Vincenzo was born in Bronte, Provincia di Catania, Sicilia.
Bronte is a small town up the mountain from the large coastal city of Catania in Eastern Sicily. Near the volcano Mt. Etna.
His parents were:
*Vincenzo Zerbo of Bronte
*Maria Destro of Bronte
His Maternal Grandparents:
*Antonino Destro of Bronte
*Felicia Gullo of Bronte
Vincenzo grew up in Bronte.
As a young man he served in the Italian Army during WWI and saw combat in Northern Italy. The Italian Army bravely fought the Austrian forces who were trying to invade Italy. The Italian forces stopped the Austrians at the Piave River. During combat Vincenzo's unit was poison gassed by the Austrians and many died, Vincenzo was lucky to survive, but he suffered from the effects of the poison gas for the rest of his life. After the war ended in 1918 Vincenzo returned home to Bronte.
Several years later Vincenzo immigrated to the USA and arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 3, 1921. He would join his older brother Antonino and settle in Jamestown, NY. Antonino had come to Jamestown in 1909.
There were many of Vincenzo's relatives in Jamestown who had come over years before. Including the Destro, Zerbo, and Gullo families.
In Jamestown there were plenty of factory jobs and Vincenzo, now James, found work in a furniture factory.
In 1922 James would marry a distant cousin Francesca (Francis) Calcagno who was also from Bronte, Sicily.
The marriage took place on Oct. 22, 1922 in Jamestown.
They would have the following children and as was the Italian Custom the children were named after their grandparents :
*Mary
*James
*Thomas
*Anthony
In the early years the family lived in Jamestown where they had a large, tight-knit, extended family of uncles,aunts,great-grandma and cousins. They included the Gullo, Destro, Calcagno, Laurie, and Zerbo families.
James would work for many years in Jamestown as a skilled funiture maker. In those years Jamestown was known for it's high quality furniture companies.
Later Vincenzo would move the family cross country to San Jose, CA. There they were welcomed by Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jennie Laurie who had moved there years before. The weather in San Jose was much nicer than Jamestown and very much like their native Sicily.
In 1958 James and Franca would return to Italy on vacation and spend some very good times visiting family and seeing some of the sights of Italy.
In 1959 James' beloved wife of 37 years, Franca, passed away.
James would re-marry, Francis Messina of Bronte, in the 1960's and have another son, Joseph
Riposa in Pace,
From your nephew, Joe Orecchia
Bronte is a small town up the mountain from the large coastal city of Catania in Eastern Sicily. Near the volcano Mt. Etna.
His parents were:
*Vincenzo Zerbo of Bronte
*Maria Destro of Bronte
His Maternal Grandparents:
*Antonino Destro of Bronte
*Felicia Gullo of Bronte
Vincenzo grew up in Bronte.
As a young man he served in the Italian Army during WWI and saw combat in Northern Italy. The Italian Army bravely fought the Austrian forces who were trying to invade Italy. The Italian forces stopped the Austrians at the Piave River. During combat Vincenzo's unit was poison gassed by the Austrians and many died, Vincenzo was lucky to survive, but he suffered from the effects of the poison gas for the rest of his life. After the war ended in 1918 Vincenzo returned home to Bronte.
Several years later Vincenzo immigrated to the USA and arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 3, 1921. He would join his older brother Antonino and settle in Jamestown, NY. Antonino had come to Jamestown in 1909.
There were many of Vincenzo's relatives in Jamestown who had come over years before. Including the Destro, Zerbo, and Gullo families.
In Jamestown there were plenty of factory jobs and Vincenzo, now James, found work in a furniture factory.
In 1922 James would marry a distant cousin Francesca (Francis) Calcagno who was also from Bronte, Sicily.
The marriage took place on Oct. 22, 1922 in Jamestown.
They would have the following children and as was the Italian Custom the children were named after their grandparents :
*Mary
*James
*Thomas
*Anthony
In the early years the family lived in Jamestown where they had a large, tight-knit, extended family of uncles,aunts,great-grandma and cousins. They included the Gullo, Destro, Calcagno, Laurie, and Zerbo families.
James would work for many years in Jamestown as a skilled funiture maker. In those years Jamestown was known for it's high quality furniture companies.
Later Vincenzo would move the family cross country to San Jose, CA. There they were welcomed by Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jennie Laurie who had moved there years before. The weather in San Jose was much nicer than Jamestown and very much like their native Sicily.
In 1958 James and Franca would return to Italy on vacation and spend some very good times visiting family and seeing some of the sights of Italy.
In 1959 James' beloved wife of 37 years, Franca, passed away.
James would re-marry, Francis Messina of Bronte, in the 1960's and have another son, Joseph
Riposa in Pace,
From your nephew, Joe Orecchia
Vincenzo was born in Bronte, Provincia di Catania, Sicilia.
Bronte is a small town up the mountain from the large coastal city of Catania in Eastern Sicily. Near the volcano Mt. Etna.
His parents were:
*Vincenzo Zerbo of Bronte
*Maria Destro of Bronte
His Maternal Grandparents:
*Antonino Destro of Bronte
*Felicia Gullo of Bronte
Vincenzo grew up in Bronte.
As a young man he served in the Italian Army during WWI and saw combat in Northern Italy. The Italian Army bravely fought the Austrian forces who were trying to invade Italy. The Italian forces stopped the Austrians at the Piave River. During combat Vincenzo's unit was poison gassed by the Austrians and many died, Vincenzo was lucky to survive, but he suffered from the effects of the poison gas for the rest of his life. After the war ended in 1918 Vincenzo returned home to Bronte.
Several years later Vincenzo immigrated to the USA and arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 3, 1921. He would join his older brother Antonino and settle in Jamestown, NY. Antonino had come to Jamestown in 1909.
There were many of Vincenzo's relatives in Jamestown who had come over years before. Including the Destro, Zerbo, and Gullo families.
In Jamestown there were plenty of factory jobs and Vincenzo, now James, found work in a furniture factory.
In 1922 James would marry a distant cousin Francesca (Francis) Calcagno who was also from Bronte, Sicily.
The marriage took place on Oct. 22, 1922 in Jamestown.
They would have the following children and as was the Italian Custom the children were named after their grandparents :
*Mary
*James
*Thomas
*Anthony
In the early years the family lived in Jamestown where they had a large, tight-knit, extended family of uncles,aunts,great-grandma and cousins. They included the Gullo, Destro, Calcagno, Laurie, and Zerbo families.
James would work for many years in Jamestown as a skilled funiture maker. In those years Jamestown was known for it's high quality furniture companies.
Later Vincenzo would move the family cross country to San Jose, CA. There they were welcomed by Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jennie Laurie who had moved there years before. The weather in San Jose was much nicer than Jamestown and very much like their native Sicily.
In 1958 James and Franca would return to Italy on vacation and spend some very good times visiting family and seeing some of the sights of Italy.
In 1959 James' beloved wife of 37 years, Franca, passed away.
James would re-marry, Francis Messina of Bronte, in the 1960's and have another son, Joseph
Riposa in Pace,
From your nephew, Joe Orecchia
Bronte is a small town up the mountain from the large coastal city of Catania in Eastern Sicily. Near the volcano Mt. Etna.
His parents were:
*Vincenzo Zerbo of Bronte
*Maria Destro of Bronte
His Maternal Grandparents:
*Antonino Destro of Bronte
*Felicia Gullo of Bronte
Vincenzo grew up in Bronte.
As a young man he served in the Italian Army during WWI and saw combat in Northern Italy. The Italian Army bravely fought the Austrian forces who were trying to invade Italy. The Italian forces stopped the Austrians at the Piave River. During combat Vincenzo's unit was poison gassed by the Austrians and many died, Vincenzo was lucky to survive, but he suffered from the effects of the poison gas for the rest of his life. After the war ended in 1918 Vincenzo returned home to Bronte.
Several years later Vincenzo immigrated to the USA and arrived at Ellis Island on Feb. 3, 1921. He would join his older brother Antonino and settle in Jamestown, NY. Antonino had come to Jamestown in 1909.
There were many of Vincenzo's relatives in Jamestown who had come over years before. Including the Destro, Zerbo, and Gullo families.
In Jamestown there were plenty of factory jobs and Vincenzo, now James, found work in a furniture factory.
In 1922 James would marry a distant cousin Francesca (Francis) Calcagno who was also from Bronte, Sicily.
The marriage took place on Oct. 22, 1922 in Jamestown.
They would have the following children and as was the Italian Custom the children were named after their grandparents :
*Mary
*James
*Thomas
*Anthony
In the early years the family lived in Jamestown where they had a large, tight-knit, extended family of uncles,aunts,great-grandma and cousins. They included the Gullo, Destro, Calcagno, Laurie, and Zerbo families.
James would work for many years in Jamestown as a skilled funiture maker. In those years Jamestown was known for it's high quality furniture companies.
Later Vincenzo would move the family cross country to San Jose, CA. There they were welcomed by Uncle Ralph and Aunt Jennie Laurie who had moved there years before. The weather in San Jose was much nicer than Jamestown and very much like their native Sicily.
In 1958 James and Franca would return to Italy on vacation and spend some very good times visiting family and seeing some of the sights of Italy.
In 1959 James' beloved wife of 37 years, Franca, passed away.
James would re-marry, Francis Messina of Bronte, in the 1960's and have another son, Joseph
Riposa in Pace,
From your nephew, Joe Orecchia
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