| Campodipietra - Immigration to Canada
The first Campopietrese immigrated in Montreal in 1890, the beloved Dominico
Lombardi (according to the old sayings).
In 1905 three young people aged between 15 and 16 : Giovanni Francalangia,
Vincenzo Cefaratti and Giuseppe Mancini (Peppucce Cosavecchia) arrived
in Canada after fleeing the injustices of the duca Japoce, aboard a ship
on which they had embarked illegally.
The mass of the campopietrese who immigrated to Montreal arrived between
the 1950 and 1960. Among the mass of immigrants there were and there still
are founders of the Associazione Culturale di Campodipietra a Montreal,
who intends to convey to young people's pride and honor of its origins.
About our origins, we seek to discover those names of family campopietresi
that are here now, and are part of our daily lives.
Here are some according to the historian Francesco Rossi:
In 1522 Ioanne Petrecchia, Biase di Cristofano, Ioanne Del Conti, Ioanne
de Pilla, Pascale De Maio, Jacopo de Cicco, Angelo of Mariano Ansaleo,
Cero of Rugiero, Angelo de Benedicto, Stefano Mangino, Donato Colasanti,
Vito Pascivento, Cola Maczarano, Antuono Pasciventre, Donato Mariano de
Cola Rosa, Ioanne de Martino, Antuono Colasanti alias Pilla, Guglielmo
Santarello, Alessandro detto Fauziello, Angelo di Domenico detto GrossoDominico
detto Ciarlozzo, Pietro Scricca, Antuono Ciarufo, Antuono of Mastro Martino.
Over the years there are family names which have changed and others where
added.
In 1658: Porzia Cesarotto vedova Angeloni, Criscento di Criscento, Antonio
Avirro, Domenico Ricciardo, Giuseppe di Micco, Carulo Barile, Maruccia
Antonaccio, F rancesca vedova di Gio di Luca, Iacono di Maio, Mariano
Bruno, Jacopo Palmiero, Angelo D'Agata, Noè Pavento, Angela Rossi,
Domenico Carlone, Bernardino Carriero, Francesco Lamenta, Angela di Santo,
Ioanne D'Agata alias Ritone, Carlo di Cocco, Giambattista Perrotta, Ippolita
Chiovitto, Nardo Mancini, Don Cosmo Rossi, Rosa della Petrella, Donato
of Attellis married to Domenica Ianitri and his brother Marco married
to Laura Lamenta.
Secular and ancient surnames of popular campopietrese families still
continue to preserve and honor among old and new generations these surnames
even overseas.
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IMMIGRANT PROFILES
OF CAMPOPIETRESE
Domenico Di Maio
Born in Campodipietra on July 26th 1922, now Domenico Di Maio, is the
oldest Campopietrese living in Montrreal. Our current "grandfather"
is better known by the name of Annuccio; and this is due to the fact that
July 26th is the feast of St. Anne, patron saint of the nearby town of
Ielsi and whose devotion is well felt throughout Molise and even here
in Montreal is one of the patronal feasts that draws the attention of
every ethnic group of the Canadian metropolis.
Son of Gaetana Mariano and Michele Di Maio, in 1948 he was married in
the mother church of San Martino in Campodipietra, with Filomena Carriero,
daughter of Giovanni and Angela Antonia D'Attellis, also born in Campodipietra
on the 28th of August 1924. Their union was acclaimed by the birth of
two boys: Michele on May 20th, 1949 and Giovanni on May 12th, 1953. To
this day they both reside in Montreal where Michele lives with Monica
Pauline Fitzsimons and Giovanni is married to Noree Lauzier who have enriched
Domenico and Mena's family with two wonderful grandchildren: Laura in
1987 and Alexandra in 1991.
Going back to Domenico's life, in 1941 he was drafted in the army and,
although he was not sent to the front, he was stationed in Sardinia where
he remained until the signing of the armistice. In the specifics of his
being an emigrant, his first migratory experience was in Venezuela and
precisely in Maracaibo where he worked modestly, not having the possibility
of enjoying jobs more suited to his qualities as a craftsman. In 1960
he crossed the American skies and came to Canada where his brothers Peppino
and Michele resided. First in Toronto and then in Windsor he once again
adapted to manual work in various companies, such as Chrysler...where
unfortunately, the pay was quite low. And so he turned his eyes to Montreal
where he moved permanently and where in the 60s and 70s he worked in the
painting department in the factory of a fellow Campopietrese: the late
Michele Lombardi. In the 80s, always with the same job as a painter, he
lent his talents in the furniture factory Patella. His wife Filomena worked
both as a seamstress in the needle trade and as a housewife. In 1998,
unfortunately, she suffered a stroke and after 4 years, on September 22nd
2002, she left us forever. She arrived in Montreal with her two children
on November 12, 1961 aboard the mythical Saturnia.
As a good Campopietrese, Annuccio continues to be a faithful devotee of
our patron saint; as everyone knows, in fact, he was one of the pillars
of the Pilgrimage Association to St. Michael the Archangel. He currently
lives in his home in Rivière des Prairies; he is completely autonomous
and, at the envied age of 97, he can still drive and move on his own and
in complete lucidity of mind: and so best wishes to you for many more
years, grandfather Domenico, alias Annuccio!
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