This account is based on some research of the State and Federal naturalization archives and the Ellis Island Foundation archives but, mainly it is based on stories as they were told to me by my father and mother.
At the age of 29, my grandfather, Salvatore, left Alia, Sicily and headed for America and for prosperity. The little village of Alia is perched on the hills of the Palermo province in Sicily. According to immigration records, on August 28th 1905, Salvatore Guccione landed on the historic Ellis Island, the icon for liberty to most immigrants during that era, and he traveled west and settled in St. Louis where other extended family members were already living. He set about doing what he knew best, selling produce, which later would grow into a grocery store called Guccione’s Market. Around 1908, his wife and two children, Guiseppe and Francesca joined Salvatore in St. Louis. Although I can’t pin-point their exact date of immigration, (Guccione’s from Sicily are like Smiths in the U. S.) I believe this time-line is accurate. Within a year of immigration both children Guiseppa and Francesca died; Guiseppe of the flu and Francesca tragically by a streetcar.
On April 24th, 1910, my father was born, the first son born in America. He was now the eldest living child of Salvatore and Angelina and they registered his name as Joseph Bernard the English derivative of Guiseppe Bernardo after his deceased brother, although my grandmother always called him Guiseppe. Later they would have a daughter, Frances, who they named after her deceased sister, Francesca, and then two more sons, Antonino and Leonardo.
It does seem kind of like the 'Cinderella Syndrome' that my father, Joseph, being a son of immigrant parents was able to go to college and get his medical degree long before pell grants, work/study programs, grants to minority ethnic groups and the such were offered. But as the story goes Medical School was made possible because my grandmother’s tenacity toward saving money. Around 1918, my grandfather, Salvatore, took his eldest son, Joe, who was then about 7 or 8 years old and headed west to California (pictured above). He purchased some fertile ground for a vineyard and orchard. Salvatore was able to send his wife money from the profits and was able to borrow against the land to purchase more and more fertile California valley ground.
At the age of 29, my grandfather, Salvatore, left Alia, Sicily and headed for America and for prosperity. The little village of Alia is perched on the hills of the Palermo province in Sicily. According to immigration records, on August 28th 1905, Salvatore Guccione landed on the historic Ellis Island, the icon for liberty to most immigrants during that era, and he traveled west and settled in St. Louis where other extended family members were already living. He set about doing what he knew best, selling produce, which later would grow into a grocery store called Guccione’s Market. Around 1908, his wife and two children, Guiseppe and Francesca joined Salvatore in St. Louis. Although I can’t pin-point their exact date of immigration, (Guccione’s from Sicily are like Smiths in the U. S.) I believe this time-line is accurate. Within a year of immigration both children Guiseppa and Francesca died; Guiseppe of the flu and Francesca tragically by a streetcar.
On April 24th, 1910, my father was born, the first son born in America. He was now the eldest living child of Salvatore and Angelina and they registered his name as Joseph Bernard the English derivative of Guiseppe Bernardo after his deceased brother, although my grandmother always called him Guiseppe. Later they would have a daughter, Frances, who they named after her deceased sister, Francesca, and then two more sons, Antonino and Leonardo.
It does seem kind of like the 'Cinderella Syndrome' that my father, Joseph, being a son of immigrant parents was able to go to college and get his medical degree long before pell grants, work/study programs, grants to minority ethnic groups and the such were offered. But as the story goes Medical School was made possible because my grandmother’s tenacity toward saving money. Around 1918, my grandfather, Salvatore, took his eldest son, Joe, who was then about 7 or 8 years old and headed west to California (pictured above). He purchased some fertile ground for a vineyard and orchard. Salvatore was able to send his wife money from the profits and was able to borrow against the land to purchase more and more fertile California valley ground.
Back in St. Louis, Angelina, used the money her husband sent home to pay off their home, which housed their meager store downstairs. The rest she stuffed in her mattress. Was that a tenacity and prudence to save money? Personally, I think the fact that she spoke very broken English and was totally illiterate and remained so until her death in 1975 was the key factor in her not dealing with a bank. Remember Sicilians had a tendency to be suspicious of outsiders. So as any Sicilian peasant would do, she socked the hard cash away in the house.
When prohibition came along in 1920 that did not dampen the California business as my grandfather turned the wine business into a wholesale produce business, growing and selling. By this time he was making trips back and forth to California where he had employed extended family members to operate Guccione’s Wholesale Produce. Prosperity did seem to be heading for the Sal Guccione’s until 1929. It was the stock market crash and ensuing “Great Depression. The bank called in Sal’s notes on the California land and he was able to keep very little of this fertile ground.
But while so many lost their jobs, homes and became destitute, Salvatore and Angelina maintained. They owned their house, they owned their store and had a little extra income yet from California property and by such they sustained a meager cash flow and rode the waves of the Great Depression …all the while sleeping on hard cash stuffed in their mattress and god knows where else in their house.
When prohibition came along in 1920 that did not dampen the California business as my grandfather turned the wine business into a wholesale produce business, growing and selling. By this time he was making trips back and forth to California where he had employed extended family members to operate Guccione’s Wholesale Produce. Prosperity did seem to be heading for the Sal Guccione’s until 1929. It was the stock market crash and ensuing “Great Depression. The bank called in Sal’s notes on the California land and he was able to keep very little of this fertile ground.
But while so many lost their jobs, homes and became destitute, Salvatore and Angelina maintained. They owned their house, they owned their store and had a little extra income yet from California property and by such they sustained a meager cash flow and rode the waves of the Great Depression …all the while sleeping on hard cash stuffed in their mattress and god knows where else in their house.
Next will be - Joseph Bernard Guccione
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