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Reggio Calabria, Italy
Date: 1942
Notes: Nicola Moscato was born in Galleria, in the province of Reggio Calabria in 1910. When he was less than a year old his parents decided to immigrate to Canada. The family lived in Welland, Ontario for 19 years. In 1929 Nicola Moscato's parents decided to return to Italy. Nicola returned with them and became reacquainted with his hometown. He came to appreciate its warm weather and pretty location. He decided to remain in Calabria and started a furniture business. The business thrived for awhile but then things got difficult in Italy. He was called up into the army. After World War II no one had any money. He decided to return to Welland, Ontario. At the time he longed for his wife and his children whom he had left behind in Calabria. Luckily, after awhile his family came over and the family was reunited. They decided to settle in Montreal where a number of relatives were already living. In the 1960s he worked in the construction industry and traveled to different places in North America....
      The photo and short biography of Nicola Moscato were first published in Centro Dante's "Album di Famiglia, 1996." Permission to use the material was given by Santa Cabrini Hospital's administration. For further information visit: www.santacabrini.qc.ca.
Contributed by: Courtesy of The Santa Cabrini Hospital

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Italian families 1910s
Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
Date: 1915
Notes: The baby in the picture is Rachele Polisena; sitting on the chair is her mother. The picture was taken to send to Rachele's father who was then in North America, working, and hoping to come home soon.
Contributed by: Rachele Polisena

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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
Date:
Notes: In 1909 the contributor's maternal great grandfather, Francesco Di Tullio, came to North America looking for work. At that time anyone who was in good health and willing to work could settle in North America. Francesco Di Tullio first found employment at various odd jobs, and then, after a few months, he found the elusive "good job" with Canadian Pacific Rails. CP paid higher wages than other employers, but the working conditions were deplorable. Supervisors there were pressured to get the most out of their employees, pushing them to work very fast, giving no concern to their physical safety. Francesco Di Tullio, a diligent worker, was crushed between two moving rail cars, as he was trying to hook them together. The poor man was rushed to a hospital near Paris, Ontario, where the doctors found it necessary to amputate his arm. CP did everything in its power not to compensate him, but luckily, he took the matter to court, and a judge ruled in his favor. Francesco Di Tullio, like the majority of Italian migrant workers between the years 1890 and 1935, returned to Italy. Like others of his generation, Francesco Di Tullio used the money he made in North America to enlarge his property holdings in Italy, and by so doing, improved his family's standard of living.
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
Date: 1930s
Notes: In the 1910s one of the sons of the contributor's great grandparents (seen in this photo) left for Buenos Aires, Argentina. His dreams of finding "a good job" did not materialize. After a few years he severed all ties with his family, including his wife and two small children. Nowadays, Italians' mass migration to the Americas is viewed positively, few care to remember the pain it caused.
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
Date: 1950s?
Notes: In the early 1920s the contributor's paternal grandfather, Michele Melfi, decided to come to North America to earn extra money. He first worked as a farm laborer in Quebec, and then crossed over to the States, where he managed to save a bit of money. After four years, he, like many other Italian migrant workers, returned to his home town, and there used his savings to buy up land, making him a rather well-to-do farmer. According to government data nearly half of all Italian migrant workers who worked abroad between 1890 and 1941 returned to the country of their birth.
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
Date: 1950s
Notes: Here is a picture of a returnee, Raffaele, his two Canadian-born children (riding the donkey) and a group of his relatives. The returnee had left Casacalenda as a young seventeen year old, accompanied by an older relative, Francesco DiTullio. While Francesco returned to his hometown after a few years of hard labor, Raffaele and his family decided to make Montreal their home. Also in the picture are the contributor's grandparents. The man holding the reigns of the donkey (Nonno Giuseppe) had also worked in North America (He helped with the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge). Like many other migrant workers (pre World War II) Nonno Giuseppe returned to Italy and here used his savings to improve his property.
     
Contributed by: Madeleine

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Queen Frederica ocean liner
It could be Halifax or New York.
Date: 1955
Notes: This is the ship we used to cross the ocean in i955.
Contributed by: Antonino Lucia

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middle of Atlantic ocean
Date: 1959
Notes: This is my grandmother Giovanna crossing the ocean in 1959.
Contributed by: Antonino Lucia

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Terlizzi, Puglia, Italy
Date: 1950s
Notes: My grandfather and his three grandchildren pose for a picture. Like most pictures that were sent to relatives who were living abroad the pictures came with notes. For the note written on this picture see next entry.
Contributed by: Gemma Forliano

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Terlizzi, Peglia, Italy
Date: 1950s
Notes: This text appeared behind the photograph of my grandfather and his grandchildren [See previous entry]. In the text the writer is saying that he wants to introduce his young children via the photograph. Like many other immigrants the members of my family got to know their families still living in Italy through pictures and letters.
Contributed by: Gemma Forliano

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