L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Dear Readers, March is named for Mars, the Roman God of War. *** Louisiana, became our 18th State in 1812, however, it was in March 1803 that negotiations with France were formally concluded for the "Louisiana Purchase". The land purchased at the instigation of Pres. Jefferson, went from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada with the Rocky Mountains being western boundary. The vast territory subsequently became the States of Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Oklahoma. Napoleon was willing to sell because he doubted the possibility of his being able to hold the territory against the naval Strength of Great Britain in an impending war. In fact, the same year that President Jefferson bought Louisiana, England got into a war with France. During the war English warships captured many American vessels which were carrying food and goods to France. They also stopped American ships on the ocean and took sailors from them to help sail their English ships. A deciding factor for Napoleon to sell may have not been money but mosquitos. In 1802 the French sent thirty-three thousand troops to protect their territory in the southern area of North America. The mosquitoes defeated the French by starting an epidemic of yellow fever that killed twenty-nine thousand troops. As a result, France agreed to the Louisiana Purchase, selling off half of America at a bargain basement price under the theory that it was better to have mosquitoes kill Americans than Frenchman. *** Alaska was purchased from Russia on March 30, 1867 for a little over 7 million dollars. Besides being on strategic location, Alaska is full of natural resources, including crude oil. Alaska became our 49th state in 1959. The first Italian missionary to set foot in Alaska arrived in spring of 1887. He was a Jesuit missionary Fr. Pasquale Tosi, hailed from the parish of St, Vito in Rimini, Italy but had entered a Jesuit novitiate in Monaco, before being ordained as a diocesan priest in 1861. He came to the United States in 1865 and first served the native people of the American Northwest at the Rocky Mountain Mission. Father Tosi was the first Catholic priest to die and be buried in Alaska. *** Marcus Aurelius (Antonius) was mourned throughout the Roman Empire when death came on March 17, 180 AD at the age of sixty one. He was born in Rome and adopted by his uncle, Emperor Antonius Pius. He succeeded his uncle as emperor in 161 AD. During his reign he nobly served his people. When barbarians threatened the Italian borders he entered the field in person from 167 till 175 AD. After the absence of eight years on the fighting front Marcus returned to Rome where he received a hero's welcome of the highest degree. Meanwhile it had become common knowledge that the emperor's wife Faustina had provided herself with an assortment of lovers from among the gladiators. When this was brought to the attention of the emperor, and divorce was suggested, he said "if I divorce her I must also return her dowry". The wisdom of his statement was in the fact that her dowry was the Roman Empire which Marcus had inherited from Antoninus Pius through Faustina. Aurelius remained in Rome for the next two years where he affected several popular reforms. Most notable of these were:"The abolition of common baths for both sexes, taking additional steps to reform the morals of the matrons and young nobles which had grown lax, he established civil law code which later became basis of that of Justinian; established schools, aided hospitals and homes. He was a Stoic in philosophy his Meditations showing how a believer he was, as well as exhibiting his charm, humanity and moral advice. The only black mark on his rule was his persecutions of Christians during his reign. Although those persecutions were not characteristic of such a merciful person, they seem to have been caused by the influence of many of his close associates. He is considered to have been one of the most excellent emperors in recorded history. *** Alexander Graham Bell, the putative inventor of the telefono was born in March 1847. Antonio Meucci, born in Florence, applied for a patent for what was to be the telephone in 1871. Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent in 1876 and Edison's carbon refinement is dated 1877. Italian in Italy and Italian American felt they were "robbed" after Bell prevailed in American Supreme Court litigation (because Meucci's provisional patent expired in 1873) therefore they will not be celebrating Bell's March 1847 birthday anniversary. Many Italo-Americans will elect instead to visit the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum (420 Tompkins Ave., Staten Island, New York 10305, tel.718-442- 1608. www.garibaldimuseum. org) Antonio Meucci conversed with his wife, on the vey first telephone, within the wall of the house that is now the Garibaldi- Meucci Museum on the shores of Staten Island, New York, operated by the Sons of Italy Foundation. Meucci is not a household name outside Italo American homes. Yet he is the true inventor of the telephone. He came to America in hopes of realizing his dream but tragic circumstances robbed him of fame and fortune. Born in Florence, Italy, Meucci studied design and engineering, which ultimately led him to Havana, Cuba. There he improved military equipment and later developed a medical technique that utilized electric shocks to treat illness. It was while treating a friend with this technique that he realized the piece of copper wire used to transmit the shock also transferred sound from one room to another. After making this incredible discovery, Meucci realized this could be used as a communication device. He set sail for America to market this idea. But upon his arrival, Meucci fell on hard times. He was injured in a boat explosion, and while he was in the hospital his wife was forced to sell his telephone prototype. He went to court to try and get the patent but the judge did not believe the poor immigrant who spoke broken English at best. While Meucci's greater achievement went unnoticed, he had formed a close friendship with the exiled Italian patriot Garibaldi. When his wife Anita died, Garibaldi was devastated and came to America to find peace. He moved in with Meucci and his wife and used their home as a base of operations. Together the two worked on many project, including the creation of smokeless candles. The 160 years old house holds rare artwork and first edition books that date back to as early as 1906. There are two Meucci's original telephone prototypes in the house and a piano he carved himself. *** Julius Caesar, 100-44 BC, laughed at a soothsayer's warning to "beware the Ides of March" and a successfully plot for his assassination did indeed take place on March 15th and included the hand of his trusted, adopted son Brutus and is considered the most famous of classical betrayals. Julius Caesar was assassinated by members of the Roman Senate, in part because they feared his dictatorship. Ides, my dictionary informs, were in the ancient Roman calendar the 15th day of March, May, July and October and the 13th day of the other months. The soothsayer, who in reality may have just overheard the plot was very specific as to the day Caesar would be dead. *** Roger Boschetti, a bright light in the Bay Area Italian American community and the State of California, for over half a century, expired on March 8, 2014 at age 82 but he is still missed and the happy memories he helped create have not dimmed, When Roger died the community lost one of its most active and colorful leaders. There was not a single worthwhile Italian American program, sorts activity or benefit where he did not list his name as an active member or contributor. However, it is for the Italian American TV Annual Family Picnic that Roger is best remembered by thousands of Italian Americans in Northern California. In the early 1970s Roger Boschetti bought a block of time at a small television station, channel 20, in order to bring Italian-American television to our community. Roger Boschetti organized the first annual Family Picnic in 1975, with low prices so all could attend and enjoy a family picnic, with plenty of fun and music. The Italian-American TV lasted twenty years and took place at Blackberry Farm, near San Jose. Antonio Meucci

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