A migrant story: Biagio

I've been the unaware intermediary of a meeting between people who did not know with each other, though very close relatives, they were born and lived in distant lands separated by the ocean. Some years ago I received a letter from the United States that asked me to help find the family of origin of Biagio Bonanni who emigrated alone to America, still as a boy, about a century ago. With the decisive contribution of my cousin Iolanda Bonanni we were able to identify an important member of the family of origin, Rosina Bonanni mother in law of Iolanda’s son. A lovely touching story, full of deep feelings, which begins in Fiuggi and returns to Fiuggi and makes us realize that we are all citizens of a Global Village, as wide as our Planet. Rosina, her daughter Teresa and her son in law Luciano Giorgilli, asked me to write a piece for our newspaper, but I think it is fairer and more effective to tell the story first hand from the word of one of the protagonists of the story: Marylin Haffey, American grandchild of Biagio Bonanni who emigrated to America in the period from 1910 to 1912.

"Biagio Henry Bonanni was born in Fiuggi on 13 Dec. 1896 from Andrea Bonanni and Elizabeth Fiore and had 8 brothers and sisters. He left Italy to United States when he was very young, in search of a better life. He arrived at Ellis Island, New York. He was about 16.
A few years later he got married and had a son, Joseph. His wife died shortly after and Blaise moved to Minersville, Penssylvania around 1921. Minersville is a small city of coal mining. At that time it had about 5,000 inhabitants. Now there are 4,000. Minersville is very similar to Fiuggi. As you walk you are aware that you're going over hills. There are wavy hills and small mountains and is located on the Appalacchi mountain chain. There are a lot of trees and my grandson Christian often used to exclaim: "Look at the wooded mountains!" In autumn it is beautiful to see the leaves changing color. In winter when the trees are bare you can see much of the area with the coal black. It is an entire mining area. The houses are made of wood. They had pebbles outside and even the roofs are made of pebbles covered with tar. The houses are built in rows. Minersville was founded in the late 19th century. At that time many immigrants arrived in the United States. This place was a true melting pot of different races including immigrants from Lithuania, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Russia, Germany, Wales and other European countries. To represent each ethnic group different schools and churches were built. Local taverns were built too.
Life in those times was like that which took place in Fiuggi.

Minersville was a small town. It was a safe place to walk and to play. People went out shopping and visiting neighbors. Life was wonderful and the people were full of hopes and promises. There were shops at every corner where you could buy milk, meat, eggs, bread, vegetables, fruit. The Europeans had brought their customs with them. The city was prosperous and full of energy. European immigrants did not speak their native language. All those who came to the United States wanted to speak English because they desperately wanted to adapt to the new world. My grandfather did not speak Italian with my mother although she was his daughter. She recalled that she had heard him talk Italian only with his brother Antonio arrived in America after him. Biagio’s second wife, who was my grandmother was Polish. She did not understand Italian, and he did not understand the Polish, and so they spoke in English with each other. Imagine how many different ethnic accents circulated in Minersville. Biagio was a hard worker in the mining company. Later, however, he became co-owner of the coal company. The Pensylvania is very rich of anthracite coal, that was very useful for the production of heat. The majority of immigrants worked in mining, a grueling work. Many children used to die prematurely for inhaling the coal powder. They used to die of a disease called miners’ asthma or black lung (pneumoconiosis).
Visiting the cities around Minersville was like visiting the Ciociaria. Drive for a some kilometers and you can find a country of 300 or 100 inhabitants. The largest city is called Pottsville and has a population of 20,000 inhabitants. It 's the most important center of the area, like Frosinone. There is a hospital and some industries as well as larger stores for purchases. There was a train to transport coal and people. In fact, the station was not far away. Nowadays we prefer to move by airplane or by car. Biagio married my grandmother Stella Lipka, from Poland, the October 19th, 1928. He was 31 years (Stella was born in New Jersey, while her parents were born in Poland). They got married in a Italian church known as Santa Barbara, in Minersville. They had 5 children, 3 of them died very soon. They had two twin, called Genevieve and Joan who were born the September 18th, 1933. Genevieve married Stiney, an Austrian-Polish girl and had two sons, Stanley and Marylin, the narrator of the story. Biagio became a United States naturalized citizen only the 11th of December 1940. The picture that I hold more in my memory is about me as a very young girl who was playing and joking outdoor with Biagio. I was running and jumping and he was looking at me play. I remember that he loved to grow vegetables. As a child the garden looked so big to me. I remember I used to walk between the plants and watch him growing the garden. His greatest passion was fishing. We often went to fishing and to the campsite. My mother tells me that I used to throw rocks in the water and she reproached me because in that way I frightened all the fishes of the river. Biagio then silenced her because I was not doing anything wrong. I was his “Mariuccia”.
He was also fond of hunting deers and hares. I remember that as a child I ate the meat of deer. I’ve got still vivid memories of him flayng the hares and then he ate the meat stewed in a tomato sauce with “spaghetti”. He taught my mother to make pasta and sauce, as well as to make pasta with garlic and oil. He taught her even to make dumplings! He was a great cook. He brought “ciociaria” culture and traditions to America. Biagio didn't communicate much with words. In fact I do not remember me having many conversations with him. He was a quiet man. What I remember is the language of his everyday action that is the most important of all. And, that is, the love that I felt when I was with him. The love that I feel still today. I remember that I cried a lot when he died. I was just 9 but for me it was the most profound loss of my life. Since he died, I always felt a deep emptiness. I wanted always to go to Italy to discover where Biagio came from, where he was born, my Italian cultural heritage.
When Aunt Joan told me to call the phone number in Italy I was so excited.
At last the dream of my life was coming true! Imagine you the surprise and emotion I felt when Rosa answered by phone.
At last we discovered our Italian family. My mother, Aunt Joan, her uncle Joseph were not aware that Biagio had left behind a so big family. He had never told them. Imagine you our surprise and wonder. The brothers and sisters of Biagio are missing now, but there are their sons and daughters. Their children have their children in turn. Biagio and Antonio extended their family in America, the family finally met the one of origin. It’s difficult to explain in words the emotion we felt in our hearts. The two families separated by the Atlantic Ocean have been joined together! Biagio and Antonio left Italy in search of a better life. I am very grateful to them for accomplished sacrifices and their love. I am grateful that the circle is complete. Although we are separated by an ocean and 5000 miles, this is nothing compared to the tie I feel towards my Italian family and Italy.
I can only imagine how much hard life was for Biagio. He was so young, sixteen, but preceded Antonio. He traveled alone in a foreign land and left behind family and friends. He didn't ever come back to revisit his family and, on the contrary, started a new life. He married and generated children. Look what was and what made from nothing. What courage!
The greatest gift he did (to my mother, my aunt Joan, my uncle Joseph) was the life he gave us in America. He created a whole new generation in a new land. He sacrificed immensely himself. I have learnt to appreciate the fact that it does not matter wether you were born in America or Italy, wether you speak English or Italian; what matters is that all of us communicate through love, kindness and appreciation.
The greatest legacy Biagio gave his family left in Fiuggi is love. He went to America to earn money to send to Fiuggi. He gave both families, by ocean separated, a true opportunity. For this all of us are grateful to him.

Biagio died on 26th of April 1961. A night he went to sleep and did’nt wake up the next morning. He was 64 years old. Antonio died in 1963. Their children and their grandchildren still live.
Many details of the Henry Bonanni Biagio’s life are unknown. I just know what for all of us is important when you are only nine years old, that is, the love of a grandfather for his little granddaughter. The recognition of the sacrifices he made for his family in Fiuggi and gratitude for the opportunities of life that have been given us in America.
Sincerely
Marylin Haffey"

P.S. I make no secret of the fact that this story has touched me very deeply. Marylin's words are simple, sincere, full of genuine love for his grandfather Biagio, for Fiuggi, for Italy.
Special thanks and a warm embrace to Marylin for what she said.
I do think that people in Fiuggi can consider Marilyn a "Fiuggina" by election?