Alessio's of Acri in America

The Immigrant Family

These are the sons and daughters of those that made the decision to leave Italy. Most were born in Italy, though some were born here.

Joseph Alessio #14

Son of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 1896
Died 1910, of Appendicitis.

Joseph was the last Alessio born in Italy. He died when he was 14 years old of appendicitis.
His brother Angelo later adopted the use of his name.

Raymond Alessio & Marilyn Sutcliffe's wedding

Wedding of Raymond Alessio and Marilyn Sutcliffe. 28-Sep-1963.
From Left to right: (Back row): ?, Joseph Alessio, Alice Walsh,
Gloria Alessio, Marilyn Sutcliffe, Raymond Alessio, ?, Joe Daros,
Mary Zuccarelli, ?, Mildred Winter, Dominic Della Russo (Front Row):
?, Angelo Alessio, Rafaella Soma, Pasquale Alessio, Mildred Imbrosia

Pasquale Alessio #13

Son of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 6-Jan-1907, Brooklyn, New York
Primary Occupation Fireman
Married Mildred Imbrosia #37
Died Jan-1977, Ft Pierce, St Lucie, FL 33452.

Pasquale was better known as Pat. He was the first Alessio born in the new world.
He went to school as early as 1920, and could read and write English.
He was a fireman. After moving to Florida with his wife Mildred, he died of either nose cancer or a stroke. He always wanted children, but was never able to have any.
It is generally agreed that Pat was a very nice, well mannered man, everyone's favorite uncle.
Pat's Wife Mildred currently lives in FL

Josephine Alessio #15

Daughter of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 1909, New York
Died 17-Jun-1980.

Josephine never married.
She went to school as a child in 1920, and could read and write English.

Son #222

Son of Brother Alessio #34
Primary Occupation Mechanic.

All we know about this person is purely speculation.
We know that Angelo met an automobile body work mechanic in Huntington Long Island that had the last name Alessio, and after talking to him, concurred that they were cousins.
Speculation is that he was the son of the suspected brother to Vincenzo.

Angelina Alessio #10

Daughter of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 31-Nov-1890, Italy
Arrived in USA 1906
Primary Occupation: Bottle Washer
Married: Ernesto Zuccarelli #30
Died 21-Mar-1960
Buried: St Mary Cemetery Flushing NY

Angelina was the oldest child of Vincenzo. She came to America before most of the rest of her family, probably with members of the Zuccarelli family. She probably met her husband Ernesto in Italy, before migrating to the USA.
By 1910, she had learned to speak English, but as late as 1920, she still could not read or write.
In 1910, when she was 20, she still lived with her parents, and had been working steadily at a ketchup Factory as a bottle washer. After getting married, she no longer worked, and moved into a house next door to her Father.
Angelina is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Flushing NY next to her husband.

Children:
Mary Zuccarelli #32 born 7-Mar-1914.
Vincenzo "Jimmy" Zuccarelli #189 born 1917, NY, died 1924.
Louis Zuccarelli #31 born 24-Aug-1918.
Rose Zuccarelli #88 born 1920, died 16-Feb-1974.
Gloria Zuccarelli #89 born 1923.
Vincent Zuccarelli #90 born 12-May-1935.

Antonio Alessio #5

Son of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 29-Dec-1893, Italy
Arrived in USA 1908
Primary Occupation: Metal Worker
Married Mary Polito #109
Died 1952, USA
Buried: USA

Tony was the first Alessio in the New World to go attend School, which he did in and possibly prior to 1909. He could read and write in 1910, when he was 16 years old, he worked in a can factory as a can maker. He probably did not work the entirety of the year in the Can factory.
1917 marked a banner year for Tony, is it was then that he became a naturalized Citizen.
In 1920 he lived with his wife Mary, and daughters Rose and Josephine on Adelphi St. in Brooklyn NY. At this time he worked as an Iron Castor at a factory.
He died of Stomach Cancer.

Children:
Rose Alessio #8 born 26-Jan-1918.
Josephine Alessio #7 born 29-Apr-1919.
Vincent Joseph Alessio #6 born 2-Feb-1922.
Geneive Alessio #9 born 19-Apr-1927.

Sylvia Alessio #12

Daughter of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 8-Oct-1897, Italy,
Arrived in USA: 1908 or 1906.
Married Tom Polito #35,
Died 11-Feb-1990, New York,

Sylvia was still a young girl when she came to the United States, so she probably learned to speak English quickly. She attended School in New York in 1909. By 1920, she was working as an operator in a tailor shop, probably with her father. She eventually married the brother of her brother Tony's wife.

Children:
Jocelyn Polito #36.

Angelo doing a handstand
while Gloria and Joe look on at Jones Beach in 1934

Angelo Salvatore Alessio #11

Son of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 1-Dec-1899, Acri, Calabria, Cosenza, Italy
Primary Occupation: Splicer
Married 27-Dec-1923, in Borough Hall Brooklyn NY to Raffaela Somma #19
Died 8-Jul-1988, Nursing Home 521 Fenway Dr Walnut Creek,
Buried: Queen of Heaven Cem Lafayette CA
Funeral Home: Hulls WC Chappel.

According to his daughter Gloria, at the suggestion of a coworker, to avoid discrimination, Angelo usually went by the name of his deceased younger brother Joe.
His earliest memories were of his home town of Acri Italy. He vividly remembered the peak Scla, which is nearby Acri. He would say that snow fell in the winter time (Acri is indeed at an altitude that snow might fall). He remembers dropping a watermelon while a small boy near a stream that flowed through town and his Mother and the other women taking turns baking bread for each other.
In 1904 or 1905, he left Italy by boat, stopping in France and Spain before arriving in the new world.
As a young boy, he befriended a New York City politician, held during an athletic contest was given a medal by him. Years later, he gave this medal to his grandson, Michael Raymond Alessio, who still has it.
Sometime before 1924, while playing pool (which he was not known to do frequently) he saw Rafaela Soma walk by the front window wearing a blue dress. She must have looked quite stunning, as Angelo felt the need to yell out the door "Yoo Hoo, Yoo Hoo, You in the blue" (His daughter Gloria remembers the story with a red dress, as red was very daring to wear in those days. His grandson Michael distinctly remembers a blue dress because of the rhyme). They eventually got married.
While he had many jobs, including elevator man in a fashion store, newspaper hawker, plumber, and usher at the Hippodrome (where his daughter Gloria says he played craps with a young Cary Grant who was an 11 year old stock worker with a troup from England), he worked almost his whole life for the New York telephone company as a line splicer, climbing telephone poles to splice wires. He used to tell a story of climbing a telephone pole made from a sycamore tree that had two 90. bends in it, and when he was at the top, it looked like there was nothing under him!
Besides Cary Grant, Gloria mentions that he knew several other famous figures from "the neighborhood" such as Jimmy Durante (Schonozzola) and George Raft.
He used to enjoy the outdoors. His son Raymond, has pictures of him camping and canoeing.
He was a very kind man, much loved by his friends, children, grandchildren, and brother Pasquale. He did have his temper though, one time he was so frustrated with his wife, that he grabbed a stool and threw it through a window!
In 1975, he moved from his home in E. Northport NY to Walnut Creek California to be near his youngest son Raymond. He had always wanted to move to California, as he once told Raymond "One day I'll make it there".
He was a member in good standing of The Order of Kentucky Colonels" and a voracious reader of periodicals.
In 1978 shortly after his wife had died, he moved into the house of his son Raymond. He had a heart condition and had to wear a pacemaker (his grandchildren referred to the scar from the pacemaker surgery as his "football scar" due to it's appearance). His condition worsened with time, and he eventually had to be moved into a nursing home. He died there in 1988.
In Walnut Creek, he regularly attended St. John Vianny Church, where he was good friends with the congregation and Father Askins. Together with his Paison Barty, they were the oldest members of the church.

Children:
Gloria Marie Rosalie Alessio #22 born 1-Jan-1925.
Joseph John Alessio #21 born 12-Sep-1928.
Raymond James Alessio #17 born 10-Jun-1941.

Frank Vincent Alessio #16

Son of Vincenzo Alessio #3 and Rosa Perri #4
Born 22-Nov-1910
Married Elanor Casalino #135.
Died Oct-1968.

Frank was the youngest child. He attended school in 1920. He was not very close with his brothers' Angelo, keeping in touch with them only sporadically.
Children:
Frank Alessio #20 born 11-Feb-1961.
Lorretta Alessio #178.
Margaret Alessio #179.