ANTONIO CAROSELLA: 1890 - 1970
Tony Carosella was born Antonio Carosella on May 19, 1890 in the southern or "mezzogiorno" part of Italy in the small mountain town of Agnone. This town was located in the Molise region of the province of Isernia in the district of Alto Molise. Agnone occupies a large bowl shaped valley that constitutes the headwaters of the "Verrino River" which flows to the Adriatic Sea. It is comprised of 23,796 acres of land. The town is situated in very difficult terrain, and its climate arduous being cool in the summer and cold in the winter. The town or "Cittadina" rests on a rocky outcrop, which is in the center of the community. There are two hamlets or "Borgate" connected to Agnone, Fontesambuco and Villacanale. The "Agro" or rural district is situated in the valley below.
Antonio's parents were not of the "Baroni" upper social class but of the common "contadini". His father's name was Raffaele Carosella (born June 22, 1858) the son of Fedele Carosella and Rachele Pallotto. His mother's name was Maria Assunta Lauriente (born August 14, 1857) the daughter of Donatantonio Lauriente and Appollonia D'Aloise. He was the middle child of four and the only male sibling to reach his majority. Michelina, his sister, was the only girl to attain adult status. When Antonio was two & a half years old his mother died. Raffaele remarried about a month later to Rosana Lauriente who was a first cousin to his first wife. They had four children together but only two survived to adulthood, namely Mercede and Carmela. As a youth, Antonio was only able to receive a fifth grade education.
Antonio grew up in an ever-changing environment where life for the contadini was misery. In Agnone emigration was "the" viable alternative to the abject poverty that the contadini of humble origins were subjected to. A typical contadino at that time was landless and received a bare minimum for his labors. The rapacious Baroni who owned most of the land in Agnone used their power and position to economically subjugate the contadini. During the 1800's Agnone experienced an explosion in population that squeezed its resources to the maximum. So it was a natural progression for Antonio to leave his beloved birthplace when he reached his maturity.
Agnone's migrations by the time Antonio was ready to emigrate were firmly established. In the middle eighteen hundreds, Agnone began its migratory period. It was the first Molise town to start emigrating. By the 1870's thousands of Agnonesi were leaving to distant lands that spanned five continents. First settling in South America's Argentine, Agnonesi later emigrated to North America, Europe, Africa and Australia. Most Agnonese though settled in either North or South America tending to cluster together in small communities linked by common origin. Some of these communities grew large enough to be colonies. These established colonies provided a flow of aid, information, and encouragement to new emigrants. Chain migrations occurred between households and families that were already established in these colonies. Such was the case with Antonio.
At the age of sixteen, Antonio, accompanied by his father left Agnone to begin a 4,900-mile trek to a new life in America. Traveling to the seaport city of Naples, they booked passage on the White Star Line steamship "Cretic". Leaving on November 20th, 1906 the voyage took 14 days to cross the 3,000-mile wide Atlantic Ocean. They arrived at Ellis Island New York on December 3, 1906. From there they traveled another 1,900 miles by train to Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo, situated in the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains, was a bustling mining town during this era. Located on the Arkansas River, this area was rich in coal, silver, copper, and limestone deposits. Antonio stayed with his older married sister, Michelina, who just a year earlier emigrated from Agnone to join her husband, Nicola Appugliese, in Pueblo. They all lived in the home of Mike Lepro and his wife Nobila nee Appugliese located at 1137 Box Elder street. Antonio found employment at the locale steel mill where his brother-in-law, Nicola worked. His father, Raffaele, returned later to his wife and family in Agnone.
At the age of nineteen Antonio married. He wedded on January 15, 1910 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Pueblo, Colorado to another Agnonese, Pasqualina Santarelli, who was only 13 years old at the time. Seven months later on July 23, 1910 a daughter, Maria, was born to them but soon died after the birth. Two years later on August 2, 1912 the marriage was unceremoniously dissolved because of Pasqualina's infidelity. Antonio a month after his divorce in Pueblo, hooked up with the Domenico Appugliese family.
Domenico Appugliese was a brother to Nicola, Antonio's brother-in-law. Domenico lived at 1009 Elm Street in Pueblo. He worked in a pipe factory as a molder. His wife, Filomena Orlando, had two brothers, Michele & Vincenzo who called himself Joe, and a sister, Grazia who anglicized her name to Grace, with her husband, Grazio "Steve" Porfilio who were also living as well in Pueblo. Grazio and his brother, Leonardo Porfilio, around 1910 relocated to Athelstane, Wisconsin because the land was selling at a very reasonable rate there. Suddenly during December of 1911 the Orlando brothers allegedly got involved with bilking someone out of a gold mine and the "Black Hand", the local Mafioso, was out to get them. The Orlando's then left Pueblo in a hurry during the night by horse & buggy and rode to the nearest train depot where they relocated to the remote area of Athelstane, Wisconsin and to start life anew there.
Domenico around 1912 was relocating his family also to Wisconsin. Because of an accident he had had earlier in the mills in which he received severe burns, he decided to try his hand at farming in Wisconsin where his wife's relatives, the Orlando & Porfilio families, were already farming. Together, Antonio & Domenico, purchased on September 5, 1912 an 120 acre tract of land near Medicine Brook in Athelstane, Marinette County, Wisconsin for the purchase price of $1,500. Two months after that, Antonio married again. He took as his bride Domenico's fourteen year old daughter, Carmella, on October 31, 1912 in St. Augustine Catholic Church in Wausauke, Wisconsin. They honeymooned together at the local hotel there.
On October 10, 1913 Antonio quit claimed his interests in the farm to Domenico for $140. Three months later, Antonio and Carmella's fist child, Mary Marie, was born in Athelstane, Wisconsin on January 7, 1914. Antonio spent a total of four years in Athelstane doing farm work before moving his family to Hartshorne, Oklahoma in 1916 where employment was easily had in the rich coal fields there. His wife's two sisters and their husbands, Pete & Mary Mass around 1916 and later Fred & Bonnie Mass around 1919, followed the Carosellas to Hartshorne. He worked as a miner for the next ten years. This was hard, arduous & dangerous work. Over 1,700 miners in southeastern Oklahoma lost their lives to mine explosions in those early years.
Antonio, on June 4, 1919, decided to give up his allegiance to Italy by becoming a naturalized citizen at the county court house in McAlister, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. During this period three more daughters were blessed to his family, namely: Flora Theresa, born July 19, 1917; Rose Margaret, born November 30, 1919; and Emilia, born December 30, 1921. Two of his children, Mary and Flora, began school in Hartshorne.
Hard times hit the coal industry during the early twenties. Workers went on strike just before the great depression. That's when Antonio left for Chicago, Illinois to find work again. He found employment in the steel industry at Interlake Steel Mill as a laborer on August 17, 1925. He then secured an apartment at 3556 E. 95th St. and sent word to his wife and four daughters to come to Chicago. Giving them directions to find their way to him, they finally arrived. Getting off the street car on the East Side, Carmella with four small girls in tow all holding onto their mother's long dress, were ready to start a new life in Chicago.
They later moved into a bigger apartment located at 9542 Avenue "L". Four years after moving to Chicago, the Carosella family was blessed with another baby, but this time it was a boy! Being born on August 17, 1929, he was named after his father, Anthony Carosella, but was affectionately called "Sonny". At the time of his birth they were all living in an apartment at 9545 Avenue "M".
Tragedy struck the Carosella family when their 10 year-old daughter, Emilia, while vacationing on her grandfather's farm in Athelstane, Wisconsin died on July 28, 1931 of Typhoid Fever after being sick for ten days. She died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Menominee, Michigan. At that time, Antonio was employed as a switchman on the railroad cars at Interlake Steel Co.
On December 27, 1938 Antonio & Carmella bought a nine flat apartment building from the Buoscio family, who were "compaesano" from Agnone. This building was located at 9550 Avenue "M". All the children went to Taylor Grade School and Bowen High School except for Mary. She quit her schooling after graduating from "Taylor". Florence received an associate degree after two years at Bowen. Rose & Sonny (Anthony Jr.) graduated after four years of high school. Rose furthered her education by finishing two years at nursing school, while Sonny enrolled at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
During the summer of 1954, Antonio took an extensive trip throughout Europe by himself. He visited such interesting countries as Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, but savored his final stay in his beloved homeland of Italy. He traveled also throughout Rome and Naples with a visit to San Giovanni where he saw Padre Pio, the saintly Capuchin monk that had the stigmata of Jesus Christ. His three month long sojourn culminated with a visit to his birth place of Agnone, Italy. Staying with relatives at "Salita Carita - #1" street, Antonio savored the time spent with his only remaining sister, Mercede, and the family of his other deceased sister, Carmela.
Working for thirty years at Interlake Steel Co., Antonio retired on June 1, 1955 at the age of 65. While in retirement he made one final trip overseas during the summer of 1964. This time he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he experienced the sights and sounds where Jesus Christ once walked almost 2000 years ago.
Antonio died at the advanced age of 80, fifteen years after his retirement. He passed away at St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, Illinois and was buried in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Worth, Illinois. His beloved wife, Carmella, carried on an additional eight and a half years before dying of heart failure also at the age of 80. She lies next to her husband in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery both in eternal peace.
Antonio Carosella Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
CAROSELLA, Antonio (Tony)
Late of East Side, Beloved husband of Carmella (nee Appugliese). Loving father of Mary (Carl) Cittadino, Rose (the late Dominic) DeCicco, Anthony Carosella and the late Florence (Henry) Burmistrz. Dear grandfather of Marie Burmistrz, Henry Jr. and Tony Burmistrz, Michael Cittadino, Joseph and Dominic DeCicco. Fond brother of Michelina Appugliese. Member of 3rd Order of St. Francis, Holy Name Society, Italian Catholic Federation, Fraternal Order of Eagles, South Chicago Aerie #1358 and Machebees Lodge. Retired employee of Interlake Iron Corp. Funeral Monday 9 a.m. from the Golich Funeral Home, 9725 Commercial Avenue to St. George Church, Mass 9:30 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Please omit flowers, Friends may visit Saturday after 3 p.m. Es 5-8110
"The Daily Calumet" Newspaper - Chicago, Illinois
VOYAGE TO AMERICA
Emigrated: 20 November 1906 port of Naples, Italy
Immigrated: 4 December 1906 port of New York, New York
Ship's Name: "Cretic"
Tony Carosella was born Antonio Carosella on May 19, 1890 in the southern or "mezzogiorno" part of Italy in the small mountain town of Agnone. This town was located in the Molise region of the province of Isernia in the district of Alto Molise. Agnone occupies a large bowl shaped valley that constitutes the headwaters of the "Verrino River" which flows to the Adriatic Sea. It is comprised of 23,796 acres of land. The town is situated in very difficult terrain, and its climate arduous being cool in the summer and cold in the winter. The town or "Cittadina" rests on a rocky outcrop, which is in the center of the community. There are two hamlets or "Borgate" connected to Agnone, Fontesambuco and Villacanale. The "Agro" or rural district is situated in the valley below.
Antonio's parents were not of the "Baroni" upper social class but of the common "contadini". His father's name was Raffaele Carosella (born June 22, 1858) the son of Fedele Carosella and Rachele Pallotto. His mother's name was Maria Assunta Lauriente (born August 14, 1857) the daughter of Donatantonio Lauriente and Appollonia D'Aloise. He was the middle child of four and the only male sibling to reach his majority. Michelina, his sister, was the only girl to attain adult status. When Antonio was two & a half years old his mother died. Raffaele remarried about a month later to Rosana Lauriente who was a first cousin to his first wife. They had four children together but only two survived to adulthood, namely Mercede and Carmela. As a youth, Antonio was only able to receive a fifth grade education.
Antonio grew up in an ever-changing environment where life for the contadini was misery. In Agnone emigration was "the" viable alternative to the abject poverty that the contadini of humble origins were subjected to. A typical contadino at that time was landless and received a bare minimum for his labors. The rapacious Baroni who owned most of the land in Agnone used their power and position to economically subjugate the contadini. During the 1800's Agnone experienced an explosion in population that squeezed its resources to the maximum. So it was a natural progression for Antonio to leave his beloved birthplace when he reached his maturity.
Agnone's migrations by the time Antonio was ready to emigrate were firmly established. In the middle eighteen hundreds, Agnone began its migratory period. It was the first Molise town to start emigrating. By the 1870's thousands of Agnonesi were leaving to distant lands that spanned five continents. First settling in South America's Argentine, Agnonesi later emigrated to North America, Europe, Africa and Australia. Most Agnonese though settled in either North or South America tending to cluster together in small communities linked by common origin. Some of these communities grew large enough to be colonies. These established colonies provided a flow of aid, information, and encouragement to new emigrants. Chain migrations occurred between households and families that were already established in these colonies. Such was the case with Antonio.
At the age of sixteen, Antonio, accompanied by his father left Agnone to begin a 4,900-mile trek to a new life in America. Traveling to the seaport city of Naples, they booked passage on the White Star Line steamship "Cretic". Leaving on November 20th, 1906 the voyage took 14 days to cross the 3,000-mile wide Atlantic Ocean. They arrived at Ellis Island New York on December 3, 1906. From there they traveled another 1,900 miles by train to Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo, situated in the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains, was a bustling mining town during this era. Located on the Arkansas River, this area was rich in coal, silver, copper, and limestone deposits. Antonio stayed with his older married sister, Michelina, who just a year earlier emigrated from Agnone to join her husband, Nicola Appugliese, in Pueblo. They all lived in the home of Mike Lepro and his wife Nobila nee Appugliese located at 1137 Box Elder street. Antonio found employment at the locale steel mill where his brother-in-law, Nicola worked. His father, Raffaele, returned later to his wife and family in Agnone.
At the age of nineteen Antonio married. He wedded on January 15, 1910 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Pueblo, Colorado to another Agnonese, Pasqualina Santarelli, who was only 13 years old at the time. Seven months later on July 23, 1910 a daughter, Maria, was born to them but soon died after the birth. Two years later on August 2, 1912 the marriage was unceremoniously dissolved because of Pasqualina's infidelity. Antonio a month after his divorce in Pueblo, hooked up with the Domenico Appugliese family.
Domenico Appugliese was a brother to Nicola, Antonio's brother-in-law. Domenico lived at 1009 Elm Street in Pueblo. He worked in a pipe factory as a molder. His wife, Filomena Orlando, had two brothers, Michele & Vincenzo who called himself Joe, and a sister, Grazia who anglicized her name to Grace, with her husband, Grazio "Steve" Porfilio who were also living as well in Pueblo. Grazio and his brother, Leonardo Porfilio, around 1910 relocated to Athelstane, Wisconsin because the land was selling at a very reasonable rate there. Suddenly during December of 1911 the Orlando brothers allegedly got involved with bilking someone out of a gold mine and the "Black Hand", the local Mafioso, was out to get them. The Orlando's then left Pueblo in a hurry during the night by horse & buggy and rode to the nearest train depot where they relocated to the remote area of Athelstane, Wisconsin and to start life anew there.
Domenico around 1912 was relocating his family also to Wisconsin. Because of an accident he had had earlier in the mills in which he received severe burns, he decided to try his hand at farming in Wisconsin where his wife's relatives, the Orlando & Porfilio families, were already farming. Together, Antonio & Domenico, purchased on September 5, 1912 an 120 acre tract of land near Medicine Brook in Athelstane, Marinette County, Wisconsin for the purchase price of $1,500. Two months after that, Antonio married again. He took as his bride Domenico's fourteen year old daughter, Carmella, on October 31, 1912 in St. Augustine Catholic Church in Wausauke, Wisconsin. They honeymooned together at the local hotel there.
On October 10, 1913 Antonio quit claimed his interests in the farm to Domenico for $140. Three months later, Antonio and Carmella's fist child, Mary Marie, was born in Athelstane, Wisconsin on January 7, 1914. Antonio spent a total of four years in Athelstane doing farm work before moving his family to Hartshorne, Oklahoma in 1916 where employment was easily had in the rich coal fields there. His wife's two sisters and their husbands, Pete & Mary Mass around 1916 and later Fred & Bonnie Mass around 1919, followed the Carosellas to Hartshorne. He worked as a miner for the next ten years. This was hard, arduous & dangerous work. Over 1,700 miners in southeastern Oklahoma lost their lives to mine explosions in those early years.
Antonio, on June 4, 1919, decided to give up his allegiance to Italy by becoming a naturalized citizen at the county court house in McAlister, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. During this period three more daughters were blessed to his family, namely: Flora Theresa, born July 19, 1917; Rose Margaret, born November 30, 1919; and Emilia, born December 30, 1921. Two of his children, Mary and Flora, began school in Hartshorne.
Hard times hit the coal industry during the early twenties. Workers went on strike just before the great depression. That's when Antonio left for Chicago, Illinois to find work again. He found employment in the steel industry at Interlake Steel Mill as a laborer on August 17, 1925. He then secured an apartment at 3556 E. 95th St. and sent word to his wife and four daughters to come to Chicago. Giving them directions to find their way to him, they finally arrived. Getting off the street car on the East Side, Carmella with four small girls in tow all holding onto their mother's long dress, were ready to start a new life in Chicago.
They later moved into a bigger apartment located at 9542 Avenue "L". Four years after moving to Chicago, the Carosella family was blessed with another baby, but this time it was a boy! Being born on August 17, 1929, he was named after his father, Anthony Carosella, but was affectionately called "Sonny". At the time of his birth they were all living in an apartment at 9545 Avenue "M".
Tragedy struck the Carosella family when their 10 year-old daughter, Emilia, while vacationing on her grandfather's farm in Athelstane, Wisconsin died on July 28, 1931 of Typhoid Fever after being sick for ten days. She died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Menominee, Michigan. At that time, Antonio was employed as a switchman on the railroad cars at Interlake Steel Co.
On December 27, 1938 Antonio & Carmella bought a nine flat apartment building from the Buoscio family, who were "compaesano" from Agnone. This building was located at 9550 Avenue "M". All the children went to Taylor Grade School and Bowen High School except for Mary. She quit her schooling after graduating from "Taylor". Florence received an associate degree after two years at Bowen. Rose & Sonny (Anthony Jr.) graduated after four years of high school. Rose furthered her education by finishing two years at nursing school, while Sonny enrolled at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
During the summer of 1954, Antonio took an extensive trip throughout Europe by himself. He visited such interesting countries as Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, but savored his final stay in his beloved homeland of Italy. He traveled also throughout Rome and Naples with a visit to San Giovanni where he saw Padre Pio, the saintly Capuchin monk that had the stigmata of Jesus Christ. His three month long sojourn culminated with a visit to his birth place of Agnone, Italy. Staying with relatives at "Salita Carita - #1" street, Antonio savored the time spent with his only remaining sister, Mercede, and the family of his other deceased sister, Carmela.
Working for thirty years at Interlake Steel Co., Antonio retired on June 1, 1955 at the age of 65. While in retirement he made one final trip overseas during the summer of 1964. This time he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he experienced the sights and sounds where Jesus Christ once walked almost 2000 years ago.
Antonio died at the advanced age of 80, fifteen years after his retirement. He passed away at St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, Illinois and was buried in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Worth, Illinois. His beloved wife, Carmella, carried on an additional eight and a half years before dying of heart failure also at the age of 80. She lies next to her husband in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery both in eternal peace.
Antonio Carosella Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
CAROSELLA, Antonio (Tony)
Late of East Side, Beloved husband of Carmella (nee Appugliese). Loving father of Mary (Carl) Cittadino, Rose (the late Dominic) DeCicco, Anthony Carosella and the late Florence (Henry) Burmistrz. Dear grandfather of Marie Burmistrz, Henry Jr. and Tony Burmistrz, Michael Cittadino, Joseph and Dominic DeCicco. Fond brother of Michelina Appugliese. Member of 3rd Order of St. Francis, Holy Name Society, Italian Catholic Federation, Fraternal Order of Eagles, South Chicago Aerie #1358 and Machebees Lodge. Retired employee of Interlake Iron Corp. Funeral Monday 9 a.m. from the Golich Funeral Home, 9725 Commercial Avenue to St. George Church, Mass 9:30 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Please omit flowers, Friends may visit Saturday after 3 p.m. Es 5-8110
"The Daily Calumet" Newspaper - Chicago, Illinois
VOYAGE TO AMERICA
Emigrated: 20 November 1906 port of Naples, Italy
Immigrated: 4 December 1906 port of New York, New York
Ship's Name: "Cretic"
ANTONIO CAROSELLA: 1890 - 1970
Tony Carosella was born Antonio Carosella on May 19, 1890 in the southern or "mezzogiorno" part of Italy in the small mountain town of Agnone. This town was located in the Molise region of the province of Isernia in the district of Alto Molise. Agnone occupies a large bowl shaped valley that constitutes the headwaters of the "Verrino River" which flows to the Adriatic Sea. It is comprised of 23,796 acres of land. The town is situated in very difficult terrain, and its climate arduous being cool in the summer and cold in the winter. The town or "Cittadina" rests on a rocky outcrop, which is in the center of the community. There are two hamlets or "Borgate" connected to Agnone, Fontesambuco and Villacanale. The "Agro" or rural district is situated in the valley below.
Antonio's parents were not of the "Baroni" upper social class but of the common "contadini". His father's name was Raffaele Carosella (born June 22, 1858) the son of Fedele Carosella and Rachele Pallotto. His mother's name was Maria Assunta Lauriente (born August 14, 1857) the daughter of Donatantonio Lauriente and Appollonia D'Aloise. He was the middle child of four and the only male sibling to reach his majority. Michelina, his sister, was the only girl to attain adult status. When Antonio was two & a half years old his mother died. Raffaele remarried about a month later to Rosana Lauriente who was a first cousin to his first wife. They had four children together but only two survived to adulthood, namely Mercede and Carmela. As a youth, Antonio was only able to receive a fifth grade education.
Antonio grew up in an ever-changing environment where life for the contadini was misery. In Agnone emigration was "the" viable alternative to the abject poverty that the contadini of humble origins were subjected to. A typical contadino at that time was landless and received a bare minimum for his labors. The rapacious Baroni who owned most of the land in Agnone used their power and position to economically subjugate the contadini. During the 1800's Agnone experienced an explosion in population that squeezed its resources to the maximum. So it was a natural progression for Antonio to leave his beloved birthplace when he reached his maturity.
Agnone's migrations by the time Antonio was ready to emigrate were firmly established. In the middle eighteen hundreds, Agnone began its migratory period. It was the first Molise town to start emigrating. By the 1870's thousands of Agnonesi were leaving to distant lands that spanned five continents. First settling in South America's Argentine, Agnonesi later emigrated to North America, Europe, Africa and Australia. Most Agnonese though settled in either North or South America tending to cluster together in small communities linked by common origin. Some of these communities grew large enough to be colonies. These established colonies provided a flow of aid, information, and encouragement to new emigrants. Chain migrations occurred between households and families that were already established in these colonies. Such was the case with Antonio.
At the age of sixteen, Antonio, accompanied by his father left Agnone to begin a 4,900-mile trek to a new life in America. Traveling to the seaport city of Naples, they booked passage on the White Star Line steamship "Cretic". Leaving on November 20th, 1906 the voyage took 14 days to cross the 3,000-mile wide Atlantic Ocean. They arrived at Ellis Island New York on December 3, 1906. From there they traveled another 1,900 miles by train to Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo, situated in the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains, was a bustling mining town during this era. Located on the Arkansas River, this area was rich in coal, silver, copper, and limestone deposits. Antonio stayed with his older married sister, Michelina, who just a year earlier emigrated from Agnone to join her husband, Nicola Appugliese, in Pueblo. They all lived in the home of Mike Lepro and his wife Nobila nee Appugliese located at 1137 Box Elder street. Antonio found employment at the locale steel mill where his brother-in-law, Nicola worked. His father, Raffaele, returned later to his wife and family in Agnone.
At the age of nineteen Antonio married. He wedded on January 15, 1910 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Pueblo, Colorado to another Agnonese, Pasqualina Santarelli, who was only 13 years old at the time. Seven months later on July 23, 1910 a daughter, Maria, was born to them but soon died after the birth. Two years later on August 2, 1912 the marriage was unceremoniously dissolved because of Pasqualina's infidelity. Antonio a month after his divorce in Pueblo, hooked up with the Domenico Appugliese family.
Domenico Appugliese was a brother to Nicola, Antonio's brother-in-law. Domenico lived at 1009 Elm Street in Pueblo. He worked in a pipe factory as a molder. His wife, Filomena Orlando, had two brothers, Michele & Vincenzo who called himself Joe, and a sister, Grazia who anglicized her name to Grace, with her husband, Grazio "Steve" Porfilio who were also living as well in Pueblo. Grazio and his brother, Leonardo Porfilio, around 1910 relocated to Athelstane, Wisconsin because the land was selling at a very reasonable rate there. Suddenly during December of 1911 the Orlando brothers allegedly got involved with bilking someone out of a gold mine and the "Black Hand", the local Mafioso, was out to get them. The Orlando's then left Pueblo in a hurry during the night by horse & buggy and rode to the nearest train depot where they relocated to the remote area of Athelstane, Wisconsin and to start life anew there.
Domenico around 1912 was relocating his family also to Wisconsin. Because of an accident he had had earlier in the mills in which he received severe burns, he decided to try his hand at farming in Wisconsin where his wife's relatives, the Orlando & Porfilio families, were already farming. Together, Antonio & Domenico, purchased on September 5, 1912 an 120 acre tract of land near Medicine Brook in Athelstane, Marinette County, Wisconsin for the purchase price of $1,500. Two months after that, Antonio married again. He took as his bride Domenico's fourteen year old daughter, Carmella, on October 31, 1912 in St. Augustine Catholic Church in Wausauke, Wisconsin. They honeymooned together at the local hotel there.
On October 10, 1913 Antonio quit claimed his interests in the farm to Domenico for $140. Three months later, Antonio and Carmella's fist child, Mary Marie, was born in Athelstane, Wisconsin on January 7, 1914. Antonio spent a total of four years in Athelstane doing farm work before moving his family to Hartshorne, Oklahoma in 1916 where employment was easily had in the rich coal fields there. His wife's two sisters and their husbands, Pete & Mary Mass around 1916 and later Fred & Bonnie Mass around 1919, followed the Carosellas to Hartshorne. He worked as a miner for the next ten years. This was hard, arduous & dangerous work. Over 1,700 miners in southeastern Oklahoma lost their lives to mine explosions in those early years.
Antonio, on June 4, 1919, decided to give up his allegiance to Italy by becoming a naturalized citizen at the county court house in McAlister, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. During this period three more daughters were blessed to his family, namely: Flora Theresa, born July 19, 1917; Rose Margaret, born November 30, 1919; and Emilia, born December 30, 1921. Two of his children, Mary and Flora, began school in Hartshorne.
Hard times hit the coal industry during the early twenties. Workers went on strike just before the great depression. That's when Antonio left for Chicago, Illinois to find work again. He found employment in the steel industry at Interlake Steel Mill as a laborer on August 17, 1925. He then secured an apartment at 3556 E. 95th St. and sent word to his wife and four daughters to come to Chicago. Giving them directions to find their way to him, they finally arrived. Getting off the street car on the East Side, Carmella with four small girls in tow all holding onto their mother's long dress, were ready to start a new life in Chicago.
They later moved into a bigger apartment located at 9542 Avenue "L". Four years after moving to Chicago, the Carosella family was blessed with another baby, but this time it was a boy! Being born on August 17, 1929, he was named after his father, Anthony Carosella, but was affectionately called "Sonny". At the time of his birth they were all living in an apartment at 9545 Avenue "M".
Tragedy struck the Carosella family when their 10 year-old daughter, Emilia, while vacationing on her grandfather's farm in Athelstane, Wisconsin died on July 28, 1931 of Typhoid Fever after being sick for ten days. She died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Menominee, Michigan. At that time, Antonio was employed as a switchman on the railroad cars at Interlake Steel Co.
On December 27, 1938 Antonio & Carmella bought a nine flat apartment building from the Buoscio family, who were "compaesano" from Agnone. This building was located at 9550 Avenue "M". All the children went to Taylor Grade School and Bowen High School except for Mary. She quit her schooling after graduating from "Taylor". Florence received an associate degree after two years at Bowen. Rose & Sonny (Anthony Jr.) graduated after four years of high school. Rose furthered her education by finishing two years at nursing school, while Sonny enrolled at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
During the summer of 1954, Antonio took an extensive trip throughout Europe by himself. He visited such interesting countries as Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, but savored his final stay in his beloved homeland of Italy. He traveled also throughout Rome and Naples with a visit to San Giovanni where he saw Padre Pio, the saintly Capuchin monk that had the stigmata of Jesus Christ. His three month long sojourn culminated with a visit to his birth place of Agnone, Italy. Staying with relatives at "Salita Carita - #1" street, Antonio savored the time spent with his only remaining sister, Mercede, and the family of his other deceased sister, Carmela.
Working for thirty years at Interlake Steel Co., Antonio retired on June 1, 1955 at the age of 65. While in retirement he made one final trip overseas during the summer of 1964. This time he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he experienced the sights and sounds where Jesus Christ once walked almost 2000 years ago.
Antonio died at the advanced age of 80, fifteen years after his retirement. He passed away at St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, Illinois and was buried in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Worth, Illinois. His beloved wife, Carmella, carried on an additional eight and a half years before dying of heart failure also at the age of 80. She lies next to her husband in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery both in eternal peace.
Antonio Carosella Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
CAROSELLA, Antonio (Tony)
Late of East Side, Beloved husband of Carmella (nee Appugliese). Loving father of Mary (Carl) Cittadino, Rose (the late Dominic) DeCicco, Anthony Carosella and the late Florence (Henry) Burmistrz. Dear grandfather of Marie Burmistrz, Henry Jr. and Tony Burmistrz, Michael Cittadino, Joseph and Dominic DeCicco. Fond brother of Michelina Appugliese. Member of 3rd Order of St. Francis, Holy Name Society, Italian Catholic Federation, Fraternal Order of Eagles, South Chicago Aerie #1358 and Machebees Lodge. Retired employee of Interlake Iron Corp. Funeral Monday 9 a.m. from the Golich Funeral Home, 9725 Commercial Avenue to St. George Church, Mass 9:30 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Please omit flowers, Friends may visit Saturday after 3 p.m. Es 5-8110
"The Daily Calumet" Newspaper - Chicago, Illinois
VOYAGE TO AMERICA
Emigrated: 20 November 1906 port of Naples, Italy
Immigrated: 4 December 1906 port of New York, New York
Ship's Name: "Cretic"
Tony Carosella was born Antonio Carosella on May 19, 1890 in the southern or "mezzogiorno" part of Italy in the small mountain town of Agnone. This town was located in the Molise region of the province of Isernia in the district of Alto Molise. Agnone occupies a large bowl shaped valley that constitutes the headwaters of the "Verrino River" which flows to the Adriatic Sea. It is comprised of 23,796 acres of land. The town is situated in very difficult terrain, and its climate arduous being cool in the summer and cold in the winter. The town or "Cittadina" rests on a rocky outcrop, which is in the center of the community. There are two hamlets or "Borgate" connected to Agnone, Fontesambuco and Villacanale. The "Agro" or rural district is situated in the valley below.
Antonio's parents were not of the "Baroni" upper social class but of the common "contadini". His father's name was Raffaele Carosella (born June 22, 1858) the son of Fedele Carosella and Rachele Pallotto. His mother's name was Maria Assunta Lauriente (born August 14, 1857) the daughter of Donatantonio Lauriente and Appollonia D'Aloise. He was the middle child of four and the only male sibling to reach his majority. Michelina, his sister, was the only girl to attain adult status. When Antonio was two & a half years old his mother died. Raffaele remarried about a month later to Rosana Lauriente who was a first cousin to his first wife. They had four children together but only two survived to adulthood, namely Mercede and Carmela. As a youth, Antonio was only able to receive a fifth grade education.
Antonio grew up in an ever-changing environment where life for the contadini was misery. In Agnone emigration was "the" viable alternative to the abject poverty that the contadini of humble origins were subjected to. A typical contadino at that time was landless and received a bare minimum for his labors. The rapacious Baroni who owned most of the land in Agnone used their power and position to economically subjugate the contadini. During the 1800's Agnone experienced an explosion in population that squeezed its resources to the maximum. So it was a natural progression for Antonio to leave his beloved birthplace when he reached his maturity.
Agnone's migrations by the time Antonio was ready to emigrate were firmly established. In the middle eighteen hundreds, Agnone began its migratory period. It was the first Molise town to start emigrating. By the 1870's thousands of Agnonesi were leaving to distant lands that spanned five continents. First settling in South America's Argentine, Agnonesi later emigrated to North America, Europe, Africa and Australia. Most Agnonese though settled in either North or South America tending to cluster together in small communities linked by common origin. Some of these communities grew large enough to be colonies. These established colonies provided a flow of aid, information, and encouragement to new emigrants. Chain migrations occurred between households and families that were already established in these colonies. Such was the case with Antonio.
At the age of sixteen, Antonio, accompanied by his father left Agnone to begin a 4,900-mile trek to a new life in America. Traveling to the seaport city of Naples, they booked passage on the White Star Line steamship "Cretic". Leaving on November 20th, 1906 the voyage took 14 days to cross the 3,000-mile wide Atlantic Ocean. They arrived at Ellis Island New York on December 3, 1906. From there they traveled another 1,900 miles by train to Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo, situated in the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains, was a bustling mining town during this era. Located on the Arkansas River, this area was rich in coal, silver, copper, and limestone deposits. Antonio stayed with his older married sister, Michelina, who just a year earlier emigrated from Agnone to join her husband, Nicola Appugliese, in Pueblo. They all lived in the home of Mike Lepro and his wife Nobila nee Appugliese located at 1137 Box Elder street. Antonio found employment at the locale steel mill where his brother-in-law, Nicola worked. His father, Raffaele, returned later to his wife and family in Agnone.
At the age of nineteen Antonio married. He wedded on January 15, 1910 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Pueblo, Colorado to another Agnonese, Pasqualina Santarelli, who was only 13 years old at the time. Seven months later on July 23, 1910 a daughter, Maria, was born to them but soon died after the birth. Two years later on August 2, 1912 the marriage was unceremoniously dissolved because of Pasqualina's infidelity. Antonio a month after his divorce in Pueblo, hooked up with the Domenico Appugliese family.
Domenico Appugliese was a brother to Nicola, Antonio's brother-in-law. Domenico lived at 1009 Elm Street in Pueblo. He worked in a pipe factory as a molder. His wife, Filomena Orlando, had two brothers, Michele & Vincenzo who called himself Joe, and a sister, Grazia who anglicized her name to Grace, with her husband, Grazio "Steve" Porfilio who were also living as well in Pueblo. Grazio and his brother, Leonardo Porfilio, around 1910 relocated to Athelstane, Wisconsin because the land was selling at a very reasonable rate there. Suddenly during December of 1911 the Orlando brothers allegedly got involved with bilking someone out of a gold mine and the "Black Hand", the local Mafioso, was out to get them. The Orlando's then left Pueblo in a hurry during the night by horse & buggy and rode to the nearest train depot where they relocated to the remote area of Athelstane, Wisconsin and to start life anew there.
Domenico around 1912 was relocating his family also to Wisconsin. Because of an accident he had had earlier in the mills in which he received severe burns, he decided to try his hand at farming in Wisconsin where his wife's relatives, the Orlando & Porfilio families, were already farming. Together, Antonio & Domenico, purchased on September 5, 1912 an 120 acre tract of land near Medicine Brook in Athelstane, Marinette County, Wisconsin for the purchase price of $1,500. Two months after that, Antonio married again. He took as his bride Domenico's fourteen year old daughter, Carmella, on October 31, 1912 in St. Augustine Catholic Church in Wausauke, Wisconsin. They honeymooned together at the local hotel there.
On October 10, 1913 Antonio quit claimed his interests in the farm to Domenico for $140. Three months later, Antonio and Carmella's fist child, Mary Marie, was born in Athelstane, Wisconsin on January 7, 1914. Antonio spent a total of four years in Athelstane doing farm work before moving his family to Hartshorne, Oklahoma in 1916 where employment was easily had in the rich coal fields there. His wife's two sisters and their husbands, Pete & Mary Mass around 1916 and later Fred & Bonnie Mass around 1919, followed the Carosellas to Hartshorne. He worked as a miner for the next ten years. This was hard, arduous & dangerous work. Over 1,700 miners in southeastern Oklahoma lost their lives to mine explosions in those early years.
Antonio, on June 4, 1919, decided to give up his allegiance to Italy by becoming a naturalized citizen at the county court house in McAlister, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. During this period three more daughters were blessed to his family, namely: Flora Theresa, born July 19, 1917; Rose Margaret, born November 30, 1919; and Emilia, born December 30, 1921. Two of his children, Mary and Flora, began school in Hartshorne.
Hard times hit the coal industry during the early twenties. Workers went on strike just before the great depression. That's when Antonio left for Chicago, Illinois to find work again. He found employment in the steel industry at Interlake Steel Mill as a laborer on August 17, 1925. He then secured an apartment at 3556 E. 95th St. and sent word to his wife and four daughters to come to Chicago. Giving them directions to find their way to him, they finally arrived. Getting off the street car on the East Side, Carmella with four small girls in tow all holding onto their mother's long dress, were ready to start a new life in Chicago.
They later moved into a bigger apartment located at 9542 Avenue "L". Four years after moving to Chicago, the Carosella family was blessed with another baby, but this time it was a boy! Being born on August 17, 1929, he was named after his father, Anthony Carosella, but was affectionately called "Sonny". At the time of his birth they were all living in an apartment at 9545 Avenue "M".
Tragedy struck the Carosella family when their 10 year-old daughter, Emilia, while vacationing on her grandfather's farm in Athelstane, Wisconsin died on July 28, 1931 of Typhoid Fever after being sick for ten days. She died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Menominee, Michigan. At that time, Antonio was employed as a switchman on the railroad cars at Interlake Steel Co.
On December 27, 1938 Antonio & Carmella bought a nine flat apartment building from the Buoscio family, who were "compaesano" from Agnone. This building was located at 9550 Avenue "M". All the children went to Taylor Grade School and Bowen High School except for Mary. She quit her schooling after graduating from "Taylor". Florence received an associate degree after two years at Bowen. Rose & Sonny (Anthony Jr.) graduated after four years of high school. Rose furthered her education by finishing two years at nursing school, while Sonny enrolled at St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
During the summer of 1954, Antonio took an extensive trip throughout Europe by himself. He visited such interesting countries as Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, but savored his final stay in his beloved homeland of Italy. He traveled also throughout Rome and Naples with a visit to San Giovanni where he saw Padre Pio, the saintly Capuchin monk that had the stigmata of Jesus Christ. His three month long sojourn culminated with a visit to his birth place of Agnone, Italy. Staying with relatives at "Salita Carita - #1" street, Antonio savored the time spent with his only remaining sister, Mercede, and the family of his other deceased sister, Carmela.
Working for thirty years at Interlake Steel Co., Antonio retired on June 1, 1955 at the age of 65. While in retirement he made one final trip overseas during the summer of 1964. This time he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he experienced the sights and sounds where Jesus Christ once walked almost 2000 years ago.
Antonio died at the advanced age of 80, fifteen years after his retirement. He passed away at St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, Illinois and was buried in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Worth, Illinois. His beloved wife, Carmella, carried on an additional eight and a half years before dying of heart failure also at the age of 80. She lies next to her husband in Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery both in eternal peace.
Antonio Carosella Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
CAROSELLA, Antonio (Tony)
Late of East Side, Beloved husband of Carmella (nee Appugliese). Loving father of Mary (Carl) Cittadino, Rose (the late Dominic) DeCicco, Anthony Carosella and the late Florence (Henry) Burmistrz. Dear grandfather of Marie Burmistrz, Henry Jr. and Tony Burmistrz, Michael Cittadino, Joseph and Dominic DeCicco. Fond brother of Michelina Appugliese. Member of 3rd Order of St. Francis, Holy Name Society, Italian Catholic Federation, Fraternal Order of Eagles, South Chicago Aerie #1358 and Machebees Lodge. Retired employee of Interlake Iron Corp. Funeral Monday 9 a.m. from the Golich Funeral Home, 9725 Commercial Avenue to St. George Church, Mass 9:30 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Please omit flowers, Friends may visit Saturday after 3 p.m. Es 5-8110
"The Daily Calumet" Newspaper - Chicago, Illinois
VOYAGE TO AMERICA
Emigrated: 20 November 1906 port of Naples, Italy
Immigrated: 4 December 1906 port of New York, New York
Ship's Name: "Cretic"
Inscription
Father
ANTONIO CAROSELLA
1890 - 1970
Family Members
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