Timely Writer Part Two: Heartbreak

 The is 2nd part to prior post Timely Writer - Part One: Humble Beginnings

1982 started with Triple Crown dreams for Timely Writer.  He was clearly one of the odds on favorites for The Kentucky Derby, but he still had to prove himself with some solid race results before "The Run of The Roses" on the first Saturday in May.

His first test would be in February at The Flamingo Prep race where he could again challenge Deputy Minister, which he handily beat in The Champagne Stakes in October 1981.  Yet in a snub, Deputy Minister won the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.  So this would help decide which horse was the best of the two.

Feb. 25th, 1982 Boston Globe

Unfortunately neither horse ended in the money as Timely Writer finished sixth and Deputy Minister finished last.  But Dom Imprescia stated, "All we wanted was a good prep under him.  The race did him a lot of good. We'll see what happens in The Flamingo. That's the one we're aiming for."

The Flamingo Stakes in March would be his next test.  The press labeled him a "cripple" after his performance in the Flamingo Prep race, and maybe his luck had run out.  There was a bit of bad luck when they drew for positions in the starting gate. Timely Writer drew pole position 16 (of 16), which was in an auxiliary gate to accommodate the extra large field of 16 horses.  As Dom put it, "We're out in the free parking lot.  We're gonna need an awful lot of luck."

March 7, 1981 Boston Globe

As the headline above states, he proved the naysayers wrong and came from 10th place to win by 3 1/2 lengths.  Vindicated, he was now considered the top contender for the Kentucky Derby.  The other big news that day was the sale of half share of the horse for $3 million.  This would take place on October 30th when the owners retire the horses from racing and start the more lucrative stud services.

The next race scheduled was The Florida Derby which featured the unbeaten favorite horse Star Gallant.  Even as one of the best horses in the field, the Cinderella horse Timely Writer couldn't shake the doubters who couldn't believe he could stand with the higher pedigree horses.

April 4, 1982 Boston Globe

The Florida Stakes win finally made Timely Writer the undisputed favorite to the Kentucky Derby, with the Boston Globe stating "It was such an impressive victory that Timely Writer may become one of the shortest priced favorites in Kentucky Derby history."  In laymen terms, he will be such a favorite - most likely to win - that his payout would be very low.

Now it was less than a month away from earning the first jewel in a Triple Crown run, and the owners, trainer and Boston were on top of the world - we had the makings of one of the greatest horses from the northeast.

The unthinkable - 11 days before the Derby, Timely Writer came down with a case of life threatening gastroenteritis.  Dom had to stand in front of reporters and utter "He's definitely out of the Derby."  But the main concern at this time was saving the horse.  Dom's goal was to get the horse back to Florida and he took an optimistic tone, "There is always the fall classics," he said.

The Comeback

After near death 11 days before the Kentucky Derby, Dom used the next 19 weeks to get the colt ready for his next race in his Boston home at Suffolk Downs.  The Yankee Handicap took place on August 14th and questions swirled if the horse could be back in his pre-derby form.  Again in dramatics fit for a Hollywood movie, Timely Writer went from next to last place at the halfway point of the race and then charged past his rivals to win at a near track record pace.

One of the new half-share owners, Dr. William Reed, commented, "This colt is a magnificent athlete and Dom has done a tremendous job getting this colt ready.  He did it this winter after a four-month layoff after the Champagne Stakes and he did it again.  He's a wonder."

The next two races showed how unpredictable Timely Writer could be. At the Marlboro Cup on September 18th he came in a disappointing seventh place only to win the Avatar Cup in his next race.  Now it was down to his last race, The Jockey Cup at Belmont Track.

This was the horse's last chance at greatness and a shot at Horse of the Year for 1982, an honor he deserved in 1981, but was overlooked.  And the owners determined this was his last race as Francis Martin stated, "Win or Lose this is going to be his swan song".  Little did he know how tragically true his words were.

On a live TV broadcast I remember watching the tragedy unfold. A half mile from the finish Timely Writer's leg shattered and a horse pile up ensued resulting in two horse fatalities.  The full two page Boston Globe story is here (page 1, page 2).

The Martins and Dom requested for Timely Writer to be buried in the infield of Belmont Park in the same location as another champion horse Ruffian who was buried there in 1975.  The New York Racing Association (NYRA) approved the request and he had the honor or being laid to rest at Belmont where he died.

It is hard to comprehend the loss both emotionally and financially as this was to be his last race and the start of the most lucrative phase of his career when the horse would go to stud.  With all the attention Timely Writer had in his racing career it would have been worth millions.  The Martins lost the $3M dollar  half share that would have been paid after retirement.  So they never received payment, the horse did have winnings of $605,000 during his career but his potential was much greater.  The Martin's did take out a $3 million dollar insurance policy on the colt, and this led to the end of the Martin's and Dom Imprescia's relationship.

In the contract between trainer and owners, the trainer gets 20% of the winnings and syndication (shares in the horse) revenue.  But there was a catch; the Martin's did not include Dom in the insurance policy and Dom believed the contract was for 20% of everything. "The Martins just left me out in the cold.  They figure I don't deserve anything.  But they had given me 20% of everything with Timely Writer." Dom said.  The ten year relationship ended on a sour note and Dom missed out on $600,000 of the insurance he felt he deserved for making the horse the champion contender he became.

The legacy of Timely Writer did not end in 1982. In 1983 Suffolk Downs in Boston created the Timely Writer Handicap race which ran for several years and later Gulfstream in Florida honored the horse with the Timely Writer Stakes in 2011.

Final Resting Place

As I was researching for this post I came across something new that I do not think anyone in the family knows.  In October 2023, Belmont Park was renovated and constructed a new synthetic track which required the remains of Ruffian and Timely Writer to be exhumed and transferred to a new resting place.  The New York Racing Association sent Timely Writer to Old Friends Farm, a thoroughbred horse retirement farm and cemetery in Georgetown Kentucky.  I reached to out the farm for any information and Barbara Fossum sent me the photo below and described "The photo is taken from behind the graves of War Emblem & Medina Spirit. He is near Noor and Skip Away, both also reinterred, and Alphabet Soup, Charismatic and Hidden Lake, who all lived here." 

Tractor lowers the remains of Timely Writer into final resting place at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky in October 2023

Timely Writer - Part One: Humble Beginnings

Domenic Imprescia with Timely Writer

 My grandmother's brother was a bit of a legend within the family.  From his very humble beginnings in Fitchburg as a son of Italian immigrants, he became a nationally known thoroughbred horse trainer.  Dom always had a love of horses. His first business was a riding academy at his parents' house on South Street in 1941.

Nov. 13, 1941 Fitchburg Sentinel

He later opened his riding school on Klondike Avenue in Lunenburg and then entered the Merchant Marines during World War Two. 

After returning from the war in 1946 he began a career in used auto sales first with existing car dealers then branching out on his own with a used car business on Water Street.  Soon after starting the auto dealership he became the owner of racehorses in 1947. After a year and a half none of the five horses had won a race, so he took matters into his own hands and became the horse trainer.

Working seven days a week, starting at the stables at 5am and ending at the car lot at 9pm, Dom held down two jobs for 12 years until 1960 when he sold the auto business and became a full time trainer at 42 years old.

Working the New England race circuit he became the trainer of several horses including those from two butchers in Boston, Francis and Peter Martin. In 1980 the Martin’s purchased a colt for $13,500 (a small price for a thoroughbred) and named him Timely Writer after the horse's parents, Staff Writer and Timely Roman. 

1981 - A year of success

At 63 years old, when many consider retirement, Domenic had what may have been the best year of his career.  Under his training he had a promising two-year old filly, Elpaso Patty, a five-year-old colt Soldier Boy, and finally there was the start of the career of his greatest horse Timely Writer.

I do not know much about horse racing but read up on the hierarchy to races.  The Kentucky Derby, for example, is a Grade 1 race, reserved for the best of the best.  There are also Grade 2 and Grade 3 races, which also carry prestige and are stepping stones to qualify for higher Grade races.  At the very bottom of the hierarchy are Claimer races.  Claimer races have a claim amount announced at the start of the race for anyone (usually a trainer or owner) to "claim" or buy the horse at the end of the race.  Win or lose, if someone claims the horse they own it; if no one claims the horse, it stays with the current owner.  This is one of the most common types of races since it allows easy entrance for horses that are new or average performers.  These would be the blue-collar types of races, where the non-millionaire types who love horse racing buy a horse - like two butchers from Boston - and race for a chance at some small prize purses.  Not the stuff of the elite stables and trainers with six or seven figure dollar horses would ever compete.  The claimers were Dom's bread and butter, training horses for the modest owners who would race in Suffolk Downs, Rockingham Park or Gulfstream and Calder in Florida 

So in June 1981, Dom chose a $30,000 Claimer race in Monmouth Park, NJ, for Timely Writer's first race.  Someone could have literally put down $30k to buy the horse at the start of the race so obviously the horse had unknown greatness at that time.  But it did not take long for it to be revealed - he took the top spot in his first race.

His second race at Suffolk Downs in Boston on July 4th was the Mayflower Stakes.  One of two major stakes races held at Suffolk, the other being The Massachusetts Handicap which was held two weeks prior - and won by a 24-1 odds horse - Soldier Boy - also trained by Domenic!  So it is hard to imagine lightning would strike twice for Dom so soon, but Timely Writer easily won and almost broke a 38-year-old track record, missing it by one-tenth of a second.

The same trainer winning the two most prestigious races at Suffolk Downs was unprecedented in the then 47 year history of the Suffolk.  As Dom told the Boston Globe after the race, "If someone told me a couple weeks ago that I would win the Masscap AND the Mayflower - I would have told them they were smoking something."

In August Dom entered Timely Writer in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes in Saratoga, NY.  Again he pulled out a surprise win over premier horses by 4 1/2 lengths.

 

The end of Timely Writer's career as a 2 year old was in another Grade 1 race, The Champagne Stakes in Belmont Park, NY.  This race also featured the other standout, a 2 year old named Deputy Minister, a horse that won eight out if its last nine starts and was considered the top contender for Canadian Horse of the Year as well as the Eclipse Award, the American Thoroughbred awards.  The other contender for the Eclipse - Timely Writer.  This head to head race would surely show the best horse in 1981.

The race ultimately did show the best horse - Timely Writer - with an impressive come from behind win over the 4-5 odd favorite Deputy Minister, winning down the stretch by 5 lengths.  The press were now believers that Timely Writer was the leading contender for the Eclipse Award for a 2 year old Horse of the Year.

Boston Globe October 23, 1981

The $13,500 colt was also fetching $3 million dollars for half-interest in the horse, which would include lucrative stud fees once his racing career was complete.  Dom was also nominated for several awards from the New England Turf Writer Awards.  And Kentucky Derby favorite was mentioned in every article about Timely Writer at this point.  Things could not have been better for the Martin's, Dom Imprescia and Timely Writer. 

But in an unexplainable snub, Deputy Minister was awarded the Eclipse Award for the Outstanding 2 year old.  The owners of Timely Writer took the snub very personally as shown in this Boston Globe article in December 1981.  The Martins as well as the fans of the horse in Boston felt like the elites did not want to accept a horse that rose up the ranks from a claimer to Grade 1 horse compared to a horse with the money and power establishment behind it.

Sports writers in Boston were also outraged at the snub as seen by editorial below:

Dom fared much better at the end of the year with the New England Tuft Writers Awards.  He had a stunning year with not just Timely Writer but two other horses.

In 1982 Timely Writer was poised to be dominant in his 3 year old season including the biggest - The Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.  But there were several big races in Florida for the winter season that would prepare him.

But no one could be prepared for what 1982 would bring and it will go down as one of the most tragic stories in Thoroughbred racing history.

To be continued...

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 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.

The Horse Thief

 

Stephen Benjamin Smith (1881)
The son of "Horse Thief" Stephen R. Smith

In researching family history you can uncover some family mysteries or secrets that as descendents we had no idea occurred.  This story is one of those unexpected family stories that remained hidden.

In February 1938 when Dominic F. Imprescia 20 years old he married 22 year old Pricilla Glen, but 6 months later in October, they filed for divorce.  Then in October 1940, Dominic married Ethel May Smith.  It was second marriage for both, Ethel was married to Charles Fattori and had two daughters, Carol and Judy before they divorced.  Once Ethel married Dom, both daughters were adopted by Dominic and took the Imprescia name.  Together they had two more children, Gale and Dominic Jr.

Dominic was a 1st generation American since both of his parents immigrated to the US in 1908.  But the Smith family goes back much further, I am still working on getting the facts and sources straight, but the Smith's could date back to a 1710 immigration of Germans know as The Palatines that settled in New York near Albany.  What I do know and is verified is listed below.

Ethel May Smith's father was Rudolph Smith, who was born in Gardner, Massachusetts in 1883 and died in 1977.  Rudolph was the son of Stephen B. Smith who made a name for himself in Fitchburg as a Realtor before he died in 1934 at the age of 74.

Fitchburg Sentinel Nov. 26, 1934

Stephen was born in Dannemora, New York in 1860.  Dannemora is a small town that was know for one thing - Clinton Prison.  Stephen B. Smith's father, Stephen R. Smith was very familiar with this facility and his incredible life of crime.  Here is a timeline I have been able to gather.

Pre-1846

Stephen is sentenced a term in Clinton prison.  I have not found the record of what that crime or sentence was, but he had to be in prison BEFORE March 1846, I estimate is was around 1840 due to an 1858 document indicating he spent 18 years in prison.  My guess, horse thief.

1846

Stephen escapes from prison!

1855/56

Sent back to Clinton state prison for Grand Theft following Petty theft. 

1858

In January discharged from Clinton Prison.  

1859

At some point Stephen (age 51) married Arullia Leonard (age 20) and she became pregnant around April 1859.

While in Clinton prison Stephen fabricated molds to create counterfeit coins, months after his release - it was discovered he was using the tools and dies to create bogus coins.  Stephen sentenced on 21 Oct 1859 for counterfeiting coins, so he was in prison before his son Stephen Benjamin was born.  Since Counterfeiting was a Federal Crime, he was sent to Auburn Prison in Auburn NY.

1860

January 29th 1860, Stephen Benjamin was born in Dannemora, NY while his father was serving time in Auburn NY.

1861

Henry L. Smith born on November 27, 1861. But her husband is in prison in Auburn NY, so he is most likely NOT the father.  According to the 1860 Federal Census, Aurilla (age 22) is living in Dannemora, NY with 6 month old Stephen in the house of David Lamarra (which could be misspelled Lamoureaux) age 65 and Alexander Lamarra (Lamoureaux) age 14.  So it may be assumed that 65 year old David is the father, which brings up a lot of question on that relationship, was this consensual or was David taking advantage of a desperate young woman with a young child and husband in prison?  Henry has the Smith name not Lamoureaux - so they were never married.

1863

Mary Jane Smith born, again while Aurilla's husband is in prison.  So it could be assumed that is again  David Lamarra (Lamoureux) child, he would be 67 years old and Aurilla would be 24.  

1865

Stephen R. Smith is still serving time in Auburn prison, but there has been a major change in the US.  President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated and the new President is Andrew Johnson.  As new President and a Southerner he made decisions to issue pardons to Confederates instead of prosecuting them.  In Proclamation 179  there is a section related to amnesty for those who interrupted commerce, so Stephen being a counterfeiter applied for a Presidential Pardon.

1866

Stephen R. Smith received a Presidential pardon from Andrew Johnson on December 28th 1866 as a cost cutting measure after the Civil War.

Aurilla (age 27) is now located in Vermont and has a new husband Augusta LaWare (age 50) a 2nd marriage for both.  She has a son with Augusta names Simeon.

1870

Stephen R. Smith is listed in 1870 Federal Census as living in Clinton Prison.  So it seems between 1867 when released from Federal prison in Auburn NY, he committed another crime and was sentenced to Clinton State Prison.

1871

Aurilla has daughter Josephine with husband Augusta in Vermont.

1872

Aurilla has another son Gustay with husband Augusta in Vermont.

1875

Shortly after Stephen's release from Clinton in 1875, he went down to New Scotland New York, where he was from, visited family, and stole one of his brother's horses and got into a gun fight with police.  He was 64 years old at this time.

1876

Aurilla has another daughter Julia with husband Augusta in Vermont.

1877

Aurilla has another daughter Lucy with husband Augusta in Vermont.

1880

Stephen R. Smith is listed as resident of Clinton State Prison in 1880 Federal Census.  He is 73 years old.  This is the last record I can find for Stephen so his must have died sometime after 1880 but before 1890 when the next Federal Census was performed.

1894

Aurilla's husband Augusta dies in Vermont at the age of 84

1900

Aurilla marries for a 3rd time to widower Moses LaBell of Duxbury, Vermont.  He is 65 years old and she is 60 years old.

1912

Aurilla dies July 2, 1912 in Fitchburg, ironically of her eight children five of them now live in Fitchburg.

To summarize the family link to the infamous Stephen R. Smith, career criminal:  Stephen's son with Aurilla was Stephen B. Smith.  He was the father of Rudolph Smith, who was the father of Ethel May Smith.  And of course, Ethel was the wife on Dominic F. Imprescia.  So her Great-Grandfather was a "Noted Horse Thief" and Dominic and Ethel were noted thoroughbred owners and trainers.

Ethel (in black coat and sunglasses) and Dominic (in blue sport coat) with one of their horses