Nine lives of Filippo

My great grandfather Filippo Imprescia had nine lives. Born in Pietraperzia, Sicily, in 1880, he was one of three surviving children of Dominic and Anna (Viola) Imprescia (who may have had up to 17 children) who made it to America.  Once here he did face at least two near death experiences that were documented in the local newspaper.

The first incident occurred on March 17, 1917 when Filippo (Philip) was 37 years old and already had four children (Concetta, Anna, Palma and Josephine) and lost one (Connie in 1916).  Filippo spent most of his career as an unskilled laborer, and in 1917 he was working for Simonds Manufacturing Company.  His job must've required him to go to the Brown Engine Shop on Willow St. on this day.  

Fitchburg Sentinel headline March 17, 1917

At about 9am Filippo was working along side 28-year-old Brown Engine Co. employee Ernest Simonelli when the head of a hydraulic pump blew off striking Ernest directly in the head.  Filippo was also indirectly struck in the head causing a wound over his right eye.  An ambulance was called and both men were rushed to Burbank Hospital, Ernest was dead when they reached the hospital, but Filippo was in serious condition.  An X-ray did not reveal internal injuries or fractures, but he stayed at the hospital.  Read full article here.

Fitchburg Sentinel March 18, 1917

The article in the newspaper the next day describes his recovery as "simply a matter of time and care."

The second incident occurred about 27 years later. A now 63-year-old Phillip again faced death, this time while walking down Water Street near the intersection of Newton Street.  The story indicates he stepped off the curb and was hit by a car around 7am on November 15th, 1944.  The impact shattered his right leg causing a compound fracture and various contusions and lacerations.

Fitchburg Sentinel November 15, 1944

The article above does not seem to correctly describe the severity of Phillip's injuries. I found another article dated March 31, 1945 - a full four months after the accident - that thanks people for their assistance and care of Phillip while at the hospital.

Fitchburg Sentinel March 31, 1945

So Philip clearly was very seriously injured again and survived - like a cat with 9 lives.

Cent' Anni - 100 Year's of St. Anthony Church (2008)

 I was involved in a project for the 100 year anniversary of St. Anthony's Church in Fitchburg back in 2008.  We produced this video that was sold as a DVD to benefit the Church.  This is a 1 hour documentary that shows the history from 1908 - 2008.  After message from Bishop, there is a universally interesting segment on Italian's arriving in Fitchburg.  The remainder is tailored to the history of the church through the years.

Mill Tragedy Fallout - Lawsuits and Prosecution

September 13, 1908 - Lawsuit filed by Dominic Imprescia
(Fitchburg Sentinel 14 Sep 1908)

I had a misconception when I was writing the blog post of Concetta Imprescia' death in woolen mill, I assumed in the "old days" this type of event happened and it was chalked up as the dangers of time and there were few repercussions.  In other words, the world was unsafe and workers were not protected, but I was wrong.

In 1908 there were child labor laws in Massachusetts that were more progressive than other states.  Employers were required to have on file a certificate of age and schooling for each child under 16, verifying they met the legal requirements for employment, in other words, a work permit when you are under age (like today).  So within 17 days of Concetta's death the lawsuits began.

 

September 14th - Lawsuit for $10,000 filed by Concetta's father Dominic Imprescia 17 days after her funeral.  The lawsuit was seeking $5,000 for her injuries and another $5,000 for her death. 

September 15th - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts summoned the superintendent of Star Worsted Wool to answer questions on the employment of Concetta and if proper paperwork procedures were followed.  The superintendent testified Concetta told him she was 18 years old when she started working on June 7th, 1908, roughly 2 months before her death on August 25th.

Fitchburg Sentinel September 15, 1908

 

September 16th - Due to the confusion around the actual age of Concetta, authorities sent to Italy for actual birth records.

Fitchburg Sentinel September 16th, 1908

September 30th - The trial of the Superintendent of Star Worsted Wool was concluded with a guilty verdict.  The case was placed on file, which indicates no jail time was imposed.  The case was based on a missing permit for Concetta's employment and the confusion on her actual age and date of birth.

Fitchburg Sentinel September 30th, 1908

 When she applied for school in 1907, the school administrators had difficulty getting information from the parents who had limited english skills.  The young Concetta acted as the translator between the school and her parents and at that time the school recorded her birthday as January 13, 1894.  The prosecutors did not receive a response from her hometown (Pietraperzia) in Italy on their request for her actual birth certificate by the September 29th court date, so it was still unclear if she was under 16.  Even her parents did not know the correct age for Concetta when asked by the Mill representatives days after the incident.  Her mother Anna said she was 15, her father Dominic said she was 16, but remember from prior post - they may have had 17 children so remembering everyones birthday would be a challenge! 

From my research I have her birth certificate that has her actual date of birth which was March 25, 1894.  Using that date and according to the school, she last attended class on June 7th to work,  she would have been 14 years and 3 months old - well under 16 years old.  But she could have worked legally at that age if she had a proper work permit from the school.  

The labor safety inspector for the Commonwealth did not agree with the judges ruling (basically no sentencing and a slap on the wrist) but he did agree that the Mill had a clean record before this incident and the superintendent of the mill had no previous complaints against him in the 25 years of his career.  So the guilty plea was placed on file and with no further action or penalty.

November 3 - Lawsuit settled

Fitchburg Sentinel November 3, 1908

On the positive side, the civil lawsuit against the Star Worsted Company was settled.  The original suit was for $10,000 for injuries and death.  Unfortunately the newspaper microfilm is a terrible copy and I cannot read the details of the judgement.  But I can assume the award was somewhere between $5,000 to the maximum of $10,000 originally requested in the lawsuit.

According to a calculator I found on the internet, $1,000 in 1908 would be worth over $34,000 in today’s dollars, so they could have received $170,000 - $300,000 in 2024 dollars . So it is good to know the Imprescias' did get something from the mill that took the life of one of their last three living children.  

Flossenburg Prisoner #5010

My Great Grandmother Filippa (Siciliano) Imprescia was the oldest of Salvatore and Palma (LoMaglio) seven children. Her youngest sister, Concetta, was her 18 years younger than Filippa and only 1 year old when her sister left for America in 1908.  Concetta stayed in Italy, married Liborio Meglio and had two daughters, Maria in 1937 and Palma in 1940. This is about the time when the world changed for Concetta, Liborio, and their two small children. Italy entered World War II on June 10, 1940, on the side of Germany, forming the Axis Powers along with Japan. Italy’s involvement required mandatory military service, placing 28-year-old Liborio into the war against the Allies including the United States.

Concetta (Siciliano) and Liborio Meglio

During this complicated time in Italy’s history, several pivotal events unfolded. The fall of Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime occurred in July 1943.  Subsequently, Italy switched sides in the war, aligning with the Allies after an armistice that was signed on September 8, 1943. Between 1943 and 1945, Italy became a battleground for fierce fighting between the retreating German forces and advancing Allied troops.

After Italy switched sides, Liborio, like many Italian soldiers, faced tremendous uncertainty.  It was unclear what their orders were from commanding officers and military leaders, which led to chaos.  Some soldiers deserted while others joined Germany or began fighting alongside the Allies.  From this point the family heard nothing from Liborio and he never returned home after the war ended with no explanation from the military about his death.  Concetta’s older brother Giuseppe Siciliano and his wife Felicia Meglio who also was Liborio’s older sister stepped up to help the young widow care for her two daughters.

Giuseppe Siciliano and his wife Felicia Meglio
with their nieces Maria and Palma

For decades the whereabouts of Liborio's remains were unknown, what battlefield location did he lose his life, when did he die and did anyone witness the story behind his last moments.  After the war Liborio’s family reached out to several veteran’s associations to find out what happened to him - no one had any answers.

This mystery continued for over 70 years until Liborio’s grandson Rocco Piccicuto, son of Maria (Meglio) and Filippo Piccicuto went on an internet search to find what happened to his grandfather - I am not sure he was prepared for the answers.

Rocco Piccicuto

In 1943 after the armistice Germany took a proactive approach to disarm the Italian soldiers in Operation Achse.  One of those soldiers captured by the Germans was Liborio who was then labeled an “Internati Militari Italiani” or Italian Military Internees which differs from a Prisoner of War who are granted protections and rights under the Geneva convention, instead they were considered traitors.  On October 11th, 1943 Liborio was placed on a train and shipped to a concentration camp in Nazi Germany.  He was sent to one of the most brutal work camps in Germany, Flossenburg.

Flossenburg Nazi Concentration Camp

There were two industries supported by the Flossenburg camp, the first was a granite mine and later it was to build components for Messerschmitt war planes for the Luftwaffe. The cold Bavarian mountain climate and inadequate food and clothing as well as relentless work conditions led to over 30,000 deaths before the camp was liberated by the US Army in April 1945.  Liborio death at the camp was documented as May 4, 1944, which was roughly 8 months after his capture.  

Ledger from Nazi Concentration Camp Flossenburg
#5010 list Meglio, Liborio.  This cross symbol notes death and date 4-5-44 (May 4th, 1944)

His grandson Rocco discovered the documentation through various online groups that assist to identify missing Italian soldiers.  He scheduled a trip to visit Flossenburg Camp in Bavaria Germany and to witness the site of the mass grave where his grandfather was most likley buried.  When Rocco returned to Italy he applied to the Italian Government for a medal to honor for fallen soldiers in honor of his grandfather.  Finally in 2017, based on Rocco's efforts, Liborio Meglio's daughters and grandchildren attended a ceremony to receive an Italian Military Medal of Honor for his service to Italy after 73 years.

I have been corresponding with Rocco since the early 2000's so when my daughter Sophia was studying abroad in Florence we planned a visit that included a stop to visit Rocco in Torino.  This was the absolute highlight of our trip to see Rocco, his wife Angela and his parents Maria and Filippo as well as his sister Cinzia and her children.

Dinner with Rocco and family

My wife and I with Maria (Meglio) and Filippo Piccicuto
November 2016, Torino Italy

Long Lost Cousin

Andy Russo (1942-2017)

The period between 2000 and 2004 was a dark time for Andrew Russo and his mother, Palma (Imprescia) Russo. The losses they endured seemed relentless. It began with the passing of Palma's husband, Theodore Russo, on August 18, 2000, after 62 years of marriage. Less than two years later, on May 5, 2002, Andrew's wife of 31 years, Kristine Wilson, succumbed to cancer. This loss left Andrew and their only son, Anthony "Tony" Russo, grappling with profound grief. Sadly, Tony struggled to cope and we lost him at the age of 27 in June 2004.

Andy and Kristine

As if the pain wasn't already unbearable, Andrew's brother Phillip passed away six months later on December 15, 2004, at the age of 55. The family gathered at my house in Fitchburg for Phillip's memorial service, but Andrew was too distraught to attend. He unexpectedly left town, seeking solitude at his brother Jeff's house in Florida while Jeff was in Fitchburg for the funeral.

Phillip Russo in 1967

Amidst this grief I remembered story about a long-lost son of Andrew Russo. At 19, Andrew got married to his girlfriend Cecile and in 1961, their son Andrew Jr. was born. The marriage was brief, and after the divorce, Andrew's ex-wife Cecile moved out of state, cutting off contact with the Russo family. Andrew gave up his parental rights, and Andrew Jr. was adopted by Cecile's new husband. Over the years, Palma and Teddy tried to locate their grandson but were met with silence from Cecile's family in Fitchburg.

Determined to fulfill Palma's wish to find her grandson, I turned to the internet a few days before Phillip's memorial service. My search led me to a genealogy message board where someone named Terry Lane had posted in 2002, seeking information about the Russos from Fitchburg. I reached out to Terry, hoping this could be the key to reuniting the family.

The Emails

Here are the exact communications that followed:

From Kevin Caravella:

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 8:44 AM

Name: Kevin Caravella

Email: kevincaravella@hotmail.com

Submit: Submit

Comment:

I have tracked you down based on some posting on genealogy forum. You were looking for information on Russo's of Fitchburg back in 10/2002. I have information and would also like information (if possible). I am assuming you were looking on behalf of Andrew (Jantz?) son of Andrew Russo. Would he like to contact his family? His 91-year-old grandmother would LOVE to contact him. She has tried in the past but the family has not been helpful. Please contact me. Thanks. Kevin

Response from T. A. Lane:

From: T. A. Lane 

Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 1:27 PM

To: kevincaravella@hotmail.com

Subject: FW: Data posted to form 1 of http://terrylane.com/contact.htm

Hi Kevin,

Andrew Jantz is my friend, I have all of his contact information. I was looking for his family, the Russo's from Fitchburg. I did track down the address of Andrew Russo Sr., and also Andrew Russo's brother, (I forget his name right now, I think it was Philip or Pete). I spoke to the Sr.'s brother on the phone and at first he was very excited about meeting his nephew Andrew Jantz, but then he called the grandmother and when I called him back he said that she wanted nothing to do with him. Since then my friend has written at least one letter to his father and has not heard back anything. So, we have the feeling the family does NOT want to meet him. I wrote a letter to Andrew Sr. and his brother asking just for genealogical information, even if they never wanted to meet Andrew Jr., I wanted to at least give him his family tree so he could pass it down to his sons. I never heard back from anyone. It would be a wonderful way to start the new year if this is not so, and that they do in fact have interest in meeting him, or at least in imparting information to him about his family roots. I always thought that the younger brother of my friend, his half-brother (Anthony Andrew Russo) whom he has never met, would want to know he had a big brother. I could not find anything out about him. Are you related to this family? I have included all of the information I have on Andrew's Russo family genealogy.

Thank you,

Terry Lane

I wasn't sure why previous communications with Phillip led to the belief that the family didn't want to see Andrew Jr. Understanding the turmoil in Andrew Sr.'s life at the time, I offered to be the mediator between Andrew Jr. and his grandmother Palma.

From Kevin Caravella to Joan Jantz:

----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Caravella [mailto:kevincaravella@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 31, 2004 1:18 PM
To: terrylane
Subject: Please forward to Joan Jantz

Hi Joan,

I really enjoyed speaking with you Sunday evening. I know this is a very confusing situation, but with a little time I think we will all be able to meet. Here is the rundown of situations and information since we spoke.

Tuesday was the funeral for Phillip Russo, I spoke with Jeffery Russo about your husband. He is very interested in contacting him. He drove up from Florida for the funeral and drove back. He also took his mother Palma back with him for a vacation. She also wants to contact her grandson – but – she is very nervous if this will upset Andrew, so she is very torn with feelings. Andrew left Fitchburg on Christmas eve (without really telling anyone, including his mother who is currently living with) and drove to Jeffery’s house in Florida. By this weekend they should all be together at Jeffery’s house. In speaking with Jeffery he wants to talk to Andrew Sr. about this situation to help reunite him with his son. But in any case, he would like to get to know his nephew. He will also like to connect his mother Palma with Andrew Jr. without having any feelings hurt. (Confusing, yes – hopeless, no).

Kevin Caravella
Fitchburg, MA

Our communication continued, and I finally spoke to Andrew Jantz on the phone, arranging to meet in person. We planned a dinner in Arlington on May 25, 2005. That meeting marked the beginning of Andy's reconnection with his Russo family. He spent the following years with his grandmother Palma and father Andrew before they passed away, maintaining close relationships with his "Italian" side of the family.

"Long Lost Cousin" - Andy Jantz
Uncanny family resemblance!

Andy has also written several books including one poem about the Upper Common in Fitchburg.