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My Family, My Life.
An Autobiographical Sketch by Mary Merola Scovotti
Edited by James J. Periconi
Copyright 1987 James J. Periconi
Verbal permission given to use this autobiographical sketch in its entirety.
Editor's Preface
This book results from about five taped question and answer sessions I held with my
grandmother, Mary Merola Scovotti, in the late 1970's, at her home on Jarvis Avenue
in the Bronx.
That was the easy part. The slightest questions on my part led to long discussions
by Grandma about the subject, often with almost mind-boggling detail. (To listen to
Grandma's discussion of her parents' courtship, for example, you would think she was
alive, present at the events, and had a video camera.)
The hard part was transcribing and editing the tapes. First I did so by hand, then by
typewritter and finally, in the last two years, by word processor. This last method
finally permitted me the freedom to edit, rearrange, and eliminate repetition. I have
no secretary to thank, this was all preformed by me, from first to last.
Grandma's own words are vivid. I have tried hard not to add anything, other than
transitional words and phrases. I apologize in advance to Grandma and to family members
who find any of the stories, in the whole or in part, to be inaccurate. The dates I
ascribe to photographs are sheer guesses. Think of this as the first edition of this work.
Send me your corrections, additions and deletions for future editions; don't keep them
to yourself. This includes you, Grandma! (Additional photographs are welcome.)
My thanks go to family members who gently encouraged me to finish this and lent me
photographs, especially cousins Margaret and Tom Warren, and Nancy Greenan, and my
brother, Paul and his wife, Ann. Your patience was great, and my delay trying on me as
well as you.
This book is dedicated to Grandma on the occassion of her 96th birthday this month, and
to the memory of Grandpa, Ross Scovotti.
James J. Periconi
March, 1987
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Editor' Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Part I
GROWING UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..1
A) My parents' courtship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
B) Their early married life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
C) Trouble with an Irishman, and trip to Italy . . . . . . . . .7
D) Return from Italy: a new life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
E) Childhood mischief-making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
F) Going to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
G) My father's business: my brothers start working . . . . . . .17
H) We leave Papa; my brothers on their own . . . . . . . . . . .20
Photographs
a) Rosa Brigante Merola, c. 1890
Luigi Merola, c. 1920
b) Merola family, c. 1905
Merola family, c. 1920
Part II
MY OWN FAMILY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
A) I meet Grandpa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
B) Marriage and work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
C) Grandpa's deafness: he loses his job and regains it . . . . .34
D) Back on the job: triumph and troubles to come . . . . . . . .41
E) Our new house: life with Grandpa and my children . . . . . .46
F) The children grow up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
G) Grandpa retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
AFTERWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Photographs
c) Mary and Ross' wedding, 1909.
d) Mary and Ross, c. 1940 - 1960.
e) Rose, Grace and Louis, c. 1924.
f) The War Years: Louis, Anthony, Mary, Ross and Joe Periconi
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