Provincia di Avellino, Region of Campania

(Nonni and Babbo)

Nonni was born in Caposele, Provincia di Avellino, Region of Campania. Giovanni Pasconé was born in Trevico, Italy in October, 1875. At the age of 17, Giovanni, my grandfather, traveled to Naples, Italy and booked passage to America. He arrived in New York City sometime in 1892. He did not speak English and after being processed with hundreds of other immigrants, made his way to Newark, New Jersey, where he had family and friends. He started out selling fruits and vegetables from a push-cart. Through friends in the Italian community, who all worshipped at St. Gerards Catholic church, he met and married our grandmother, Florence Grillo. They opened and operated a grocery/chicken market and raised eight children, Gerard, Patrick, Grace, Josephine, Anna, Ella, Mildred and our mother, Geraldine. Caposele is the site of Sanctuario di St. Gerard, the patron saint of pregnant women and women who wish to get pregnant. Approximately one million young women visit and worship each year at the shrine of St. Gerard.

In 2012, my brother Michael, his daughter Sara and my husband, Bob Stanley and I, visited the birthplace of our grandparents. It was a very emotional and enlightening experience for my brother and me, as well as for Sara to visit the birthplace of her great-grandparents and our grandparents. These small Italian towns were very isolated from mainstream communications in the late 19th century. We are so grateful that our grandparents, Giovanni and Florence Pasconé, had the courage to make the arduous journey to America. Florence Pasconé handed down her recipes to her children and as her granddaughter, I wish to share them with you in honor of our grandparents, Giovanni & Florence Pasconé.   

Mangia! Mangia! 

 Judi Stanley, Your Host