POINTers IN PERSON Minutes
Chapter # 10 Central Texas/Austin
Submitted by: Sherry PACELLI Haddox (4883)
Lin ONOFRIO Brinkman opened the meeting on October 28th with 11 present. Lin reported on her recent trip to Manhattan with four of her University of Oklahoma roommates. She led them to Positano's restaurant on Mulberry Street in Little Italy and had such fun being tourists.
Bill Brinkman found a website on Google with early Northern New York newspapers. Some as early as 1815.
Jeanie MARSALIA (#4251) reported that she attended the MARSALIA family reunion on September 26th in Mentz, Texas. Her son recently relocated to Bellevue, Washington from Brussels, Belgium.
Rick and Pat COPPOLA told of their visit with Mario COPPOLA of West Haven, CT at his men's clothing store in Branford, CT. Pat COPPOLA had come
across Mario's name after doing a search on google for "Coppola's of San Salvatore Telesino" last summer and decided to contact him by phone to see if he could
help them search for information regarding Rick's grandfather, LIBERO COPPOLA. Even though he had never met them, Mario graciously obtained Libero's birth
certificate from his contacts at the city hall in San Salvatore. This document provided them with the missing link they had been searching for because it gave the
names of Libero's parents from which they could then make the connections to the civil records they had obtained through the LDS and Tom Priscilla.
As it turns out, the New Haven, CT area is home to several generations of immigrants from SAN SALVATORE TELESINO. Mario himself immigrated when he was 16
years old with his father, a tailor. He began his very successful clothing business in the 1970's. Unfortunately, Mario was unable to make a connection between Libero
being related to his father, Francesco. After a long discussion they realized that they met Mario's uncle when they visited San Salvatore Telesino 10 years ago on their
quest to research Rick's family history.
They shared pictures and stories over espresso offered to them by Mario. One thing that they found interesting is that Mario asked them if there was a history of
diabetes in Rick's side of the family because it has been a very serious medical issue in Mario's. Sadly, Rick's father, George, had suffered from serious diabetic
related illnesses during the last 20 years of his life and the disease affects two of his siblings as well.
Even though they weren't able to find a direct connection between the two families, Mario asked that they send him a copy of the family tree Rick had compiled which
extends back to the 18th century. Mario told them that he would continue to make inquires through family contacts from San Salvatore Telesino to see if he could find
an individual who would be willing to do additional research for them. Rick and Pat were pleased that their genealogical research had led them to Mario.
They brought Libero and Lucia COPPOLA'S wedding picture, circa 1913. In addition, Rick's mother gave them pictures from their visit to San Salvatore Telesino in 1973
and they also brought the pictures from their visit in 1999 which is when they met Mario Coppola's uncle who helped them find the di FILIPPO family residence where
his grandmother, Lucia, lived before she immigrated to the United States.
Sherry PACELLI Haddox (#4883) told of her recent trip to New York and New Jersey to visit relatives. She brought some old family pictures her cousins gave her
that she was very happy to receive! She also brought pictures she took on Arthur Ave. which is in the "Little Italy" section of the Bronx.
She passed by the address on Arthur Ave. where her grandfather, Dionisio (Dominick) PACELLI, had an office when he was a union organizer. She has his business
cards showing the addresses of his different offices. She also brought a shadow box frame with two of his business cards and his union organizer badge that she's had
for many years.
She ate at Enzo's on Arthur Ave. and highly recommended it to anyone planning to go to "Little Italy" in the Bronx.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30pm. Our next meeting will be on November 18th at 6:30pm at Horizon Bay located at 8005 Cornerwood in Austin, Texas.