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

When did the Imprescia's (and other family members) Immigrate?

The Impresica-Costa Family History document attempted to list out the immigration history of the Imprescia's and Costa's from Pietraperzia to Massachusetts.  Using documents available from passenger lists to Boston and New York I wanted to try to put together a timeline for arrivals in USA for our family.  From the "Family History" the timeline looked like this:

Filippo and Filippa (Siciliano) Imprescia left for America a short time after their wedding in Italy in 1908.  Salvatore and Vincenzo (Imprescia) Costa left for America in 1905 with their son Anthony.

What I have found:

1893

Although not an Imprescia, Giuseppe Carbone, age 44, father of Luigi Carbone (future husband of Anna Imprescia) left Lapio Italy on SS Weser which arrived in New York on 15 May 1893.  He was traveling with his brother-in-law Vito Costanza (married to his sister Maria Rosa Carbone).  Their final destination was Massachusetts.  Neither Giuseppe or Vito stayed in the United States and lived the remainder of their lives in Italy.  Giuseppe’s brother Antonio had immigrated as early as 1883 and is one of the earliest Italians to settle in Fitchburg.

1903

The first Imprescia arrival that I could track was Filippo Imprescia in 1903.  I cannot find the passenger list from 1903 with his name on it.  This was from his 2nd arrival in 1908, it lists whether passenger has ever been in United States before, he answered yes in 1903 in Boston.

    

1905

I could not find Salvatore Costa in passenger list but I could find Maria Vincenzo and Antonio (who was under 1 year old at the time) listed on the registry of the SS Romanic that travelled from Naples to Boston in 1905. 

So I assume Salvatore arrived sometime before or was on the passenger list and I could not locate him.  

Dominic Imprescia also travelled alone to the United States in 1905, leaving his wife Anna and daughter Concetta in Italy.  He departed Naples on April 26, 1905 and arrived in Boston May 8th, 1905 on the SS Canopic, it is listed on registry that he was joining his son Fillippo at the address 3 North Sq., Boston. It also noted that his son paid for his passage and he arrived with $2.00 in his pocket.

1906

One year and five months after Dominic Imprescia arrived in the United States, his wife Anna Viola and daughter Concetta boarded the SS Canopic on October 7th, 1906 and arrived in Boston on November 12th.

Anna Viola's passport from her
immigration on 7 October 1905

  

Concetta listed as daughter accompanying Anna on passport 

1907

Maurice Montesion, my wife's grandfather, came to New York from Lacedonia, Avellino when he was 18 aboard the Regina D'Italia.   He was listed as a shoemaker with $12 in his pocket. His final destination was with his uncle Michele Cardellicchio at 201 Water St. Boston.  His uncle had arrived earlier in 1905.

1908

Some time in before 1908, Filippo went back to Italy to get married.  On 23 January 1908 Filippo married Filippa Siciliano in Pietraperzia. Sixteen days after their wedding the couple then departed Italy on 8 February 1908 to New York on the SS Roma and arrived on 24 March 1908.

Filippo "Phillip" passport from 1908

Filippa Siciliano accompanying Filippo in 1908

1912

Salvatore Siciliano (age 53), Filippa (Siciliano) Imprescia's father came to the United States with two of his sons Alisandro (age 19) and Giuseppe (age 16). The trip was paid by Filippo on the SS Canopic and it arrived 12 September 1912  in Boston. Salvatore and Giuseppe did not stay in the United States, but Alisandro did stay and in 1922 married Mary Cali and had six children: Samuel, Pamela, Jane, Leon and Joseph.

1913

Luigi Carbone, future husband of Anna (Imprescia) Carbone, came to the United States when he was 14 years old.  His father Giuseppe had already died in Italy in 1903.  He came with his mother Maria Gaetana Iovine (age 50) and two sisters Giovanna (age 25) and Carmella (age 22).  They were coming to stay with Giuseppe (Joseph) Carbone, Maria Gaetana's older son who immigrated some time around 1908 and lived on 22 Middle St, Fitchburg.

Giovanna married Michael Champa and Carmella married Vito Colello and both lived in Fitchburg.

The immigration from Italy was a family affair, as they earned money working in the United States they would send money back to pay for passage of relatives who would then live with them when they arrived until they could find jobs and get their own apartments and homes.

The Five Connies

 Concetta Vinci (b:1817) my 3rd Great-Grandmother and was the mother of Dominic Imprescia (b:1849), so naturally when Dominic had his first born daughter, he honored his mother and named her Concetta (b: 1877).  Unfortunately,  Concetta died 11 months later in 1878.

As I detailed in an earlier post on Dominic and Anna Impresica and their 17 Children, Dominic and Anna had another daughter named Concetta (b:1889) that died 2 years later and a third daughter named Concetta (b: 1894) that tragically died in a factory accident at age 15.  So ALL three of Dominic and Anna's children that were named Concetta never made it to adulthood.

Anna (Viola) Imprescia and her daughter Concetta (circa 1908)

Dominic and Anna's son Filippo ("Phillip") (b:1880) also carried on the tradition with his first born child who was born 10 Sept 1909, almost a year to the day of Filippo's sister Concetta death (26 Aug 1908).  

Concetta Imprescia, first daughter of Filippo and Filippa (Siciliano) Imprescia (1909-1916)

Unfortunately, tragedy struck AGAIN in the Impresica family with the death of Concetta in 1916 at the age of 6 years old due to "valvular disease of the heart" according to her death certificate.  

My grandmother Anna (Imprescia) Carbone described it to me a little differently.  According to her, one day her big sister Concetta was crossing the street in "The Patch" (which was the nickname for the neighborhood where they lived in Fitchburg) and was almost hit by a motorcycle.  From that point on she aquired a "weak heart" and became sickly because she was so frightened by the near miss of the motorcycle it damaged her heart.  I guess the shock or surprise of the near death experience could have help identify there was a heart issue and I am sure there was no medical solution available in 1916.

Filippo and Filippa went on to have seven more children:

Anna (1911-2015) 

Palma (1913-2012)

Josephine (1914-2002)

Dominic (1918-2011)

Eleanor (1920-1921)

Samuel (1925-2022)

and lastly another daughter Concetta in 1926 who was the baby of the family.  This Concetta, or Connie lived a long life passing away at the age of 95 in 2022.

Connie (Imprescia) Piccolomini (1926-2022)

So it took almost 50 years from the first Concetta Imprescia to the last Connie (Imprescia) Piccolomini to break the bad luck of the Five Connies in the Imprescia family.

***Footnote:  Salvatore and Maria Vincenzo (Imprescia) Costa also had a daughter Connie (Costa) Consolo (1913 - 2002) who lived to 89 years old. So she would be the first to break the bad luck of the Imprescia’s - but she was born a Costa ❤

KILLED JUST BEFORE QUITTING WORK FOR THE DAY

 

My grandmother Anna (Imprescia) Carbone tells her recollection of her Aunt Concetta from stories passed down from her parents and grandparents.  She was 97 years old when this was recorded on February 8th,  2008.

In prior post I tried to track down The Legend of Dominic and Anna Impresica and their 17 Children and found 11 children documented as births while they lived in Italy.  When Dominic and Anna immigrated to the United States in 1906, only three children were still alive, my great-grandfather Filippo who would have been 26 years old at that time, Maria Vincenzo who would have been 23 years old and the youngest daughter Concetta who was 12 years old when she arrived.

Concetta Imprescia Circa 1908

By August 1908 the complete Imprescia family was in Massachusetts.

Dominic Imprescia - 3 Middle Street Lane, Fitchburg, Massachusetts

• Anna (Viola) Imprescia - wife
• Filippo Imprescia - son
• Filippa (Siciliano) Imprescia - daughter-in-law
• Concetta Imprescia- daughter

Salvatore Costa - 471 Hanover Street, Boston, Massachusetts

• Maria Vincenza (Imprescia) Costa - wife
• Anthony Costa - son
• Lena (Maria) Costa - daughter

Concetta the much younger sister of Filippo and Maria Vincenza, enrolled in school in 1906 and by 1908 she was able to read and write in English.  But June of 1908 would be her last year of school, in July she was employed at Star Worsted Wood in Fitchburg as a spinner.

One month into her job, tragedy struck.  Here is the scan of the original Fitchburg Sentinel story, but I have transcribed below.  They have identified Concetta as Concettino and incorrectly indicate she is their only child:

Fitchburg Sentinel (Fitchburg, MA) 

August 26, 1908

KILLED JUST BEFORE QUITTING WORK FOR THE DAY. 

Young Italian Girl Caught in Shafting at Star Worsted Mill and Fatally Injured Before Machinery Could Be Stopped. 

Caught by an empty coat sleeve in the shafting of a spinning frame at the Star Worsted Mill on Sheldon Street Tuesday night just before the whistle blows for 6 o'clock.  Concettino Imprescia aged about 15 years, daughter of Mr and Mrs Domenico Imprescia, 3 Middle Street Lane, was literally pounded to death on the contact with the machine and the floor upon which her body fatally landed.  The death came about 20 minutes after the incident with her battered body was stretched out on the floor of the mill with the section hands, overseers and fellow employees powerless to aid her or to even relieve her suffering although willing and anxious to assist.
The young girl who came to work in the mill according to the books kept by Smith Bateman, overseer of the spinning department, on July 7 of this year, was the only daughter of a hardworking Italian couple who reside at 3 Middle Street Lane.  The girl was the pride of the family and was well known throughout the Italian colony.  Her pretty face and bright appearance made her a favorite with all her country people and others who came in contact with her at work.  She was engaged as assistant spinner working on the frames over which Elzeau Goguen of 50 Main Street had charge.  She was not afraid to work but like all others employed in the room was in the habit of getting ready to go home just as soon as the closing whistle announced 6 o’clock.
Away from her mother and father all day, the little girl was over anxious to get out of the busy spinning room and so when the clock drew near 6 o’clock she became anxious to cease her toil and speed towards the warm supper and cordial welcome she knew awaited her in her little home on Middle Street Lane.  But while anxious to get out, she did not neglect her work tending to the loom right up to the final moment.  In her anxiety to be ready for home she took her coat and started to put it on.  Slipping the left arm through the light-colored jacket she wore over her working dress, she stead the machine with her right hand keeping the little wheel which would stop it motion in easy reach.  Three more minutes were before her and alert stood there, one arm in the coat sleeve and the right hand on the lever which controlled the machine.  Elzeau Gougen section hand of that part of the room, stood 10 feet away from the frame with his back to the girl.  Other employees stood to the right of her to the front and rear, all like herself intent on hearing the whistle.  Suddenly like a flash of lightening the swinging coat sleeve, dangling at the right side of the girl became tangled in the shafting of the frame which revolved almost 18 inches from the floor.
On this shafting ran a little 1 1/4 inch belt to a pully which controlled the motive power of the spinner.  The shafting went around with about 400 revolutions per minute and instantly the child was wound around the revolving shaft.  The belt slipped from the shafting but the roughness of the steel shaft combined with the amount of the cloth already wrapped around the shafting was sufficient to hold the girl and as it swiftly revolved the girl was thrown around with it.  Her body was whirled through the air, striking the spinning frame and also thumping on the floor.
Mr. Gougen heard her screams which were echoed in horror by all the other employees in the room and he turned like a flash to see what happened.  Realizing the danger, he sprang over her revolving body and turned the wheel which controlled the spinner.  In a moment the huge machine came to a standstill and the girl was released from its fatal clutch.  Smith Bateman overseer of the room came up from the rear of the spinning room took in the situation at a glance.
He made for the office telephone but the office was closed and he had to run to a house across the street, where he ordered a carriage at once.  He returned to the mill, but seeing the little girl was dangerous, if not fatally injured, he returned to the phone and summoned the Burbank hospital ambulance.  It arrived at 6:27, but the girl had died just 10 minutes before, Medical Examiner Frederick H. Thompson was notified and quickly arrived on the scene.  He ordered the body be turned over to the Undertaker John R. Smith, who arrived a short time afterwards and removed it to his rooms at 181 Water Street.
Chief of Police D.W. Tinsley and Officer Chadwick who came to the mill soon after the accident, took charge of the situation till the medical examiner had arrived and the body turned over to the undertaker.  It was fortunate that they were there as the parents and friends of the dead girl began to arrive just before 7 o’clock.  Word had been sent them that their child or “baby”, as they called her had been killed and the news traveled through the Italian colony with wonderful quickness.  Fully 20 Italian speaking people followed the mother and father from their home on Middle Street to the mill, and as the grief stricken procession wounded its way through the crowded thoroughfare, the sigh was most pathetic .
The grief of the heart broken parents was most pitiful.  At the mill when they learned that the girl had passed away, their grief broke out with renewed force and for a moment it looked as if they lost complete control of themselves.  Chief Tinsley and Officer Chadwick did their best to comfort them and ordered a carriage to remove them to their home.  When it arrived the parents and friends, as many as could, went home to prepare for the arrival of the body.  Even those whose round of duty bring them in contact with such scenes, were deeply affected by the grief of the parents, whose only child had been taken from them.
Medical Examiner Frederick H. Thompson, Sr. viewed the body at John R. Smith’s this morning, giving primary cause of death, fracture of the skull and injury of the brain and multiple fractures.  The contributory cause was shock and hemorrhage.  The examination also showed that the left arm was broken, but otherwise the arms, hands and body escaped being even bruised, all the injury being in the head.
The funeral will be held this afternoon, from Undertaker Smith’s rooms, with services at St. Anthony’s church.  The internment will be in St. Bernard’s cemetery.

** End of article **

This story highlights the dangerous working conditions of our ancestors.  In our current times of personal injury lawsuits and safety guidelines - what was recourse back in 1908?  

I will continue the story of Concetta in a future post.