Joseph came to the United States around 1921, and set up a life for himself, and his fiancee, Albertina Vicente. They were married in Rhode Island, and settled down. Joseph was a cobbler by trade. After the Big Crash, and into the beginning of the Depression, Joseph began a bootlegging career. Rhode Island had not ratified the Prohibition amendment, so it was basically "legal" in RI, but the Feds had something else to say about that. With "English as a second language," Joseph probably did not understand this. He was caught, and prosecuted, for bootlegging, and spent 2 to 3 years in jail. He got out again, before 1931, and the family moved to California not long after that. Joseph and Albertina were divorced, probably due to his drinking, and he died alone in a Martinez county hospital at the age of 59. Joseph and Albertina had four children, but the first son, Manuel, died in infancy. These were my grandparents. Their children are also Amilcar, Mary, and John.
Joseph came to the United States around 1921, and set up a life for himself, and his fiancee, Albertina Vicente. They were married in Rhode Island, and settled down. Joseph was a cobbler by trade. After the Big Crash, and into the beginning of the Depression, Joseph began a bootlegging career. Rhode Island had not ratified the Prohibition amendment, so it was basically "legal" in RI, but the Feds had something else to say about that. With "English as a second language," Joseph probably did not understand this. He was caught, and prosecuted, for bootlegging, and spent 2 to 3 years in jail. He got out again, before 1931, and the family moved to California not long after that. Joseph and Albertina were divorced, probably due to his drinking, and he died alone in a Martinez county hospital at the age of 59. Joseph and Albertina had four children, but the first son, Manuel, died in infancy. These were my grandparents. Their children are also Amilcar, Mary, and John.
