September 2006

Cavaliere Anthonly Lascio
1933-2004

Cav. Anthony Lascio Chapter - PIP 1
September 2006

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PIP1 September 2006 Meeting Report

For our PIP1 quarterly meeting we gathered on 20 September at Suparossa Ristorante in Woodridge, IL, as usual. Including two newcomers — Lynne Romito and Marian Leciso — ten lively and active participants exchanged some exciting findings about genealogy and pleasant recollections of recent visits to Italy.

The Italian Cultural Center in Stone Park, a Chicago suburb, is planning to expand its library section on Italian genealogy, and they welcome suggestions for books and materials to be included.

A highlight of the meeting was the publication announcement by Jenny Floro-Khalaf of her book (with Cynthia Savaglio) about individuals and families buried in two Chicago suburban Catholic burial grounds: Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven Cemeteries, published by Arcadia in their Images of America Series. The book contains photos and captions of tombstones and crypts, with emphasis on Italian families. Particularly interesting was the discussion about the transition over the past century of funeral procession via horse and buggy, to trains, and then to automobiles. Jenny had only one copy of the book with her, but promised to bring more to our next meeting.

The book is available from Amazon.com, and here is a description taken from the back cover:

From the heartbreak of dozens of families burying their children after the notorious Our Lady of Angels School Fire to the serenity of a grieving mother, who six years after the death of her daughter finds her wedding-clad body in peaceful repose; from the lawlessness of the bootleg era, punctuated by such ignominious figures as Al Capone and Dean O'Banion, to the patriotic triumph of one of the flag bearers of Iwo Jima, Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven Cemeteries have provided the final chapter in the colorful lives and tragic events that have marked the city of Chicago for the last century. It denotes the final resting place of the churches' bishops and cardinals as well as the city's beloved parents, grandparents, and children. Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven Cemeteries offers a unique glimpse into the history of Chicago during a time that saw massive immigration, rising industrialization, two world wars, and numerous tragedies, by chronicling the lives and stories behind the individuals who are interred there. Author Jenny Floro-Khalaf is a family historian and genealogist who is the creator and webmaster for ItalianAncestry.com. Cynthia Savaglio is a screenwriter and documentary filmmaker who teaches at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.

Three of our chapter members, Patti Tolone, Elizabeth Esterly, and Gracia Bittner. will be attending the Los Angeles national POINT meeting in Los Angeles on 6-8 Oct. 2006 at their own expense, except for the registration fee of $165 which will be reimbursed by our Chapter and by the PIP North Chapter in Schaumberg. They briefed us on their plans and coordination and are expected to report back to us for at our December meeting (now scheduled, by consensus, for 6 December)of the presentations and events that take place at the annual meeting.

--Alex DeVolpi