Today in our column entitled “Once upon a time in America …” we will learn the story of the Baudone and Grasso family told by the great-granddaughter Annemarie D’Alfonso Dimillo, resident in America. Annamerie in 2008 visited Gratteri for the first time and met her aunt, Antonina Grasso today 101 years old.

In recent months, you have written to us to get information on distant cousins and relatives of the branch of your grandfather, Giacomo Baudone di Luigi, who emigrated to America in the early 1900s. Her story and the research conducted by Marco Fragale follow. Enjoy the reading!

“Hi Marco! My grandfather was Giacomo Baudone. He was born on 9 July 1888 and died in 1980 at the age of 92. He was the son of Luigi Baudone and Rosa Sausa. He had 3 sisters and 1 brother: Antonina, Giuseppina, Concetta and Vincenzo. My grandmother was Maria Grasso. She was the daughter of Concetta Di Francesca and Antonino Grasso. Maria Grasso was born on July 12, 1900 and died in 2000 at the age of 99.

My grandfather Giacomo came to America in the early 1900s and we believe he worked in New York for a while, then came to Portland, Maine, as his brother Vincenzo was in Portland, my grandfather worked here for a year, then around 1929 or 1930 he married Maria Grasso, we think in April 1930.

They returned to the United States for 2 years then in 1931 they returned to Gratteri and my mother Teresa and her sister Rosa grew up in Gratteri until 1946 or 1947 and the family returned to Portland, Maine, as Vincenzo Baudone had married and had two children here, Rita and Louis.

My mother was Teresa Baudone, and her sister Rosa Baudone. They went to Catholic schools, then went to work in the clothing industry. My mother married Nunzio D’Alfonso of Portland, Maine. I am their daughter Annemarie D’Alfonso DiMillo. My mother Teresa went to Gratteri many times between the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 90s.

She spent most of the summers there. I was lucky enough to visit Gratteri with my 2 daughters in 2008, I met my Aunt Nina Grasso who is still alive at the age of 101. My cousins are Enza LaMartina, Nino LaMartina, Salvatore LaMartina e Concetta Grasso from Collesano.

If you know the small chapel in Gratteri that has audio for daily prayer or the rosary, that is the chapel that my mother Teresa and my grandmother Maria Grasso helped build in the village. It was a way for them to remember their country with much gratitude and honor. This is my family story. Thanks for putting together a book, video and more for Gratteri’s descendants.Greetings to all Gratteresi from America from Annemarie D’Alfonso DiMillo daughter of Teresa Baudone “.

“Dear Annamarie, from the research carried out on all the Gratteresi emigrants in America after long consultations of boarding passes obtained from the American site Ellis Island, I can tell you that Giacomo Baudone, in 1910 already lived in New York, via James Street 22, together with brother-in-law Moscato Concordio.

His father Luigi Baudone went to America for the first time in 1891, embarking on the Elysie ship which left Naples for Buffalo, he was 29 years old. Other fellow villagers also boarded that ship, all headed for Buffalo: Lanza Giacomo (32 years), Cirincione Sebastiano (29 years), Lanza Vincenzo (25 years), Baudone Antonino (40 years), Parisi Calogero (19 years), Spisa Santo (44 years), Sammarco Antonino (25 years), Zito Giuseppe (35 years), Cannici Giovanni (35 years), Di Gesare Antonio (29 years), Di Majo Agostino (44 years), Di Francisca Antonio (31 years), Latona Salvatore (49 years).

After returning to Sicily, he left for the second time in America in 1898, embarking on the Hesperia ship in Naples to go to Mariano Baudone, also taking his 43-year-old brother-in-law Di Maio Gioacchino with him. Other passengers from Gratteri also boarded that ship such as Carò Serafino 38 years old (from his cousin Francesxo Barca), Maio Antonio 24 years old (from his brother Maio L.), Turdo Giuseppe 45 years old (from his cousin Angelo Di Maria).

Your distant relatives would be the grandsons of Baudone Luigi, such as Sausa Lucia, daughter of Caterina Baudone and Antonino Sausa. Other cousins would also be Doriana and Claudia Di Bernardo, grandchildren of Maria Antonina Baudone, your grandfather’s sister.

Greetings from Gratteri “(M.Fragale).
Photos sent by Annamarie D’Alfonso Dimillo #iltempodelritorno