Last October, the first year of promoting Italian American Heritage Month through Thirty-One Days of Italians, I received many e-mails thanking me for starting this campaign.

Getting ready for the second year, I was organizing all the messages and read a wonderful story that one woman sent. This snapshot of her memories should be shared … and what better place than at Thirty-One Days of Italians?

Through Thirty-One Days of Italians, for every day in October an Italian or Italian American is honored for his or her contribution to America. The first day of the month is dedicated to all Italian immigrants. Sharing our memories honors our ancestors and helps preserve our culture.

I was born about 40 miles away in a small mining town called Windber, Pa just outside of Johnstown.  Windber has a large Italian population, my birth family being a large percentage!!!!  We have Italian festivals, churches and social halls,  Mostly of the Abruzzese culture.  My family was Padrone to many men in the early part of the century, and their wives who came from our village of Castel Frentano, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italia.  They sent leaflets to our village from Windber to work here in the coal mines.  My grandfather Nicola and Grandfather Fiore were instrumental in the building of Windbers Mines.  My Grandmother Maria had more than 20 male borders in her small home, but she cooked and ironed for them all every day,  Wow, they don't make women like they used to, well maybe there is still some of that hardworking Italian woman in all of us of Italian heritage. Ciao, Maggie S. 

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MY MOTHER WAS A BABY SITTER FOR A FARMING FAMILY.  MY DAD WAS A BUTCHER FOR THIS SAME FAMILY.  THE PATRON INTRODUCED THEM AND THEIR LOVE BROUGHT THEM TO AMERICA.

I WOULD SAY THEY PLANNED AND FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THAT PLAN.

MY DAD CAME TO AMERICA IN 1920.  TO THIS DAY I CANNOT GET ELLIS ISLAND TO FIND OR STRAIGHTEN HIS RECORD AS THEY HAVE HIM COMING FROM GENOA IN 1924.  MOM AND DAD MARRIED ON OCT. 13 1922 BY THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE IN NEW YORK.

THEY SETTLED IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF DENISON, OHIO AND DAD WORKED FOR THE RAILROAD AND LATER TOOK A JOB WITH A CLAY PLANT FROM WHICH HE RETIRED.

MOTHER ALWAYS SAID,  "AMERICA I FATTO PER TE".  I BELIEVE YOU CAN TRANSLATE THAT.  ANYWAY MY MOTHER BECAME ILL.  THE DOCTORS COULDN'T REALLY SAY SHE HAD TB AND SO SHE RETURNED TO ITALY WITH 4 CHILDREN IN 1930.  I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE TIMES.  

SHE RETURNED IN 1934, AND 2 YEARS LATER I WAS BORN.

TO THIS DAY I HAVE A BOND WITH MY RELATIVES IN ITALY.  WE CALL QUITE OFTEN, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.

MY MOM AND DAD WORKED AND RAISED 4 BOYS AND 1 GIRL.  WE ARE ALL STILL LIVING AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT ALL RICH AND FAMOUS, WE ALL LIVE A GOOD LIFE THANKS TO MY MOM AND DAD. ~ GUS G.

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