and genealogy of our members, by emigrant family groupings. These will be housed in the Filicudi society archives with copies to be donated to the emigration museum on Salina. He has generously advised us to use last year s raffle proceeds, earmarked for the museum in Salina, to defray costs of this project. A committee is being formed to begin working on the project this fall.

4 PAGE 4 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME II ISSUE 2 GOING HOME: Trips to the Eolian Islands Traveling Back to Family Memories by Fran Rando Dufromont At the age of sixteen, my father, Gregorio Rando, left the island of Filicudi for America. The decision to leave Filicudi was a difficult one. He was the youngest of nine children of Gregorio Rando and Rosaria Taranto and, when he came to America for a new life, he left behind his mother and a sister. He arrived at Ellis Island on November 10, 1920, and returned to Filicudi once in Years later, we had his name engraved on the American Immigrant Wall Of Honor at Ellis Island as a fitting tribute to a man welcomed by America; but not forgotten in his homeland. In 1992, after years of hearing his colorful stories of island life, I decided to take a trip to Filicudi. I had always yearned to go there. As a young child, I wanted to explore Filicudi because I loved my father s stories about the island. He told so many happy stories of a time so long ago and I thought that learning more about the island would give me a window into understanding my father, the people and the culture in which he was raised. During my visit, I was finally able to see with my own eyes and touch with my own hands, my father s memories - the sound of sea water crashing against rocks; the smell and sounds of the bustling village streets; the coolness and smoothness of a stonewall he had built near the family homestead. This visit was my time to see the beauty of his boyhood surroundings at their best and most magnificent. For the first time, I experienced what I had only been told about as a child. It wasn t until this trip that I realized that I wanted to know more about my Italian heritage. Before, I never felt any personal connection to the island on which my father was born. Some of my father s greatest joys of island living were his memories of hunting, fishing, and sleeping under the stars on the island. His recollections were filled with references to the Grotta di Bue Marino (Grotto of the Sea Ox), the huge rock formation La Canna and the flat rock in the ocean that he called The Egg. On my trip, I traveled by boat to see these sites. Seeing them after years of stories brought a smile to my face and I could almost hear my father s voice as he told me stories of sitting on this rock with a hard loaf of bread, dunking it in the water to soften it to eat, after a long day of fishing. After reaching the island and seeing these landmarks firsthand, I could understand the joy I heard in his voice as he relived his memories. As a child growing up in Waltham, two large photos of Filicudi hung by our family s fireplace. One featured my grandmother, standing by a large stonewall that my father and grandfather had built by hand and that bordered the family property. The other one featured a mausoleum inscribed with the words Family of Gregorio Rando where my grandparents, aunt, and uncle had been laid to rest. In 1930, my father commissioned this memorial, built as a tribute to honor the memories of his family. Yet, while my father had had it built, he never saw the finished work. During my trip, when I got to see and touch these landmarks, I was elated, never having experienced such joy and happiness. It was a thrill to see the actual landmarks, after seeing them only in pictures for so many years! The pictures, his stories, his voice all came back to me. His memories came to life, becoming new memories for me, captured in my own photographs. I didn t realize how much the trip would affect me. It increased my appetite to learn more about my own heritage, my father s life, and his homeland. Island life was very hard. I m glad that my father left the island for a better life in America. I m also happy that he left behind remembrances of my heritage on the island. My father passed away when he was 60 years old. I wish that many years ago when my dad was alive, I had asked him more questions about his life on the island. At that time, I never dreamed I would be so interested in my family roots and that I would ever want to see Filicudi. Going to Filicudi was delightful and fulfilling. It was the most rewarding vacation that I have ever taken. My only regret was not to be able to find the house in which my father grew up, our ancestral home. This past June I made a return visit to Filicudi with a group of other descendents of Filicudi. I visited the Eolian Emigration Museum on the island of Salina and was elated to see my father s picture there. I have donated several of my father s papers and pictures to the museum to keep memories of him alive. But, best of all, the highlight of my trip, thanks to Catherine Umina, our group leader and trip organizer, was to go to my father s house. This experience completed my dream.

5 VOLUME II ISSUE 2 LA CANNA SIREN PAGE 5 Highlights of my Visit to the Eolian Islands by Fr, Jack Mandile, SJ My trip to the Eolian Islands and Sicily was a mixture of R & R and a retreat wherein I left the cares and noise of the world behind and contemplated all God s creation.... the sky, the volcanoes, the cerulean waters, the bougainvillea and the history of the many varied peoples whose cultures helped to fashion the islands as they stand today. We found the people on the islands and in Messina, Catania, Taormina, Siracusa to be trustworthy regarding money transactions: there was no fear of stealing. I even left the door to my room open in the three hotels in which we stayed. That s how honest the people seemed to be. Clara Rametta of the Hotel Signum on Salina was very helpful and spent generous amounts of time with me gathering facts regarding my mother s father, Joseph (Giuseppe) Marchese. Remembering our ancestors makes our lives more fascinating and fulfilling and the Eolian Museum of Emigration was like a movie of our past. All the tour guides who tended to us did not treat us with business as usual. but as willing students. The 51 other people with me were another highlight of the trip, and Sicilia Mondo Dinner Dance On Saturday, October 23rd Sicilia Mondo, one of our sister societies, is holding its annual dinner dance from 7PM until midnight at the Sons of Italy Hall, Watertown, MA and our president, Maria Taranto, will be honored as Woman of the Year Exceptional Italian music will be provided by Enzo Amara s popular band Volare. Contact Anthony Lo- Nigro, president at for tickets. in our group there were grandfathers and grandmothers, their children and grandchildren. The close bonding of the grandchildren with their grandparents was an experience because we don t see this too much in America anymore. Each day the grandchildren sought out their grandparents and kept close to them, attending to their needs, not leaving them alone. Panoramically, I enjoyed taking the ferries and hydrofoils (aliscafi) among the beautiful unspoiled, unpolluted, peace-loving islands we touched upon: just drinking in the sun, alone with my thoughts, yet surrounded by others; just letting the sounds, the air, the sights of the vistas of water, sun and clouds and of the islands evoke good feelings of what must have been, what is now and what will be! Shopping can be delightful also, especially when buying for others, and, I might add, for yours truly too, especially in Milazzo for ceramics. I also spent a good amount of leisurely time in Taormina next to the Caesar Palace Hotel buying four pairs of leather shoes (one dress and three sandals) and four leather belts. All come from God s creatures and that made me feel good and thankful. Eating out is always an adventure and was fulfilling, especially at the three hotels where we stayed. Getting up and serving myself from a buffet, choosing what appeals YOUR AD HERE Maria Taranto was elected as an Honorary member of C.I.R.C.E. The research arm of the Eolian-Emigration Museum housed on the island of Salina Sicily. to my appetite is what I call freedom and complete satisfaction, but socializing at these meals with my fellow Sicilian brothers and sisters and those from the Eolian islands, Lipari, Filicudi, Salina, etc. was the embodiment of the tour. Many a laugh breaks the ice, many a story of one s life is a mirror of another s and so brings interest, empathy and compassion. After we arrived it took me seven days to recover my regular routine of sleeping. In those seven days, I awoke at 3 AM and had to start my day, but looking back it was worth it. I can now picture my three grandparents in Lipari and Messina, but I am happy that they left there to come to America, the land of opportunity, and to be a great part of my life, and of whom I am today. And so now back at home we can daydream about all the places, the sights and the people that we visited. And we hope that, as sisters and brothers in God s family, we made their lives better, socially and spiritually, as they did ours. Our thanks to God for our health and to our guardian angels who watched over us the whole time, and, of course, thanks to Santo Stefano, San Bartolomeo, Sant Agata... and how can we forget Marina Lunga and Marina Corta in Lipari? Molto grazie tutti!! Is that the right expression? Donations We wish to thank Angelo Taranto, Wayne Brasco, John Vecchione, Nancy Rando O Connell, Victor Santamaria, Anthony Rando, Frances Rando Dufromont, Mary Mobilia Picone, Cathy Umina and Maria Taranto who have contributed family memorabilia and/or money to the society and to the emigration museum on Salina. We are also grateful for donations at Heritage Day and our Santo Stefano Picnic and to 55 of our members who have paid their dues.

6 VOLUME II ISSUE 2 LA CANNA SIREN U Pani Caliatu by Linda Giardina Brooks PAGE 6 My trip to Italy reminded me how much I like stale bread. My husband and I were traveling with 50 family members and friends who have ancestors from Italy. I wasn t thinking about stale bread as I stood in the parking lot of the Sacred Heart Church, which I attended with my family when I was a child growing up in Waltham, Massachusetts. I was wondering if I would recognize friends that I hadn t seen since junior high school. I didn t have to wait long for soon the parking lot was full of cars, and people were rushing towards each other to hug and greet friends they hadn t seen for years. Then, we loaded a bus for Logan airport in Boston and in seven hours we landed in Italy. This group was special: our ancestors weren t from Rome, Florence or Naples. They came from a magical place called the Eolian Islands. These seven islands located off the northern coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea even have magical names: Lipari, Salina, Stromboli, Panarea, Vulcano, Filicudi and Alicudi. On the largest island, Lipari, we visited the Centro Studi di Ricerche della Storia e Problemi dell Eoliani (Center for the Study and Research of the History and Problems of the Eolian People). At the end of our meeting I purchased a cookbook that the center published. The cookbook consists of recipes collected by interviewing some of the oldest people on the islands and writing down their recipes. I didn t open the book until I was back in Washington because I knew I would have plenty of time to read it at home and I wanted to spend my time on the trip renewing friendships and talking with people I hadn t seen for so many years. When I did pick up the book to read it, I noticed the title Pani Caliatu, (Twice- Cooked Bread). I remembered that pani caliatu was a food we ate very often when I was growing up, and it was one of my favorites. All of a sudden I was back in my mother s kitchen mixing a bowl of pani caliatu. So many memories flashed before me that my eyes filled with tears. So now, let me tell you about this life-sustaining, simple staple of the islands. The chapter on Bread says The first thing we noticed was an unusual architectural feature of all the older island houses - a vault-stone oven built right into a corner of the kitchen. The researcher found that bread was a central theme in the islanders food culture. Pani caliatu was a staple because twice-baked bread would last forever, and making bread that would last forever was a matter of economy. The more bread you made in one baking, the less wood was burned, and wood was a scarce commodity. Fresh bread was made only on breadmaking days, and was never baked on Friday or Sunday. Ovens were named for the number of loaves that could be baked in one go. A 20-kilo oven would make enough bread for a week, but a 30 or 50 kilo oven would make enough for a month. The whole family participated in making the bread. The men took over the first kneading because it required brute force. They were also responsible for keeping the fire going. The ability to judge the temperature of the oven was crucial to making successful bread and was accomplished by discriminating the whiteness of the dome-vault stones. When the bread was baked, the bread-makers got to have a treat of fresh bread stuffed with cherry tomatoes, onions, capers or anchovies, and drizzled with olive oil. Then the rest of the bread went back into the warm oven and would stay there over-night. One woman described the process and result in poetic language: As the temperature slowly falls, the bread takes on a lovely golden hue and gently gives up its moisture. The next morning you have pani caliatu. Pani caliatu was a special treat in our home. While my mother often made fresh pasta and ravioli, I don t remember her baking bread, probably because there was an excellent bakery within walking distance of our home and we could get fresh bread whenever we wanted to. However, we did twice-bake the bread just for the pleasure of it. Every Sunday morning after church my father and I would walk the mile or so to the bakery and buy two to three loaves of freshly baked bread. Sunday morning walks with my father were very special to me, and are among my most cherished memories. Of course, we would talk and eat half a loaf on our walk home. When the bread got stale, my mother would put it in a warm oven until it was a golden brown. Sometimes we would have more stale bread than we could eat in one sitting. I was always happy when that happened because pani caliatu was and is one of my favorite foods. The next time you are in an Italian bakery, pick up a loaf or two of hearty Italian bread - not the kind that is airy and spongy - it should be dense. Take it home, put it in a warm oven until it is Newsletter Staff Editor: Maria Taranto, Assistant Editor: John Curt Mahon, Lay-out: Tom Taranto, Contributing Writers this issue: Fran Rando Dufromont, Fr. Jack Mandile S.J., Linda Giardina Brooks La Canna Siren c/o Maria Taranto 24 Trafton Road, Framingham, MA 01702

7 VOLUME II ISSUE 2 LA CANNA SIREN PAGE 7 SOCIETY NOTES MONEY MATTERS: Budget and Membership Newly Married We are a philanthropically based society and, therefore, should have enough extra money to offer charitable donations on a yearly basis. Since we are trying to include more activities for more of our members, our expenses are greater than in the past. Yet, we still keep the cost of our only fundraiser, our benefit dinner dance, as low as possible. This year we have introduced member-dues. We now have about 55 paid up members. Yet, about 150 members regularly attend our functions and about 225 members receive the newsletter, which is a costly item. Please consider paying your dues. The following lists our activities, expenses, proceeds and charitable donations for We began with money in reserve. Activities Expenses Proceeds Donations Heritage Day Santo Stefano Family Picnic Newsletter: Spring & Fall Dinner Dance (tickets & raffle) Hospitality (Mass cards, flowers) Miscellaneous: postage, copies, fees Contributions Received Donations Made * Total $ $ $ * These funds came from a raffle and individual donations earmarked expressly for the museum Jennifer Taranto, our society s secretary, and Thomas Vitolo were married on June 26th 2004 at the Marsh Chapel of Boston University and spent part of their honeymoon on Filicudi. Grandparents Nancy Rando O Connell is the proud grandmother of Sara Rose O Connell, born April 23rd, CURRENT OFFICERS Maria Taranto, president; Cathy Umina, vice president; Pat Rando, treasurer; Jennifer Taranto, recording secretary and Phil Giardina, correspondence secretary. Along with the foregoing members, Anthony Rando and Roland Vanaria are trustees. SOCIETY ADDRESSES For completed membership applications: Cathy Umina, 60 Range Rd, Concord MA, For donations payable to Filicudi Associates, Inc. to Pat Rando, 132 Bright Street, Waltham, MA For newsletter business: Maria Taranto, 24 Trafton Road, Framingham, Massachusetts, General correspondence to Maria or Cathy at their respective address listed above or Maria at minevasowl2@earthlink.net or Cathy at cathy@filicudi.org. REMEMBERING OUR DECEASED MEMBERS *Anthony DeLosa, Sr. *Giovanna (Jenny) Ferlazzo *George Domeniconi, *Salvatore Ferro *Virginia Pittorino Hanley *Rose Giardina Mandile *Marion J. Cappadona Mesite *Rose Giardina Rando *Cuono Angelo Coney Taranto *Thomas R. Tucker Taranto Although we are incorporated as a not-for-profit society in the state of Massachusetts, LEGAL ADVICE NEEDED we have never applied for tax-exempt status. We currently pay taxes for services and goods. Recognition by the IRS of our tax exempt status would allow us franking privileges on postage, remove tax expenses and also provide a tax incentive to attract more and larger donations. While we have been working on this problem, we have been hampered by not knowing the best way to approach achieving our goal. If you can offer consultation, or can recommend someone who can, we would be most appreciative. Please contact Maria Taranto, president,

8 FILICUDI ASSOCIATES OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS 2005 NEW/ RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION DUES: Individual: $10.00/ year, Family: $25.00/year, Life Membership $50.00 Please check one Social Member (Any person who wants only to attend social functions of the society.) Regular Member (A Filicudato or spouse, or a descendant of Filicudati.) Life Member (Individual over 65 years of age.) Name Address Number/Street Town/City Zip Code Telephone/E mail address Please detach or copy this application and send it with a check, made payable to Filicudi Associates, Inc. to: Ms. Cathy Umina, V.P., Chair of the Membership Committee, 160 Range Road, Concord, MA THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FILICUDI ASSOCIATES OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS Maria Taranto, President, 24 Trafton Road Framingham, MA We re on the Web