Grazia (Grace) Tomaiula was born on December 12, 1887 in Monte Sant’Angelo, Italy.  Her mother was Maria (Latorro?) and her father was Giuseppe Tomaiula.  She had 2 brothers and an adopted sister.  Her older brother was Francesco, her younger brother was Matteo, and her adopted sister was Matilida Dodicene.

(Recollections of Anthony Ragucci – recorded 12/28/2002 by Joe Ragucci)
Grace would call her mother a “cowboy” because she used to ride horses and dress and act like “Annie Oakley”.   They did not get along (see story below).  She loved her younger brother, Matteo, but did not get along with her older brother (see story below).  Not much said about her father or adopted sister.

As a child she remembers playing and running through the caverns of St. Michael’s shrine in Monte Sant’ Angelo