Letters From Alcamo: An Impellizzeri Story

 

This post is a little window into the lives of the family of Giovanni Impellizzeri and Maria Antonina Trovato of Alcamo, Sicily, Italy. Giovanni is John's 2nd cousin, 3 x removed (there are also more distant cousin relationships, but this is the most direct). Pictured in the photo are Giovanni and Maria Antonina, center, surrounded by their 8 children: back - Mariano, Antonino, Giacomo; center - Sebastiana, Giovanni, Maria Antonina, Liboria; front - Andrea, Vittina, Rosalia.

I discovered Giovanni and his descendants through researching the Alcamo Impellizzeri line and via DNA testing. Giovanni's granddaughters, Marie Impellizzeri and Mary Ann Impellizzeri are DNA matches with John, his 4th cousins, 1 x removed. I also came to know Mary Ann's daughters Kelly and Wendy, who are John's 5th cousins. We have developed friendships over the years as we shared information, chatted, and researched together. We also collectively made the effort to meet in person, and those were really beautiful experiences - and, hopefully, more in the future! 

Meeting with Marie in Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 2022, and meeting with Kelly, Wendy, and Mary in Palermo, Sicily, May 2025. 

Genetics are fascinating. John and these cousins have a relatively distant relationship, yet look at the family resemblance!

This is the family tree of Giovanni Impellizzeri + Maria Antonina Trovato. You can see Marie on the far right and Mary, Kelly, and Wendy on the left.

The fathers of Mary and Marie, Mariano and Antonino, respectively, were the two children who immigrated to the United States. 

Passenger Manifest for Mariano, 24, and Antonino, 22. They departed Napoli on 20 June 1922 and arrived in New York on 1 July 1922. They were single and able to read and write Italian. Antonino's occupation is listed as shoemaker. They are headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Antonino pictured 2nd from right, December 1921, at time of his service in the Italian army. Marie said that he and Mariano were given the opportunity to relocate after having served.

Here is the original photo. John worked his Photoshop magic to restore the photo. Bravo John!

When we met with Marie in 2022, she graciously shared many photos and documents from her family's history. Most interesting to me was a handwritten letter which Marie understood to be a greeting from her grandfather Giovanni to her father Antonino, on the occasion of Antonino's marriage to Pietrina Leale.

Marie's parents, Pietrina Leale and Antonino Impellizzeri.

Antonino's Italian Passport and passage ticket (cost 1700 lire). Marie is fortunate to have these documents!

During our visit, I made photos of the letter and told Marie that I would work on trying to translate it. At that time, we were still Vagabonding, and I thought that would be a fun project for Italian learning. Well, I overestimated my abilities, LOL! I did start on a translation, but between the handwriting, the older grammar, and my limited skills, I didn't get very far. 

However, recently one day at school, I asked my teacher Andrea if he would look at it with me. We had fun sussing out the letter, and he enjoyed the historical and genealogical aspects of it, as he is a genealogy enthusiast like me. It was like a puzzle!

Bravo professore, Andrea.

One of the first and most important things Andrea discovered was that this was two letters from different authors. The first letter, which I thought was addressed to Nino (Antonino) was actually addressed to Nuora (daughter-in-law) and was from Antonino's mother! The second letter is from Giovanni to his son Antonino. There was a difference in the paper between the two letters, with the letter from the mother on decorative paper, while the father to son letter was on regular paper. Andrea said this made sense - the mother is welcoming the daughter-in-law to the family, an occasion that calls for something special.

The letters are below, with their translations. I've also included commentary on aspects we thought were interesting. 

Letter One: From Maria Antonina Trovato to her future daughter-in-law Pietrina Leale.

Look how beautiful the paper is. And the letter remains in such wonderful condition!

Alcamo 13 April 1930

Beloved and kindest Daughter-in-Law, 

Me and my husband and all of my family enclose wishes for a good marriage and a thousand happy years. That your two hearts weave together for your whole life, and that you will have good luck and happiness and succeed in a good marriage.

Dearest daughter-in-law, I am responding immediately to your beloved letter dated 26 March. I am consoled that you and my sons and all your family are in perfect health, and I can assure you of such for myself and all my family.

So, dear daughter-in-law, we have understood everything completely, that 26 April will be your marriage with my son Antonino. And you cannot believe how sorry we all are for not being in your presence, that for me this day is a great sorrow.

I wish you to be a little bird and be close to us, but God wills it that we be so far apart and cannot enjoy each other. Let's hope you have a happy marriage and love each other forever, with my son Antonino. 

Dear Pietrina, I understood everything you conveyed in your letter and I was very happy that you can write in Italian so well. My daughter Sisi always takes the letter in hand and reads it. You cannot believe how happy Sisi is with your marriage, as if she was there in person. 

Enough of this. I'll just leave you with a hug jumping from my chest, as if we were there in person. My husband and all my family, we kiss you, all my children, one by one. To you and his brother, Antonino, receive a special greeting from my son Giacomo, with a thousand handshakes. My regards to your family, many regards to my sons Mariano and Nino, many regards to Uncle Andrea and his entire family. I also send you many regards from grandmother and Uncle Salvatore and family, and the same regards from my relatives and their families. I again send you the holy blessing, also from my husband, to you and my son Antonino. 

I am your mother-in-law, Trovato Maria Antonina

and Impellizzeri Giovanni 

You both receive the holy blessing. I count on a happy response.

Observations:

• I was struck by how poetic the language was at certain points, like the reference to the heart jumping from the chest. 
• The part where Maria Antonina compliments Pietrina on her Italian writing skills sheds light on the importance in the family of being "educated."
• Maria Antonina's sadness at not being able to be with her son on this important occasion (as well as the implication that she may never be with him again) is palpable.
• The greetings are so extensive and from many people, back and forth.
• Which daughter is Sisi? None of them have names that would seem to be a source of this nickname. Curious, I did a bit of research and found that this is a common nickname for the name Sicilia / Cecilia. But I also found that it can be a nickname for names ending in "lia." So, maybe Rosalia is Sisi? She is one of the younger daughters, so she would still have been at home at the time of the marriage of her older brother.

Rosalia Impellizzeri.

• Who is Uncle Andrea in the U.S.? I don't have any brothers of Giovanni called Andrea in my tree. Since Maria Antonina is an "in law" for us, I have not researched her line. I went back to the passenger manifest, hypothesizing that this person was perhaps their contact in the U.S. 

Yay, I was right! Andrea Trovato (brother of Maria Antonina) is listed as Mariano's and Antonino's contact person in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Passenger manifests are great documents, often revealing unexpected information.

I imagine that Antonino's brother Andrea, pictured here, is named in honor of this uncle.

Letter Two: From Giovanni Impellizzeri to his son Antonino.

Alcamo 26 April 1930

Dearest son,

I respond immediately to your beloved letter, dated three months ago. I find it comforting that you and your brother, Pietrina and her family, and Uncle Andrea, are enjoying perfect health. And, similarly, I can assure you of the same for myself and the family.

So, let me tell you that inside this letter you are receiving a gift of 100 lire to celebrate your wedding. And, as such, tomorrow is Sunday and the family is all together. Dear son, what days this would be to celebrate with those who love you and your espousal. And all of our family are also happy that April 26th would be your wedding, the same day we also got married 33 years ago, and everything passes. You can't believe how sad this day is to be so far away that I long to be a bird and to be by your side. But there is nothing to be done, to be so far away and not be able to enjoy together.

So, dear son, I would like to know how this accompaniment to know everything about your marriage is related to those we already know? Enough. Let me tell you that on the 13th of this month I received a letter from Pietrina, and I responded immediately. I want to know what day you received my letter. Enough.

Dear son, I want to know if your brother is still upset with me. Because this Easter I would have liked a line of a letter written with his own hands. How bad my thoughts are, such that I should be imprisoned. I thank you for putting his regards. It was your duty. But it is true that if he gives me his regards, he must write with his own hands very well. I have not written any more regards than he did. I have gone crazy with everything I have told you. Don't tell anyone or I will 'die a stupid death.' Enough. I don't know what I said.

You receive affectionate regards from me and mother, and you were given the holy blessing, together with your beloved wife, our Pietrina, and your brother. We give a warm welcome, me and my entire family.  Many greetings from your brothers and sisters, and many kisses from your in-laws. The same goes for Sebastiana and her husband. You receive many greetings from Grandma and Uncle Salvatore and all his family, and they give you the holy blessing together with your wife. 

Many greetings from me to Uncle Andrea and all his family, and we kiss each of his children, one by one. We send them the holy blessing, the same from grandma.

To your father-in-law and family, our relatives and their families send their regards and congratulate them on your wedding.

You receive many greetings from our neighbors, and they send congratulations on your marriage. Friends and relatives, and everyone who asks about you, sends congratulations. Again, we send congratulations for your matrimony and give you the holy blessing.

I am your loving father.

Impellizzeri Giovanni

I respond immediately. 

Observations:

• The letter is full of love and congratulations, but Giovanni is upset about a couple of things, and he makes that clear. At the same time, he is upset with himself. Eventually, he says "Basta," and veers back on track. Andrea said that Giovanni seems like a burbero. This roughly translates as a curmudgeon, or someone surly. Andrea said he is stern on the outside, but has a tender heart, as clearly he is upset about the communication issues with his son Mariano. I agree. It's interesting how the personality comes through.
• How fun to see that Antonino's marriage date was the same as his parents'. That must have been very special for both couples! 

Pietrina Leale and Antonino Impellizzeri, 26 April 1930

Antonino and Pietrina's marriage certificate, as well as the notation of their marriage on Antonino's Alcamo baptism record.

Giovanni Impellizzeri + Maria Antonina Trovato, Alcamo church marriage record.

Antonino's brother, Mariano, was married a couple of years later. Mariano Impellizzeri + Josephine Pellerito, 25 June 1932.

• Love-filled greetings come from everyone! Here are some photos of the family, some sent to Antonino in America, and some of the children of Antonino and Pietrina.

Vitina Impellizzeri and family, Lilla Impellizzeri and family.

Children of Antonino + Pietrina: Vincent Impellizzeri (m. Jennie Palazzolo 1952), Anthony Impellizzeri Jr. with sons, John Impellizzeri (m. Mary Monticello 1954), Marie Impellizzeri (m. Keith Woodrum 1989).