Note: Many anecdotal details are taken from Andrea’s daughter Amelia’s memoir.
Andrea Pasquariello, here at 55 years old, was Peggy’s paternal grandfather. He proudly became a citizen of the United States of American on September 30, 1930.
Early Years in Italy
Andrea Pasquariello, my paternal grandfather, was born on Christmas Eve 1874 in a tiny town called Pasquarelli, located in the County of Arpaise, Province of Benevento. Andrea, the third and last-born child of Antonio and Felicia, joined his older brother Carmine and sister, Maria.
Tragically, his father died in 1878 leaving Andrea fatherless at age four. Fortunately, his Uncle Paolo took a fatherly interest in him, which provided great comfort during his developmental years. Andrea grew up tending sheep to help his widowed mother and family and at 16 entered the Italian Army, serving for three years. Andrea’s world must have suddenly widened: his service occurred during the early stages of the Italian/Ethiopian Campaign, originating from a disputed treaty that the Italians claimed had turned Ethiopia into an Italian protectorate.
Returning home after his service, Andrea, 19, now knew there was a much larger world outside of his village, filled with opportunities and adventure. It was during this time that he became interested in town politics, holding several offices. While Andrea’s formal education ended at the completion of third grade, he nurtured his intellect by self-education, continually improving his reading and writing skills. All the while, he was also planning his next move.
Brooklyn
Andrea, having saved enough to finance a trip to America, arrived on April 13, 1896 at Ellis Island. In Brooklyn he joined his dearest hometown friends, the Cennamos. He found employment quickly, mostly in the construction business, specializing in stone masonry and subsequently establishing himself as a small contractor. This was a time of enormous construction in New York. With Andrea’s strong work ethic and union membership, key for obtaining contracts, he was steadily and successfully employed.
His first priority at this time was to earn enough money to send to his widowed mother in Italy. He was able to do this routinely until her death in 1924. He also sent money to his paternal Uncle Paolo, who had provided such comfort in his formative years. After focusing his efforts on learning English, within a few years Andrea was capable of communicating sufficiently to prosper in his own small business.
Andrea also helped several of his fellow countrymen, who like him had emigrated from the small village of Pasquarielli to the United States. One such individual, Generoso Papa, who arrived in 1906 at age 15, went on to become president the Colonial Sand and Stone Company, a powerhouse player in New York’s skyscraper building boom. In 1928, Papa, bought Il Progresso, the first Italian language daily newspaper in America and a key influencer on Italian immigrants’ new life in America. Papa (who later anglicized his surname to Pope) became the first self-made millionaire Italian immigrant in the United States.
An Important Train Ride
In 1904, acting on a tip from a friend, Gustave Thorne, Andrea boarded a train in Grand Central Station, bound for Winsted, Connecticut. Thorne, an immigrant from Sweden and now a sheet metal worker in Brooklyn, also had a farm on Mill Street, West Hartland. According to Gustave, there was land for sale next to his farm. As a result of the train ride and some negotiation with a bank in Winsted, Andrea purchased a ten-room house with 165 acres for $1200.00 in West Hartland.
Immediately after the purchase, Andrea paid all expenses for his brother Carmine, wife, and seven children to immigrate from Italy and occupy the home. They arrived in 1905 and stayed in the house until 1911. After Carmine and his family moved to Winsted, Andrea allowed other families to live in the house without paying any rent. Often, he would contribute to their welfare when necessary.
Husband and Father
In less than 10 years, Andrea had established himself as a business and landowner in his new country, America, a feat both remarkable and largely unattainable in his former country. His vision of a new and better life was fueled by his work ethic, discipline, and self-study.
Now, at age 30, he began to think about having his own family. He wrote to his Uncle Paolo in Italy asking for his daughter, Rosina’s hand in marriage. Through letters and careful deliberation, the proposal was accepted and Andrea and Rosina were married in 1908 in Brooklyn. Children arrived in quick succession: Amelia, 1909, Anthony (my father) 1911, Felicia, 1914 and Paul, 1916.
Read Rosina Pasquariello’s blog for more details of their wedding and early years of married life
West Hartland
Life changed dramatically for the Pasquariello family when they left Brooklyn in 1917 and established permanent residence in West Hartland. No longer did they live in a beautiful home that Andrea had built in the bustling and lively city of Brooklyn, New York. Instead, their new home was a dilapidated farmhouse in an isolated section of Northwest Connecticut. Andrea’s draft registration on September 19, 1918, lists his residence as Hartland; however, between 1917 and 1926, Andrea continued his business in Brooklyn, returning home for brief periods of time.
Two more children were born in their new home: Anna in 1919 and Edith in 1922.
Photo taken circa 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. This is the photo identification for Bricklayers, Masons, and Plasterer’s International Union of America. Members worked on many famous NYC landmarks such as the Metropolitan Life Building, the Flatiron Building and the Woolworth building.
During the winter, not working with masonry, he would fell trees on his property for firewood, a practice that also helped to defray property taxes. Bartering wood with a feed mill in Riverton, in exchange for his few heads of livestock and chickens, was another source for goods.
Andrea slowly repaired his farmhouse, painstakingly digging a well from an abandoned one in his cellar, lining the excavation with dry stones and excavating a cesspool for drainage.
Failures and Disappointments
Between 1916 and 1923, Andrea experienced two of the biggest disappointments of his life. The first occurred when he trusted an individual to broker a deal to clear his newly acquired West Hartland property of trees that he intended to sell. Unfortunately, the individual, whom he trusted implicitly, cheated him and robbed him of any of the proceeds.
The second, perhaps most discouraging of all, happened when a business partner, whom Andrea had added to his company, betrayed him by robbing him of all the assets that he had accumulated for several years through honesty and hard labor. There are few details about this devastating event; however, it should be noted that this was the time of rising crime in New York City, with the Mafia pressuring business owners and unions to answer to their demands and rules.
While Andrea could have given up and sunk into bitter disappointment, losing faith in his fellow man, he did not. Rather, he continued to renovate his West Hartland property and began to work again as a self-employed individual. In 1926, he sold the Brooklyn property finding work primarily in the surrounding towns, such as Winsted and Torrington.
Despite these setbacks, Andrea continued to believe in America’s people and opportunities and, at age 55, proudly became a citizen of the United States on September 30, 1930.
Later Years
At 67, Andrea officially retired from work outside the home in 1951; however, his retirement was by no means inactive. He kept busy, primarily to overcome the loneliness of the loss of Rosina. In the same year he launched himself into tasks such as cultivating huge gardens in the summer and chopping wood to keep the favorite kitchen stove going. Rosina’s sister, the widowed Teresa, would spend summers there and provided good company and great meals.
Always physically strong, most likely from good health and years of hauling rocks and concrete, Andrea continued projects on his own land. He built a two-car garage with cement blocks. In addition, he constructed a small house with three partitioned rooms on the ground level with a kitchen and bathroom in the basement. Outside this cottage, he made a large fireplace and stone oven, complete with a table and chairs all done in perfect masonry. Unfortunately, Andrea fell off a ladder with this latest project. Picking himself up, he walked to a neighbor’s house, and later that day was admitted to the Winsted hospital. He spent eleven days there with five broken ribs. In a short time, he was up again working.
His favorite pastime was to read Il Progresso, the Italian newspaper which arrived every day by mail. Always interested in world events, his main interest was American politics and discords among nations. He enjoyed talking about World Wars I and II, having definite opinions as to what the heads of nations should have done. He was particularly critical of the decisions of Roosevelt and Mussolini.
In 1958, at age 84, Andrea underwent prostate surgery and, despite his doctor’s warning that the risk was high, he emerged from the operation and continued life as usual.
When the Pear is Ripe, It Falls
Andrea woke up on the morning of December 8, 1960, and worried about his family having to shovel the snow that had fallen the night before. He also planned to cut down some evergreens on the side of the driveway, but that was not to be.
My father, Anthony, received a call from a neighbor who had found Andrea on the ground with his dog, Laddy, by his side. Calling an ambulance and rushing to the Winsted hospital, he and Amelia met Doctor Reidy who confirmed that Andrea had passed away. Just one week prior, during a routine appointment, Reidy, had noted that Andrea was in fine shape and had the heart of a man of 60. Andrea, 86, replied, “When the pear is ripe, it falls.”
Andrea lived a long productive life, which included a successful career and a loving family with a wife and six children. His two sons, Anthony and Paul, graduated from Yale Universit,y with Paul continuing on to Yale law school. His four daughters were successful in their careers as well.
He lived to enjoy his only four grandchildren: Rose Marie, Alice Ann, Anthony and Margaret (me) who were Anthony’s children.
Lessons from Andrea
Andrea Pasquariello, a dreamer and a risk-taker, was a hard worker who took advantage of every opportunity America offered. Endowed with great physical strength and a strong work ethic, he became a successful business owner, loving husband, and a devoted father. He never forgot his family in Italy, always sending money and helping them and others immigrate to this great country. While he experienced two huge business disappointments in his life, and was sometimes too trusting—perhaps to a fault—he never gave up his faith in others, along with the American promise of prosperity.
His lessons are timeless. Dare to dream big and work just as hard to achieve your dreams. Always be curious about the world and events. Study, read, and learn as much as possible. Have the courage to take risks. Rise above your setbacks, and most importantly, always be loyal to your family and others.