73-Serrapede Family in Brooklyn-Our Losses, Our Gains 1940-43 Pt. 2

Note about posting length: Due to time constraints I am posting complete chapters in our family history narrative. Since I am posting once or twice a month I am not able to break each chapter into smaller, weekly postings

Introduction

Between 1935 and early 1941, the Serrapede family lived on 65^th Street between 11 and 12^th Avenues in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, NY.  Their younger son Gerald passed away in 1941.  Their daughter Emily was entering what we now call the ‘tween years when this happened.  She often shared vivid but brief family stories about the years 1940-43.  These stories contained a moment in time that encapsulated many elements of the Italian-American community she grew up in.  At first they seem to offer only a slice of life in the community just as the United States was coming out of the Great Depression and the challenges of the 1940s and WWII loomed ahead.

Emily left out details like which Aunt she stayed with after school in the months following Gerry’s death.  She also would say one Aunt lived upstairs and another Aunt lived next door.  Sometimes the Aunt next door lived “a few doors away” in another family story.  Since she was deeply affected by the sudden loss of her baby brother it was natural for her to be preoccupied as she lived through that time of being cared for by her Aunts.  In the retelling of her stories there was always an element of distance between herself and the events she described.  But in reality she was never alone.  She always said her cousins were with her after school.  Emily referred to her cousins by name.  Yet for the stores she related about the years in the early 1940s she never mentioned her Aunts as their mothers.  She described events as if she were an onlooker or an audience member of a very short film that starred a limited cast in a specific location.  The only time she described the interaction between herself and the other members of the event she described was when the family story concerned coming home to find Josie resting in bed or going back to bed.  Emily stayed there with her in the quiet until her cousins or one of her Aunties showed up to take her to their house until dinner time.

The Aunts were described as good homemakers who had husbands that had steady work.  Their children lived at home and helped the families out.  Things were difficult, though, so her parents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins all helped each other in their day-to-day living.

The discoveries and connections made through the 1940 Federal Census ties together all the threads of Emily’s shared stories and memories.  It all comes together so perfectly in that the details from the entries for the Serrapede, Errico and D’Agosto families confirm and expand many of the details Emily could not provide when she recalled these times.

In this posting we will recap the key events in the life of one Aunt who lived in the same multi-family dwelling as the Serrapede family.  This is Emily’s maternal Aunt Elisa Scotti Errico.  She was affectionately called Zia Elisa (Auntie Elisa) by all generations.  Uncle Sammy describes Zia Elisa as the Grand Matron of her branch of the Scotti and Errico families in Brooklyn.  The story of her life and role as told through the Census records for 1920 through 1940 provide an opportunity to compare and contrast how the traditional household she and Vincenzo created saw the family through the Great Depression in somewhat better circumstances than we previously thought for the family during those years.

The other Aunt who lived on 66^th Street was Filomena Serrapede D’Agosto.  We will look at her role in Emily’s life in the next posting.

70-The Serrapede Family in Brooklyn-Living in a cold water flat 1938-1941

Introduction

Josie and Sam Serrapede moved into a cold water flat before their second child was born in 1938. The relatives on both sides had many misgivings about the move but Josie, Sam, their daughter Emily and their infant son Gerry stayed in the flat. Emily remembered that the relatives worried, and rightly so, about the hardships living in such a flat would cause. The rent, according to Emily, was much less than other apartments. Josie chose a cold water flat over one with steam heat as a way to save money.

Emily sometimes mentioned what life in a cold water flat was like when she was about 6 or 7 years old. There were no hot baths or showers. Most nights she remembered taking what was called a “sponge bath”. Water was heated on the stove and then poured into the bathroom sink after the stopper was put in. With a wash rag she quickly cleaned herself with the soap and hot water. Then she quickly dried off and put her pajamas on. The memory she shared the most was of everyone sitting in the kitchen listening to the radio on cold winter nights.

There are no photos of the cold water flat or any of the other apartments where the Serrapede family lived during the 1930s. There are plenty of photos outside the buildings where they and the relatives lived. But since we do not have too many family stories about cold water flats we decided to gather as many details as we could for this posting. It is not meant to be a definitive treatment of the subject. What we hope we have done is brought together the factual details to provide an overview and then the personal remembrances of those who grew up or lived in an area where cold water flats once were located. They are now a part of our city’s past but they played a big part in the immigrant and low-income communities. We also have some better understanding of the impact such living conditions created for the Serrapede family.

Relationship Notes

Josie and Sam Serrapede lived in Brooklyn, New York when their son Gerry was born in 1938. The memories of their daughter Emily provide the few details we have of the time the family lived in a cold water flat.

Josie and Sam were:

–Sammy’s parents
–EmilyAnn’s maternal Grandparents

Acknowledgements

Please see the Resources section for links to all forums, newspaper articles and reference material used to create this posting. The best photos of cold water flats, tenements and low-income housing is available through the New York City Housing Authority’s photo collection. The link is at the very end of this posting. Since these photos are the property of the NYCHA it was not possible to copy for use here.

What was a cold water flat?

Cold water flats were living quarters in multiple family dwellings. They had no hot water and no heating. There were no showers, just bath tubs. Tenants heated their water on a stove. In the winters they kept warm by means of kerosene heaters or coal burning stoves.\

60-Carola Family in Wilmerding, 1920-1930 Changes in work and family life

Introduction

The first generation of the Muro and Carola family in America continued to observe the traditions and patterns of behavior that shaped and defined their lives in Agropoli. Although Wilmerding had a diversified mix of European ethnicities as the dominant groups in the community, it was rare for single people in the first generation to marry out of the Italian community. Marriages in the second generation often happened amongst the children of the paesani who knew each other in Agropoli. Many second generation Italian-Americans lived with or in the same town as their parents.

As the process of Americanization took hold, however, forces beyond the control of parents and community came into play. These forces were the ones that exposed the second generation to a broader education, greater choice of friends to socialize with and a choice of profession. We’ll look at how some of these patterns of behavior persisted in the first generation and then gradually began to change with the second generation.

Relationship Notes

—Josie Muro Serrapede was Sammy’s mother and EmilyAnn’s maternal Grandmother.

 —Guy and Rose (nee Di Luccio) Carola’s daughter Angie married Josie’s younger brother Peter Muro.

—Angie and Peter Muro were Sammy’s maternal Aunt and Uncle.

—James Lawrence Carola was Angie’s younger brother. His wife was Mary Inez (nee Gilmartin).

Carola Family in 1920 Federal Census

In the 1920 Federal Census Gaetano and Rosa’s names were Anglicized to Guy and Rose. We have found that many census enumerators entered the names of our relatives this way. Yet when we speak to family members today, the Italian version of their name is still used.

Close-up of 1920 Federal Census.

Guy was 48 years old and Rose 44 years old. When they left Italy in 1900 they had two children, Nicola and Rafael. In 1920 Nicola was called Nick. He was now 19 years old. The elder Rafael is not listed in this census. The children born after Guy and Rose settled in Wilmerding were:

Name         Age in 1920

Christina         11 y.o.

Antoinette         9 y.o.

Angeline*………..7 y.o.

James ……………..5 y.o.

Ralph…………………2 yrs. 3 mos.

George … ………… 6 mos.

*(also called Mary Angela, “Angie”)

When a child died it some families used that child’s name again when a new baby was born. The choice of the name Ralph indicates that the older Rafael born in Italy may have died before Ralph was born.

Guy could read and write according to the Census. The Census does not specify English but that must be what is meant. In contrast, Rosa is entered as not being able to read and write. This leads one to believe that many of the wives of our ancestors and their paesani were illiterate. But this is often not the case. After the Unification of Italy schooling was mandatory up to the 4^th grade. The women would have had an ability to read and write in basic Italian.

Guy worked as a bricklayer in a forge shop while Nick worked as a machinist. These job descriptions appear over and over for residents of Wilmerding. When the employer is specifically named it is always Westinghouse Airbrake Company.

From the 1920 Federal Census we can see that many customs from life in Italy continued such as:

• Naming a child after a sibling who passed away while still young.
• Grown children who were not married lived at home with their parents.
• Father and son worked in the same factory or the same line of work.

57-Serrapede and Muro Families in America-Bergen Beach, 1936

Introduction

Josie’s photo album contains two photos of an outing her brother Peter Muro and husband Sam took to Bergen Beach in Brooklyn during June 1936. At first we thought Peter was in Brooklyn for a short visit. We got in touch with Claudia Muro in Pennsylvania for some help with questions we have about Peter’s life during the 1930s and 1940s. Claudia is married to Peter’s youngest son Robert. The information she provided expands the story behind the photos. It also provides a possible link to other paesani in the Serrapede family’s network who may have helped Peter while he was in Brooklyn. We also learned quite a bit of local history as we pieced together a short history of Bergen Beach. What started out as a posting about two photos turned into a pleasant journey back in time based on the memories Uncle Sammy and Robert shared. It also validated family stories Mom passed on to me about my Grandpa Sam’s attitudes towards visits from relatives. The shorter they were the better to his liking.

Relationship Notes

Josie Muro Serrapede (1909-1995) was the wife of Sam Serrapede (1900-2002). They were the parents of Emily, Gerry and Sammy.

Peter Muro (1913-1992) was Josie’s younger brother. Their parents were Nick and Letizia Muro.

Emily Leatrice Serrapede (1931-2011) was EmilyAnn’s Mom and Sammy’s sister.

Bergen Beach, Brooklyn-June 1936

There are two photos from Peter Muro’s vacation in Brooklyn during June of 1936. One is of Sam in a rowboat looking very unhappy as he sits hunched over some rope in the boat.   On this photo Josie wrote “Bergen Beach, June 1936.” The other photo shows her brother Peter enjoying himself during the little excursion on the water.

The family knew that Sam did not encourage prolonged stays when the relatives from Pennsylvania came to visit. The Serrapede family was living in a very small apartment so the addition of one or two guests meant the living room would be crowded. Sam would not be able to relax and read his newspapers or listen to the radio when he came home from work. Sam never declined a request from his in-laws or own relatives when they needed a place to stay for a short time. He let Josie take care of the meal planning, sleeping arrangements and sightseeing activities. He felt that the little apartment was first and foremost a refuge for him, his wife and their children. Given the size of Josie’s family (11 siblings altogether) he thought it was the reasonable and right thing to make it clear what the guidelines were as far as staying over. He was very upfront, in a polite way, about that point.

Uncle Sammy and I saw this trait at work in Sam throughout his life. He was passionate about his privacy and having the full attention of his wife, children and grandchildren. Sam was dubbed “The Codge” by Uncle Sammy, a nickname we use with great affection whenever he comes to mind. Although “The Codge” would complain about all the work a visit from the relatives made, he was the first one to pour a glass of wine for the visitors and then engage them in a conversation.

The photographs used in this posting were digitized in 2014. The service we used eliminated the decorative borders around the photos as well as Josie’s handwritten comments.

Peter Muro in Brooklyn, NY 1936

In her email reply of April 16, 2016 Claudia Muro informed us that Peter came up to Brooklyn at the recommendation of his sisters. We think these were his oldest sister Josie and his second sister Filomena, both who were living in Brooklyn. His third sister, Rosie, was just 15 years old at the time. We do not think she came to Brooklyn until a few years later.

53b-Serrapede Family in America-Emily Leatrice’s Baptism, December 1931

Relationship Notes

Emily Serrapede is featured in this posting. She was the daughter of Sam and Josie (nee Muro) Serrapede, older sister of Gerald and Sammy, and EmilyAnn’s Mother.

Introduction

In 1930 Sam and Josie were married at the Church of St. Rosalia. The church was built on 14^th Avenue and 65^th Street. When their daughter Emily Leatrice was born in 1931 they were living in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn. Six months later she was baptized at St. Rosalia’s Church where the family moved before  Emily was Baptized. As young parents, Sam and Josie needed the help and companionship of their relatives and paesanos, most who lived in Dyker Heights. This was a good move. Their daughter grew up in the company of her cousins, many who became her best friends.

The Baptismal Certificate

Baptismal Certificate for Emily Serrapede.

Although her birth certificate had her official name as Emily, the Baptismal Certificate bears her name in Italian. Emilia Pappalardo Serrapede was her paternal Grandmother. This might have been a custom observed in the immigrant community. The official record has the English version of the name and the baptismal name is in Italian. Josie and Sam followed this practice with their son Jerry.

52b-Serrapede Family in America: The Great Depression-$120 a month (Part 1b)

Introduction

This posting concludes the topic we began in 52b-Serrapede Family in America: The Great Depression-$120 a month (part 1a).  In that posting we considered the nature of the work shoe shiners did and how much they may have earned.  When the posting concluded we made note of how the young American boys who did this work faced competition from the waves of immigrants coming from Europe at the start of the 20th century.  Many members of our immediate and extended family worked as boot blacks after arriving from Italy.

We now turn our attention to some of the ways bootblacks worked throughout Manhattan.  Then Uncle Sammy and I share our family stories and discussion at the conclusion of this posting.

Relationship Notes

Sam Serrapede was born in Agropoli, Campania, Salerno Italy.  He immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1920s.  In 1930 he married Josie Muro.  The newlyweds made their home in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y.  Sam worked as a shoe shiner during the 1930s through the late 1940s.

Sam was the Father of:
*Emily Leatrice Serrapede
*Gerald (“Gerry”, Gennaro) Serrapede
*Sabbatino (Sammy) Serrapede

Sam was the maternal Grandfather of:  EmilyAnn Frances May

Bootblacks around New York City during the Great Depression

This shoe shiner waits for a customer on the corner of 14th Street and 8th Avenue in New York City.  He’s set up his station outside of the New York Savings Bank.  The sign above him contains a quote from Disraeli which says, “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”

The shoe shiner outside the New York Savings bank got a customer.  He is located in a good spot next to the entrance of a subway station.  The set-up is very simple and would not cost much to keep up.  However, the customer getting his shoes shined would not be very comfortable since the chair is very small.  To have an edge over other shoe shiners in the area this man would have to have better supplies or a better technique.

This shoe shiner was working near Union Square, another busy area.  Judging by the background he may have been near the park.  Union Square is also in the vicinity of 14th Street and is close to a subway station making it an ideal place to attract customers.  This shoe shine station is more elaborate.  It might have attracted more customers than the one of the shoe shiner on 8th Avenue because the bench has a higher back and the awning provides some shade during a bright day.

A study of the photographs makes you realize that if these shoe shiners were working on their own their ability to earn a steady income was impacted by weather conditions.  Another down side to working outdoors was the vulnerability to pickpockets and thieves.  The shoe shine operation needed a steady location in order to cultivate relationships with clients.  How the matter of where the shoe shiner worked outdoors was not described in any of our readings.  It’s possible that the shoe shiner had to get permission to work outside of a business like New York Savings Bank.  There were most likely licensing requirements and fees to be paid.

An independent shoe shiner would also have operating costs for the upkeep of his stand and supplies.  The shoe shiners in these photos may have been working for a service that provided the station and the supplies.  Even so, working outdoors had its drawbacks.  Better locations would be indoors at such locations as Grand Central Station, the Staten Island Ferry Terminal or a local barber shop.

51-Serrapede Family in America April 18, 1931: It’s a girl! (Part 2)

(This posting is a continuation of 51-Serrapede Family in America April 18, 1931: It’s a girl! in which we considered the day Emily L. Serrapede was born and some of the issues she faced growing up as an Italian-American.  In this posting the discussion expands to experiences Uncle Sammy and I had.)

The Detail in the Birth Certificate that might point to an answer

Close-up of the birth certificate.

I think I found a clue to Emily’s sensitivity regarding her ethnicity. Looking at her birth certificate I found the following: Color or Race-It. The It. means Italian.

Southern Italians were considered a race unto themselves. This was not in a good way. They were seen as incapable of joining the mainstream. An article from a 1914 edition of “The World’s Work” expresses sentiments held at that time about why this was so. It came down to this: Southern Italians were non-Caucasians. Therefore, the thinking went, they’ll never make it into the mainstream. In the 1910s the sentiment against Southern Italians was very negative. Their admission to this country was thought to have a detrimental effect on society. Census records list Italians as members of the Caucasian race but outside of their immigrant community the treatment was not always considerate or kind. When I was a child I was told by outsiders that we were “Wops” because our Grandparents were all here illegally. “Wop” meant “without passport.” Recently I’ve read it also could mean “White on paper.” Meaning for things like the census records Southern Italians were entered as Caucasian or White but in reality they were treated as “others”.

To what degree Emily experienced negative treatment I do not know. She never told me of any events in her life that would be a contributing factor to the strong show of emotions I witnessed when I did things like ask to get my ears pierced or why she wouldn’t teach me how to speak Italian as good as she did.

49-Serrapede Family in America: The Little Church in Dyker Heights, 1930

Introduction

Filomena Serrapede D’Agosto was the eldest sister of Sam Serrapede.  She was the first member of Sam’s family to come to America.  Filomena married Giuseppe D’Agosto in 1923.  Giuseppe secured employment as a truck driver for the New York City Department of Sanitation.  The D’Agosto family lived in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY.

In 1925 Sam came to America with the intention of making a new life for himself.  He aimed at getting himself established through securing employment and beginning the process towards citizenship.  Giuseppe and Filomena provided him with a place to live during his first five years in America.

Relationship Notes

• Sam (Sabato) Serrapede was:
• The son of Gennaro and Emilia (nee Pappalardo) Serrapede of Agropoli, Salerno, Campania Province in Italy.
• Sammy’s father.
• EmilyAnn’s maternal Grandfather.

47-Giuseppe D’Agosto in New York-A young man with a job and a passport

Acknowledgement

The chart of descent for the D’Agosto family, available at ImaginesMaiorum, Ancetors from Campania, was used to provide information about the date of Giuseppe D’Agosto’s marriage. We thank Anthony Vermandois for making the results of his genealogical research available at his website.

Introduction

Close-up of Giuseppe D’Agosto’s photo affixed to the application for a passport in 1923.

Giuseppe D’Agosto is related to Uncle Sammy and me by marriage. He was the husband of Filomena Serrapede D’Agosto. Filomena was the elder sister of Sabato Serrapede who was Sammy’s Dad and EmilyAnn’s maternal Grandfather. This makes Giuseppe and Filomena D’Agosto:

• Uncle Sammy’s paternal Uncle and Aunt.
• EmilyAnn’s Great Uncle and Aunt along her maternal line.

In this posting we share the discovery the 1920 Federal Census brought us once we learned who Giuseppe was working for. Of all the relatives we’ve studied so far he is the first we know of who became a civil service employee. He achieved much and went far in the 7 years after he came to the United States in 1913.

What was the DSC?

Close-up of 1920 Federal Census entry for the Gibaldi family.

46c-D’Agosto and Carnicelli Families in America: Family and Work, Part 3

Acknowledgement

Genealogist Anthony Vermandois has researched families of the Campania region in Italy. We have used the charts of descent for several families in Agropoli who appear in Parts 1-3 of the posting 46c-D’Agosto and Carnicelli Families in America: Family and Work. To view the source information for these families, please click on a surname below. A new browser window will open and navigate to the page for that family.

Carnicelli

D’Agosto

Romaniello

Introduction

Uncle Sammy grew up on 65^th Street between 12^th and 13^th Avenues during the 1940s and 1950s. As we reviewed records for his Uncle Giuseppe D’Agosto we discovered a connection to members of the Carnicelli family who immigrated to America and settled in Dyker Heights and lived on 65^th Street. Uncle Sammy asked me to find out if the Julia Carnicelli he remembers from his childhood was related to Giuseppe D’Agosto.

At last, we find Julia

The search for Julia Carnicelli first led us to learn about her brother-in-law Joseph Carnicelli who was featured in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

At ImaginesMaiorum, we found Julia entered as Giulia Romaniello, wife of Antonio Carnicelli. Antonio was Joseph’s younger brother. After his arrival in America he was known as Anthony. Anthony was born in Agropoli on January 22 1907. He immigrated to the United States in 1930 and became a citizen after that.