L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano " Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you," Simon and Gar- funkel s ang in their 1960s song Mrs. Robinson. Baseball legend Joe DiMag- gio was a cultural icon in the '50s and '60s, a time when sport allowed people to escape their everyday drudgery and dream, for a moment, of greater things. He was a hero full of grace, ele- gance and dignity. "There was a majesty in his swing, and a self- assured confidence in his style and conduct that was uniquely Joe DiMaggio's," said Ernest Hemingway. "Joltin' Joe" embodied the values of the exceptional Ameri- can – his code of behavior, sense of duty and moral stamina – con- tinuing to play in pain all through the 1951 season before retiring from the game of base- ball. It was said that he still griev- ed for his former wife Marilyn Monroe and sent red roses to her grave every week. The Yankee Clipper died 20 years ago: he is greatly missed, but his spirit lives on. Surely it does in Isola delle Femmine, a Sicilian fishing village just a 15-minute drive from Palermo where Joe certainly made an impact on the community of about 7,000 residents. Its blue ocean, sandy beaches and cliffs are permeated with his spirit. The home of Joe's parents sits on an ancient street named Via Cutino. A commemorative blue plaque marks the house where they lived for their first f i v e y e a r s o f m a r r i a g e . Giuseppe DiMaggio and Ros- alia Mercurio married on a cold day in December 1897 in the beautiful Mother Church dedi- cated to the Virgin Mary of the Graces. The shrine was built with the savings of fishermen. "We cherish the marriage certificate of Joe DiMaggio's parents," says Giuseppe Rubi- no, president of the Isola delle Femmine Pro Loco, a grassroots organization that promotes the village. Isola delle Femmine, which translates as "island of women," includes a privately- owned baby isle off the coast. The name derived from a legend o f 1 3 T u r k i s h m a i d e n s w h o ended up on the islet after being banished from their families. Here, they lived happily. Giuseppe, Joe's father, was a fisherman who toiled all night at sea. He developed patience and persistence in Isola delle Fem- mine, and the same can be said f o r h i s w i f e R o s a l i a , w h o repaired fishing nets. After five years of marriage, they fled to California. "Only their daughter Adriana was born here," says Rubino. The other eight chil- dren, including Joseph Paul D i M a g g i o , w e r e a l l b o r n i n Martinez, California. M r . R u b i n o s h a r e s k i n d words about Joe's legendary life. "We were so proud of the c h a m p i o n a n d t h e m a n , " h e says. "He came to visit us in 1955. There is a photo of him with former Mayor Antonio Di Maggio. The last name Di Mag- gio is common here." Today, the DiMaggio's fami- ly house at Via Cutino is empty. Nobody lives there — the last Italian relative Baldassare has p a s s e d a w a y . T h e w i n d o w s ' shutters are sealed. Although the light is shining outside, it cannot illuminate the house. "The cur- rent owner is the Cardinale fami- ly related to actress Claudia Cardinale," says Rubino. "Her father was from here too." Rumor has it that the Cardi- nale family is planning to turn the old residence into a B&B. "If that is the case, I hope they will create something special, worthy of the name of Joe DiMaggio, with even a small museum dedi- cated to his memory," he says. Isola delle Femmine is a good base to explore the Palermo and Trapani areas. It is only a 10- minute drive from Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport. But the place has its own picturesque beauty, as represented by the oval-shaped, pristine and wild isolotto, part of a nationally pro- tected park known for its ecolo- gy of rare plants. Unique marine species live in its waters. It has a 16th-century tower and ancient Hellenistic and Roman stone and lime mortar basins once used to prepare a fermented fish sauce dubbed garum. The islet has been put up for sale with an asking price of 2 million euros. The owners are d e s c e n d a n t s o f 1 9 t h c e n t u r y Count Rosolino Pio of Capaci. "The purchase of the island is a unique opportunity for some looking for a 'trophy asset' for private use or simply an act of preservation of something really unique," reads the advertisement by a real estate agency in Arez- zo. "A re-style could turn it into an exclusive private residence or a lavish venue for celebrations and business events." B u t t h e p r o b l e m i s t h a t a buyer would not be permitted to build a house. "It is extremely unlikely you would get planning p e r m i s s i o n , " p o i n t s o u t M r . Rubino. "As our mayor said, the buyer cannot do anything. He will only be able to look at the isolotto with admiration and that's it." "We don't want the islet to be sold. It is the symbol of our vil- lage," he says. Another symbol of Isola is a statue of the Madonna delle Grazie. She is taken out of the Mother Church for procession on July 2. She has a new golden mantle, a gift of devotion from the faithful community. There is also a community of I s o l a n i i n P i t t s b u r g . " O u r American brothers gave us a statue of a fisherman that sits in t h e m i d d l e o f P i a z z a P i t t s - burg." Isola delle Femmine, where the majesty of 'Joltin' Joe' DiMaggio lives on MARIELLA RADAELLI A view of Isola delle Femmine, the Sicilian hamlet the Di Maggio family hailed from © Ellesi | Dreamstime.com Archaelogical site on the islet off the village © Ian Good | Dreamstime.com A plaque shows the Di Maggio house. Photo credit Maurizio Ignilleri ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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