Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org

The Newsletter of the Filicudi Associates of Waltham, Massachusetts
_t VtÇÇt f|ÜxÇ
Volume IV Issue 2 Autumn 2006
UPCOMING EVENTS
ANNUAL
BANQUET & DANCE
November 4,
6:30 pm, Post 440,
Watertown
Please note that we have returned
the date of the Annual
Banquet & Dance to its traditional
place in the social calendar,
the first week of November,
which falls this year on
Saturday November 4th. We
have decided also to begin the
event a half hour earlier so that
dinner can be served at 7:30 pm
sharp. We offer a seven -course
dinner provided by Maria's Catering,
which is acclaimed in
the region. Italian/American
music for your dining and
dancing pleasure will be performed
by the nationally renowned,
Jack Alessi & his Orchestra.
Tickets are $50 per
person and must be purchased
at least 10 days before the
event, from Catherine Umina
whose mailing address is 160
Range Road, Concord MA,
01742. Tele 978-371-1840.
Email address:
cathy@filicudi.org. Proceeds
from the event, beyond expenses,
are donated by the society
to various charitable organi-
Santo Stefano di Filicudi
Family Picnic 2006
Listening to the saga of the martyr Santo Stefano ( photo by Tom Taranto)
by Cheryl (Sottile) Flynn
On Sunday, August 6 th , fellow Eolians, their families and descendents,
over 80 in number, gathered together on the grounds of the
Maristhill Nursing Home, 66 Newton St. in Waltham, for the Fourth
Annual Santo Stefano di Filicudi Festa and Family Picnic.
Guests of the picnic began to arrive just before 11:00 am carrying
coolers filled with Italian dishes, desserts and beverages. The
weather could not have been better, with clear skies, 75 degree temperatures
and a gentle breeze, and the setting of the Maristhill
grounds was superb with plenty of shade trees, picnic tables, easy
access to rest rooms and parking facilities, and ample room for
games, activities and, of course, socializing.
The day’s events began when Fr. Jack Mandile, SJ incensed the
(Picnic, Continued on page 6)

PAGE 2
Know Your Officers:
Maria Taranto/Mahon,
President, is a granddaughter
of Maria Picone of
Filicudi and Onofrio Taranto
of Alicudi, and daughter
of Gaetano "Tom" and
Rose Busceme Taranto of
Waltham. Born in 1941 and
raised in Holliston, Maria
graduated from Holliston
High School, Bennington
College and Columbia University with a Ph.D. in
Psychology. Before retiring she taught at Hofstra
U. and Nassau College in Long Island, NY, while
engaging in psychological research. In 1988 she
Jennifer "Jenny" Taranto,
Recording Secretary,
was born in 1976 in
Fayetteville, North Carolina
to Linda and Felice Taranto.
She is a granddaughter of
Giuseppe and Elena Taranto
of Pecorini, Filicudi and she
also has ancestors from
Alicudi. She graduated
from North Carolina State
University in 2000 with a
Batchelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering
and Management and is currently employed
as a project manager by Structure Tone
Patricia Rando, Treasurer,
was born in Chicago
IL in 1932 to Wilma and
Frederick Whalend. She is
married to Anthony Rando
whose mother and father,
from Pecorini, Filicudi,
were Angelina Giardina and
Giacomo "James" Rando,
an early member of the
Santo Stefano di Filicudi
Society and the Unione
Eoliana Society. Patricia
LA CANNA SIREN
VOLUME IV ISSUE 2
was married to John Curtis Mahon and moved to
MA. She has been a member of the Filicudi Associates
since 1990, organized and ran the first Eolian
Islands Heritage Day in 1999, oversaw the Heritage
Room display, and gathered information for and constructed
the souvenir booklet for the Gala in 2000,
was secretary of the association from 2000-2002 and
has been president since 2003. She also initiated the
celebration of an Annual Santo Stefano Picnic, and
cooperative ventures with the Waltham Museum,
The Waltham Historical Society, and The Museum
of Eolian Emigration on Salina, Eolian Islands, Italy.
She has been to the Eolian Islands seven times and
has had a long-standing love-affair with all things
Eolian. She is currently putting together a book of
memoirs of those who emigrated from the Eolian
Islands to the greater Boston area, and their descendants.
Inc. of Boston. Jennifer has had a long-standing
interest in family genealogy and in preserving the
Filicudi culture and heritage. She joined the Filicudi
Associates soon after relocating to Boston and has
been the Recording Secretary since 2004. Her interest
in heritage is so strong that after graduating
from college she traveled to Filicudi by herself to
experience the land of her ancestors first hand. She
returned last year with her husband, Tom Vitolo,
during their honeymoon. Jenny is carrying on a
massive genealogical search of Taranto families to
discover their interconnections and she is Chairperson
of the society's Genealogy Interest Group.
graduated from Morton High School in a suburb of
Chicago. She met Anthony in 1966 and they were
married in 1968. She accompanied Anthony and
his mother to Italy and Filicudi in 1968 and remembers
having to depart from the large boat from
Messina to a small row boat in order to land at the
port in Filicudi. She says that she enjoyed the trip
very much. Patricia spent most of her professional
life working with figures, first in a bank in Chicago,
then on the old UNIVAC computers, engaged as a
keyboard operator, punching in programs. She
joined the Filicudi Associates in 2002 and has been
its treasurer ever since.

VOLUME IV ISSUE 2
Catherine "Cathy" Umina,
Vice President, is a daughter
of Stefano Zagami of Filicudi
and Yolanda Iacono of Lipari.
She was born in 1949, grew up
in Waltham, MA, and graduated
from Waltham High in
1968. As a small child Cathy
visited and lived with her
grandparents in Lipari and began
to love the Eolian Islands.
She also lived in Australia for two years as a teenager.
She is married to John Umina, a descendant
of Filicudati grandparents, and they have four children.
After the children grew up, Cathy returned to
school to earn a teaching certificate in Early Childhood
Education and opened and operated a large
family daycare center in Concord. Cathy became
interested in the Filicudi society about ten years
Felix “Phil” Giardina
Correspondence Secretary,
the son of Felix Giardina and
Maria Picone of Rocca di
Ciavola and Il Porto,
Filicudi, was born in 1933
and raised in Waltham.
After graduating from
Waltham High School, he
got a Bachelor of Science
degree in Education from
Bridgewater State College and an MA in Communications
from Boston University. He worked for
the Waltham school district for 35 years, first as an
audio-visual teacher for the elementary grades, then
as Assistant Director of Audio Visual Technology
in charge of the 19 public elementary schools of
the district. He is married to Sheila Cronin of
Brockton and they have two children. Phil first got
involved in the society over 25 years ago when his
Maria Taranto, President;
Catherine Umina, Vice President;
Jennifer Taranto, Recording Secretary;
Felix Giardina, Correspondence Secretary;
Patricia Rando, Treasurer;
LA CANNA SIREN
2006 Officers
PAGE 3
ago, when she realized that many Filicudati who
came to this country were aging, and that it was up
to the next generation to keep the society going,
an experience which has given her a greater appreciation
for her heritage and for the people who left
the Islands for the well-being of their families. Being
involved is also her way of keeping in touch
with other descendents from the Eolian Islands,
Cathy organized and ran the Gala of 2000 and has
been Vice President since 2004. She has also organized
and supervised the Annual Benefit Dinner-Dance
since 2002, and is Chairperson of the
Membership and Admissions Committee. Cathy
organized, supervised and hosted two trips to the
Eolian Islands and Sicily, one for 52 people in
2004 and one for 25 people in 2006. Her greatest
loves are her family and traveling to Italy
cousin, the then president of the society, Felix
Giardina, invited him to join; so he began going to
the meetings in Hovey Hall. He soon became a
member of the board of directors and has remained
thus throughout his involvement in the society.
After his cousin passed away, Phil spent some time
as Acting President of the Filicudi Associates from
2000-2002. He has also served as Correspondence
Secretary for the society since 2004. He has a
great love of the Eolian Islands and of his heritage
and would like to see the society continue and interest
more members of the next generation. He
received the society’s President’s Award for Merit
in 2004. Phil has always had an interest in his family’s
past and the Eolian heritage from which he
descended. His grandfather, “Mastro” Felice
Giardina, was a stonemason on Filicudi and his
father, Felix Giardina, was one of the founding
members of the Santo Stefano di Filicudi Society
and of the Filicudi Society
Directors:
Anthony Rando, Roland Vanaria,
Steve Rando, Eleanor Vanaria,
Steve Pittorino and John Umina.

PAGE 4 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME IV ISSUE 2
Those Who Came This section is devoted to the memory of those who came to
America from the Eolian Islands. They taught us the values of hard work, devotion to
family, and caring for others even . .strangers. Feel free to contribute to this column.
Proud of my
Eolian heritage?
by Julie Rando Ranucci
Proud of my Eolian heritage?
How could I not be? My
grandfather, Stephen Rando,
who is still alive at 86, and
lives in Waltham, is one of the
"Good ol' boys from Filicudi."
Filicudi, his birth-place, and
what he refers to as the "Old
Country," is one of the seven
Eolian Islands clustered between
Naples and Sicily in the
Tyrrhenian Sea. It never ceases
to amaze me how at age 17, my
age now, my grandfather kissed
his mother good-bye and faced
the long arduous journey to
America. He still refers to
some of his surviving friends as
those “ he came over with on
the boat.” Imagine being all
alone sailing to this new, mysterious
land! I wonder if I
could have done that. But the
opportunities of America must
have been worth the sacrifice.
Yes, it was my grandfather
who sailed to America in 1921,
through New York Harbor,
viewing the Statue of Liberty
and facing the trials of the infamous
Ellis Island. All those
rooms, bedlam, and the confusion
of immigrants from all
over Europe speaking many
different languages and cautiously
eyeing each other. Even
at this point these immigrants
didn’t know if they would fail
the medical exams and possibly
have to return to their own
countries. But, thankfully, my
grandfather passed the exams.
And that was only the beginning.
He now faced a whole new
world without his family. But
with self-determination he
made his way through odd-jobs,
from digging “pick and shovel”
in the Newton cemetery to
working a farm in Woburn. My
grandfather recalls the Great
Depression and still bears the
mark on his back from carrying
the hod.
In the 1920’s my grandfather
married my grandmother,
Rose Giardina, and although
she was born here in America,
her father and mother were also
born in Filicudi.
Eventually, with encouragement
from my grandmother, my
grandfather, Stephen, developed
a successful landscaping
business. I am also proud to
admit that at times I have
helped him at his business.
The experience of coming
to know about my grandfather’s
life has developed in me a great
sense of appreciation for the
saga of the immigrant of all nationalities.
Today the Filicudi
Association is one of the more
prominent societies in Waltham
because of people like my
grandfather who took that brave
step to come here so many
years ago. I feel that I have inherited
that determination of
my grandfather and I am hopeful,
that with the opportunities
afforded me, I can be as successful
in my own life as he
was in his.
Proud of my Eolian heritage?
You bet that I am!
PLEASE SUPPORT
OCTOBER IS ITALIAN HERITAGE MONTH
PARTAKE OF THE MANY ITALIAN EVENTS IN OUR AREA.
www.ItalianHeritageMonth.com for event listings.

VOLUME IV ISSUE 2
Salina, the Second
Time Around
by Joy Mandile Wolber
Wally, my husband, our two
children and I first visited Salina,
the heart of the Eolian archipelago,
in July of 1983,
while he was a commissioned
officer, stationed at Sigonella in
Catania. Wally borrowed a car
and took us on the
ferry to Salina.
Summertime is
very hot there.
When we got off
the plane, at the
military base the
temperature was
104 degrees F and
stayed in the 90's
the entire time of
our visit. Airconditioning
was
unheard of, and I
thought "This is
an experience I do not want to
repeat."
In spite of the intensely hot
weather, however, as we approached
Salina, it brought
tears to my eyes, knowing that I
was the first grandchild ever to
go there. I had in my hand a
stack of photos and postcards
that my father, Joseph Mandile,
had given me, to see if I could
find anyone who knew my
grandparents. In Santa Marina
we came upon an old man, sitting
in a doorway, who scanned
the photos and postcards and
took out one, written to my
grandfather and signed by a
man named Antonio Ravisi.
The old man then sent us to the
bread store in Malfa where a
LA CANNA SIREN
lady who spoke English directed
us to 1 Via Fontana, a street behind
the church, and to the court
yard of 70 year old Bernardo
Ravisi. Bernardo looked at the
post card and to our delight, told
us that it was, in fact, his father,
Antonio Ravisi's signature. We
instantly bonded with the Ravisi's,
Bernardo, his wife and her
brother, who so kindly invited
us into their home, served us
biscotti and cider and talked
L to R: Jim Mandile, Mimi Mandile, Joy Mandile Wolber, Wally Wolber
with us about our search for
relatives in Salina.
Fast forward to Wednesday,
March 16, 2006 when my husband,
Wally, my brother,
Jimmy, who was celebrating his
birthday, his wife, Mimi, and I
landed in Rome. I wasn't eager
to come back after having felt
the heat of 1983, but I wanted to
be with Jimmy when he experienced
what I had felt seeing Salina
for the first time. We decided
to head south right away
to Messina and thought it would
be fun to take the train, but it
was a very long 7-hour trip.
When we finally arrived in
Messina we spent the night and
decided to stay the next morning
until its famous clock tower
PAGE 5
gave its concert. At noon,
every day, its mythical statues
are set in motion and play
music. Don't miss it if you
ever get to Messina! We then
rented a car big enough to
haul four adults and all our
luggage, and after stopping
briefly to visit the town
where Mimi's ancestors came
from, we headed off to Milazzo
where we caught a ferry
to Lipari.
Lipari is a beautiful
island. We settled
in for a couple
of days and while
there drove around
the entire island taking
lots of photos of
Salina in the distance
and visiting the ancient
dig-sites and
archeological museum.
It probably
appeared strange to
the natives, but feeling
compelled to
take "a piece of the land" of
our ancestors home with us,
we scooped up a few chunks
of pumice and lava rocks.
Early the next day, Sunday,
March 19, we got the
9am ferry to Salina and while
on board, learned about the
San Giuseppe Festival to be
held that day on Salina. After
arriving, it took us a while to
find the Hotel Signum where
we were to stay because it is
set back away from the road,
high up on the island, in a
quiet area, overlooking the
sea. The air smelled so beautiful
from all the lemon trees
covered with lemons. Once
we settled into the hotel, we
(Salina, Continued on page 6)

PAGE 6 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME IV ISSUE 2
Salina, (Continued from page 5)
walked to the church up very
steep roads and saw the procession
with some men carrying a
life-size statue of Saint Joseph
from the bottom to the top of the
hill, where they placed it in
front of the church. A couple
dressed up as Mary and Joseph
and a small boy representing
Jesus also walked in the procession,
as well as the town's people
who carried special foods
they had prepared just for the
occasion. Finally, when they
reached the church where tables
were set up, everyone gathered
to eat. After the ceremony we
went behind the church and
found 1 via Fontana where the
Ravisis had lived in 1983, but it
was now vacant and repainted.
We learned that the town is hoping
to make it into an herb/plant
museum because Salina is a
natural preserve, boasting more
plant varieties than the other
islands.
On Monday morning at
breakfast we met Clara Rametta,
who with her husband Michele
Carusso, owns the hotel, and she
took us to the town hall where
we found birth records for our
grandfather, Francesco Mandile,
born in 1878 and our grandmother,
Anna Sadoti, born in
1880; we found both in the same
book. Until that moment we
never even knew where our
grandmother was from. Later
that day Clara brought us to the
Museum of Eolian Emigration
and explained the history of
Salina and why people had to
leave the islands: the pumice
market was depressed and at the
same time, the filosera insect
devastated the grape crops. The
economy of the islands went
bust. We then left Clara and
visited the cemetery where we
discovered that Bernardo Ravisi
and his wife had died in 1985.
We recognized them by their
photos, placed in their headstones,
and felt so lucky that we
had met them in 1983.
When we visited Salina in
1983 it was so hot and dry that I
never wanted to return, but visiting
in March made all the difference,
so green and cool and
inviting. It was just perfect the
second time around! Next time
we will stay much, much
longer.
statue of Santo Stefano. The
faithful then joined in a procession
of the statue to celebrate a
mass held in the air-conditioned
chapel, located on the premises.
Father Mandile gave a lively
homily which was apropos to
the occasion upon which we
honor our patron saint, the first
Christian martyr, St. Stephen,
whose remains are believed to
have washed up onto the shores
of Filicudi sometime around the
5 th (Picnic, Continued from page 1)
century and now lie in repose
at the Church of San Lorenzo in
Rome. St. Stephen, one of the
first deacons of the church, was
selected to minister over displaced
persons in need of spiritual
guidance and charity.
The guests then enjoyed a
delicious feast featuring a variety
of Italian fare prepared by
individual families, who passed
around samples of such traditional
delights as homemade lasagna,
minestrone, eggplant parmesan,
chicken cutlets and
sfingi. Society members took
turns grilling hotdogs, hamburgers
and Italian sausages while,
replete with fluttering dollar
bills that the faithful had pinned
on it, the statue of Santo Stefano
stood watch.
After lunch a number of
contests engaged the children:
tossing beanbags through various
size openings, and foot
races. The highlight of the afternoon’s
events, however, was a
heroic tug-of-war between rivaling
teams of determined children,
and then, of the macho
adults. No doubt, fans will wait
anxiously for the outcome of
next year’s rematches! Winners
of all contests were awarded
ribbons and prizes.
We are most grateful to
Carolyn Fenn, Administrator of
Maristhill, to the custodians
who set up tables, chairs, etc
and attended to our needs that
day, to the Maristhill Nursing
Home for so generously
offering their beautiful setting
for our celebration, and to
Father Dennis Wheatley, OFM
for allowing us to park our cars
in the Sacred Heart Church
parking lot. A heartfelt thanks to
Al Bonica, our magnificent
picnic chairman; Fr. Jack
Mandile, our generous society
chaplain; Angela Aucoin, our
efficient and enthusiastic
organizer and director of games;
our tireless grill masters,
Stephen Bonica and Phil
Giardina; Tom Taranto and
Gregory Rando who took
photos, and others who so
kindly helped to bring us all
together again and make this
year’s Santo Stefano Filicudi
picnic an enjoyable and
memorable day.

VOLUME IV ISSUE 2
LA CANNA SIREN
PAGE 7
Twenty Five On Their Way to the Eolian Islands About to board and, pictured from left to right are:
Front row: Michael Albonese, Laura Albonese, John and Cathy Umina, Steve Picone, and Myles Fitzpatrick Back row: Robert Cappadona, Chris Cappadona,
Susan Keezer, Mark and Donna Albonese, Nancy and Richard Keezer, Yolanda and Stephen Zagami, Mary Jane and Gerald McGovern, Joan and Joe Benenati.
Not in the photo but on the trip: Richard and Isabelle Cusolito, Carolyn Tavares, Cynthia Cusolito, Nancy Breidenback and Yvonne McClinton.
Newsletter Staff
Editor: Maria Taranto
Assistant Editors:
John ‘Curt’ Mahon, Cheryl Sottile Flynn
Lay-out:
Tom Taranto
Photo Staff this issue:
Maria Taranto
Contributing Writers this issue:
Maria Taranto, Cheryl Sottile Flynn, Julie Rando
Ranucci, Joy Mandile Wolber, Trudy Buscemi Sottile
La Canna Siren is published twice a
year in the Spring (April/May) and in the
Fall (October/November)
Its purpose is to inform members and
friends of the recent past and future
activities of the society and to educate
members, their offspring and friends on
the history and traditional culture of the
Eolian people.
La Canna Siren c/o Maria Taranto
24 Trafton Road, Framingham, MA
01702
CUCINA EOLIANA
Fennel, a celery-looking vegetable with a fat bulb, dark green fern-like leaves and the taste of licorice, grows wild
throughout the Eolies. You see it along the roadside and in the fields. The natives pick it and cook with it as it is a delicious
ingredient in recipes for fish and soups. Below are a couple of ways fennel can be used to enhance cuisine.
Fennel and Orange Salad
4 blood oranges, or Florida juice oranges
1 bulb fennel
16 Sicilian oil-cured olives, pitted & sliced
virgin olive oil and 1 orange or lemon
Slice oranges in circles and arrange in a flat
plate or in individual flat dishes. Slice fennel
bulb in semi circular pieces. Arrange fennel
over orange slices. Scatter olives over salad
Drizzle with olive oil.
Squeeze juice of one orange or lemon over
salad..
Zupa di Lenticchia Col Riso ( Lentil Soup with Rice)
1 large onion
1 T basil chopped
1 tsp fennel seed
1 1/2 cups lentils (uncooked, washed & drained)
3-4 carrots, chopped small
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 bulb fennel (bulb and greens), chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
3/4 cup Swiss chard, chopped
3/4 cups rice (cooked)
Directions to cook:
Sauté onion in 2 T olive oil in large pot over medium high heat until golden, stirring often. Lower heat.
Add chopped basil, fennel seed and lentils Sauté 3 -4 more minutes. Add chopped celery, fennel,
broccoli and carrots. Sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, lower heat
and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until lentils are soft and vegetables are tender and soup is thickened.
When soup is almost done, add the chopped greens and cook 10 minutes until tender. In the last 20
minutes add 1/2 cup rice to one cup of water and cook 20 minutes until done. Add to the soup just
before serving. Pass grated parmesan cheese for the top. You may add more or less rice depending on
how much broth you like in the soup. (NB. this recipe has been modified by Trudy Sottile by using
one third lentil, one third, yellow pea and one third split green pea instead of all lentil. Cook the same
as above. Also macaroni or brown rice may be substituted for the white rice.)
Submitted by Trudy Buscemi Sottile
Our Deceased Members and Friends
OBITUARIES: May - September 2006
Felix Bonica, May 18, at age 68 Bloomfield NJ
Rose Lucia Russo June 8, at age 89 Waltham, MA
Joseph M. Bonica June 25, at age 82, Waltham, MA
Beatrice (Ianucci) Defina, June 28, at age 83 Wayland, MA
Carmela G. Santolucito, July 13, at age 76, Waltham, MA
Mary (Taranto) Zanco, July 18 at age 76, Burlington, MA
Nancy J. Taranto, July 22 at age 73, Waltham, MA
Rose (Rando) Zeno, September 1, at age 74, Natick, MA
Nora (Connell) Russo, September 24, at age 85, Waltham, MA

PLEASE PAY DUES FOR 2007 BEFORE YOU PUT THIS NEWSLETTER AWAY
We need your financial contributions to the society so that we can continue to bring you
more of the events that we have all enjoyed in the past: The Santo Stefano Picnic, Heritage
Day, Sicilian films, lectures and slide shows, and cooking workshops, as well as our
Annual Banquet & Dance, seasonal socials and the bi-annual newsletter.
Please join or donate now
Individual membership $10 a person per year.
Family membership (A couple and children under 18 years of age) $25 a family per year.
Life membership (must be over 65 years of age) $50 a person for lifetime.
Donations: Any amount you wish.
Ads for the newsletter: $10 per issue.
Please contact
For membership: Cathy Umina, Membership Chair
160 Range Road, Concord, MA 01742
For donations: Patricia Rando, Treasurer
132 Bright Street, Waltham, MA 02453
For ads: Maria Taranto, Editor, La Canna Siren,
24 Trafton Road, Framingham, MA 01702
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FILICUDI
ASSOCIATES OF WALTHAM,
MASSACHUSETTS
℅ Maria Taranto, President,
24 Trafton Road
Framingham, MA. 01702.
We’re on the Web
Http://www.filicudi.org