November 13, 2024
INTRODUCING…..
Assunta Iudiciani and Anna Milne
Welcome to two of our newest members, sisters Assunta and Anna, who have an interesting story of their family’s history in Italy, which includes living in Libya and Italy, before and after World War II.
Their family originally came from the small towns of Taurasi & Avellino, in the Campania district, near Naples.
Their mother and father and their families were part of the diaspora to Libya by Italian families. When World War II broke out, their Mom, who was fourteen, was part of a group of about 300 boys and girls aged seven to fourteen who were transported to safety in Italy to avoid the bombings.
Libya was considered the new “America” for the Italian emigrant in the 1930’s, and families settled in and around the city of Tripoli. One of the 26 coastal villages that was created, was Marconi, where they lived and farmed.
Their parents met after the war and married in 1950 in Tripoli, where both sisters were born.
In 1953, the families went back to Italy, and, as there wasn’t any work for the men, their father immigrated to the U.S., sponsored by his aunt who lived in Syracuse, New York.
Three years later, in 1958, the sisters, their Mom and a cousin joined the family in Syracuse, sailing on the ship Christopher Columbus.
Anna commented, “Ironic, isn’t it? America, our new world too!”
Eventually, they joined other family members in the Boston, Massachusetts area.
They both married, had two children each, a boy and a girl, with circumstances and family leading them to Arizona.
Memories of family meals, especially the big Sunday dinners with everyone at their house, family and friends looking forward to their mother’s delicious cooking. Their house had the biggest kitchen, where everyone congregated on Sundays and Holidays.
Speaking of kitchens…There were two kitchens in the home, one in the basement where frying eggplant and simmering fresh tomato sauce were prepared, keeping odors from infiltrating the upstairs where the family would eat. Their family canned their own tomato sauce in that basement kitchen. Assunta and Anna continue that tradition today.
Holidays were looked forward to, especially Christmas and Easter. Following the tradition of seven fishes for Christmas Eve dinner, Assunta shared a memory when Grandma had fresh eels for their dinner. Their cousin found them, and as boys will do, started to swing one around. When Grandma caught him, she got so angry she took that eel and smashed it on the table!
We can all remember when our Grandma got mad!!
Easter was the best holiday. New dresses, and Mary Jane patent leather shoes for the girls, with a hat and purse to match, along with short lace gloves to round out the outfit.
Dinner was a meat pie, Pizzagaina, salami, prosciutto, ham, and pepperoni, with mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheeses.
“Momma would make a few of these meat pies for friends and family to take home,” noted Assunta.
Don’t forget the Easter bread with a hardboiled egg, also a veggie or green pie for the healthy vegetable.
Baking was also Momma’s specialty. Lemon cake, Sponge cake and Nonna’s cookies. Assunta kindly shared some of Nonna’s cookies with me and they are delicious.
Welcome Assunta and Anna and thank you for sharing your story with us.
If you would like our website to highlight your story, contact me at the email address below.
Diane Keneally
P. S. You can find the cake and cookie recipes on our Recipe page.
