Going to America

©2009 Rexino Mondo



     In 1901, the beginning of a decade that would prove to be history's greatest migration to America, the Duke, age forty-eight and his daughter, Princess Mari Luisa Mirabito, seventeen, left Napoli, Italy on steamship Marco Minghetti, to start a new life, 6,000 miles away from home and arrived at Ellis Island, April 13, 1901 … While the days passed into weeks and weeks into months, Gætano's anxieties grew volcanic fires burned inside of him as he became restless, hungering for the day that he would be going to America. Soon his thoughts and dreams started to become reality and found him making final plans for his passage to that far away place where a nice lady would be waiting to welcome him. Being the head of the family, it was his decision to make his brother Giacomo the head of the family while he was off to the land of golden opportunities. His Mama promised that she would not tell papa when she wrote him. Anna promised her son six months before she would tell.



     At the age of sixteen in 1902, Gætano's day came. All the family discretely went by boat to the tip of Italy's boot, then traveled north by way of an enclosed horse-drawn coach, passed Salerno and went on further north to the port of Napoli, where the ship Sicilia was docked. The forty-foot wide steam ship, with three stacks and two masts, was stretched out for 329 feet ready to take on 630 passengers for America. As Gaetano stood ready to board the ship, tears were streaming down his face. He was so thrilled to be going to America and at the same time so sad to be leaving his Mama, brothers and sisters. Everybody was crying and embracing each other. There were molto, molto gifts for Gætano rounds of provolone cheese, big long salamis, wines, homemade breads, pastries and small personal gifts too. The priest gave him a beautiful rosary. Mama gave him a very old Saint Bartolomeo medal and a medal that the priest had given her a long time ago, said to have once belong to the Century legendary Anna of the Cave.



     The ship's bell was ringing. Gætano kissed and embraced his ten-year-old sister, Caterina; his eight-year-old sister, Anna; his five-year-old baby sister, Santa; his brothers: Bartolomeo; Francisco; and Giacomo; and the last was his Mama. There were more tears. She gave him an extra squeeze. While he wiped her tears, he told her, "I'll miss you. - I love you Mama. Grazie, grazie, you're so good Mama. I'll write soon." Anna replied, "May God be with you and bless you my son and give you a safe journey." Her face and neck were thoroughly wetted with tears. He kissed her for the last time, turned and ran to the ship. In a whisper, Mama's last words were, "Mio ... addio."

     The crowd cheered as the captain hoisted anchor and gave three deep blasts from ship's horn. There was whistling, yelling and waving until only the faint sounds of the crowd could be heard, "Arrivederci... Ciao!... Addio... Addio... "



     The ship was slowly moving out to sea. Then distance left only the cold fog and the eerie moaning of the ship turning in the night....