In The Beginning

Actually my Grandparents weren’t the very beginning.The Family Tree goes back to many

centuries before them.But for my purpose I will begin with them.

  My Dad’s Father came from Gagliano,Sicily.There were three brothers and one sister in the Family of Grazia

Rizza and Domenico Salvia.My Grandfather Giuseppe was one of the brothers.Grazia and Domenico had four

children.Girolomo was the oldest and Cataldo was the youngest of the boys.Maria was the young daughter.

  The children would come to America –each separately and a year apart in the early

days of the 1900’s.They would come to the Bushwick Section of Brooklyn,N.Y.

Grandfather worked for Brooklyn Gas Co. and at one point in his life he was in an excavation  explosion that

burned his legs and left heavy scars,His younger brother Cataldo and now called Charlie was a Sanitation

Worker.In the old days he was known as a street cleaner and worked with a pail,broom and shovel.Girolomo’s

occupation is unknown to me.My Grandmother was from Sicily also and came from a town called Caltanisseta.She

was an excellent housewife.

My Grandfather had a very uplifting attitude about life.Don’t ever cross my

Grandmother because she wouldn’t talk to you for a million eternities.

She was small in stature with the strength of Goliath.I guess you could say she was iron-willed.

My Mom’s Father was the Vice President of an Ice Cream Co. that was called Mellow

Ice  Cream later changed to Sunshine and afterward to Sunbeam.Years later it

would be sold to the DairyCrest Ice Cream Co. and still later sold to Hagan Daz.

My Grandfather came from Sciacca,Sicily and had many brothers and sisters.

Sciacca is a fishing port in the southwestern part of Sicily.My Grandmother was also

from Sciacca and it has been said that she was my Grandfather’s cousin.They had

a large family.My Grandfather was a businessman.When I was a child I remember he

had a dog named ‘Baby’ which I believe was a white spitz.Wherever he went, Baby went.

My Grandmother was a Housewife.She loved shopping in the Market Place and making

all kinds of fish dinners and pasta dishes for the family.

    My Grandparent’s on each side were both from the same island of Sicily;however

they were quite different in their lifestyles.My Dad’s Parent’s were farmers and lived

off the land.

My Mom’s Parent’s were more affluent and owned fishing boats and lived a more lavish lifestyle.

My Grandparent’s on both sides would one day become such as the likes of the

Montague’s and Capulets – the Parents of Romeo and Juliet.But that is for another

page,so we shall wait.