Copy Italian heritage
For nearly a century and a half, the United States has been renowned as “The Land of Opportunity.” This is where millions of people elsewhere across the globe – seeking a more prosperous, and perhaps safer life – have settled, and attempt to settle.
Tina Calabro’s grandparents were among those immigrants. Pasquale and Augustino Calabro “were among the four million Italians who left for the United States between 1880 to 1930,” she said, “more immigrants than from any other country.”
Hundreds ended up in Washington, Pa., and nurtured families there and in surrounding towns and villages. Adults – and teens – worked in coal fields, glass factories and steel facilities. Some Italian immigrants started businesses, including groceries, barber shops, shoe stores, clothing shops and furniture stores.
The Italian influx fueled a population boom in the city, which jumped from 4,292 in 1880 to 24,545 in 1930, an increase of 570% over a half-century. And the Italian influence in her hometown intensified Calabro’s interest in her heritage.
“This great wave of immigration: Where did people go?” Calabro asked. “What occupations did they pursue? They weren’t welcome in every kind of workplace.
“I was thinking specifically of people in the city of Washington, which was a microcosm of this immigration. All of this inspired me to look into their histories.”
And so she has. Calabro, who grew up in South Strabane Township, has made her heritage her passion. Over the past five years, she has gathered life stories from descendants of Italian immigrants who settled in Washington, then had them preserved in the Italian Heritage Collection in the Hood Local History Center at Citizens Library in the city.
“It’s a collection of articles and books. We also collect digitzed photos and other things,” said Calabro, founder and volunteer manager of the project. “We’re still growing the collection. This is just about the city of Washington. If it was any larger than that, (the project) wouldn’t be doable.”
She noted that it “was inspired by my parents’ love of their Italian American community,” a testament to the late Bruno Calabro and Josephine Matullo Calabro.
The collection launched in 2017, an endeavor that materialized with the support of Sandy Mansmann, executive director of the Washington County History and Landmarks Foundation. Mansmann had previously completed a collection of oral histories from members of the African American community in Washington, which Calabro said served as a guide for her project.
Through her research, she found that until about 1950, Washington had three predominantly Italian-American neighborhoods: Tylerdale; the western end of the Chestnut Street business district; and at the southern end of the Main Street business district, including Maiden Street.
The Calabro clan had earlier settled in the West End, off Chestnut. Tina’s paternal grandfather opened a grocery there in 1925 that would operate into the late 1960s.
Overseeing development of the collection has been a formidable task, but her dedication to the community goes well beyond that endeavor. Calabro also was the linchpin behind the revival of an annual Italian festival in the city. The initial Washington Italian Festival took place in 2017, a resurrection of an event that was held in the 1980s before expiring.
Last year’s festival was canceled because of COVID-19, but will return Sept. 24 and 25 at the Main Street Pavilion, its usual venue. The kickoff that Friday will feature a pre-paid spaghetti dinner and free concert by Nick Fiasco, and the main event on Saturday will run from noon to 9 p.m. Italian American health care workers will be honored during the weekend.
And that’s not all Calabro has done. Her crowning achievement, perhaps, may be “Remembering Their Lives: Stories of Italian Immigrants to Washington, Pennsylvania Told by Their Descendants.” It is an ornately styled book, featuring a cover with retro photos of three Italian American families from the city, and 356 pages of compelling written and oral histories and more photos. She interviewed descendants for each of the 17 oral histories.
The book was published in April and, already, about 35 copies have been sold.
The first person she interviewed for the project was Frank “Fuzzy” Mancuso, who became another inspiration. Tina writes in the book that she and Mancuso had a compelling conversation inside the funeral home after her mother died in 2016. Frank was 89 at the time and well-versed in Washington’s Italian American history.
“Frank’s reminiscences … suggested that other descendants of Washington’s first Italian immigrants still had many stories to share … Suddenly, I realized that these stories needed to be collected before the storytellers passed from our midst.”
Calabro interviewed Fuzzy before his passing in 2019.
Through her research and own reminiscences, she has learned that settling in the states was not always easy for Italian immigrants. Some were met with disdain and discrimination. One passage in the book refers to a business owner posting a sign, “Dagos not wanted.”
“It always fascinated me to think about how they changed their lives by moving here,” Calabro said. “It always puzzled me that there was very little contact with the family back in Italy. It was difficult to do anything but send letters. For my (paternal) grandparents, there was no traveling back to Italy and never seeing your family again.”
She said her grandfather, Pasquale Calabro, came to America alone and worked in mines in West Virginia. “It was common that a husband would immigrate to the United States first, find work and the wife would come later,” Tina said. “My grandmother (Augostino) didn’t come over for seven years.”
Tina is one of four siblings, all of whom are familiar with her heritage. She has two younger sisters, Cathi Lombardo and Cara Lytton, and a brother, Patsy, longtime co-owner of David’s Limited, a stylish clothing store that closed in downtown Washington a year ago.
Sandy
her family
The Calabro siblings, including Patsy, Tina, Cathi Calabro Lombardo and Cara Calabro Lytton, made the push in memory of their late parents, Bruno J. and Josephine Matullo Calabro. (Josephine died in 2016 at age 92.) Brother and sister approached Citizens Library with their plan and a financial donation to get it going.
Sandy Mansmann also has a keen interest in this historical addition to Citizens. She is the coordinator for the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.
“I think this is a really neat project,” she said. “Any ethnic group is interesting, and the Pittsburgh area has been so heavy with ethnic groups. You talk about certain areas, like Troy Hill or Donora, and want to learn about who settled there, how a neighborhood or a street got its name.”
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Tina Calabro
412-818-9169
17 interviews, each of 17 there.
2017 festival. Actually restart.
Was biggest ethnic group in city at one time. Think documented that, I believe.
****check Tina’s email.
website has link to library.
brochure on email
Infor in introduction, accurately stated – years of immigration and national info. Big wave of immigration of all ethnicities: 1880-1930 – hundreds immigrants from Italy to Washington – of 4 million came from Italy to U.S.
Around 1924 laws passed to limit immigration.
Sandy Mansmann helped me on this.
June 18, 2018 my article – percentage is way off.
Grew up in Wash. – Patsy and two younger sisters Cathi Lombardo and Cara Lytton.
Orig Farley St off Locust, till ’50s, moved to Country Club Road in SS ’57. IC HS.
Ital histolry – All 4 Gps from Italy to Wash. Came from same area of Calabria on dad’s die – mother’s side, Campania and man from Puglia. Latter two met in Wash. Alw was fascin to me to thin k abt their immigration and how they changed their lives by movin g here. Always puzzled me that very little contact w/family back ibn Italy. It was difficult to do anything but letters. GPs, no travelinbg back to Italy. That always puzzled me, to never see your family again.
Also, w/ GM from Campania – she camer Wash at by mother. Her GF had moved here. The GF a widower and remarried. My GM mother broguth her here to grow up w/ GF. She went back to Italy to get her husband, and plamned to immig here. But GM’s father got pinkeye and not allowed on ship. He cd not come here. GM’s mother made trip. My GM Catherine Coraggio – her mother vwent back and she never saw parents again. That madeher life very sad.
Also saadness on paternal side, by GF Pasquale came here, worked in WV mines. Augostino, his wife, stayed behind. Common that husband immigare US first, find work and wife later. My GM didn’t come over for seven years. In Italy, her oldest son died – not clear why. He was about 6.
Hard to think about what their feelings might have been. Lot of conventions Italians had – naming next child after one who died. Tradit boy named after paternal nGF. These stories always had great meaning for me and wonderment. The hardhsip sand how they coped, this facscinated me. And it wasn’t just our family.
This great wave of immigration. Where go? East Coast? what boccupations? They bweren’t welcome in every kind of work.
Thinking of city oif Wash., they had particular interests. It was a microcosm.
All oif thuis inpsired me to look into threir histories. Ive always had an interest.
I’ve been in Italy 11 times and connected both sides of family over past 20 years. Was very motivated to bringing them together.
Josephine -my mom – vdied in’16. FH filled with Italians. Gathering of Italian-Americans.
Frank Mancuso, said something to me that my GPs were his godparents (the Calabros). It reminded me how coinnected everyone was. REalized peo who knew stories were passing away. I realizaed I have to get the story down, to let sons and daughters tell their story.
Ital festivals 1980s, but sure no one had done oral history.
Talked to library – Diane Ambrose and Kathy. Sandy great help – she had down oral history Afro-Americans in 2010. That’s in Cit. Library as well.
Frank Mancuso really the spark that this isreally something you have to do. Went by Sparky.
Joe Mancuso, distantly related – his brother Gus was boxer. Joe had garage museum. He was big on military. Italian men came over, drafted into WWI. Went back to Europe as soldiers. So committed to military.
****Include Italian heritage collection at library. Establish a place for immigration story in WC. It’s collection of articles, books. Collect also digitzes photos and other things. We are interestedin things can go on shelf or be digitized. Have website. This book is on website, free. Don’t have to purchased book, but can. It’s available.
We’re still growing the collection. This is just about city of Washington. If it was any larger than that, wouldn’t be doable. We have an advisory council.
WC Historical Society interested in artifacts. Eventually, people me family trees on paper and photos. Next step is create big binder w/family trees and photos.
When we digitize, we use library’s media center. Family can digitize.
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* IHC website — https://www.primoitaliano.org/relax
* IHC brochure — https://2989a9be-6c66-4f21-afc7-f7805b573209.filesusr.com/ugd/b3af63_abeecb9c854547a88b19bccbf2f275b8.pdf
* IHC has sold about 35 oral history books since publication in April. Book will be placed in regional libraries and Library of Congress.
* info about purchasing book or accessing free pdf — https://www.primoitaliano.org/family-history