Family Mafia Story

Last night, a friend of my son’s asked me to tell her our family mafia story.  It reminded me that I have never recorded it, so here it is.  My mother’s parents (Antonino Lucera and Josephine Zaby) are both from the village of Corleone, in Sicily, Italy.  It is located in the heart of mafia country, and is famous for where the mafia began, unfortunately.  When grandpa was a boy (as I was told by both my grandmother and my aunt), members of the mafia came to the family in Sicily with a proposition.  That being, the family either join their organization or lose their family farm to the mafia.  I don’t know how long they contemplated the decision, but I am told the “simply gave up the farm and moved to America”. How grateful I am for that simple decision and its lasting impact. The family made a lot sacrifices in order to do what was right. Grandpa Tony was trained as a craftsman in the making of fine leather saddles for horses.  I remember seeing one of his last saddles, with the extensive leather work and decorations he put into it.  Unfortunately for him, along came the car, which put him quickly out of business.  But he adjusted and became a repairman of leather shoes.  He ran a little shop in Inglewood, Los Angeles until his retirement.

LESSON LEARNED:  Each of our family histories contain little gems of provenance that help us appreciate the sacrifices of our ancestors.

FEEDBACK:  WHAT STORIES OF SACRIFICE DO YOU REMEMBER FROM YOUR ANCESTORS?