I have an original photo of my grandmother's family arriving at Ellis Island. In the photo, she is about 7 or 8 years old.
She got married away at 13. I can still "see" her sitting in the kitchen watching Gomer Pyle, laughing, while holding her ever present rosary beads.
And I can still smell the meatballs frying on the stove every Sunday morning when she made homemade pasta for the extended family.
SIGH! R.I.P Gramma Teresa.
my gram loved Sat Night with Studio Wrestling and Bruno Sammartino, the Crusher, Haystack Calhoun etc.
My Italian Grandma and Grandpa were both gone by the time I was six [My Mom married at 32]. Mom and the Aunts never mentioned any uncles of theirs.
But, my Mom made gravy on Wednesday and Sunday. She made homemade papardella, gnocchi, cavatelli or ravioli on Sunday. Wednesday was Ronzoni. Her sister, my Aunt, made spaghetti by rolling the dough by hand, and cutting the strands with a knife. Mom did it with a chiatarra.