Frank Di Piero was born in Chicago and is 100% Italian origin. He has traveled to Italy many times and attended two study abroad programs in Italy, one in Roma and one in Firenze. He is the former President of The Harlem Avenue Italian & American Business Association and was on the committee to start an Italian American Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago. He is a Director of Casa Italia, and LITTLE ITALY Cenetta. He is a volunteer at Casa Italia Library and the Italian Cultural Center.

Uncle Carlo was married to my mother’s sister, Della, and they lived in the same tenement house; his family on the first floor, ours on the third, grandparents, of course, on the second. Snowstorms thrilled him, and he blended that thrill with a desire to help people. When it snowed, he was ready. “This is a Northeaster. The chains are on the truck. Let’s go!”  I loved it. He had no fear, and so at thirteen, neither did I. Staying at home during a “Nor’easter” was simply out of the question. As I struggled to clasp the thousands of buckles on my rubber boots, he bellowed up the stairs, “C’mon, c’mon. Let’s go.”

We jumped into his ’49 Dodge two-door truck. Hard drops of sleet whacked the windshield. The cloth seats were cold. So were my feet. The whirring heater’s fan was gasping and cranking. But grumbling was not an option in Uncle’s world.

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It was exciting to watch him maneuver the clutch and the shift. With an ever-present cigar stub tucked in the corner of his mouth, its smell pervasive, a reliable box of Dutch Masters on the visor, he pushed the clutch, pulled the shift into first, stepped on the gas, wound it out, pushed the clutch, shifted into second, stepped on the gas, wound it out, pushed the clutch, shifted down to third, and toe-tapping the gas, he spun the wheels, the chains shrieked, and off we went. Sometimes, and I could not figure why, he would skip the second step and go from first to third with a world-class move. To drive like that was my desire. I had three years to wait.

The defroster barely melted the ice on the windshield. The tiny wipers hardly had a chance to clear. Uncle could hardly see, so he leaned forward and squinted. We trudged along, heater whirring, chains clanging the fenders, ice glazing the windows. Perfect.

Eager to help, he was looking for a stranded vehicle. “There! Right there!” He stopped, we jumped out. The air was fresh and heavy with the taste of cold and the force of the snow. Branches were cracking. Pigeons were hunkered on wires.

Latching a chain bumper to bumper, he backed the truck and pulled the car out. The motorist went off with a hail of “Thank-you’s” filling the air. Uncle Carlo smiled, bit down on his cigar, and yelped, “Let’s go!”

The world is full of opportunities to help. Uncle Carlo’s passion for helping was infectious.

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli is the author of three popular memoirs, “Growing up Italian; Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories”, “What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner” and “My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High.”  Learn more HERE. 

Farmers and Nobles — Sorrentino

Farmers and Nobles is a prime example of what can be accomplished in the field of genealogical research. Author Sorrentino, a retired banker and successful podcaster, shows us how it is done. If you are interested in tracing your genealogy, this is a book for you.

The beginning of Mr. Sorrentino’s quest was the serendipitous discovery of a picture postcard sent from Italy to his grandfather in the early 1900’s. One question about the photo led to another and before long his quest became an obsession. He refers to it as a “calling.” Bringing our ancestors out of the past and into the present is a way of honoring them. Through marriage and birth records, Mr. Sorrentino was able to trace his ancestry back through hundreds of years. He traced two of his family lines, one side of the family finds its roots in the land, the other in nobility. Thus, the title of the book.

Perhaps the most important chapter in the book is toward the end. Research Primer explains many of the tools and methods he used to find these amazing records. He also includes photos from the archives so you can see what you are getting into. With patience and persistence,Author Sorrentino found his way to helpful resources which he names specifically in this chapter. Among them are: Antenati, Angelfire, trecanni.it, Libro di Oro Mediterranean, familysearch.org, Bella Italia Genealogy and more. 

Of particular excitement for the author is his guided Grand Rooting Trip. With a guide he travelled throughout Italy visiting his roots, his ancestral places, and meeting long-lost relatives. A perfect culmination of years of genealogical research…a well-spent retirement!

Even if you are not into genealogy, this book is a treat and a worth-while read. Since Author Sorrentino traces his noble line back to numerous famous ruling houses of Italy, he provides us with historical sketches refreshing our knowledge of Italy’s long and complex history.