Italian Roots

Eleanor started this piece about her father during a writer's workshop session and read it to us after she wrote it.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of leading the group is hearing these stories read by the authors themselves.  As a group they provide respectful and important feedback to each other. 

                                      A Gentle Giant

                                               By Eleanor Bongiorno

     I recall my father as a strong, kind man who, despite numerous adversities, achieved much in his lifetime.

     The second oldest in his family, he was born in Italy.  His older brother died  of a childhood illness.

     He, age 7, his parents and younger siblings immigrated to the United Staes where, after learning English, he attended a one-room schoolhouse in the Pittsburgh area.  My grandfather worked the coal mines and the family lived in the "company house" and shopped in the "company stores."

     At age 14, because of economic necessity, my father left school to join my grandfather working in the coal mines.  Seeking a better future, the family migrated to New Jersey to work in the textile industry.

     My mom and dad were married in October, 1929, just before the beginning of the infamous Great Depression.

     They lost my younger sister in infancy.

     Though lacking in formal education, my dad read, and absorbed all he could.  I recall him reading poetry to me and my brother.

     When a failing textile business emerged, he seized the opprotunity, purchased it and truned it into a successful business.

     I will always be proud of his accomplishments in achieving the American dream.