Paul Trahan is a High School teacher in the Boston Ma. area who started his research just recently.  Paul talks about finding his family in Campania and his Acadian family from Nova Scotia.  Paul is starting a genealogy class for his students this coming year, which sounds like a lot of fun. Find it on the map. My grandfather Antonio Lepore Wedding picture of my grandparents – Married on December 31, 1930 in Boston. Great Uncle Frank Great Uncle Frank and Aunt Anna and then my grandparents Antonio Lepore and Grazia Concetta Buttofuoco. The wedding of my Great Uncle Vinny and Aunt Eleanor. My grandparents and the baby is my brother John – 1965 picture Immigration card for my great grandmother (mother of my grandmother) Maria Elizabetta Luise. Mama Celeste of the frozen pizzas a distant cousin. Click here to join our group on Facebook

Click here to join Italian Genealogy Group on Facebook Frank’s Luncheonette Shortly before the NY World’s Fair opened in 1964, my Uncle Frank and Aunt Dolly opened Frank’s Luncheonette on 108th Street in Corona Queens.  At the time I was 13 and very excited as they hired me to work there on weekends and the summers while the World’s Fair was open.  The Fair ( as we called it ) was only a few blocks away and we would often have tourists and bus drivers come in to eat.  In fact, after the fair closed, bus drivers would drive 50 to 60 miles out of their way to dine at Frank’s Luncheonette and kibitz with Aunt Dolly.  Uncle Frank drove trucks when he was young, and later worked as a baker at Leonard’s up the station, and ran a fish store in the Bronx for several years. Frank’s was a small place with only 8 or 10 stools, and no tables.  But we did good business and a lot of take out.  At the front there was a candy and cigarette counter and a place to hold the Daily Papers.  Then the lunch counter and soda fountain with a back room with the stove and griddle.  We also had the soda cooler that keep the bottles in cold water. The Perks My duties included stocking the candy and cigarette’s, putting together the Sunday papers, making fountain sodas and malts ( yeah real malts ) egg creams ( yum ) and ice cream sundaes.   As time went on, I would make the rice and chocolate pudding.  I would also deliver orders to some of the local businesses.  However, the very best thing about working at Frank’s Luncheonette was the perks.  Aunt Dolly was a great cook, as was uncle Frank.  So I had my pick of menu items. My favorite was the eggplant parm or a meatball hero.  Uncle Frank would male onions on the grill with a load of butter and paprika that would smother your cheeseburger, always a great choice.  On cold days, a nice bowl of chicken soup.  Breakfast was a Pechter’s corn muffin buttered and grilled or one of their cheese danishes.  And of course anything from the fountain, whenever I liked! Uncle Frank I can go on and on about what wonderful people my aunt and uncle were and it was just so great to hang out with them.  In the morning, it would just be me and Uncle Frank and we would talk about the races or sports, make the coffee, put out the danish stock the shelves etc. Now I mentioned that bus drivers would come miles out of the way to eat and hang out.  A lot of it had to do with Aunt Dolly… here are just a few stories… Aunt Dolly There used to be a Spanish speaking gentleman that would come in and order bacon and eggs or hamburger every other day.  One day Aunt Dolly asked him “How come you only order two things”?  His answer was “que”?  When Aunt Dolly realized that he did not speak any English, she told him him ” I will give you a different meal everyday, and if you like it, I will tell you how to say it in English” Hence, she taught him English.   Aunt Dolly would make some food at home, like frying the chicken, making the eggplant and meatballs for example.   They lived only about 3 blocks from Frank’s Luncheonette, so it was a short walk with the shopping cart.  One day Aunt Dolly came in and dropped the cart in the back for Uncle Frank. He opened it up and yelled out “Dolly, this is garbage”!  She shot back, “it’s the stuff I made”. He said, “no it’s the garbage”!  and it was, in her haste she threw the food away and brought the garbage to the store.  The Patrons Believe me we had some great characters.  My aunt and uncle rented the place from “Butch”, also happened to be my Aunt Ann’s cousin.  Butch was a taxi driver and his home was behind Frank’s Luncheonette, with alley, where Butch would park his car.  About once a week, we would hear a loud scraping sound as Butch would get a little to close to the wall of the store. Rocky the Barber ( Pal Rocky ) would come in for a chat and his Gini Stinkers ( di Nobili cigars ) quite aptly named.   My cousin’s husband Al, would deliver the bread from Leonard’s bakery everyday and order a cup of coffee ( 10 cents ) and leave me a 90 cent tip!   My cousin Lou Mina ( Mina Fuel Oil ) would come in and say to me “I’ll have a soda….. JERK, and laugh.  I later worked for Lou and boy have I got some stories for another post! My dad, who worked for the NY Daily News at the time, would come in sometimes and if he ordered a tea, it had to be filled right to the very top of the cup. After my tenure, my cousin Cathy ( Frank and Dolly’s daughter ) worked there, and my sister Lori too.  Eventually Frank’s son Lou took over for a while.   Dad is first in line

Join Bob as he interviews Steven Mairella about his research to find his Italian Ancestors in Calabria, Basilicata, and Campania.  Also, check out Steven’s awesome art based on his Italian heritage at www.stevenmartworks.com. Click here to join our group on Facebook Find it on the map Sample of Steven’s Art www.stevenmartworks.com Mention IG2020

Stephanie Longo  Stephanie Longo is known as an expert on the Italian American history of northeastern Pennsylvania and has authored several works on the subject, including Italians of Northeastern Pennsylvania (2004), Italians of Lackawanna County (2018) and Dunmore (2012), all published by Arcadia Publishing. Her most recent book, Italians of Lackawanna County, was recognized with a Gold Award in the History category in the 2019 Nonfiction Book Awards and with a Gold Award from the Literary Titan Book Awards.   A graduate of both the University of Scranton (BA, Italian and French; MA, History) and Regent University (MA, journalism), she has made it her mission to continue to preserve the history that her ancestors brought to the United States from Guardia Lombardi, Italy. She also possesses a Women in Leadership certificate and a Women in Entrepreneurship certificate from Cornell University and is a graduate of the Leadership Lackawanna Core Program. Ms. Longo is presently the associate producer and chief administrative officer of The Italian American Podcast. An award-winning journalist, she is the former editor of The Villager newspaper (Moscow, PA) and The Abington Suburban (Clarks Summit, PA), as well as a former correspondent for Go Lackawanna (Scranton, PA). She is also the former director of marketing and communications of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. A dual citizen of the United States and Italy, Ms. Longo has spoken both regionally and nationally on the subject of Italian immigration to the United States, including at the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum (Scranton, PA), the Lackawanna Historical Society (Scranton, PA), the Dunmore Historical Society (Dunmore, PA), the Forest City Historical Society (Forest City, PA), I AM Books (Boston, MA), the IDEA Boston festival (Cambridge, MA) and the History of Italian Immigration Museum (Philadelphia, PA). She has also been a panelist on Italian American culture for Pennsylvania’s Mining Heritage Month. Her works are also part of the Biblioteca del Senato “Giovanni Spaldini” in Rome, Italy. She currently resides in Dunmore, PA.  Click here to join our group on Facebook Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on linkedin LinkedIn Check out Stephahie’s Favorite Pizza while in Scranton Area!

Join Bob and Melanie as they discuss finding birth parents and other Italian research.  Melanie talks about her genealogy and Italian citizenship business Lo Schiavo Genealogica, her webinar’s and new YouTube Channel.   Why Should You Hire Lo Schiavo Genealogica? We work to the highest genealogical standards and are constantly studying and expanding our knowledge through a variety of educational opportunities.  While at times clients simply want us to find a document in an Italian archive, we go above and beyond simple document retrieval in the quality of our translation and analysis of each document. We think standards and education in the field are important. Because of this belief, a client is afforded protections and recourses, if our work was not up to professional standards. The owner, Melanie D. Holtz, CG, is board-certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Every five years, a portfolio of work must be submitted in order to remain certified.  This portfolio is judged by leaders in the field of genealogy and must show progression in the applicant’s knowledge of the field and specialty she works in.  Melanie also belongs to the Association of Professional Genealogists where she formerly served on the Board of Directors and the Professional Development Committee. Melanie D. Holtz Lo Schiavo Genealogica 919-364-8500, ext. 200 Melanie@italyancestry.com Click here to join our group on Facebook Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin