The World Gets Bigger

We didn’t stay too long in my grandfather’s house that my father must get permission from the Captain’s ship to bring us on board: it was a glorious moment to move to the ship.  It was big and it was fun to be on it.  I was sure that I run all over and it made me feel like a grown up man.  We stayed several days and I remember it was awful hot, but I enjoyed every bit.  I remember one day my father commissioned one of the kids that were hanging around the docks to go buy one lira of ice promising he would get a tip for his service and I had a notion that that kid never comes back, it was right, we still wait for him.  After two or three days one night around 10 or 11 they pull the anchor and start sailing toward Riposto; but what thrilled me was the trip.  I never went to sleep and I was all over with every move and out on the open sea.  I was most of the 20 miles on the ship’s bow to see how the ship cut through the water like a master through those calm water,I most got tired and final I went to sleep - in the morning I was back in town and home again.

The ship didn’t stay too long that my father was gone again, maybe for a while, some time long as 3 or 4 months.  That summer I felt I was a grown up man (Because) I already had been so far away and I know now that the world must be a lot lot bigger than I thought.  I said yet that my family was compost (composed) of five.  It was my parent(s), me, my half brother; he was 6 years older than me and my younger bother Sal or Salvatore, he was five years young(er) than me.  My mother, I guess, she was hoping that my brother Sal should be a girl.  But instead he was a full boy.  He had a very nice curly hair, so my Mother never cut his hairs so everybody thought he was a girl.  He really looked like a Angel with all those curls on his shoulder(s).  My older Brother, he started to be a sea man on morging (merchant?) steam ships.  I remember that it was a relief for me because he was the one that could give me a licking any time he thought I was a snary(?) so only thinking that I would be the boss without him in my way.

Seeing the World

One day my father came from Catania with train.  The ship stopped there for a few days and he said that he wanted to take all of us to Catania by train and then to Riposto by ship.  When I heard that I was overjoyed that night.

I could never sleep.  I was thinking how wonderful it would be to get a ride on the train and get in Catania and on the ship, it was incredibly it must be a dream.  I couldn’t believe it would be in the morning I would board a train for the first time in my live to be so luck I could not believe, I was so nervous that finally I fall to sleep and I dreamed all about train and ship.  So finally the beautiful morning came and we all went to the station to board the train, I remember I thought I had wings in my feet.  That train was so big and masterful that when we started to move I thought it was great, I didn’t want to miss nothing, and I was quick to start stare from the window in all the sudden I thought that all the trees houses and hearth was running in backward, the train I thought it was standing still.  I couldn’t figure out how it could be, I could swear it was the heart that was running the other ways.  It was a great ride yes it was the first one and it impressed me very much.  I said to myself I will have lot ride in my life I will go over the world: I almost did.

Anyway we got in Catania and it was great, but it was hot.  I remember it was in the summer of 1915.  I was around 11 year old and the sky was deep blue a little breezes more from the north west was very beneficial that I realized the much difference it was from my little town.  My father brought us to his Father, my gramfather - and his second or third wife.  My gramfather was a finishe furniture.  I noticed too that he liked to drink very much.  The place where they were living struck me!  They were in her house without backyard, a back room without windows or doors - it was a dark room; it was used as a kitchen a bad (bath) room too, it was lit with an oil lamp - it was so stuffy I thought I could not breath - I felt pity for those old people that had to live there. Although I was happy like a bird to be like say on vacation.  After we settle down I notice that my step Gram Mother used the front room as a store.  She was selling lining cloths.  She was much more younger than my grand father - and she had a son.  His name was Charles Dagata.  It meant my gram-father had adopted him.  I don’t know if he knows he was adopted.  I know he was very happy to be a Dagata and he thought he was my uncle.  I noticed most of all that in front of that house was much traffic and the Electrical cars were going through every 15 or 10 minutes - and some of the kids were on them behind to have a lot of fun ride - it didn’t take too long to get the idea to imitate them, and before I knew it I too started to hank on track cars, but soon enough I find out its a dangerous game and it was unlawful so before it got hurt or caught, I quit that forbidden game.

Master Guisseppe

In that day rumor start of a big war. My father was a fireman in the merger (merchant?) marine. He was coming to Riposto(my native town) and when they were to make a stop on Riposto my father was to bring many food supplies that he recuperated from left over of the cargo in general mercantiacs I remember too that he bought lot of dry fish and many gallons of oil and lots of cerals like bean rice ceci (chick peas?) and a lot of other things. He was of good nature and he liked to be friends with most the people. I remember too that in particular he brought me a dog. I could never forget. I named it black because he was all black and I felt like a master, he was follow me allover and I teached him to obey me, but he died less too long, the dog catcher got him, I felt very bad for a few days, but I got over.

Guisseppe 1908 through Puberty Parts I - IIII

Giuseppe D’agata Memoirs

To all my children

MEMOIRS of my

Life time from as far as I remember

Data 2-5-73

Date of Begain 4-27-1968

To the best of my acknowledge I will write with the help of God on the hospital bed.the stories of my life.

It may won’t be easy because my knowledge in writing English is aufull poor and on top of that my age of 64 years old and probable I will have a little difficulty with my memory.

Part I

I will do my best to start this book from far that I could remember. I was almost five 5 years old (I was born Jan 18, 1904) it was the Fall of 1908 and around 4 o’clock in the morning when my mother (God bless her soul) grabbed my from my bed and carry me out on the street where al through there people were running for their dear life. It still was dark and it was a terrible confusion. I think almost all were crying or praying to the Dear God. Well it was that with a little luck that everyone were on the high ground a save. So after a while I thing everybody come back home it was a miraculous that the town suffered very little damages. It had been a terrible Earthquaker. The city of Messina was completed destroyed and a good part of the vicinity including a large part of Calabria. The mortalities were estimated to 75,000 thousant dead and nobody could estimated the wounded. It I imagine was a great disastrous many millions of dollars of damage.

Well in those days as you see I was only a baby and only my worry was why my mother did try to keepin me around the house. But I heard that the sea , or one great wall wave(?) of the sea had ricked(reached?) right in front of my house, and I heard too, that fishes were all over the shore. Well you don’t know me that even at those small ages I was a little crazy about my good will to catch the fishes. But I still remember like it happened yesterday that my luck was futile and I only caught a very small one and seeing that all the fishes were gone or catched I did throw my little fishe back in the water but it was dead already.

(1 –2)

This is all I remember of my first childhood. Then faintly I remember that I youst like musice and sometimes some one espenial (?) who when a bounce of people bounce together they would hum a tune of what we youst call musica and knowing that I like to dance they wants me to dance and I must have been a shoup(?) kid, I start to dance all by myself, anyway I know that most the people had a big kick to see me dance by myself.

I don’t remember if my mother approved this kind of funy that people had with me but I still remember that I would get a big kind of kick with that dance that I was doing.

I couldn’t remember what I was doing days by days but I remember that I almost have grown very fast because one good morning my mother said to me that it was time for me to go to school. She meant to a kid gardine it was it was quite far and my mother took me herself the first couple times.

Well in those days I didn’t the pastor(?) of my father but later on I found out that my father’s mother had died very young and you know in any family when the mother die it’s the kids that suffer most. Well my grandfather (I didn’t know a thing) He was one of those who didn’t care much for the kids but my father had good relatives and I think my father’s uncle (I should have remember his name but don’t). He must thought that he should situated the kids that in all were four 4. The names of these kis were Antonio, I think he was the oldest, next I think was my aunt Sebastiana, and then was Sebastiano. He dided in the front line in the First World War, and my father Stefano.

Well I did find out that this Uncle he was taylor for the meswaer maker called AciReale. Well my aunt was admitted in a convent and the first assignment I think it was at Riposto were was one convent of sisters. My ungle Antonio he was put as a costum(?) working for the government and while in service he learned how to read and write he wnt up to be sarge and when I was old enough we met many times. He got married and got two daughter. The lived all their lives in Caserta the the real town in where he was living was called Casgiove. When I was traveling from Sicily to Genova, by train, sometimes I was invited to stop and visit for a couple of days. I remember my uncle was very funny and happy go luck. He had a joke almost to every word. I never see him in a bad mood.

He came at my old town in Riposto with his family he youst like go fishing with my father and me. We rented a boat and caught a lot of fishes but not very big. He really like those fishe because they were fresh. He as I remember had a beautiful wife and two lovely daughters.

Just like I said, my father was the youngster of all. He ended a Riposto because in that little town, must have been a lot of work, my father had no skill-trade and so he was what the call bracciand, it meant material carrier, he was strunk and willing to do anything. Well as not many years went by, father of mine met my mother and she was a widow with a child from the first wife (sic husband), his name was Paulino Auditore, and the son that my mother borthed from this marriage,it was Carmelo Auditore (in American they call Charlie). Well my mother must have been fallen for my father , but while my father was only 20 years old, my mother must fall for this guy because she in agost of 1903 they got married an like I said I came let’s say premature, but I think they were the really premature, I was a health child and only fill or funny(?).

(2-3)

I want to say this on the part of my Uncle Sebastiano that he before he went in the arm, he got married, an I think he had the three kids one boy and 2 girls. I know one thing about this she remarried and since I didn’t stay long enough in Sicily I completely lost track of this relazione., but my ungle from Acireale he brought in this world 5 boys and 2 girls that’s why in Italy now must have been many D’agatas.

Part II

Now let’s start again where I left off that I started to go tro that kindergarten and much enjyed I found out that one of the sister’s was my aunt, my father’s only sister. I could say I was her favorite boy. Often I was rewarded with special lonereses She really like me but I could tell that some kids were jealous. It didn’t last too long because one afternoon while I was on my way home, I end up under a horse, right on the main street. I got really scared, but with the help of God I got away with only one of my little fingers injured. Cours I was kind scared but I think the driver of the wagon was more scared than me; he took me to a farmacy and I was take care of, it real wasn’t much of damage I still I carry the scar on my finger.

Well it was the end of my kidgarden, and the end of seeing my aunt, the good all Sister. At as you know nobody has been able to stop the time, so the rest of the year went by faster than I thought.

September came and I had to start school again. An I got to admit that school was not for me. Not because I was doumb, but because in the school the teachers were not like here.

Now let start another episode of my family. I remember I was almost 8 years old (1915/16) and I heard that my father was starting to get ready to go to America to I remember too, when I was around 5 years old my poor mother must had come pregnant and one evening when I came home from working (In those days most of the kids were started to work at the ages of 6 or 7 years old).

So you see that evening as I got home I found the door locked and some the neighbors said to me that I couldn’t go in because my mother was sick, but nobody explained why she was sick. Well you know, I must has been a pretty rascal in those day, because they didn’t has to tell me any more, I did figure out all by myself what was going on in our house. But I didn’t say anything because I thought it was a shame what a woman got to go through to bring a baby in this world. What a woman goes through is unbeleivable. I saw some of my own children being born and the pain that the mother go through in those days was pretty hard to take. Now if I remember right, not too long after that, my father went to America and I imagine it was in 1911 or 1912. They said it was very hard to find work and between that my father was young and as I know him he was what they call a free lance he never was able to send much money to us. My mother got sick pretty bad and she had a lot of doctor bills. So she had a lot of land she inherited from her old folks and she had put it for sale, it was about an acre and I heard she only got 200 lira, anyway it saved my mother from the worry that she had the right to live in until my brother Carmelo would reach the age of 21 years old. My mother got well but my little sister died before she reached 1 year old. I remember when she was buried. I really felt bad. And like I said, time went by and I was growing. I was between 8 and 9 years old, well it was 1913 and my father came back from America.

I could never forget/ I was on the shore. It was where I spent all my spare time digging for worms. At the age of 9 I already had a lot of ambition for fishing with a fishing pole. I was learning every day the trick of fishing. Well like I said someone came looking for me to tell me that my father was home. Imagine my joy, I start to run towrd home. It was quite a way. My Father already know that I was a pretty rascal and I remember that I got a pretty cool reception. Well if I remember right he didn’t take me in his arms and didn’t kiss me. Well he said to me looking in my eye .. I got a good present for you..I thought he was joking because his face never lost the usual smile that he has had as his nature. We I began to be curious about the present he had for me and so he began to dig in the sack that he has still full of clothing, finely he pulled a dried fishes tail it was like a whip. He said it is the best present I could think of how to make a man out of you. I didn’t say nothing but insides of me I didn’t feel that my father was a very sweet man. Well I really didn’t like his welcome toward me. As I remember he was a man of few words when he commanded us kids he wanted to be obeyed pronto. My father had to be called Sir and not you like I youst to with my mother. The mother is the understanding one of the kids. And I remember too well what I did with the fishtail or whip. I got a few tastes a couple of times but it did not last too long - because it disappeared and nobody ever found it. Because one good day when nobody was around I threw it on top of someone elses house on the roof.

Part III

Now I have to often say that my father he must have had more than enough of that America, and as you all know people or let say immigrant not all came here and make a fortune except that you work very hard and out of that you got to take chances winning or loosing, and nobody over Italy knows the real situation of this country only if you do trying to improve your education you will be improving your standard of living and this never happen over night, it takes long time and hard work and long hours.

Part IIII

Well as I said I was around 9 and I pass to the third grade I was 2 years before final test for graduating I quit. My Mother (God Bless her Soul) she was very sorry and she want me to continue with my education. But I had my mind made up and nobody would change it. My father he was never home and did or he could have nothing he could say or do. You see my father was not anymore XXXXX? page 10) every body’s slave, braccinte - or material handler - he was a sea man on merchant steamer. He was home occasionally and he didn’t have much time to bother with me, and I never want to make him mad enough to really go to the point to hit me any more; besides I was stayed ready and alert - not to let him catch up with me - like of I had wings on my feet - and when his fury was gone he was never able to hit me in cool blood. Now I want to let you know a few little real stories youth. When I now think of how smart I was - and in the same times - so dumb. I now have a steady job - and I was happy like a kid because everybody liked me and loved me.

I was working for a Principal - it meant he was the owner of the shop and his name Guisseppe Minutile (no fict?? name).

He was old enough to be my grandfather. He had two beautiful daughters and one son. My weekly earning was a palancuny it meant due sold (2 penny) - or lets say 10 cents weekly.

They love me like a son or a pet - everybody had fun with me - because like I said O was too smart and on the same time too dumb. I was the Principal’s erant boy and ready and fast on every things. I remember few things in particular that they will follow. As sometimes they sent me to the fishe market to buy some fishy and my Principal (not the father but the son) after he instruct me of what kind of fishe he wanted and the amount and before I was leaving for the market he would say to me - and don’t forget to look for me if you see me there. I didn’t know absolutely on those days about jokes, < I must have been like a little innocent fishe, and I beleived everything> I was wondering how he could have been in the market if he was in the shop at the same time he must know about maggishing or something, well it was the third time that I was sure that he only having fun with me, and don’t forget to look if I’m there, I turned around and I said to him, and when I get there you better look for me if I’m in here, and I run. I know that I had one on him, this time. I remember every noon they used to call me upstairs and most of the time I was sitting with them having lunch and then I start to find out that I start to have my first change from a kid to a boy: I start to find out that I could have fun with my nature, but it was secret that I could discuss with nobody except kids my own age. My Principal was working too. They were doing special jobs. I meant not everybody could do what he could do. His job was making great big barrels and when they were finished the barrels were sent away - up in this big winery were must have been big building or we used to call dispenses ????? (page 13) and I know that those were carried by wagon or mules or donkeys were they were put together and it were probably a barrel of about 500 gallons maybe a 1000 gallons. He was on those days the most brightest man for that kind of work, and I was one of his little helper, because I remember he hired another boy a little older than me. His name was Nicola it meand Nik and he was kind of a guy! and when I say wise I mean it.And I think it was the reason why my Mother Good Old Mother made me quit. Now I wan to tell you few stories that often she did find out - I don’t know how. One of the things she didn’t like was every morning we were swapping bread, My breakfast was a piece of bread as usual with some fruit or a pieces of cheese; we swapped. I like his and he like mine and then he already knew more than me about women, I meant girls but it was nothing new to me. I thought I knew more than enough but never enough until one day a man- they used to call hom mastro bartolohe played one on me, he called me ,they used to call me peppino> it meand Guiseppi, he said in a very comfedial way, tell me what you would do if you had the chance to sleep with one of your Principal’s daughters. I most of blushed at first, but then like a man I said I won’t sleep and I would of liked to have an affair first. I taught it was very confidensual-man to a man secret- Well he said very serious- you would eh? Well he said to me very very seriously:- now I know what kind of a guy you are. I thought you were one that could be trusted wait that I tell your Principal and you will find out what’s going to happen to you! except - he change it tone -> you come here when you don’t do nothing and you help me with my work! You got to know that every man labor. They were worken on piece work and everyone would hire a boy and some two .he said that if you are willing to help me with my work when you not do nothing for your boss. Gosh I was glad to help pronto and anytime I could as long as he was going to keep his big mouth shut. I was so scared that even my mother, she asked me why I was so quiet - just like when the man comes home from work and the wife knowing his nature can tell right away that her man is really not as usual. And so my other she would have read me when I wasn’t too happy. Course I couldn’t tell her the truth.!? Of course not, I said, there is nothing wrong with me. And it was it. since then I was only very busy helping master Bartols, and I know since that day that he had me under his thumb but it was not too long until I did understand that it was nothing that it was called black mail I start slowin down until it came the day that he didn’t bother any more and it was all forgotten. Now lets come back to Nicola, and it was one morning when he as usual was late on the job. My boss told me to go to his home and see if he was sick or something. I went over his home and see if he was sick or something. I went over his house and his mother said he had left long time ago, and for me to go look on the sea shore, were he usually go first before he go to work, so I did go to the shore and after a while I saw him with a little girl not any older than 7 or 8 years old. They were behind one of the many fishing boats on the shore and I did not have the slightest idea what the little girl was there for and he was not going to tell me nothing. I gave my message that the boss wanted him at work pronto. He said to me not before her and me go in the boat and you wait here and don’t try to look in the boat and I was waiting to come down; so they crawled on the boat and I was waiting forever and all of a sudden had a little suspicion . I stand up and I look in the boat, and my suspicion was exactly what I thought it was. I was invited to get in the boat if I want to - that I did! But I didn’t have no experience. The little dingh was hard alright. The little girl was waiting laying down and I tried but but no a thing happened, so Nicola said to me look then you stand up and back up a little then you run a little toward her, come down on your knees and lay on her - and still nothing happened. I said better let’s go to the shop before I too catch hell and so we did. We left the little girl there and never saw

her anymore. . It was a secret that I did not discuss with anybody I think I was ashamed to tell it even to my own friend. Somehow my mother didn’t like to have me go there any more and it was not too long after that I quit and found another job in one their shop a lot more bigger. And the owner of the big shop were there. It was like a corporation. I was doing the errands for their men and it was a lot more walking, but I was making ten nickle or like 1 1/2 lira a week (more money).