(Recollections of Rose Ragucci – recorded 12/29/2003 by Rosalie Ragucci)
My father (Anthony Ciaccio) and Aunt Lena (Lombardo) “intensely disliked” each other because they saw through each other. They had an argument at my cousin Louie’s (Ceppo) wedding and Lena said to my father “I don’t want to see you again –not even if you’re dead!” From that moment on they avoided each others presence which meant that my grandmother (Rose Ciaccio) could not see her brother (Joe Lombardo). It was so intense that they would even check when they went to visit Aunt Lena (Lombardo) that the other was not going to be there. They didn’t speak for the last 12 years of my father’s life. The family reconciled when my cousin Joe and Lana (Lombardo) had a family picnic after my father died and invited us to come.
Author Archives: Joe
Ragucci, Dominic – “strange encounter”
Before Dominic left for the war, he was engaged to a woman named Rose from Elizabeth (not his future wife, Rose Nardi). He did not want to marry this Rose, so he never told her when he returned from the war. She assumed that he had died in the war. About 50 years later, Dominic was having dinner by himself at the Turkey Farm in Chester NJ. As he waited for his table, a woman ran up to him, threw her arms around him, and said “Dominic! I thought you were dead!” It was Rose who recognized him 50 years later! Although Dominic initially swore that it was not the same woman, she knew a great many details about his life 50 years ago.
Ragucci, Anthony Sr – “Halloween Float”
(Recollections of Joe Ragucci – recorded 1/10/2005 by Joe Ragucci)
Uncle Tony and Aunt Priscilla’s cellar was the gathering place for several teenagers. In particular, Tony Jr., Joe, Linda, Frank Cundari, and Billy Capik. Among other things we used to listen to and sing to popular music of the time.
In the summer of 1965, Uncle Tony decided to help us build a float for the Halloween Parade in Woodbridge. Continue reading
Ragucci, Anthony Sr. – “bouncing box ?”
When Tony was young, his brother, Dominic and some others were playing with a big empty box. They decided to put young Tony in the box and bring it up on the porch. They then pushed the box off the porch with Tony inside to see if he would bounce when he hit the grown. Obviously, they were wrong and instead of bouncing, Tony got a broken arm.
Turco, Ester and Carl – “remembrances”
Aunt Ester and Uncle Yonce (Carl) lived upstairs my grandmother and grandfather in Carteret as I was growing up. Yonce (as everyone called him) was a mason and actually, together with my father Dom, built the brick house on Linden Street in Carteret. I saw Aunt Ester quite often as she would frequently come downstairs when my father and I would visit with my grandparents who lived downstairs. Yonce was a quiet hard working man. The thing I remember vividly is his hands which were hard like sandpaper due to handling bricks and cement his whole life.
Nardi, Joe – “Family”
Growing up, I had minimal interactions with Joe Nardi’s family. I’m not sure why but they had a large family (6 children) and seemed to keep to themselves. Even though the family lived primarily in Carteret, most of my interaction with them was at weddings and funerals. I never heard any thing negative. In fact, our interactions were always very cordial and respectful of our common family heritage. Their family was very talented in terms of music. Sam Nardi had a great voice, sang in clubs on weekends, and was always asked to sing at weddings. He also became a Deacon. Eventually, Sam moved to Stoudsburg, PA and Jennie moved to Colorado and then Arizona. The other family members stayed in NJ where Joe Nardi lived at the time of his death.
Ragucci, Rose Nardi – ADD STORIES
Add stories told by Dom on Rose hit by car, always smiling, loved by everyone
Add stories of Grandma, Rose and Pat getting together to share dirty jokes.
Ragucci, Rose Nardi – “Aunt Ann recollections”
Recollections by Ann Nardi Kusklyk (sister), recorded by Joe Ragucci (Sept 2008)::
Aunt Ann remembers being so afraid of her father. But her sister Rose wasn’t afraid. When he would turn his back, Rose would salute him with “heil-hitler”. But he never understood that she was insulting him with this action calling him a tyrant.
Aunt Ann would tell us how, even though she was older, her sister Rose was the one she would follow to go out at night. She was always afraid because her father was so strict. But her sister Rose wouldn’t let that stop her. The sneaked out and, many times when they returned, her father would hit them. Rose just laughed it off because she wouldn’t let him stop her.