My grandparents immigrated from southern Italy. My grandfather arrived first in 1912. He worked for Swifts Meat Co in Cambridge, Mass. It was his job to salt and pack the hams into huge wooden barrels to be cured. He stood about 5 feet 2 inches tall and would practically need to climb into the barrels to place the hams. He never drove or owned a car and would take buses to work. On his salary he bought a house raised and supported 5 children, a wife and father-in-law. Plus sent money to his widowed mother to help with his family in Italy. My grandfather taught us to be hard working, honest and caring and these are lessons that we have passed down to our children.
