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.
Ciaccio, Rose Lombardo – clock
Recollections of Rosalie Ragucci-Cook
My grandmother (Rose Ciaccio) lived with us from when I was 6 months old in 1977. In the years that she lived with us, she spent most of her time in the kitchen cooking. She had a huge collection of rubber bands in the kitchen drawer that we always threatened to bury her with (we didn’t). She went into the nursing home the summer before I left for college in 1995. She had a stroke and nearly died that summer. I remember saying goodbye to her when I left for school and thinking I would never see her again. Amazingly, she recovered and although she couldn’t walk and had a difficult time swallowing, she was herself in every other way. At 90 years old in her wheelchair in the nursing home, she would tell us that she didn’t eat her ice cream for lunch because she didn’t want to get fat.
She died in 2005, nine years after her stroke. When she lived with us, she always liked the analog clock on the stove, even though the rest of us didn’t use it. The clock stopped working a few years after she went into the nursing home. It had been broken for at least 7 years when she died. The day of her funeral, her daughter was standing in the kitchen and heard this unexpected ticking sound. She looked at the clock and not only was it working again but it was set to the exact right time! The clock worked for a few days and then stopped again and has never worked again. We know that grandma came home again and fixed her clock for us.
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.
Kusklyk, Ann and Mike – “Hawaii / California Vacations”
Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike never went on vacation because they were afraid to travel. So after Rose and I were married (and before we had Rosalie) we convinced Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike to come with us on two great vacations – first to Hawaii, and then to California[3]. We really enjoyed their company and they were so happy to have this unique experience. One thing that because clear is that Aunt Ann and I were very much alike and Rose and Uncle Mike were very much alike. For example, at dinners, Aunt Ann and I would eat quickly and then wait while Rose and Uncle Mike more slowly ate their meals.
Note: Joe & Rose Ragucci have photo slides of these vacation trips.
Kusklyk, Ann and Mike – “recollections”
While I was growing up and my grandmother was still alive, I saw Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike several times a year when they came to Carteret, NJ on weekends. It was quite common for my father and I to go there when they visited. I remember many Sunday dinners in the basement of my grandparents home especially when Uncle Pat also came.
Kusklyk, Ann Nardi – “Biography”
Aunt Ann said that when she was young, she was “backward” in that she was not outgoing. She was especially afraid of her father. Her sister (Rose) was just the opposite and Rose was the one who got her out of the house (see Rose stories below). Her brother Pat was always very protective of her even though he had left the house at an early age.
Nardi, Pat – “New York Visits”
While I was growing up and my grandmother was still alive, I saw Uncle Pat several times a year when he came to Carteret, NJ on weekends. It was quite common for my father and I to go there when he visited. I remember many Sunday dinners in the basement of my grandparents home especially when Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike also came. Typically, his wife Angie would not come.