52 Ancestors Week 9: Changing Names

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 9

The theme for Week 9 is "Changing Names." Our ancestors' names were more fluid that we often think. Whether it's using a middle name as a first name, using a nickname, or Americanizing a name to "fit in," our ancestors usually went by more than one name during their lifetime. (And let's not forget the women who changed their surname each time they got married!) This week, write about an ancestor with a changing name.

Giuseppe= Joseph

    Before we get started with this week's blog, let me share this rather important message from the genealogical superstars out there. No one's last name was EVER changed at Ellis Island! The manifests were made at the port of departure before your immigrant ancestor ever arrived in New York. If any name changes occured, it likely happened well after their arrival when they decided "Zhokhar the Unbouncable" was just too hard a name for some people to deal with so they decided to be "Ken Adams" instead. Personally, I'd have stuck with Zhokhar. That way you could strike fear in the hearts of those who would dare oppose you!

    I can honestly say that no one in my family tree has legally changed their last names. The Italians in the tree basically just translated their first names in order to better assimilate into the culture they found themselves living in. "Giuseppe" became "Joseph". "Giovanna" became "Jenny" and of course "Vincenzo" became "James". That last one confuses people and was a topic of one of my early blogs. Check it out here. I think it might be time to take a closer look at that phenomenon because it still puzzles my father and chances are you're scratching your head thinking about the issue right now. Shh. It'll be okay. I promise.

Nicolina, Vincenzo and Cathie.

   My great-grandfather Vincenzo Ferraiolo was one of the many Vincenzos out there who went by the name "James" in America. You might be asking yourself why that is. The name "Vincenzo" should translate to "Vincent" because "Giacomo" translates into "James". Well, you're right. However, things aren't always what they seem. 

    Believe it or not there have been studies as to why "Vincenzo" became "James" such as this one from the "Italian Journal". The article explains how certain Italian names had English equivalents like the ones I mentioned earlier and correctly states that names were translated in order for the immigrant ancestor to be assimilated into the new culture.

    That's all well and good and everything. But, the article never really gives me or the reader a direct answer as to how Vincenzo became James.  I hate it when articles promise something and never deliver. That's a type of clickbait and I advise you all to stay away from that and videos that do the same thing.  I mean the article says there's "No definitive answer". To that I say..."Hold my root beer. I'm about to blow some minds."

Aunt Nickie sporting groovy
'60s hair.

    If there's one thing I've learned from talking to my friends and family living in Europe it's that the name "Vincenzo" has many nicknames associated with it. One of the nicknames is "Cenz". When you say that name out loud, it sort of sounds like "James", doesn't it? I imagine gets more prominent if you have a thick Italian accent.

    So, with that in mind. Wouldn't it make sense that the nickname somehow evolved into "James" once he spent some time in America? Seems logical doesn't it? Let me pitch this scenario for you.

    Vincenzo is at a dinner with some non Italian friends and his wife says "Cenz, can you come over here for a minute?" The friends hear "James" and everyone starts to call him by that name. It sticks and then he signs documents with the name "James Ferraiolo". In fact, it's the name he uses in the census, draft cards, passports and any other record under the sun.

    Now, doesn't that seem logical? I mean it makes sense to me. Of course, I might be wrong with my guess. It does seem logical doesn't it? 

    Bloggers like the "Hardcore Italians" seem to agree with my assertations and to be honest it makes the most sense. You all know me. I like it when things make sense! Hardcore Italians having more "street cred" than a psychologist is not something I ever would have had on my Internet bingo card, though. Check out their YouTube Channel!  Anyway, the blog explains in great detail how "Cenz" is a nickname for "Vincenzo" and how it sounds like "James" in English. 

    When an Italian says "Cenz", it sounds like "James" as I said earlier because the Italian pronunciation of "Vincenzo" is much different from the English pronunciation. The "c" in the Italian version makes a "ch" sound like "church" or "channel". In English, the "c" sounds like "cent".

Vincenzo is "James" on his passport.

    I think  the "Hardcore Italians"  blog may have won the debate here. Someone better give them all of cannoli and biscotti they can eat! I've actually been curious about the topic myself. I remember seeing a copy of "Italian American Monthly" sitting on my cousin Carol's coffee table and they had a cover story discussing the issue. Because of that cover, my dad and the cousins spent an hour discussing the issue! He ended up taking the magazine home and was taken aback by the article's lack of an answer to the "puzzle".

    The theory put forth by "Hardcore Italians" holds water because it makes the most sense. They explained the phoenetics and people in Europe agree with those assertations. So, there we have it! Mystery solved! Right? RIGHT!

    Well, Vincenzo here did sign his name as "James" on various records like I said. I just think he did that in order to assimilate. "James" became "Jimmy" and that's how my dad and my brother got their names since they're both named "James".

    The most interesting thing about all of this is that on his gravestone at Saint Patrick's cemetery in Haverhill he is listed as "Vincenzo Ferraiolo". Now, why do you suppose that is? My best guess is that like many Italians he wanted to have the name he was born with on his gravestone. The same thing happened with my grandfather Marco and all four of my Italian great-grandparents. People wanted to honor the culture they came from on their final resting place. I've seen many stones in that cemetery with the Italian names on the stones rather than the English ones. There are some exceptions, though.

    So, now we know how "Vincenzo" became "James". Is it a definitive answer? Looks like it to me. Does it make sense? Yes, it does. "Vincenzo" becoming "James" shouldn't be that big of a puzzle because if you look hard enough, you'll find that the answer was in right front of you the whole time. That's actually my favorite solution to a puzzle. 

See ya next time!

52 Ancestors Week 8: Heirlooms

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 8

The theme for Week 8 is "Heirlooms." What is something special that has been passed down in your family? Who was the original owner? Who has it now? Why is it special? Remember, an heirloom doesn't have to have great monetary value. It just needs to have significance to your family.

Hop in. I'll take you for a ride!

        Sometimes it feels like my house is a museum. We have heirlooms from both sides of my family within these walls from conference tables that have been turned into coffee tables to a collection of canes and swords. We even have a century old dining room set! And let's not get into the many collections I personally have! It's easy to see that we have a ton of old stuff hanging around and I'm glad we have them! However, there are some things I'm GLAD we don't have like my grandmother Natalie's creepy doll collection. Those have been safely distributed amongst my cousins and are very, very far away from me. Just thinking about their soulless eyes gives me the creeps. They're like Funko Pops. Completely soulless.

    One of things I'm happy we have are these candlestick holders that originally belonged to my 2nd great-grandmother, Georgianna Ross. How we acquired them is an interesting tale because Georgianna never directly gave them to my mother. My mom was fortunate to have her great-grandmother around until the early 1970s. She and her siblings all used to call her "Little Grammy" because she was like four feet tall. If you've seen pictures of her in my blog standing near my grandfather Robert, you'd see that the nickname was well earned!

    Anyway, Little Grammy ending up giving the candlesticks to her son, Donald Laplante and it stayed with him and his family for a number of years. Eventually, Donald junior inherited the sticks and unfortunately his wife Faye got them when they got divorced.

    Don't worry! All isn't lost! We eventually got them after all! No need to call for a candlestick search party! Is that even a thing? Nah. Doubtful.

    Eventually, my mother became friends with Faye and she said that she had things in her house that originally belonged to Georgianna. Faye believed that the candlesticks should be with her family and since my mother was Georgianna's great-granddaughter, it made sense for the heirlooms to be at our house. Wow. Every once in a while humans amaze me. Gotta love generosity, right?  A lesser person would have sold those off on eBay and we'd never seen those things again!

See what I mean by "Little Grammy"?

    Now, the reason why they're so significant to our family is that we really don't have many things that belonged to a second great-grandparent. We have my 2nd great-grandfather Eugene Hamel's glasses. That's about it unless Vincenzo asked his parents to send over a few things from Italy. That's extremely doubtful!

    It's just really rare for me to have a little something that belonged to Georgianna. It means a lot to me because it's an item that belonged to an ancestor. Sure we have documents, photos and all kinds of things. Having a physical objects that belonged to an ancestor can make you feel connected to him or her because they likely held that item in their hands at one point. You just can't help but feel a connection.

    A candlestick may not seem important. However, it's the principle of the thing. It's an item that has great sentimental value and you really can't put a price on that. I wish I could say thanks to Faye for saving those stickholders for us. It definitely made my mom happy when she got them and that in and of itself is something you can't put a price tag on.

    Family heirlooms serve as a reminder of someone who left that item behind when they passed away. It can be anything from a painting they made or various needlepoints they left in a bag. Anything can be an heirloom and have a huge significance because of their sentimental value. I'm glad we have the candlestick holders and all the other things in our house. Though, I still think my great-grandfather Giuseppe's clock is haunted. 

See ya next time!

52 Ancestors Week 7: Immigration

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 7

The theme for Week 7 is "Immigration." For many people, genealogy starts with a desire to know where our family came from. This week, consider an immigrant ancestor: where they came from, why they came, or how different their life was between their "old country" and their new one.

Neil Diamond's "America" intensifies.

    Immigration has always been a genealogical topic that's been near and dear to my heart for as long as I can remember. Makes sense. I'm a grandson of a relatively recent immigrant. All four of my father's grandparents came from "the old country" aka Italy. I even have immigrants on my mother's side of the tree and most of them came from Canada and before that they came from France. (Insert Coneheads joke here.)

   The bottom line is everyone came to America from somewhere. It doesn't matter if it was in the 1600s or in the 1920s. The United States is a nation of immigrants and today I plan on sharing the story of my last two immigrant ancestors, my great-grandmother Maria Tedesco and her son, Marco Ferraiolo.

Vincenzo and Maria

    Maria was born in the Calabrian town of San Pietro a Maida on December 14th, 1900 to Antonio Tedesco and Maria Domenica Gullo. I'm not sure if she ever dreamt of pulling up stakes and moving clear across the Atlantic. But, I am sure she heard of the strange new land from her boyfriend Vincenzo Ferraiolo, who she ended up marrying in the January of 1921.

    Vincenzo had returned to San Pietro in 1920 after living in Haverhill, Massachusetts for eight years. His intention upon his return to Italy was to take a wife and start a family. Many Italian men did the same thing. They went back to the "old country" to get married. That's when he met Maria and where our story began.

    Vincenzo stayed in San Pietro until at least 1925 when my grandfather Marco was born. He then left San Pietro and went back to Haverhill, Mass. It would be some time before his wife and two children again. Chances are good that he helped to pay for their eventual trip to America on October 30th, 1929.

La famiglia di Ferraiolo

    It's pretty obvious to anyone reading this week's blog that Maria left for America to be with her husband. The kids needed their father and conditions seemed right for her to take the kids and go join him in Haverhill. However, there might have been more to it than that. Maria may have heard that her Tedesco relatives moved to Woburn, Mass and wanted to be near them. You never know. I don't want to put words in anyone's mouths. But, it's a nice thought isn't it?

    Anyway, Maria and the kids left for Haverhill aboard the Roma in late October and arrived in New York on November 8th, 1929. The adventure didn't stop there. They weren't going to stick around New York for long as their final destination was 12 Bedford street in Haverhill, the home of Vincenzo's first cousin once removed, Giovanni Coppola.

    Hopefully, Vincenzo met Maria and the kids in New York. It would have been bad form if he didn't show up and she was in New York with two small children. Yeah, I'm going to say she was picked up by her husband because the alternative is just too creepy to imagine.

    The trip to Haverhill from New York took roughly eight hours depending on if they went by train or by car. Cars didn't go 70 mph in those days so the drive must have taken forever.  Along the way, I'm sure Vincenzo and Maria caught up while the children napped. They likely also went over some of the cultural differences, what to do in America and assorted odds and ends. From what I've been told, Maria was pretty smart and likely understood everything by the end of the trip. 

No names were changed here. Ever.

        After arriving, her life in America was dramatically different from her life in Italy. Maria, Marco and Nicolina likely didn't know anyone in Haverhill aside from Vincenzo and his relatives. So, they likely stuck with them as they were in the neighborhood. It worked out well, I think. The kids called Vincenzo's aunt Concetta "Aunt Zia" I like to think that Concetta probably helped Maria adjust to life in Haverhill.

    I'm actually picturing the two in my head talking while the kids all played together. It's a good scenario to imagine and it's definitely a believable one. After all Concetta was born in San Pietro and was in Haverhill a long time before Maria and her children moved to the city. It stands to reason that she and the other former townspeople of San Pietro a Maida lended a hand or two when Vincenzo wasn't at home.

    Italian communities often rallied together when a new immigrant arrived on the scene and Maria and the kids were no exception. The people around them likely made the transition from living in Italy to living in America much easier by sharing what they went through and the experiences they had when they first arrived. They basically paid it forward in order to help Maria and her two kids.

Marco's first communion. No idea
who the girl behind him is.

   Maria's life may have been vastly different from what she was used to back in San Pietro. However, she had new friends and family around to help her and think that made a world of difference. Having people around who speak the same language and know where you came from can make the transition so much easier because let's face it. It's not easy to immigrate from one area of the planet to another.

    I really think that Maria and the kids were lucky in that they had the big community around them to help with their struggles. The help allowed them to assimilate and make friends a lot faster than the ones who came before them. Paying it forward to other immigrants can make a world of difference and make the struggles not  be so harsh.

    Did they still struggle? Of course they did. They were still "fish out of water". Again, they had the added benefit of those around them showing them the ropes and because of that, their lives in America would be so much better. To be honest, it probably helped any feeling of homesickness, too.

    The immigration experience was clearly different for Maria, Marco and Nicolina than it was for other immigrants who came to America a decade earlier. More people were around to help them assimilate into their new surroundings.  Every immigrant's experience is different, though and I'm glad family was around to help when they could.

See ya next time.

52 Ancestors Week 6: Earning a Living

From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 6

The theme for Week 6 is "Earning a Living." Knowing how our ancestors earned a living can give us insight into their lives. What occupations have you seen in your family? Is there an ancestor whose occupation wouldn't exist today or one whose job really resonates with you?

HERE COMES THE MONEY!

    A job that doesn't exist any more, huh? After thinking about it I can think of only one job in my family tree we don't really see in today's world. My great-grandfather, Alfred Hamel ran his own "Fix-it" shop on Inn Street in Newburyport up until his death in 1962 and you really don't see those shops around any more. These days repair shops are specific to one area of expertise. If your computer breaks down, you take it to a computer repair shop and hope/pray that some Geek Squad member can fix whatever is wrong with your computer. In Alfred's day, repair shops tended to be a bit less specific.

Gotta love that swagger.

     From what my mother told me, his shop tended to focus on a bit of everything from appliances to everything mechanical you can think of including safes and motors. As a little girl, she visited his shop often and saw all kinds of stuff scattered all over the place. It's little wonder that she often made my brother and I clean our rooms so often. She was not a fan of clutter AT ALL!

    That isn't to say Alfred wasn't good at his job. He was. In fact, he was a well-known and well-liked person within his community. His friends and neighbors all gave him the nickname "Mr. Fixit". So, he had to have been really good at what he did. You don't call someone "Mr. Fixit" if they weren't good at fixing things. It just doesn't work!

    Fixing things wasn't the only thing Alfred was good at doing. He also made keys. That's a pretty handy talent to have if your job was to fix a safe. I mean you're going to need keys once your safe is fixed, right? It would help.

   Shops like Alfred's tended to be places where everyone would go to because it was the only game in town. People came from all over Newburyport for his services and because of his excellent work his reputation would grow thanks to word of mouth. That's part of why he became so well-liked. I'm sure his personality might have played a huge role in keeping the business profitable.

Let's take a stroll!

    I wish I could say for certain where on Inn Street  the shop was. The area changed so much since Alfred was around and now the street is home to various restaurants, an ice cream parlor and clothing outlets. If there's one thing I know about downtown Newburyport it's that shops changed hands quite frequently. For example, one of the places where I used to buy comics is long gone. Talk about a sign of the times. 

   At least I have a good idea of where the building was since nothing was ever torn down as far as I can tell. For all I know this building I took a picture of was the fix-it shop. You never know. It could be. One thing's for sure. The neighborhood does seem kind of nice.

     If the fix-it shop was so great, why did it fall out of style? Well, times changed as illustrated by the picture. By the early 1960s, department stores like Sears appeared in the area and offered their own repair services. Small shops like my great-grandfather's couldn't compete with a corporation like that. Since he passed away in 1962 and the shop was still operating, I'm not sure if he ever felt the pressure from that specific store or anywhere else for that matter. However, we can say for certain other shops like his definitely felt the same crunch as time went on.

    It's a shame that repair shops like that no longer exist. Though, you could argue that the computer repair shops and other repair shops are the spiritual successor to the kind of shop Alfred ran. Think about it. They offer the same services at a reasonable price and sometimes the people running the joint treat you like a real person. Do they feel pressure from places like "Best Buy"? Sure. But, something about them just seems endearing and I hope they last a good long time.

See ya next time.

Picture of Inn Street is property of Google Maps.

52 Ancestors Week 5: Influencer

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 5

The theme for Week 5 is "Influencer." Although the word "influencer" has been watered down because of social media, all of us have had people who have influenced our lives. This week, write about that person or perhaps someone you know who influenced someone else in your family. Maybe you have a relative who would have been described as an influencer in their community. Don't let me influence how you interpret this prompt!

I have a feeling he'd have totally done this....

    Long before social media was ever a constant presence in our lives, people often influenced others to do a thing. If somebody made wine, they taught someone else how to do it if they were interested. Some people like my cousin Giovanni Coppola have even influenced a ton of other people like his friends and family to leave Italy and come to America. No one was ever "above the influence" back in the day and these days you can still be influenced by friends and family alike.

    One of the questions I've often been asked is "How did you get involved in genealogy?" and "Why did you take a DNA test?" The answer is quite simple. My family influenced me on both counts.

Are we sure they aren't looking at their phones?

    I've touched upon this in my introductory blog from back in 2019 and now is as good a time as any to revisit the basic plot points that got me started on this genealogical adventure. As you guys know, I am half Italian. Shocking, I know. You can stop clutching your pearls. It's going to be okay. Just don't take me to Olive Garden. ;)

    Basically, I've always been interested in my family's story because I was over my grandmother Olympia's house quite frequently growing up. I mean she literally lived the next town over! Not a week went by when we didn't visit her house and when we were there, the family history lessons began in a very subtle manner. Yeah. Subtle like a train going into Boston.

    Ollie was a very kind and amiable woman. She'd have given you the shirt off her back if you asked her. Because of her kind nature, many of her friends and her sisters were often at her house whenever we'd drop by unexpectedly. It'd be like this: My parents would pick my brother and I up from school and say "We're going to Grandma's for dinner!" or something. We'd get there and usually one of her sisters or someone she knew was there. Bonus points if that person last saw you as a baby and you have NO idea who they are and they STILL give you a big hug! 

Rocco on the far left and Pasquale on the far right.

    We'd sit down and eat and someone would randomly mention her father or her uncles Rocco and Pasquale. They'd talk about how their grandkids were doing and ask if they talked to one of the other relatives recently. Basically, they would gossip and get everyone up to date on the family in Melrose and Everett. My brother and I had no idea what was going on. So, I would randomly ask "Who's Rocco?" or "Who's Pasquale?" Or some other question because let's be honest I was a little lost. I needed a scorecard to tell me who was who and how they were all related to me. And they didn't just talk about Rocco and Pasquale. They talked about EVERYONE in the family.

EVERYONE.

    Being the great little old Italian ladies™ that they were, they'd smile at me, pull out the pictures and began relating the entire history of the Carrabs clan in America. I listened while Jim basically went to watch television or something. It's not that he wasn't interested. He just liked to do his own thing. He and I did once look at Rocco's picture in our grandmother's living room and wondered why he had a 'stache like Mario. I guess that was just the style.

    Once the stories about the Carrabs side of the family were finished for the time being, I would ask about grandpa Marco's family. Since passed away when I was four they were more than happy to fill me in on everything because his sister (my great-aunt) lived in Tennessee and was thus very far away. Grandma's house on Washington Street was actually built by Marco's father Vincenzo and was willed to Marco when he passed away. So, I got a little house history in the process.

Nana and Papa at their 50th in 1998.

    After getting an earful of the many, MANY stories about the Italian side of the tree, I did what any normal budding genealogist would do. I asked my other grandparents during one of their visits if they had stories they wanted to share and oh, man did they not disappoint! Right away Grandpa Hamel went into the long, long history of the Hamel clan going back to the founding of Quebec. Was it an infodump? Ohhh, you betcha. I couldn't blame him. He had books. LOTS of books.

    My other grandmother Natalie was the same way. One time she was looking after my brother and I and she told me all about her mother and how she never met her grandfather. She even talked about how several ancestors fought in the American Revolution and how she also had relatives from Quebec.

    For years all of the stories I've heard throughout my life stewed in the back of my mind. Sometimes they'd be repeated over and over again by a parent, a relative or by one of my grandparents. By the early 2000s, both of my grandmothers had past away and I figured it was about time to see if there was any truth to the stories I've heard all my life. I registered on Ancestry.com in November of 2006 and nothing would ever be the same again! I'm making it sound more epic than really is, I know. Humor me.

This is one old tree with a lot of errors on it.
Try and spot them all!!

    I think it's only natural to be inspired by a grandparent to see if there was truth to a story they've told you.  I just wish I could have shown my grandmothers my early work. Grandpa Bob was ,of course, thrilled and loved every discovery I made because a lot of it cemented what he knew about the family.

    Similarly, Aunt Nickie was also impressed by the work I had been doing and encouraged me to continue. She especially loved the fact that I came into contact with family in Europe! She even gave me the names of a few people in Italy to contact!

    I worked on my family tree off and on for several years because I had other interests. I have a webcomic and I had a show on YouTube  where I reviewed comic books. Those both took a lot of time and energy. So, genealogy took a backseat until 2017. Then.....things sort of "exploded" and I was tossed back into the genealogical adventure once and for all.

    A known third cousin on the Carrabis side contacted me on Ancestry and asked me a few questions. She had descended from my grandma Ollie's uncle Rocco and wanted information on the Carrabs clan. At that point I had been talking to a woman named Gesualdogenie and getting information from her tree. She scanned a ton of documents from the Gesualdo, Frigento and Grottaminarda area and was a HUGE help. I put those documents on my tree without hesitation! I gave my cousin Raymalene the details and that was about it....for about a week or so.

    Not long after I talked to Raymalene I was contacted by a woman named Mary Tedesco. You might have heard of her. She was a host of  "Genealogy Roadshow" and is quite the big deal in genealogy circles. She asked about my father and if I had any idea how we were connected. I had to tell her I wasn't sure because at the time I hadn't researched much of San Pietro a Maida. I knew family was from there. I just didn't have the means of checking it out because Familysearch had the records and I had no way of looking for them.

    I asked my father about Mary and it turned out that her grandfather was my dad's godfather. So, is there a connection? Uhh....I would say yes. There are a ton of other connections, too. For the sake of brevity, let's just say we go back a ways. A long way. Her family and mine are famiglia. That's probably the simplest way I could put it without making another blog.

    Mary eventually asked me if my father and I ever considered doing a DNA test on Ancestry. She tested a ton of her family members and I guess she wanted to branch out to the other cousins. She said we should consider doing it because it was fun and we'd get to see how we all matched. I said I would think about it and went to talk to my dad.

    I went to him and guess who he was talking to on the phone. Nicolina. She called the house and asked him if he'd ever test on Ancestry. I heard my father's end of the conversation and my jaw hit the floor. Did she know Mary contacted us? Did Mary contact her? Was this all an amazing coincidence?! What just happened?!

    Apparently, Nicole was quite lonely on Ancestry as she had recently tested and didn't see anyone she recognized as far as DNA matches go. That makes sense. She was, as my good friend Erica says, "All Italian all the time". 

    My father said he'd talk to me about it since I was the "genealogy whiz". I was like "Uhh...Sure." He footed the bill for two tests and I got one for my mother once there was a sale.

    We ended up going with Ancestry not just because it was the biggest database in the world. It was because more Italians tested there than anywhere else according to Erica. And man was she right.

    To make a long story short (TO LATE!), my parents and I tested and joined Nicole on Ancestry. The adventure didn't stop there. While I found that my father, great-aunt and I DID match Mary and virtually every Tedesco who tested, we also found Raymalene and several Carrabs and Forgione cousins my father knew about. My mom noted several Legault and Felker cousins she knew about as well. Keep in mind that the pair of them were looking over my shoulder while I was scrolling down the list of matches and saying things like "OH! This is so and so's granddaughter. He was at our wedding! You should contact them!" The rest as they say is history as more cousins from all over the tree joined the fun.

    In the end, it seems like my own family influenced me to start my genealogical adventure. Because of relatives both close and distant, I was able to find out if there was truth to the many stories I've heard all my life. And you know what? Most of them ended up being true! Amazing, isn't it? It all started with me asking simple questions at my grandma's kitchen table in Haverhill. I guess I can safely say it was those Italians fault that I'm on this path, huh? They started it all and I'm not showing any signs of stopping!

    See ya next time!