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La Storia di Nostra Famiglia | home
Our Family History
The people listed below are all of the
authors Great-Great Grandparents
Felice and Alessandra Angelosanto
 Felice Angelosanto was born in 1850, in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy. Like most families there at that time, Felice's family was very poor. In order to survive, his family became sharecroppers. They would plant vegetables and care for them on someone elses land, then when it was time for the harvest, a certain percentage of the harvest would go to the owner of the property.In his early 20's, Felice married and had a family. His wife died shortly after their last child was born. In the years to come, Felice met a young girl named Alessandra Di Ponio who was almost 20 years his junoir, being born in 1869. They married and had seven children. As the economey worsened between the years of 1910 and 1918 in Italy, Felice knew that he must try to bring his family to America where at lease they would have a chance to survive. So between1918 and 1920, Felice went to America and over the course of the next two years, he sent for his family. The family lived in Boston Massachusetts for a few years, and later moved to Detroit leaving behind some of the older children in Boston to start families of their own. In Detroit, Felice and Alessandra moved in a house near 12th and Idaho street where there was a predominately Italian community. In 1933, at the age of 83, Felice passed away at his home in Detroit. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Detroit, Mi. In 1949, at the age of 79, Alessandra passed away. Because most of the family was moving out of Detroit at that time, they had Alessandra buried at Holy Sepulcre Cemetery in Southfield,Mi, and Felice was moved from Mount Olivet to join his wife.Tommaso and Maria Cocorocchio
Tommaso Cocorocchio was born in 1873 in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy.He had a twin sister named Tommasina.Unlike a usual Italian family, the Cocorocchio's had their own land, so they were considered pretty well off.
Tommaso met and married Maria Angelosanto( born in 1874) in S. Elia, and a couple years after they were married, they left for Bringingham, England. After the birth of two sons, Tommaso and Maria left for Boston,
Massachusetts arriving on April 23, 1906 on the Napolitan Prince.
Tommaso moved the family to a 3-family home on 421 Meridian St, and became a butcher by trade opening a shop in the north end of Boston.
Tommaso and Maria had a very close knit family. All of their children lived around them and were always together on sundays for dinner. Maria Cocorocchio passed away in 1937, and Tommaso followed one year
later in 1938. They are both buried at Forest Hills - St. Michael's cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts .
Pietro and Antonia Leo
Not much is known about Pietro Leo. He lived his whole life in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy. He died at a very young age around 35 or so. His wife Antonia Pirelli was left to raise two young children. Antonia then married a man named Angelo Arciero from whom another daughter was born. During the bombing of Montecassino, a plane flew over the area of Croce, were Antonia lived in S.Elia, and dropped a bomb killing her and many others instantly. There is no known picture of either one of them.
Aniello and Brigida Morelli
 Aniello Morelli was born on March 3, 1862 in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy. He was the son of Gaetano Morelli and Domenica Cuozzo, and was one of a set of twins.As a young man, Aniello left for America to make a living. While in America, Aniello lived in Boston,Massachusetts and worked as an organ grinder.Most organ grinders had monkeys to dance, but he couldn't afford one, so he hired a little girl to dance for him instead. After he returned to Italy, he met and married Bigida Di Ponio on October 29, 1889. Brigida was born on Feburary 11, 1866( though the date on her grave stone says she was born March 23, 1865) in S.Elia Fiumerapido to Michelangelo Di Ponio and Giuseppa Antonia Fragnoli. Aniello and Brigida always remained in Italy, and worked as farmers.Aniello had the largest pair of black bulls in all of S.Elia and Cassino that he would use to pull a large sled.Brigida was a very religious person, and even went to confession to Padre Pio once. Some people said she had god given powers to tell the future, as she did on many occasions. She is considered by her family to be a martyr. Brigida had a saying she spoke of often, "We don't belong here on earth. We are on a vacation here, because our real home is in heaven." In 1939, Aniello passed away at the age of 77. There is no known picture of him. Brigida lived another 20 years passing away one day after her 93rd birthday on Feburary 12, 1959.You could say she finally went to her real home.Achille and Lucia Rodi
 Achille Rodi was born on April 29, 1884 in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy to Antonio Rodi and Rosa Aqunelli.As a young man, Achille left home to find work. He ended up in a bottle factory in France somehow. After a couple of years working in France, Achille returned to S.Elia and married Lucia Arpino. Lucia was born on December 15, 1881 in S.Elia Fiumerapido to Giuseppe Arpino and Miggalina Leo. After the birth of their only living child, Achille and Lucia left everything the had and knew behind, and set sail for America in 1917. After arriving in Detroit, Achille became a builder and a self employed masonry worker . On Novenber 1,1966, Lucia Rodi passed away quietly in her sleep from a stoke, and on July 14, 1972 Achille followed. They are both buried at Holy Sepulcre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan.Cosmo and Maria Soave
Cosmo Soave was born June 29, 1877 in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy to Benedetto Soave and Luisa Merucci. On November 9,1893 he married Maria Giovanna Di Ponio who was born in S.Elia Fiumerapido on Januarary 30, 1969 to Michelangelo Di Ponio and Giuseppa Antonia Fragnoli.Not much is known about Cosmo. He died around the age of 30 in S.Elia. Maria was a very heavy set person who had many health problems which she succumbed to in 1927 at the age of 58. There is no known picture of either of them.
Michele and Francesca Tedesco
 Michele Tedesco was born in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy on July 27, 1884 to Angelantonio Tedesco and Elisabetta Arpino.The Tedesco family owned property in S.Elia, so they were considered to be a well of family in that time. Michele married Francesca Orefice who was born March 6, 1880 in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy. Francesca's parents had died when she was a baby, so she was raised by her uncle.On September 10, 1920, Michele, Francesca and their three daughters arrived in America and made their to Detroit.After establishing themselves in Detroit, The family moved to Wyandotte, Michigan. Wyandotte at that time was mostly an Italian settlement, plus Michele had a sister that lived there. In 1939, Michele passed away at the age of 55 from a heart attack while tying his shoes. Francesca moved in with her oldest daughter and continued to live there until her death on October 4, 1951 at the age of 71.They are both buried at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Wyandotte, Michigan.Benedetto and Maria Vizzacchero
 Benedetto Vizzacchero was born in 1863 in S.Elia Fiumerapido, Italy. The family was from the area of Olivella in S.Elia. Benedetto met and married Maria Giuseppa Tedesco in S.Elia Fiumerapido. Maria Giuseppa was born in 1875 in S.Elia and was the daughter of Angelantonio Tedecso and Elisabetta Arpino. They lived in Italy most of their lives, raised a family, and aquired quite a bit of land.Late in their lives, their two sons in America called them to come live with them.So around 1930, Benedetto and Maria went to America to live, leaving behind all of their land to the remaining children in S.Elia Fiumerapido.Benedetto passed away in 1935 at the age of 72 in Wyandotte, Michigan. Maria continued to live near her sons until her death in 1949 at the age of 74.They are both buried at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Wyandotte, Michigan.
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