The SS. Crocifisso di Chicago.
Also between the Italians who, disembarked
to New York, decided to push themselves in the state of the Illinois there were many nicosiani. They above all dedicated to the tiny commerce and the terziario, taking advantage of the great possibilities
that the State of
north and its main city, Chicago, offered.
The new ones arrived found lodging in the Italian quarter of Bridgeport, place in the part southern of the metropoli and built up between 1830 and 1840 from the Irishes. The majority of the Italian community original era of Ricigliano
and
of Nicosia. In particular, the area between the 26th, the 31st, Halsted and the Viadcut channel were inhabited exclusively from nicosiani, than you they had recreated a complex
social net similar to that of the quarters
of the origin city. Arranged in lodgings near relatives or friends, emigrating
could therefore begin to orient itself in
world of the job, addressing often to the
offices placement publics (the
“free employment offices”) that they carried out their activity
free of charge is in favor of the laborers who of the companies that demanded labor,or
to the Legal Bureau, destined to give legal
attendance to the workers in case of accident and, in general terms,
controversies with the employer.
Folta the Italian community - that it counted,
to the beginnings of 1900 nearly 25 thousand
componenti319 - it introduced the same characters of the others scattered in the various states of the Union. To forehead
of a wide dinamicità in the job, Italian
emigrating
it maintained the social and religious customs
of the earth natia, manifesting a not comprised and accepted religiosità
often from local the religious hierarchies,
107
in mag
gioranza of Irish origins. The community constructed
therefore own churches and
it turned to religious of Italian origin,
beyond that to the attendance of the missionaries of
Sacred Heart of Cabrini Mother.
The numerous present associations in the
city were not in degree, moreover, of
to often guarantee an adequate support to
the needs of a community in fight for
survival. The present societies of mutual
aid to Chicago, characterized
anch'esse from that fragmentation and that
protagonismo of the maggiorenti found
in the newyorkesi associations, they were
often limited to carry out a function
of meeting for the associates and their
families. To case Luigi Provana it did not complain
that, to part the Society of Beneficence
of the Italian Women and the Circle Maria
Adelaide, given over to the organization
of the festivities of charity, the Italian organizations
they did not carry out a true charitable
activity to the needy ones: “lack of appetite from one
personal and regional part, envies and jealousies
from the other, are the cause of this little lusinghiero state of things”.
In all probability the first Italian association
was the Society of Union and
Italian Fratellanza, been born in 1880.
It dictates organization of mutualistic stamp
West Randolph Street re-united own associates
every first monday of the month to the 59.
Unione and Fratellanza were continuation,
in the successive decade from many other agencies
created from Italian-Americans, like the
Bersaglieres of Savoia and the Cristoforo Society
Columbus.
The sicialian, without some distinction,
gathered instead near the Trinacria
Sicialian Fratellanza, been born in 1892
and, successively, the Sicialian Union
founded from Vincent and. Ferrara in 1914.
Uniforms from rivalry of parochial stamp,
the associations to regional character
they were found again numerous to the patriotic
commemorations, above all in
those advertised from the columns of the
city sheets in Italian language, like The Tribune.
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To Chicago the nicosiana community developed
itself sin from the dawn of the Italian emigration in the U.S.A., facilitated
from numerous opportunities of job and consolidating of the mechanism
of the migratory chain, that it carried entire familiar nuclei to
to follow the men arrived for first and
reconstituting to the net of the relationships ancestral celebrations
left in Sicily. They were present, moreover, communities of sicialian pertaining to
circondario erbitense, in particular original
of Capizzi, Agira, Nissoria, Assoro, Villarosa.
Already to the beginnings of the 1900's, the sicialian community could count on a
born bank for will of a concittadino, Henry R. Contour.
The “Herbitens Bank”
- that it had center to 154 W. 22d St, in
the pressi of the Wentworth Hail - offered necessary the bancari services
to the compatriots, in details those of management of the money orders
it mails them and telegraphic for Italy
and the others you leave of the world. Besides to construct to a financial
important instrument of intermediation in the management of the warehouses
and of the reimbursements of the sums deposited
near the Italian Cases Mails them of Saving
and that of change, the institute was taken care of enough common activities to the banks tied to the emigration.
The “Herbitens Bank” carried
out in fact also the functions of agency of railway navigation and, advertising
itself which only “Italian agent member of the conferences Mediterranean
and Continental” and “representative of Italian, French lines,
Austrians, Greeks, English and Russians”.
Contour organized also a legal office with Italian lawyers and Americans
and, at last, an activity of resale of clocks and jewels, and one of
gifts for wedding.
Other credit institution of nicosiana origin
was the “Bank Dr. Cesar Accounts”, correspondent of the Bank
of Naples and the Italian Credit Bank.
Also through these bancari institutes, to
spiccatamente city character, the nicosiano immigrant contributed to
increase the flow of the savings towards Italy.
The remittances of the sicialian, piling
between 1891 and 1895 to the 0,5 for hundreds of the warehouses near
the institutes mail them of the peninsula, very passed in 1910 the 20,09
for hundreds of the total to demonstration
of the parsimony in the conduction of one
109
*******
(Informative Card transmitted to me from Linda Holda Messina.)
life abroad that it demanded great sacrifices
and deprivations.
The most numerous community, had like pre-eminent
the personalities of the lawyer Francisco Di Bartolo, dottor the Nicolò
Champion and the druggist Francisco
Cortiletti. To part sparuti exponents of the small entrepreneurial
and professional world, the class of workers more represented era that laborer. To it
Messina Rosary belonged, as an example,
been born in 1882 in the Saint quarter Salvatore.
In 1905, abandoned the labourer job, s'imbarcò
on the Napolitan Prince from the port of Palermo with others eight nicosiani,
age comprised between the thirteen and forty-one years. To
Chicago it began to work as laborer in the field of
constructions the 4 buildings and the Saint
concittadina Proietto (1888 - 1943 married june 1909), arrived in the
States three years prima.331
To the class laborer the Barb one made part
also Antonio, left from Naples
with Alsace the steamboat and arrived in the U.S.A in March 1896, to
the age of 24 years.
To Barb Chicago divenne the operating one
of tram and married by proxy the concittadina Saint Anna Giunta, that
it was reached there in 1899.
Francisco Scarlata, son of Sigismundo and
Antonina Pantaleo, were born in 1925 to Nicosia, the Sant'Agata quarter. The parents re-entries from the
America after along
period, and had acquired a land in contrada “Rocasci”, to which
it was possible to arrive single crossing
the Salso river.
The economic difficulties pushed Francisco
and the Antonino brother, hardly
sedicenne, to riattraversare the ocean, finding to Chicago support near the
family
Hawk. Francisco specialized itself in the
field of the sartoria and he will not never forget the aid received from the concittadini in the first months of emigration.
Other family laborer was that of the Lizzio.
Batiste Lizzio and Carmela Vanaria married to 13 Nicosia May 1911 and
after to have sold the little assets in order to acquire two tickets
to the cost of 98 dollars in February 1912 they left with
steamboat SS. Italy, the travel, along 17
days, concluded to Ellis Island, where
110
they were to attend them one of the siblings
of the spouse. To Chicago the family residence in the ancient Italian
quarter taken, risen around the Church of Saint Maria Incoronata.
Carmela began to work like cucitrice of
pants, while the husband carried out the activity of manovale in the field of the constructions. From the Lizzio
they were born
four sons, all asserted in the field of
the terziario and the industry. Carmela never did not feel the requirement
to learn English, being limited itself to pass little
time available from the job in family and
with the compatriots.
The community gathered near Society SS.
Crocifisso, founded 10 7 February 1899 and incorporated August of the
same year there.
In the first years of the 1900's the society
realized, near the church of the Incoronata,
a rich and artistic altar, near which a
precious image of the SS was conserved.
Crocifisso. The altar constituted, inside of the catholic church, the point
of meeting of the nicosiani for the sacred functions
and the moments of gathering.
Society SS. Crocifisso was not the single
present nicosiana association in the metropoli of the Illinois: it is
had, in fact, news of the constitution, in the september of
1921, of an other society to mutualistic
character.
Founded from 26 nicosiani337, the Sicialian
Society of All the Countrymen of Nicosia Under the Title of the Crocifisso
was based on the principles of union and fratellanza between the
associates and had like scope the moral, material and intellectual improvement
between i
members composed that it and the mutual
aid between the same ones.
********************************
333 Vincent been born in 1912, succeeded in to cover important assignments near the Continental Bank, the Association
citizen of the commerce and the industry
and the Foundation Brothers Alexian. Samuel, been born in
1914, divenne vice-president of the Northern
Trust Co., while Phil, of two years young, worked
in the field of the transports. Frank, at
last, been born in 1919, covered managing assignments near the Zenith, and
he enlisted himself in American aviation
participating to the war of the Pacific during according to conflict
world-wide.
334 Of Carmela Lizzio I have been able, for merit of Linda Holda Messina, to reconstruct the human vicissitude,
made of sacrifices and deprivations and finalized
giving to own sons the professional possibilities that
they had been precluse in Italy.
335 In it assigns of ulterior documentation, thinks that the Society S. of Nicosia to which ago signal H.S. Nelli
(The italians in Chicago 1880-1930,
cit., pag. 172) or to identify own in the SS. Crocifisso).
336 N.A., “emigrating ours”, in the Bundle Nicosiano, year I, n. 16. The association, with center
in 2841
Wallace Street, was presided from Happy Callozzo,
collaborated from the vice president Giuseppe Mirabella
and from the cashier Antonio Scornavacche.
News of a successive development of the same one is not had.
The 337 founding associates were: Rosary Di Grazia was Salvatore, Antonino Scarlata was Michele, Angel
Cortiletti was Peter, Giuseppe Rizzo was Lorenzo,
Bartolomeo Scornavacche was Francisco, Saint Of
Grace was Salvatore, Michele Messina was Francisco,
Antonino the Guzzo was Luigi, Francisco D' Amico
it was Salvatore, Michele Invergo was Cataldo,
Antonino Gagione was Vincenzo, Michele Pidone was
Filippo, Antonino Braciavento was Vincenzo,
Graziano Scarlata was Michele, Carmelo D' Amico was Francisco,
Stefano D' Amico was Salvatore, Antonio Chiavetta
was Michele, Antonino Rizzo was Filippo,
Antonino Bonomo was Mariano, Giuseppe the Barb
one was Happy, Antonino the Barb one was Happy, Nicolò
Villa, Mariano Cardella, Salvatore Di Grazia
di Santo, Carmelo Hen
***********************************
111
And the mutual aid between the members the
society characterized the nicosiano organism:
the mutual aid, recited art. the 2 of the
charter, “was considered like raw materials in the family of the
associate” and “it is carried out with the pecuniario subsidy in
disease case, with the funeral accompanyment in case of died and with every
other means of aid, in case of dead women
and with every other means of aid, in case of accident independently
from the defect”. The report financial of the society for year
1955, evidences that the majority of the resources financial institutions
they were employed in order to make forehead
to expenses for the funerals of the associates (in the year were died Lorenzo Panetteri, Salvatore Divicino, Giuseppe Divicino, Sigismundo Naselli and Mariano Lizzo, for a honorarium of 2.400 dollars) and for the compensation of
social doctor Alfredo Bellizzi.
Like the majority of the Italian-American
societies to mutualistic character, the nicosiana society era structured on a directive council composed
from a president,
a vice president, a secretary of memories,
a secretary of finance, a
secretary substitute and an apt secretary to the familiar class. The organization
at last it was completed from the treasurer,
three curatori, the marshal, two petty officers first class of crews,
a chaplain, a door-keeper and, at last, six councilmen.
Closely tied to the devozione in the comparisons
of the SS. Crocifisso venerato
in the city born them, the society gathered in ordinary shareholders' meeting two times a
month, beginning the activities with the
following prayer:
**********
I add and merciful Creator Iddio of the
entire Universe,
You that you see all human the hearts
and of scrutinized the more intimate thoughts,
fairies that our thoughts, our actions
and our deliberations
in this sitting they are scevre of egoismo
and worthy of yours misericordia,
and accepted innanzi your majestic presence.
Fairies that we loved ourselves from
true siblings and we maintained our relations
More and more grips, thus that we had
a day the fortune to enjoy the presence
of Your delight Son Jesus Christ Mr.
ours.
*****************
Every sitting was moreover always sluice
with the recitazione of an other prayer.
They could make part of the society in quality
of associates only the borns in the municipality of
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Nicosia, the sons of parents been born and
the descendants of they of any degree there. The registration question had to be accompanied from the test of own origins
and the opinion favorable at least two effective
members of the society, attesting that the aspirant was integral person
morally and given over to the job. The question
it had to be accompanied from a certificativo
document of the perfect health of the aspirant who, in particular, had absolutely to be free from veneree diseases.
The society was composed from two categories
of associates: celibi and the married men.
various belongings influenced essentially
on the tipologia of treatment and demonstrate, of fact, as in the nicosiana
society a strong element of sedentarietà was present. The associate celibe
that he took wife could ask to make part
of the category of the married men not more
late than two months from the date of its wedding, term beyond which could not more exercise the option.
Al regularly admitted associate in the category
of the married men was guaranteed
the funerarie recovery of expenses for the wife and the sons whom they did not have
completed the 15 years of age, expenses
that came supported do not only give to all the associates but from those
members the class of the partially equal married men and.
The society had the task of annually giving
to a festivity in honor of the Saint Padre of the Providence, protecting and landladies of the society:
to such scope the assembly
one gathered in order to establish the date
of the festeggiamenti and the modalities in order better to solennizzare the event.
To the festivity to the representations
of the societies consorelle and those participated with which more straits were had ties, all the associates
and the personalities of the community
that more they had been distinguished in
professional and social field. In the festeggiamenti of the 1921 the
associations S. Alfio and Umberto were as an example present Prince of
Piemonte that followed the religious ceremony
and the march of the associates of the SS. Crocifisso for the adjacent ways the social center with own banners and
own flags.
It was be a matter of manifestations in which the association it demonstrated to the
other Italian
communities and concittadini
of Nicosia the visibilities caught up inside of
Cologne, to testimony of the social affirmation
caught up from own members.
The religious data got confused thus with
that more properly profane one in
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a ceremony that ended in order to acquire
character of festivity of the same country. “Of facts since now all it has been established with firmness of
purpose and zeal so that
festivity was indeed sontuosa and succeeded
better also of the passed years”, wrote the corresponding anonymous
person from Chicago, in occasion of the recurrence of 1908. In
that year the members of the society established to open the festeggiamenti
the saturday, eve of festivity, with the
sound of lives some of the church of Maria SS. Immaculate, where the liturgy was accompanied from musics of
the Band
Garibaldina directed from Modestino Mastrogiovanni.
Sunday, to the hours 9 approximately, “a perhaps never seen parade
in similar occasions” accompanied the corteo with overhead
the vessillo tricolour, to differentiate
the participants “from many razze of it polulates that they are
found scattered in these far and immense ones contrade of America”. After the putting
officiata from the rev. Riccardo Lorenzone,
the festeggiamenti continued till late
night, with sorteggio of a clock and a representing picture the SS. Father, and
huge fires pyrotechnicians.
The report of the manifestation of 29 May
1908 and the others, testifies
like the Society of the SS. Crocifisso di Chicago, to beyond its connotation
religious, one did not come off substantially
from those mutualistic ones that found greater space to New York. The
religious occasion gave the possibility “to appear”,
to demonstrate own importance is within
the Italian-American community,
or in that of origin, that it came to acquaintance
of the gesta social through the correspondences published in local newspapers.
The homage to the Saint Padre of
the Providence exited therefore from the devozione of the single nicosiano in order to become
the occasion to assert the community in
foreign earth, between the remained compatriots emigrated there and the
concittadini in native land. “A new affirmation of the moral and
intellectual force of which the dear associates of the aforesaid society of the Crocifisso
they are able, also in far countries, when
they must carry out their forces in
114
it sets in action floods of amor patrio
and of zeal” it wrote the Echo of Mounts, to testimony that also through
the city associations was possible to conquer a uolo in the social scale that emigrating had not had the possibility of
to acquire in the origin native land.
The society was moreover engaged to send
to Nicosia thirty Liras every year in occasion of the Saint Week, in order to acquire a gift of devozione to the Saint Padre of
the Providence. The burden had to be supported in equal parts
from all the enrolled one to the society.
After to be succeeded in to count to the
beginnings of the century 250 associates, the society endured an unavoidable
decline with the progressive one to diradarsi of the e'migre's first generation.
The generations been born in the U.S.A.,
more and more amalgamated in the American society, began to lose interest themselves in the traditions of own ancestors. Only during the last few years - for merit of
the last migratory big wave and the riscoperta one of own roots - the
society has resumed life, returning to being aggregativo element in the
traditional cult for the SS. Crocifisso.
c. The other associations
To New York, beside already cited Nicosiana
Youth, Siblings Testa and Conte of Turin was born for merit of Francisco
Spampinato the Society Union and
Fratellanza sons of the Job, destined not only to the e'migre' nicosiani but to all the corregionali presents in the metropoli, without no distinction and with the pure scope to constitute a useful instrument to the workers immigrati.344 the initiative
it did not have but the hoped happened one
from its promotore. In the metropoli American it had moreover life, to
half of 1920, an organism that collected the erbitensi
devout people to the cult of the Father
of the Providence. The blessing of the social banner happened near the
church of Lucia Saint, to the presence of the concittadino canonical
Michele Cammisa D' Alexander and of the
directed nicosiana musical band from Francisco Defini.
115
