SOGNA Trustees

SOGNA
SOCIETÀ ORGANIZZATA PER GIOIESI IN NORD AMERICA
17
MA
EDIZIONE
ESTATE 2007
SCHITO, GIOI—JUNE 2, 2007—SOGNA-PICNIC, USA
If you missed the
SCHITO in GIOI
You missed this …
Se non siete andati allo
SCHITO a GIOI, avete
mancato solo la pioggia!
If you missed the SOGNA-PICNIC, missed out on a day of fun
and games full of smiles, warmth and sun shine.
SOGNA Trustees
ALBERTO INFANTE,
President
ROBERTO RIZZO, MD,
Vice-President
LOU D’ANGELO,
Treasurer
BICE DEL GALDO,
Secretary
NICK D’AGOSTO,
Web-Master
ANTONIO RIZZO, MD,
Trustee
ANTONIO TORRACA,
Trustee
LUCIANO INFANTE,
Trustee
MARIO GROMPONE,
Trustee
MARIO TORRACA,
Trustee
ROBERTO PARRILLO,
Trustee
SEVERINO D’ANGELO,
Trustee
JENNIE RIZZO,
Trustee
ANGELA RIZZO,
Trustee
ANTONIO INFANTE,
Trustee.
Thank you, Organizers! Alberto, Robertino, Antonio, (Pictures below) and
Carmelina Infante, Roberto Rizzo, Mario Torraca, AnnaMaria Rizzo, Maria
Rizzo (No pictures). La mozzarella fatta da Carmelina era squisita!
SOGNA, Inc. is a nonprofit organization
exempt from Federal
income tax under section
501 (c) (4) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
S
SO
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P.O. Box 54
Totowa, NJ 07511
(949)494-0972
[email protected]
http://www.gioi.com
http://gioi.altervista.org
Other Gioi related sites:
ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY GIUSEPPE MALPASSO.
See more smiling faces and great picnic shots inside…and if you have yet to marked
your calendar, the DINNER/DANCE will be October 27, 2007. Detailed
information will be published in the September, 2007 issue.
www.comunegioi.it
www.cacumenmontis.it
www.usgioi.it
www.marioromano.it
www.oasicasalvelino.com
www.soppressatadigioi.com
www.italia.it
www.pncvd.it
THE EVER POPULAR WINE MAKING and TASTING CONTEST. This year, the
winner is Alberto Infante. Below right, the two Antonio’s, Torraca and Infante,
are serving the multitude of judges, connoisseurs and amateur wine lovers.
What’s a Sogna Picnic without mozzarelle,
fusilli and cavatelli? Left: Rosinella Ventre
came all the way from Rome, to show us how
cavatelli are done the Roman way!
All Hands on deck!
The nearly finished product.
The smiling faces of SOGNA Picnic participants!
Tim Kennedy
Attilio and Severino
(See Enzo’s article next page.)
Luigi (Lou) D’Angelo
Assunta Torraca…visiting us all the
way from Gioi. Grazie Assunta!
Nick D’Agosto
Mario Grompone
Fernando Scarpa: The next Fellini
is honoring SOGNA again!
Jennie Rizzo
Maria Torraca
Diane Capetola
Thanks to Giuseppe Mapasso,
movie maker and photographer,
for taking these and many other
terrific picnic pictures. Sorry! For
not being able to include them all;
but, picture or not, Thank You All
for coming and making June 2nd a
Nicolas Kozachuk, Bice Del Galdo’s truly warm and sunny day!
SOGNA STAFF
grand-son, brightening the day!
ANTONIO INFANTE CI DICE
CHI E’…
ANTONIO INFANTE INTRODUCING
HIMSELF…
Ciao a tutti i Gioiesi. Spero che stiate bene. Mi chiamo
Antonio Infante, e sono un nuovo membro del
comitato di SOGNA. Per quelli che non mi conoscono,
sono il figlio di Luciano Infante e Carmela Rizzo, il
nipote di Silvio Antonio Infante, Maria D’Urso, Egidio
Rizzo, e Rosina Ventre. Sono nato a Bayonne, New
Jersey, vicino la città di New York, dove l’anno scorso
mi sono laureato all'università (New York University).
Adesso, abito a Washington, DC perchè sto facedo
ricerca con il NIH (National Institute of Health), il
centro della ricerca di medicina degli Stati Uniti.
Finisco di lavorare con il NIH la fine di giugno e
tornerò nel New Jersey per lavorare in un’ospedale di
New York.
Hello to all the Gioiesi. I hope you are all doing well.
My name is Antonio Infante, and I am a new member
of the SOGNA staff. For those of you who do not
know me, my parents are Luciano Infante and
Carmela Rizzo, and my grandparents are Silvio
Antonio Infante, Maria D’Urso, Egidio Rizzo, and
Rosina Ventre. I was born in Bayonne, New Jersey,
which is near New York City. I graduated from New
York University last year and am currently living in
Washington, DC where I am doing research at the
NIH (National Institute of Health). The NIH is the
center for all medical research in the United States. I
will finish working there at the end of June and will
return to New Jersey so that I may work in a hospital
in New York.
Per me è stato sempre importante imparare del
mondo moderno, ma è anchè importante, forse più
importante, non dimenticare del passato. Spero di
continuare le tradizioni della mia famiglia Gioiese con
questa organizzazione, convidendo i nostri successi e
l’orgoglio di essere Gioiese. Io sono sicuro che
possiamo salvare lo spirito di Gioi, ma senza di voi il
sogno nostro non può essere mai realizzato. Allora, vi
prego di ricordare la terra dove siete nati, dove siete
vissuti o cresciuti, dove sono nati i nostri antenati.
ANTONIO
For me, learning about the modern world has always
been important, but it is also important, maybe even
more important, to remember the past. I hope to
continue the traditions of my Gioiese family with this
organization, sharing our successes and our pride of
being Gioiese. I am sure that we can save the spirit
of Gioi, but without you, our dream can never be
realized. Therefore, I hope that you remember the
land where you were born, where you lived and grew
up, your family’s birthplace.
ANTONIO
SOGNA Dinner/Dance—October 27, 2007!
SOGNA—335 Cajon Terrace
Laguna Beach, CA 92651—USA
AIR MAIL
FIRST CLASS
Antonio Infante, at the SOGNA Picnic,
2007. Soccer anyone? Next year’s
picnic, we will have a game. Ready or
not, 12 people will play. Dress in
shorts. Wear soccer shoes. Start
practicing now!
TRAVEL AND CULTURE—By ENZO MARMORA
Gioi and surrounding towns are located within the
perimeter of the “Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo
di Diano”. Comprising mountain peaks, hilltop stone
villages and a beautiful coast line, the park covers
approximately 600,000 acres. It was created in 1991
to safeguard the area from over development and
preserve it for future generations. The park is listed
by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization) as one of the world
nature reserves for its unique blend of nature and
civilization. Trail maps and itineraries are available at
www.pncvd.it and at local tourism offices.
Italy’s tourism agency has a new name (ENIT)
and new internet site: www.italia.it where potential
visitors can obtain useful information to plan their
trip to Italy. In Manhattan, the ENIT office is at 630
Fifth Ave, between 51st and 52nd Street. Phone: 212245-4822. www.italiantourism.com is another site
one can visit and request an information kit.
Note: Italy’s historical cities are among the world’s
great destinations. The best time to visit them is in
the spring and fall. During July and August, these
beautiful cities are hot and overcrowded while lines
outside the museums are long. On the other hand,
because of its 700 meter altitude, Gioi is cool and
pleasant during the summer months.
Northern Italy, for many Gioiesi during the 1950’s
and 1960’s. In addition, he helped many families to
relocate to Milan during Italy’s economic miracle of
that period. With his actions, Guido laid the
foundations of what was to become later, the largest
Gioiese community outside of Gioi proper. A rich
man, he maintained a great affection for his home
town throughout his life, returning to Gioi every
summer in his chaffer driven Rolls Royse. He even
had the only swimming pool built in Gioi filled with
sea water. On one occasion, he flew to Gioi in a
helicopter to visit his ailing brother. The helicopter
had to land in the soccer field, being the only flat
spot in town. The landing was easy; but walking out
was not. The soccer field was locked and Guido could
not get out until the custodian was located with the
gate keys. His life story also has an American
chapter. During the 1980’s, his daughter moved to
New York to open a boutique for Roberta di
Camerino. The boutique was located on Madison
Avenue directly behind St. Patrick Cathedral. In the
early 1990’s, when her father died, she had to leave
New York to return to Milan to join her brother’s and
continue her father’s legal practice.
Today, 12 years after his death, Guido Scarpa is still
revered by most Gioiesi for having earned enormous
respect for his generosity and exemplary life.
NEW PRIESTS FROM GIOI—By ENZO MARMORA
At a time when few men enter the priesthood, we
are proud that Gioi is bucking the trend.
Don Nicola Torraca, son of the late Antonio
Torraca, is the parish priest of Orria and Piano
Vetrale near Gioi.
Don Marco Torraca, Don Nicola’s brother, is parish
priest of Perito and Ostigliano, also not far from Gioi.
Don Gianluca Garofalo, son of Franco Garofalo,
has entered the religious order, Passionisti, in
Varese, Lombardy.
Don Fernando Scarpa, son of Nicola Scarpa, is a
priest in Battipaglia near Salerno.
Marcello Scarpa, don Fernando’s nephew, has
entered the religious order Salesiani in Salerno. In 3
years he will complete his studies for the priesthood.
HOMAGE TO ATTILIO RIZZO—By ENZO MARMORA
I like to pay homage to Attilio, who despite
numerous adversities in his life; among them,
surviving five years as a prisoner of war in Africa
during WWII, the premature death of his six younger
brothers and having to take care of his late wife who
was bed ridden for years, Attilio has always been and
remains an optimist. Attilio has been and is an
exemplary father while always, among other good
deeds, finding time to assist other Gioiesi with the
misfortune of suffering serious illnesses. To Attilio,
being with family and friends creates all the comfort
level he needs. Anybody else would have been
overwhelmed by the simultaneous arrival in America
of 16 relatives whom he sponsored. (A bus was
needed to pick them up at the airport.) But, Attilio, a
man of uncommon faith and courage, calmly
provided hospitality for all and secured them
apartments and jobs. We all wish Attilio a long life!
We are grateful for their vocation and hope that the
trend continues. Our thanks also go to Don Mario
Sibilio and Don Guglielmo Manna for their leadership
and inspiration.
REMEMBERING THE ORGANIST’S SON—By ENZO
MARMORA
Son of Gennaro Scarpa, San Nicola Church’s organist
and pharmacist, the late Guido Scarpa moved to
Milan right after WWII upon graduating from law
school. In Milan, he became a corporate lawyer for
Marzotto and other large corporations. Possessing an
extraordinary social conscience, he used his
influence and contacts to secure employment in
ITALIAN-AMERICANS- By SEVERINO D’ANGELO
IL BUCO, a New Monthly Publication from GIOI,
is a first class magazine, elegantly written in Italian,
clear and a pleasure to read. The publishers are a
group of entrepreneurial young people from Gioi
reachable by email at [email protected]. One
of the publishers, Nicola Salati asked me recently to
write a page-long article for BUCO on ItalianAmericans. I wrote the article in Italian, but the
Sogna-Summer 2007
English version is below. If you wonder about the
Spanish title, I borrowed it from the new book by the
historian from Agropli, (near Gioi) Domenico
Chieffallo. This book is a collection of letters by
Cilento’s emigrants, dating from 1850 to today. It is
a magnificent historical record that should be read
by all. (Sorry, no English translation). The poetic
Spanish title colloquially translates as “Gone from
Bad to Worse”. The Italian “Ricchi e Doviziosi”,
quoted from Alessandro Manzoni, means “Rich and
Plentiful”. Listening to the words of many nostalgic
Neapolitan emigrant songs of the past, you would
think that all Italian emigrants hate their host
country and cannot wait to return home. But is it still
true today? Here is the article…
" Venimos de la Noche y hacia la Noche
Vamos"? or “Ricchi e Doviziosi”?
It was 1971. Living in San Francisco at the time,
while attending UC Berkeley, one morning I heard a
speech by the Italian president addressing the Italian
emigrants on a local radio station broadcasting in
Italian. Being one of those Italian immigrants in
America, I was curiously interested in what the
president had to say. It was a sad speech. Apologetic
to no end, the good president was commiserating
with all of us for being forced to live in exile in
foreign and strange lands. “How unhappy we all
must have been for not being able to return to our
beloved Patria!” The speech took me by surprise.
Notwithstanding, having left Italy at the late age of
19, in a few short years I was living the American
Dream. Married to a beautiful, smart and successful
American woman, attending at the time one of the
country’s top universities, I was quite at home and
very happy in this “strange and foreign land”. I was
particularly happy to be away from the oppressive
Italian bureaucracy while enjoying the freedom in
this newly discovered Land of Opportunities.
Nearly 20 years later, visiting Gioi, I remember
reading an article by Dino Salati titled “Americani in
Italia. Italiani in America.” True in America, Italian
immigrants
are
Italian-Americans
not
just
Americans; but, we live among Irish-Americans,
African-Americans,
German-Americans,
AsianAmericans. You get the picture. As a matter of fact,
no one here is just American; even the so called
Indians are correctly called Native-Americans. As all
Americans, Italian-Americans can be subdivided in
three categories: the residents holding green cards,
the naturalized citizens and the American born
citizens. All three categories enjoy the same rights
with minor exceptions. For examples, the green card
holders are not allowed to vote. But then, this cannot
be too much of a handicap when almost half of the
American citizens who can vote, do not bother to do
so. The naturalized citizens, such as I am, can vote
but cannot run for the office of president of the
United States. Any other public office is open to us,
Sogna-Summer 2007
including the prestigious office of Secretary of State.
Remember Henry Kissinger and Madeline Albright?
And who does not know the flamboyant Arnold
Schwarzenegger, born in Austria and currently
governor of my state, California? For a Cilentano
living in America, it is not the same as living in
Germany. In Germany, there are the Germans and
there is you, different from all of them. Even living in
Milano is not the same as living in America. In Milano
there are the Milanesi and you with that funny
southern Italian accent that no matter how hard you
try, you just cannot hide. Here, all Americans love us
Italians! They love the accent in our voice, our food,
our style. Above all they love Italy. Those who have
visited Italy cannot wait to return for an encore.
Italians in America are delightfully different among
other culturally rich and equally diversified groups.
Quoting Alessandro Manzoni, maybe we are not
”ricchi e doviziosi”; but, we are content and well-off.
By and large, Gioiesi-Americans, first generation
immigrants and American born alike are successful
Americans. America has been good to us. By the
way, next time, you see one of us in Italy do not
refer to us as Americani. Truly, we are 100%
Americani in America; but, in Italy we are proud
Italiani.
PS.:Americans are not the only ones who love
Italians and Italy. While on a recent trip to China, I
discovered the same is true for the Chinese. Sorry!
Chinese do not care for our food but they love our
style and our soccer. During the World Cap games,
when Italy was playing Australia, a TV Sport
announcer from the prestigious Chinese station
CCTV5, was asked to resign by the Australians for
having exclaimed “Viva Italia” at the end the game.
LETTER from MARIO FORTUNATO, BERLIN, MARYLAND
I was just reading through the latest SOGNA
Newsletter and your article on Post World War II Gioi
was very well written and right on the money.
Although, my memories are not as vivid as yours,
having left there at the age of 8. When I tell people
of being born in Italy, and of my humble beginnings,
some people can't fathom living without heat or
electricity, or running water. I plan to save your
article so that younger family members don't think
I am stretching the truth. I also liked the article
about Jennie Rizzo, and how proud she is of her
Gioiese heritage. I thing the SOGNA Organization is
a class act, and I am proud to be a part of it.
Warning!
In the next issue, we will list the
soprannomi or surnames of Gioi. Some of these
names sound quite nasty and some Gioiesi may not
want their soprannome printed. Please let us know, if
you would prefer that we did not publish your
particular soprannome.
" Venimos de la noche y hacia la noche
vamos"? o Ricchi e doviziosi?-SEVERINO D’ANGELO
Era il 1971.
Abitando a San Francisco mentre
frequentavo l’università UC Berkeley, un giorno mi
trovai ad ascoltare un discorso del Presidente della
Repubblica Italiana su una stazione radio locale.
Indirizzato agli emigranti Italiani all’estero, il
discorso era piuttosto triste. Il buon presidente
commiserava tutti noi emigranti per essere forzati a
vivere all’estero in strane terre straniere. “Come
dovremmo essere infelici per non poter ritornare a
vivere nella nostra amata Patria!” Il discorso mi
prese completamente di sorpresa perché nonostante
avendo lasciata l’Italia alla tarda età di 19 anni,
pochi anni dopo, vivevo gia’ quello che gli americani
chiamano The American Dream. Sposato ad una
bellissima Americana, intelligente e ricolma di
talento; frequentavo una rinomata università
americana. Mi sentivo totalmente a casa in questa
“strana terra straniera”. Ero particolarmente felice di
non essere sottomesso a quella burocrazia italiana
inefficiente e noiosa, anzi, direi oppressiva.
Quasi 20 anni dopo, trovandomi a Gioi, ricordo di
aver letto un articolo di Dino Salati, intitolato
“Americani in Italia. Italiani in America.” E’ vero che
in America noi di origine italiana, immigranti o nativi,
siamo conosciuti come Italian-Americans; ma
conviviamo tra altri gruppi chiamati Irish-Americans,
African-Americans,
German-Americans,
AsianAmericans. Diciamo che abbiamo tutti la doppia
nazionalità. Anche i cosiddetti Indiani sono
correttamente chiamati Native-Americans.
Come
altri gruppi, gl’Italo-Americani si possono suddividere
in residenti con la green card, americani naturalizzati
e nativi americani. I tre gruppi godono tutti degli
stessi diritti con poche eccezioni. Per esempio quelli
con la green card non possono votare. Il che non si
può considerare un grande svantaggio, quando quasi
la metà di quelli che hanno il diritto di votare, non lo
fanno. I cittadini naturalizzati, come me, hanno il
diritto di votare; ma non possono essere eletti
presidente degli Stati Uniti. Non presenta un
problema però, ricevere l’incarico di ministri
dell’estero, essere eletti governatori di uno stato o
assumere qualunque altra posizione politica.
Ricordiamo bene Henry Kissinger e Madeline
Albright. E chi non conosce il vivace austriaco Arnold
Schwarzenegger, governatore della California?
Per un Cilentano, risiedere in America non e’ come
vivere in Germania o neanche a Milano. In Germania
ci sono i Tedeschi e poi ci sei tu diverso da loro. A
Milano ci sono i Milanesi e tu con quell’accento del
sud che proprio non riesci a nascondere. Qui poi gli
Americani amano tutto cio’ che e’ italiano: il nostro
accento, la nostra cucina, in nostro stile. Gli
americani vanno pazzi per l’Italia e non lo
Sogna-Summer 2007
nascondono. Quelli che sono stati in Italia, sono
ansiosi a ritornarci. Gl’Italiani in America sono
squisitamente diversi da gl’altri gruppi di origine
diversa, anche loro ricchi di cultura. In gran parte,
Gioiesi-Americani, immigranti o nativi prosperano e
contribuiscono alla diversità della cultura Americana.
Usando un Manzonismo, forse non siamo “ricchi e
doviziosi”; ma senz’altro, contenti e benestanti. In
America siamo veri americani; ma quando
c’incontratre in Italia non riferitici come Americani
perché sebbene Italo-Americani in America, siamo
orgogliosi di essere Italiani in Italia e nel mondo.
PS.: Qli Americani non sono unici ad amare l’Italia e
gl’Italiani. Durante un recente viaggio in Cina; ho
scoperto che i Cinesi vanno ugualmente pazzi per
noi, per il nostro stile e particolarmente per il calcio
Italiano. (Mi dispiace ma la cucina Italiana non gli
va!) Durante la Coppa del Mondo, alla fine della
partita tra l’Italia e l’Australia, gl’Australiani chiesero
che un telecronista sportivo del prestigioso canale
televisivo cinese CCTV5, fosse licenziato. Durante la
partita, il telecronista aveva esclamato apertamente
in televisione “Viva Italia”.
SCHITO: etimo indo-europeo=Quercia
ARTICOLO DI MICHELE RUGGIERO.
La chiesetta dedicata alla Madonna dello schito di
sicuro non contiene affreschi di Michelangelo e non è
paragonabile alle chiese che sorgono in paese, che
sono molto più belle, ma contiene senz'altro un'altra
dimensione della nostra cultura, una pagina
importante della vita popolare e religiosa di Gioi.
Questo toponimo, abbastanza diffuso anche in altre
località del territorio italiano, riflette una formazione
latina collettiva (aesculetum) "eschieto = bosco di
querce d'alto fusto". Deriva da aesculus, attraverso
"aferesi", passaggio del nesso -sc(u)l- in -schj-, e
metafonia del suffisso -etum. Si presume, quindi,
che la zona dove oggi sorge la chiesa, fosse
nell’antichità un florido bosco di querce. Il 2 giugno
è per tutti una giornata di festa che vuol dire fare un
tuffo nelle proprie radici, ricordare le proprie
leggende, partecipare a momenti intensi di religiosità
che è propria del nostro territorio, diversa dalle altre
funzioni religiose che, in un certo senso, sono
omologate, simili ad altre funzioni che si svolgono in
paesi
più
o
meno
vicini
al
nostro.
A questa chiesetta sono legati ricordi meravigliosi
della mia infanzia, spesso la festa dello schito
precedeva la fine della scuola e l'inizio della lunga
estate, quella giornata fuori dalle mura era un
momento di gioia, si partiva la mattina presto,
spesso a piedi, pranzo a sacco o consumato sul
posto. Le attività principali del paese si trasferivano
in campagna, si ritrovava, ma più in piccolo e dentro
una baracca, il bar, la pizzeria, l'alimentari, poco più
in la qualcuno preparava i giochi, il tiro alla fune, la
corsa con i sacchi e l'immancabile ed unico "Palo
della
cuccagna".
Le
donne,
principalmente,
preparavano la processione che simbolicamente
riaccompagnava la statuetta della Madonna nel luogo
del suo ritrovamento, poi si tornava indietro, in
discesa e via con la festa. La sera, rientrati a casa, si
era stanchi...ma felici ed anche se non se ne era
consapevoli allora...si era aggiunto un altro piccolo
mattone a quel grande muro che conteneva la
comunità.
Buon “Schito” a tutti.
CARTINA DI GIOI DEL 1700 E DEL 2000. La vostra casa esisteva nel 1700? La mia, no. Le strutture in
scuro esistevano nel 1700 ed esistono oggi. Quelle chiare sono state costruite dopo. Secondo lo storico
Francesco Volpe, nel 1700, Gioi aveva solo 300 abitanti; decimati per lo più dalla peste del 1648. Due secoli
secoli prima, però, nel 1500, c’erano 1500 Gioiesi. Questo significa che le poche strutture in scuro, non
contando le chiese, dovevano far casa ad una popolazione doppia di quella d’oggi. Possibilmente, alcuni
abitavano in campagna e non in paese. La peste non fu la sola calamita’ a decimare la popolazione. Altri
fattori furono, declino dell’attività economia, tasse eccessive, cambiamento climatico e altre malattie.
MAP OF GIOI IN THE 1700’S AND TODAY. Did your house exist in the 1700’s? Mine did not. The dark
structures existed in the 1700’s and are still standing today. The light structures are new. According the
historian Francesco Volpe; in the 1700’s, Gioi had a population of 300 people. However two centuries earlier,
before the plague of 1648, Gioi’s population was 1500. This means that the few dark structures, excluding
churches, at one time, must have housed twice the population of today. Perhaps, some of the people lived in
farm house and not in town. The plague was no the only calamity responsible for the population decimation.
Other factors included economic decline, climatic changes, excessive taxation and other illnesses.
NB. Nell’edizione di Settembre pubblicheremo I soprannomi Gioiesi. Se preferite che il vostro soprannome
non sia incluso; e’ importante che ce lo facciate sapere.
Come sempre VIVA GIOI!
Sogna-Summer 2007