L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Dear Readers, A March mix of Italian con- nections for you: The Papal inauguration of Pope Francis, formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio 76, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, took place on March 19, 2013, in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. I knew that the Pope's parental "roots" were Italian, however, "Grazie" to Andrew Canepa, edi- tor of the No. Calif. "Piemontesi Nel Mondo Boletin" I learned that those "roots" are Piemontesi. His grandfather was born in Portacomaro, Asti. His father moved from Torino to Argentina before Pope Francis was born. His father Mario worked for the streetcar railroad company there. His mother, Regina Maria Sivori, a housewife, cared for her family of five children, three boys and two girls. When Jorge became Pope, his childhood friend, Amalia Damonte 76, recalled that when she was 12, Jorge Bergoglio had a crush on her and when she rejected him "he told me that if he did not marry me, he would become a priest". And perhaps put him on the road to the Papacy, however, he did not make the decision to join the clergy until age 21. Along the way he became a scientist and a teacher. On top of his philoso- phy degree from the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, he also has a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires. He was made a Cardinal by John Paul II in 2001 and later became Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Before coming the Archbishop, he taught literature, psychology, philosophy, and the- ology. *** American Italian Heritage Association + Museum is a national organization working to preserve our heritage since 1979. If you have any friends or rela- tives living or visiting in upstate New York make sure they visit the museum or know about the organization so they can partici- pate in the many Italo-American related activities of the AIHA throughout the year. Here is the info, but be sure to call first, because with an all volunteer staff sometimes schedules are stretched thin. For those of you who "don't get around much anymore" you can visit vicari- ously via the bi-monthly American Italian Heritage Digest, edited by President and founder Prof./Cav. Philip Di Novo, a prince of the fellow, who has dedicated over 35 years of his life trying to preserve and promote the positive aspects of our culture at a time when there is money to be made in media and movies by criminalizing and distorting it. *** Antonin G. Scalia, the longest-tenured current Supreme Court Justice, passed away sud- denly last month. He joined the court in 1986. The first Italian- American adjudicator to serve on the renowned tribunal, Scalia was known for his at times off- the-cuff remarks and his predom- inantly conservative viewpoints. His wit and erudition were legendary. His favorite opening line was "This case, involving requirements for the content and labeling of meat products such as frankfurters, afford a rare oppor- tunity to explore simultaneously both parts of Bismarck's apho- rism that 'No man should see how laws or sausages are made.' Scalia was born on March 11, 1936, in Trenton, NJ, the only child of Italian-American parents, Salvatore "Eugene" and Catherine (Panaro) Scalia. His father had immigrated to the United States from his native Sicily and worked as a clerk, while his mother was an elemen- tary school teacher. Scalia graduated from Georgetown University in 1953, majoring in History prior to enrolling at Harvard Law where he was a Sheldon Fellow, gradu- ating magna cum laude in 1960. That same year he married Maureen McCarthy, and over the next half century, they raised nine children. One son, a priest, officiated at his father's funeral mass in Washington, D.C. *** Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. During its more than a century long history, Fiat has also manu- factured railway engines, car- riages, military vehicles, and air- crafts. Fiat based cars are built around the world outside Italy. The group has factories in Brazil, Argentina and Poland. It also has joint ventures around the world, the main ones being located in Italy, France, Turkey, Serbia, India and China. Agnelli's grand- son Gianni Agnelli was Fiat's chairman from 1966 until 1996. He then served as honorary chairman until his death January 24, 2003. In 1903, Fiat produced its first truck. In 1908, the first Fiat was exported to the US. That same year, the first Fiat aircraft engine was produced. Also around the same time, Fiat taxis became popular in Europe. By 1910, Fiat was the largest automotive com- pany in Italy and a plant licensed to produce Fiats in Poughkeepsie, NY, made its first car. Owning a Fiat at the time was a sign of distinction. The cost of a Fiat in the US was initially $4,000 and rose up to $6,400 in 1918, compared to $ 825 for a a Ford Model T in 1908, and $ 525 in 1918. Upon the entry of the US into World War I in 1917, the factory was shut down. At the same time, Fiat had to devote all of its facto- ries to supplying the Allies with aircraft, engines, machine guns, trucks, and ambulances. After the war, Fiat introduced its first tractor and by the early 1920s, Fiat had a market share in Italy of 80%. In 1921, workers seized Fiat's plant and hoisted the red flag of Communism over them. The Italian Socialist Party and its ally organization, the Italian General Confederation of Labour, in an effort to effect a compromise with the centrist parties ordered the occupation ended. In 1922, Fiat began to built the famous Lingotto car factory, then the largest in Europe. Opened in 1923, it was the first Fiat factory to use assembly lines. In World War II, Fiat made military machinery and vehicles for the Italian Army and Regia Aeronautica and later for the Germans. Fiat made obsolete fighter aircraft like the biplane CR.42, which was one of the most common Italian aircraft, along with Savoia-Marchetti's, as well as light tanks (obsolete com- pared to their German and Soviet counterparts) and armoured vehi- cles. The best Fiat aircraft was the G.55 fighter, which arrived too late and in too limited num- bers. In 1945, the year Mussolini was overthrown, the National Liberation Committee removed the Agnelli family from leader- ship roles in Fiat because of its ties to Mussolini's government. These were not returned until 1963, when Giovanni's grandson, Gianni, took over as general manager. *** New Orleans, Louisiana was once a hotbed of "Italianità". At the time there were more than 100 Italian societies in and around New Orleans, with mem- berships in the thousands. Some were formed as associations for business men, or craftsmen. And, since my father was a shoemaker, I was surprised to learn that as early as in 1886, the shoemakers in the city formed la Trinacria Società Italiana dei Calzolai which consisted of 87 members, 65 of which were from Termini Imerese. The oldest and best known of the societies, however, were the Benevolent societies formed to aid the newly arrived immigrants who had little educa- tion and money, and did not speak English. These societies, formed by natives of the old country who were already estab- lished in the city, helped with finding jobs and houses for the new arrivals. The societies formed along the lines of their ancestral cities to help relatives and former neighbors adapt and prosper. The societies also aided with financial help in times of sickness, and membership assured burial in a proper fashion in mausoleums constructed by the societies because of the pro- hibitive cost of above-ground burial. The oldest of these was built in St. Louis #1 Cemetery in 1850. *** Readers with friends or rela- tives in Louisiana may want to spread the word about the American Italian Renaissance Foundation or visit their website www.americanitalianculturalcen- ter.com . The Foundation was founded by my friend, the late Joe Maselli, in 1973. They also have an Italian Cultural Center with many programs and exhibits of interest to Italo-Americans throughout the year. Frank Maselli, is the current chairman and an Italian American digest is published four times a year. For more info write or call A.I.R.F. 537 South Peters St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 tel. 504-522-7294.

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