There and Back Again: A Journey of 5 Generations


Like so many immigrants, the Alioto family fought for and earned their place in America.

By: Rick Alioto

When I was a young boy, our family schedule on Sundays always included a trip to my grandmother’s (Nana’s) home along with all 32 cousins and 22 aunts and uncles. Typically, the adults enjoyed Italian desserts and loud discussions around the table, while the cousins played outside or in Nana’s basement.  Part of her basement décor was a portrait lineup of her 11 children across the wall. Being so young, I never gave much thought to the fact that 7 of the 8 boys were wearing military attire. As I grew older, I began to ask questions. This is a story about my heritage, my country, and our family.

Italian immigration to the United States from 1890 onward became a part of what is known as the “New Immigration,” which was the third and largest wave of immigration from Europe and consisted mainly of Slavs, Jews, and Italians. This “New Immigration” was a major change from the “Old Immigration” which consisted of Germans, Irish, British and Scandinavians, and had occurred throughout the 19th century. Between 1876 and 1930, out of the 5 million Italian immigrants who came to the United States, 80 percent were from southern Italy, representing such regions as Calabria, Campania, Abruzzi, Molise and Sicily. Political discord and poverty in Italy, along with perceived opportunities in America were major factors in this Italian immigration surge.

The Alioto’s certainly fit this demographic. My family name, Alioto, has been strongly associated with the fishing industry. This makes sense given that my Alioto predecessors hailed primarily from the Palermo region of Sicily and more specifically, Sant‘Elia. This small village is a coastal city with fishing as its primary trade today as it was back at the turn of the 20th century. In fact, my grandfather (Nano), made fishing nets for the fishermen of Sant’Elia and neighboring villages.

I have not been able to determine the specific reason why Nano Giovanni and Nana Rosa left Sant ‘Elia and traveled to Ellis Island, N.Y. in 1911. Most likely it was to seek out opportunities. They did so with their infant son, Joseph. After migrating and making a home in Pittsburgh, Penn., where other friends and relatives from Sant’Elia had settled, two additional sons were born, Michael and Nunzio.

Early 1900 prejudices were prominent toward Italians, and particularly Sicilians, who became scabs during strikes in construction, railroad, mining, long shoring, and industry. Oftentimes these southern Italian workers were called derogatory names such as “wops,” “guineas,” or “dagoes” and were the only workers to work alongside African Americans, who were treated with just as much cruelty.  Pittsburgh had become an ethnic melting pot and attitudes toward the Italians were harsh but typical for an industrial American city of the day. Employers often preferred Slovaks and Poles to Italians; railroad superintendents ranked Sicilians last because of their small stature and lack of strength.

One interesting feature of Italian immigrants to the United States between 1901 and 1920 was the high percentage that returned to Italy after they had earned money in the United States. About 50% of Italians repatriated, which meant that often the immigrants did not care about learning English or assimilating into American society because they believed that they would not permanently remain in America.

At some point in 1914, Giovanni and Rosa decided to return to Sant‘Elia, Sicily where Mario (1917) and Anne (1920) were born. Shortly thereafter, Rosa and the children returned to America on the direction of an absent Giovanni, although Giovanni would return to Pittsburgh a short time later.

Once the family reunited back in Pittsburgh following WWI, they continued to grow. By 1931, Rosa had given birth to eight sons and three daughters. Giovanni started a produce business, which was the family’s primary source of income. The original Alioto fruit cart was pulled by horses until commercial trucks were purchased years later. The sons were all expected to work in the family produce business, which always took precedence over a public education. Daughters Anne, Rosemarie and Antonette were expected to perform the endless daily household chores. Anne, being the only female of the first eight born, saw her education halted after the sixth grade because of this responsibility. Five of the eleven children never graduated high school.

As noted earlier, Italians were subjected to much of the same types of prejudice and racism that other ethnic groups endured. The strength of the family unit and loyalty were always a prominent characteristic of Sicilians and this trait would be vital for the successful assimilation of all Italians, including the Alioto’s, into the burgeoning American culture. While holding onto Italian traditions and customs and generally living in areas populated by other Italians, the Alioto’s would eventually become Americans first.

Becoming “American” hit the family hard in the thirties with the advent of the Great Depression. The economic situation put a stranglehold on finances. In those days the government did not provide food stamps or “stimulus packages,” so putting food on the table was not a certainty. In 1941 America would enter WWII. Over the ensuing 12 years Giovanni and Rosa would endure all eight sons enlisting or being drafted into the US military. Mario (the fourth born) enlisted one month prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. As an Italian citizen he was not draft eligible. He was the first of the boys to serve and remained in the army until the war ended. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant as a medic and was stationed in the South Pacific.  The oldest son, Joe, was drafted but due to a hernia was unable to serve. Mike served briefly until he was discharged due to medical issues. Nunzio enlisted along with a group of close friends from Pittsburgh. While in basic training camp, a jeep he was riding in overturned and his leg was pinned under the vehicle wheel. He sustained an open femur fracture and following surgery was hospitalized for 5 months. He received a medical discharge as he would walk with a slight limp the rest of his life. Tragically, many from his unit, including his close friends, were killed in battle in Italy shortly thereafter.

Tony was the only son to be drafted and serve in the US Navy. He was an aviation radioman in the air division in Guam and the Wake Islands. Frank was stationed in Europe and found himself on Omaha Beach, Normandy six days following the D-Day invasion. He was Private First Class in the US Army armored division under Patton as an ammunition truck driver. He travelled with his unit through France to Germany.

Customary in those days, when a family member was serving in WWII, the government would mail the household a “star” and the family would proudly display it in the window for all to see. At one point, there were four stars hanging in the Alioto family home window! Proud, yes, but not a parental position many would welcome.

After the Nazis were defeated, the Korean War broke out just 6 years later in 1951. Sam was drafted into the army and served stateside and later discharged while in Washington state where deployment to Korea was to have shortly followed. Finally, my father, Vito, was drafted into the army and served two years from 1951-53. In Texas he learned how to operate tanks and was sent to Korea as a Tank Commander to teach tank gunnery and operations to new tank soldiers. He achieved the rank of Corporal prior to leaving Korea before the end of the war.

Consider how difficult that period of time must have been for the family. First, the young couple arrives in this foreign country to make a life for themselves. They struggle with a language barrier as well as significant prejudices. Most of the children sacrifice an education to work full time to support the family business. Along comes the Great Depression, followed by World War II, which resulted in their children being called to risk their lives for the United States while the country is fighting against citizens and likely relatives of their homeland! I would contend that qualifies as a “big ask” from the government. Like the overwhelming majority of immigrants, the family accepted its responsibility to its new citizenship and carried out its duty to the country. If the family truly desires and believes in the American dream, what other course could they have chosen? Amazingly, all of Rosa’s sons returned safely from military service.  Following this tumultuous period was the death of Giovanni, the patriarch, in 1953. But the family remained tight, largely due to my Nana Rosa’s strong matriarchal positions, and by the late 1950s the family business thrived in Pittsburgh.

By 1964, Rosa had 32 grandchildren, and, at present, we are working on our fifth generation of Italian Americans. Sure, the family had made it in the produce business, but the real fruit of my grandparents decisions, efforts, and sacrifices were their descendants, who have and will continue to prosper in this  great American society. These descendants, many of whom never knew Rosa and Giovanni, have become successful entrepreneurs, company CEOs, investment bankers, physicians, lawyers, engineers, craftsmen, pharmacists, salespeople, government workers, nurses, and the diverse list continues to grow.

Now, let me conclude this story back to where it started. This is what I found so intriguing and what inspired me to explore the details. Earlier, I noted Giovanni did not initially return to America with Rosa and the children after their family visit to Sicily. Shortly after arriving in Italy in 1914, WWI broke out, and because he was still an Italian citizen, Giovanni was forced to remain and serve two years in the Italian Navy! Since Italy was not a US ally initially in World War I, Giovanni could have come in direct conflict with the Americans which his friends and family members were now aspiring to become. Twenty-five years later the tables would turn, and his own sons would be fighting against Italy. After the war, Giovanni and Rosa remained in Italy for a couple of years, presumably until they were granted permission to return to America. Once leaving, Giovanni sadly vowed never to return. Imagine that hardship on the family. I am certain if he and Rosa knew that some 100 years later their family and descendants would appreciate and capitalize on those sacrifices, they would do it all over again. God Bless my heritage and the opportunities it has provided, and God Bless America!

Rick Alioto was born in 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pa., the second child of Vito and Mary Alioto. He attended Allegheny College and the University of Rochester School of Medicine. He currently lives in Clayton, NC and practices Orthopedic Surgery for the University of North Carolina Health System. He has been a member of the ISDA Amity Lodge since 2000.

 

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