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.

Big Night and Louie Prima

 

There is a movie from 1996 called Big Night, you may have missed it - but it is a gem.  The story is of two restaurants in NJ, one has great food but no customers, the other has "Americanized" Italian food and is popular, the kind of place with signed photos on the wall from famous people.  So in a devious plot to shut down the place with the great food, the owner of the popular restaurant convinces them to spend all their money to make the best dinner they can and for his part he will invite Louis Prima to the "Big Night".  With a celebrity of Louis Prima level at their restaurant they hoped it would help establish them and save their business.

So younger people may say "Who is Louis Prima?"  He was an Italian band leader famous from the 1940's through the 1960's.  He sings a couple of classics like "Che le Luna", "Just a Gigolo", and the song from Disney Jungle Book "I Wanna Be Like You" (as well as playing the orangutan character).

So why does this matter?

Carbone's Restaurant had a REAL BIG NIGHT!

Carbone's restaurant from my previous post was located near Whalom Park which also had the Whalom Playhouse which hosted plays and bands.  In May 1950, Louis Prima's Orchestra was playing in town and where did they eat? 

Monday May 15, 1950 Fitchburg Sentinel Ad

 Carbone's Restaurant.  Now at this point, the restaurant was only open for about a month and I am not sure if they already had a guest book - or if they ran out and got one when Louis Prima arrived - but it holds the proof to his visit.

Very first signature in the Guest Book for Carbone's
May 15, 1950: Louis Prima - New York City 

 

Female vocalist and later wife of Louis Prima, "Keeley" Smith

So an amazing parallel to movie Big Night - Carbone's did host Louis Prima for dinner!

But there is MORE to the story.

There was some type of mix up and there were not enough rooms booked for the band to sleep that night - not sure how that discussion came up at the restaurant - but Palma (Imprescia) Russo had a solution.  She and her husband's family owned an apartment building on Daniels Street in Fitchburg with a vacant room, so she offered it to the displaced band members.  And supposedly  - Louis Prima and three band members took her up on the offer!  

The next morning Palma even made them breakfast before they left.  And as the story goes - the room was free of charge.

Free night in "Cleghorn" section of Fitchburg

The "Tiff" and Carbone's Resturant

In "The Patch" section of Fitchburg in the 1940's there was a social club, the Pietraperzia Club (P.P. Club) for Italians that originated from the town Pietraperzia in Sicily.  The club funded such annual events as The Feast of the Madonna della Cava and other Feast Days.  To provide revenue to the club other than the annual dues the club sold pizza on weekends.  The way this was done in the early days was by members wives volunteering to cook each month.  Each month a different wife hosted the pizza kitchen which led to "The Tiff".

Anna (Imprescia) Carbone was an excellent cook and when it was her month to run the kitchen it was a sell out.  As time went on, it became evident that Anna's month was the most popular and other wives became jealous.  This boiled over when one of the wives confronted Anna and claimed she was telling people NOT to order pizza on nights when she was not working.  Anna was offended at the premise it was not her excellent pizza - but she was sabotaging others by turning people away.  The insult was too much and made Anna realize if they love my pizza when I volunteer at the P.P. Club - why won't they love it at my own restaurant?  

The idea for Carbone's Restaurant was born.

Carbone's 1950-1968

Located directly across the street from Whalom Amusement Park

So Anna was now determined to open her own restaurant.  Her husband Louie Carbone already ran a small grocery store on Second and Middle Street on the ground floor of the multi family home where they lived in with their two daughters Linda and Marie.  

Anna Imprescia and her younger brother Sam Imprescia
inside Carbone's Market on 2nd and Middle St.

So she convinced Louie they should open their own place and found an amazing location in Lunenburg directly across the street from Whalom Park and purchased it on February 9, 1950.  

Grand Opening Announcement
Fitchburg Sentinel March 31, 1950

The efforts and preparations all come to fruition on April 1st, 1950 when Carbone's Pizza first opened its doors.  Anna was 39 years old and Louie was 51 yeas old at the time.

Opening Day April 1950

The restaurant was a family event in the picture above from the left is Filippo and Filippa Imprescia (Anna's parents), Angela Russo (Anna's sister Palma's sister-in-law), daughter of Lewis Esposito (the man who sold them the restaurant), Mary Dantini (Anna's cousin),Anna Carbone, Louie Carbone, Connie (DiNatale) Imprescia (Anna's sister-in-law), Connie (Imprescia) Picolomini and Palma (Imprescia) Russo (both Anna's sisters).

Grandma Imprescia (Filippa) making the pizza

Dominic Imprescia enjoying meal a with family & Friends

The restaurant was a success from the start and became Anna and Louie's life for the next 18 years. The Sicilian style "square" pizza was a favorite - but the menu was much more than pizza - several home cooked food are listed in this menu - but I am not sure if this was from the 1950's or 1960's.

Click here for full Carbone's Spaghetti House Menu.  A few notable highlights:

• a strict 30 cent minimum per person
• Seafood plate with Scallops/Clams only $1.25, but the 1/2 chicken is $1.75
• Sandwich called "Steamroller"?
• Large tray pizza - 18 slices $3.50.  That would be a party pizza size today.
• Near Beer served.  Louie did not want to have beer/wine served to avoid problems

Some oddities I found:

Poster on wall near jukebox (1950)
"If your wife is a Bum Cook. Keep her for a pet and EAT HERE"

"Knives, Forks, Spoons, Ash Trays, Salt and Pepper Shakers are not medicine
Please Don't Take After Meal!"

Help wanted ad from 1966
"Middle-aged or older women preferred"

By the late 1960's, Louie's health was starting to fail and on November 13, 1968 the restaurant was sold.  But for anyone of a certain age that lived in the area during those years will fondly remember the best pizza and food "Made the way you like it".  Who would have know a tiff (as my grandmother called it) would lead to a way of life for the Carbone's and a restaurant legacy.

My last visit on October 31, 1968
(I was almost 3 years old)

The Imprescia-Costa Family History Document - Fact or Fiction

I found an interesting family history document that was put together around 1984 and has some interesting stories of the family.  I am going to try to fact-check what was written based on all the information I have gathered and what records are available on-line.

But to start - here is the original.  Someone took the time (I would love to know the author) to research and type up this document on a typewriter, then photocopy and distribute to members of the family.  They must have went to all family members to get background to put together this labor of love.  I believe I got my copy from Anna (Imprescia) Carbone, my grandmother.  It is a great read, but look for future posts to provide some background and documentation on these stories since I already see some things that I suspect are not correct - so it will be fun to play detective and get the real story.

Here is a link or read below.