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Angelo (nicknamed Mike) Michael Roina, left Italy at 7 years of age, with his Uncle Peter Roina. They worked side by side on farms in Argentina, South America. At 17 years old, he returned to Italy. His mother has died and his father had remarried. He didn't like his step mother. He left Italy by ship to New York, U.S.A. to join his sister Rose, who, unknowingly to him had moved to Sacramento, California the week before. He got a job as a Brick Layer (he never laid a brick in his life!). When it came to windows or archways, he'd stay home and say he was "sick" until the job was finished. He moved in with 3 friends and when one of the roommates asked him how to clean or wash the dishes, he told him "just throw them out the window" which is what his roommate did. Mike was only joking but now the 3 were out trying to find dishes to replace theirs.
Mike took a train and traveled to Sacramento to join his Sister in time to celebrate his next birthday. In Sacramento he had various job. One was "peddling fresh vegetables" door to door with Pete Cerruti (Pete married Tina, Anna's (Mike's wife) sister, they were brothers-in-law.
Another job he had was with Southern Pacific at the Foundry where he lost his right thumb in an accident.
Then he went to work for Pacific Gas & Electric and remained with them for 35 years, until his death. He was well like by his fellow workers and could of gone real high with P G & E, but he always refused. He felt he didn't have enough training because he only had 2 years of schooling.
He met & married Anna and settled down and raised 5 children.
He studied and became an American Citizen, Len Iverson (a friend) was his sponsor. The day he became a citizen, was a very important day for him. Mike was very civic conscience minded and became a Neighborhood Block Wanderer during WW2 in Robla.
Mike use to insist that everyone spoke English in his home. He lived in America and was now an American. So Italian wasn't spoken in his home.
Mike and Anna owned alittle grocery store for awhile, then in later years they owned the "Robla Garden Spot" and sold flowers and plants. Mike always loved to work in his garden and with his flowers. He also had a grape arbor with several varieties of grapes
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