The Joys of Growing Up Italian

[@terridalessandro3412]

i am first generation and never took it for granted. my grandmother lived with us and we had fresh made pizza, pasta, bake goods, and my dad had a small butcher store. miss those days i am 75 now

[@NardeBanks]

Oh, how wonderful the memories are and listening I was able to relive so many of them simply by listening ❤ Thank you Storyteller Jack Bogut

[@johnrossi8164]

Oh how I cried when he talked about losing the grandparents. Amazing people they were.

[@locutus1126]

i love watching this, it brings back so many memories. My parents came from Italy in 1956, I was born in 68 and we grew up this way. Every dinner was a 3 course meal with something fresh baked for desert. First time I ate dinner at a friends house, we had pasta. When done the pasta, I asked where is the rest of the food but they just had pasta. We would have followed it with a steak or roast and homemade sausage and peppers. We had a huge garden, always fresh salad from June till basically November and if lucky, December. My dad had a science of putting the leaves on and off the endive and radicchio to maintain the plant. People now would get some expensive indoor green house. Not Italians, give them some good dirt and they will make the best tomatoes, lettuce and beans. We had fruit trees as well and in the fall, every weekend we were canning. I don't know how my mom did it but every morning she got up, put her apron on and took care of the house all day. I never appreciated back then but now I do and my friends always tell me now how they loved coming to my house back then as we always had something good to eat or my dad would bring out the gallon of homemade wine. Good memories that I hold dearly forever.

[@chloejanes9739]

Lisa Oh, my. I closed my eyes and was back in my childhood home. I could almost smell the meatballs. Every Sunday after Mass we would stop at a neighborhood Italian bakery for two loaves of Italian bread, still warm from the oven. One loaf was passed around in the car so each of us could rip off a chunk to eat on the way home. The other loaf was for dunking in the pot of "gravy". College care packages were filled with provolone, salami, figs and Mama's cookies. When the package was delivered, it was followed by friends who would follow the smell to our dorm rooms. My children were lucky enough to grow up with grandparents close by. Now they live close to us, their children always willing to listen to our stories. Our families are smaller now and cousins scattered but we manage to stay close. My sister and I still bake cookies every Christmas and are now joined by my granddaughter. She called a few days ago asking for my recipe for pasta fazool. It warmed my heart.

[@frankpistilli2837]

Can't thank you enough for this beautiful "cupina" of my childhood. As my mom would say, I had a "good cry" - probably the best cry I've had in a generation.

[@317stitches2]

Every Sunday growing up we had some type of pasta and there was always family or friends over for dinner.I was always so proud of my family and all of my friends loved coming to our home for dinner.The wonderful smells throughout the house was amazing.When my grandmother was alive she spent so much of her time in the kitchen cooking.I have four kids and I can't imagine what it would be like cooking for a family of twelve like Gramma and not including all of us Grand kids.Everything was fresh.No jar sauce.All the men can cook too! My dad's sauce is the best to us.When I cook my Italian sauce I open the windows and turn on the fan.I let the neighborhood smell all the wonderfulness! Oh it smells so good and every Sunday you have to unbuckle your pants after you ate.Most of the older Italians in my family have passed away.I'm so thankful that I grew up in an Italian-American family.Love my Sicilian family.

[@spideraxis]

Oh, how I loved this. I came from a big Italian family in New York and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Feel so bad for children growing up today who will never know the joy, love, warmth, camaraderie, food, sentimentality and traditions of the days when we really were ITALIAN.

[@jrf3364]

I love my memories, and we are still making memories today with our children and grandchildren..

[@DianeBalch]

This made me cry too. I grew up next door to my first cousins and my father's mother. My mother's family was only a short drive away. We had the biggest parties... and everyone there was related. And the food... we never ran out but we did move on.

[@josephleehooker5256]

Thank you ! I am an Italian ! I am proud my beautiful mother was full Italian .In my heart I know nothing In life came close to my Grandmom Galasso's Spagetti and sauce . Her salad like desert . Every Sunday we all ate in the basement of my grandparents house . All my Uncles and Aunts ,cousins , brothers,sisters . Wow! Thank you for this video . This was my childhood .This video Tells the story exactly as it was . my grandfather Pasquale would smile and give a toast with a glass of his homemade red wine . Yeah it was and is great to be Italian . My God this is sad but beautiful!

[@mark1952able]

Without doubt. Italians have an empathetic, passionate vibe that many other cultures have.

[@esbengulliksen5039]

My grandfather left Sicily when he was 14 to start a new life, and that, he did. He was a great man who took pride in being Italian and influenced his children and their children. R.I.P Antonio Fergusoni Aparo.

[@windhoverful]

Thank you, John, for paying tribute to Italian-American culture. Sometimes the modern world feels sterile compared to the fecundity I experienced in the past. I ache with nostalgia for a lost way of life.

[@nancybatt]

This brought back so many memories of people, times and traditions that I miss so much. This is exactly how it was and how lucky we were to grow up like this. Brought tears to my eyes.

[@dominickdecarlo3889]

How true the story is; brings back many fond memories, lived in the same home with my Grandparents and always had cousins/aunts and uncles visiting us down stairs before they ventured up the stairs to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

[@brugallu]

Bravissimo John! This made me smile and even cry a little. "The good ole days".. thanks for the trip down memory lane...

[@rosemariedifilippo7612]

I saw this video on Christmas Day and it truly brought tears to my eyes....filled my heart and soul with wonderful memories. No, Lawrence Cavallo, this didn't have to be voice by a Brooklynite, this man is from Pittsburgh and has the voice of a trained announcer....I can tell this from the Cathedral of Learning from the University of Pittsburgh and the Italian Social Club's sign from New Castle. He is just as Italian American as any person from Brooklyn (not to put down those wonderful people.) Thank you, Mr. Fusco, for this amazing tribute to growing up Italian....I live in New Jersey in a town filled with "medeguns" and so appreciate your video.

[@SuperBelle51]

This video reminds me of my young days...and how true it is. It's a must see. I really miss those days, especially big family gatherings..

[@tdepeola]

It brings a tear to my eye every time I watch. Thank you

[@doryaful]

So lovely, my dad did all of the cooking and Sundays were the best. I miss my family. Thank you for this lovely video.

[@tilliepizzella4299]

Thank you for the memories. It seemed like yesterday, boy how time flies. I'm so very happy to have grown up in that era. We had a very large family & today we are down to a very few. So sad, the closeness of family just is not the same.

[@daniellevaccaro74]

Thank you Jeanette Dobrolovich- McQuade !This really brought back memories and a tear to my eye. It made me miss my grandparents THE GLUE that held our family together. We had all the same things shown in the video. Even the peddlers ! By the time the 1970’s/80's came around they were beginning to die out.We had a guy Mike, he was the fruit and vegetable guy he drove around in a converted to schoolbus. We loved when Mike showed up because every time we went downstairs to buy something from him he would throw in a pie !He would say to my mother, "here, here take it ! The kids will eat it ! Take ! Take !" My dad always had a garden and back in the day he even had the fig trees,the peach trees , the grapes as well as the basil, tomatoes, garlic eggplant, zucchini.He still has a garden but a much smaller one. Sundays at my grandparents house were crazy !How we fit 30 to 40 people in a small apartment I will never know. I remember as a kid completely emptying out my grandmothers living room putting every stick of furniture in her bedroom on top of the bed and in the corners just that we would have room to put the tables and chairs up so everybody could sit and eat. At least the grownups got to sit at that table we had to sit in the kitchen at the kids table ! BUT WE DID IT !And we did it every Sunday and look forward to going.My grandmother was one of 13 children and my grandfather was one of 18 children I have countless amount of cousins. But we were all like brothers and sisters.And the same six names were circulated throughout the family. Salvatore, Anthony, Maria, Theresa, Michael and Rose.And just like in the video our Sunday meals were exactly the same. The food just never stopped coming it was salads, antipastos, pasta dishes, roast meats vegetables, cakes, pies, cookies, cannoli, pastries it never stopped ! We would eat until we couldn't move anymore. AND THAT WAS JUST A SUNDAY MEAL !For holidays it was even more ! Christmas was literally a two day event.We had everything mentioned above on a Sunday meal....... PLUS The seven fishes on Christmas Eve, Baccalà salad, and StruffoliIt really does make me sad that my cousins have moved so far away and I only get to see or hear from them through Facebook not even on the phone anymore.And what makes me even sadder is that my children will never know what it was like growing up this way. I show my kids videos like this and old family photos and Home movies. But they just don't seem to get it. I loved growing up Italian.

[@joangillespie7488]

Loved this. As it did with others, it brought back so many wonderful memories. I treasure my childhood in my Italian family.

[@joes3591]

I grew up in Revere Massachusetts, a 2nd generation American, and proud of it. This video applies to any ethnicity that emigrated to the US and assimilated. Toward the end, the narrator goes into how the natural assimilation SHOULD occur, and in fact did occur for me, the elders not born here are Italian-Italians, their children (my parents) are Italian-Americans, I am an American-Italian, and the next generation is American-American. But, many of the things in this video are true and happened just as depicted. I was the first of my line to graduate college, had a great career in the military, and blessed, all because my grandparents had the courage and determination to emigrate to the USA. Thankful, blessed and living in Colorado.

[@jamclarks]

This is how I remember things when I was very young, and yes miss it all so much, but as you say the memories are there forever!

[@jrf3364]

Said very well; we are all proud of our Italian heritage...

[@sofiaroma]

OMG!!!This video is great!!Towards the end I cried watching it,all so true,so nostalgic.

[@LindaArace]

Thank you for putting into words the memories and experiences that so many of us have had. I could relate to everything you said. You've explained it all so perfectly. As I listened I could see my family at those gatherings and hear the broken English words. This video touched my heart and put me back into my beloved grandmother's kitchen. I could even imagine smelling my grandfather's pipe. Thank you.

[@normantfamily]

This is a great compilation video. I am a 3rd generation Italian and I long for the days of my early years, spent with all my cousins and my great grandparents...in the gardens, at reunions, holidays. I tried to keep the traditions alive as I got older, but it's just not the same.

[@condorseven7968]

Wonderful! Thank you! Brought a tear to this old Paisan's eye!

[@micheledillon6071]

This is such a beautiful video and so captures my life growing up in New Jersey. I can watch this over and over and over and it still has the same effect....makes me happy and so nostalgic. Thank you for painting this beautiful beautiful portrait of a simpler special time!

[@tonymonicavideo]

Great video,enjoyed every moment.Wonderful to see someone to tell the story just for the joy of it.

[@patricadyson778]

I love my grandparents they lived with us.It was nice getting spoiled.

[@donnanuce]

Brought back wonderful memories of the Grandparents! Thank you so much!

[@jrf3364]

Joys of growing up Italian...what a life; I love it

[@mark1952able]

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE: ITALIANS AND THOSE WHO WISH THEY WERE!!!

[@maritay96284]

This was absolutely amazing! I enjoyed all the beautiful memories Mr Fusco has. I absorbed the safety he'd had growing up with his grandparents, the love of family, the feasts and celebrations, the humonguos amount of women, men and children. How I loved the feelings he descibed between all around each other! Then, as I imagine what he must have felt when not only his grandparents passed on, but his own father as well, I actually felt some of his pain, trying not to break down and cry!! Having gotten so involved in reading this, I saw that even if not shown today, we all deep down wish for the neverending love, security, and comfort that having such a beautifully large numbers of living multi-generations nearby to entertain, teach, guide to how living a full life doing the right things can and is beautiful.

[@HFOTVolunteer]

WOW John, you hit this video right to the heart. Well done, thanks!

[@katiek4538]

Love this! And I was surprised when I started watching to realize it was filmed in New Castle, PA, which is where I grew up! :) Sad, though, that the story has been much the same for my family after my grandparents passed.

[@screwpuppies]

I just relived my life through this video.. Wow. I'm at a loss for words. The parallels of my life, to this video, especially after the passing of my Grandparents, and how our extended family structure altered, is astounding. Thank you for this wonderful video, and the most incredible memories it brought out.

[@carolbenson6524]

When I get sad I watch your video that brings back happy memories.

[@mark1952able]

CARRY ON THE TRADITION!!!!

[@johnnydee9799]

Between the grins and giggles, I have to hold back my tears. Though the story is not a perfect fit for my upbringing in Brooklyn, I do so relate to the spirit and hold on similar memories. Thank you. Thanks to my daughter and her friend for sharing your video with me….Happy Holidays in 2012.

[@Ron_Merk_Presents]

I have been working on a project about our "lost Newark neighborhood-Roseville" and this piece really touched a tender memory of mine, and evoked a certain sadness about those "good old days" now unfortunate just a memory. I would love to talk to the man who wrote this truly wonderful narration. It's a great piece of writing.

[@MinisterJodiLoDolce]

I love this - reminds me of my youth!!! My grandparents that came here from the boat. I miss the smell of her homemade pasta and bread. I miss hearing people talk in Italian - I always thought they were yelling but they weren't they just spoke with passion!!!! I hated the grapes overhead because the bees liked those vines as much as my grandparents. This was my life - the whole explanation!!!! LOVE THIS!!!!! Thumbs up!!!!!!!!

[@TeamBlackButlerzPro]

My grandmother, great grandmother and so forth were all Italian. But my great grandmother brought my grandma to Argentina and ruined the long Italian line. I never got the chance to meet my grandmother or great grandmother, but I've always felt a pull to Italy. The love of the food, culture, music and heritage. When I found out of my Italian bloodlines it made me happy beyond belief, I hope to move to Italy one day, and hopefully raise my children there.

[@nancylogan8821]

It also made me cry to realize that so much of our past is lost. We had a wealth that our children and grandchildren will never have or experience. Not materialistic wealth, but a closeness of family, love and numerous memories that can never be replaced. We may have more now, but a lot less of family tradition to hang on to. We were very fortunate and life was more simple. Thanks for the memories.

[@TOMMYDM12]

I will now do everything not only to bring back the memory of those days but I will start having those days again for my daughters. To have as memories. Thanks for the push those days are always in my heart

[@valariebeck9849]

mamma and Papa would love this video. thank you for resurrecting such ancient traditions that have slowly slipped through the finger of these newer generations.

[@stephenaugello8274]

How beautiful. To see all of the wonderful things we had. Our family and the traditions are leaving us ever so slowly. And to have family and friends that have some from the same part of the world to give their children a better life. Thanks cousin Sal C. you are the best. Always remembering to keep out traditions alive.God Bless and Cousin Rose Ann.

[@MDzVQPln]

My dear friend, I will keep coming back to this segment, and it will ALWAYS be one of my favorites ...of all your live narrations!! The way you do this, no one could ever do anywhere near with your finesse .. Thanks from the bottom of my heart, Jack Bogut, for every time I listen to this wonderful piece, you bring back the most wonderful and beautiful memories :D

[@roccofasulo6096]

Man does that remind me of the days I was growing up..What the hell happened. Do I miss the Sunday's & Holidays. Very well documented.Thant You

[@johnzammit3711]

Very well documented..... This video brought back a lot of fond memories of my childhood growing up on the islands of Malta / Gozo, with my parents and grand parents. Since Malta / Gozo is only 60 miles away from the southern tip of Italy our cultures and traditions are almost the same. Feel very fortunate to have grown up in that era. Thanks for the memories.

[@jundanj2]

This brought back so many wonderful memories....I miss it so much!

[@vinceorlando3445]

You know I haven't had good cry nostalgic tears and tears of joy .I can't thankyou enough for this segment ❤ thankyou.😢

[@joromeyers1]

How true. I still try to follow the traditions. Have taught my daughters our traditions. This is one terrific video. Thanks for the memories

[@heatherbfeathers]

I am the 4th generation and 50% and this still hits home. I couldn't stop crying. We were the 1st family to leave the neighborhood where my Grandparents lived to move to the suburbs of Chicago and I remember always going to Grans, then walking to this ones, then that ones and I always wanted to live there because my family was there. One by one they all left anyways and now we all live so far away. I miss the yard with the garlic and the grapes that never really took, and Grandma & Grandpa

[@morningdove20]

You brought me 'home' again. And although tears of missing them so, and missing the way We were, flooded my eyes, I want to 'thank You' for this. God knows that I NEVER thought of it Ever ending. But it did, and Nothing has been the same, ever since. God I Miss Each One of them. And, I was abundantly "Blessed."

[@MrsCalabresesTeachingChannel]

I was just asking my husband, how did our parents do those Sunday meals EVERY week? Now we just run around and work. I really would like, however, to get back to our roots, Sunday meals. And oh that food! YUM!! I do still cook, and so do my sisters, so that's good. Thank you!

[@StudioCPhotography]

YES YES YES, this is what it was like, much more so for my Mom, but I had a lot of these blessings and riches, too. A LA FAMIGLIA! SALUTE!

[@mark1952able]

I SAY. GIVE A THUMBS UP FOR SUCH A GREAT VIDEO

[@jam6255]

Love and will never get the wonderful life I had growing up in NY in the 50's. XX Janice

[@tonyFortuna-i1b]

That is so true I will never every forget growing as a Italian.I love every minute of it and always remember. How it used to me but never will every me like that again.

[@tpasenelli]

What an amazing video..thank you so much for touching my heart today.

[@buddaman1260]

You had me in tears cause its all so true of my family

[@VWC318]

Excellent video! Very true yet very sad! Have we lost our Italian Heritage? Thanks for posting.

[@jrf3364]

I am happy that you enjoyed this and allowed you to remember good times

[@JSG1951]

Thank you for a wonderful video.I see a lot of similarities in my family and this video.God Bless!!

[@elainedinola9263]

Love this💞

[@ConcertKing]

I'm from Montreal, and we have a huge Italian community here. I try to pass down the values and the heritage of my parents to my children. I still grow a decent sized garden in my backyard and have my kids take part of the summer gardening, watering and harvesting. I hope they can pass this to their children the same way my parents passed it to me and cherish the same moments I have with them. Excellent video and narration, Viva Italia!

[@LdyJedi]

When I introduced my (now-ex) husband to the family, it was at a small family gathering of 70. We have never made a distinction between 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th cousins. They are all my cousins.

[@anniestorti5069]

THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL!..boy can I relate... been there done that miss it all.. i still try to share my growing up with my grandparents and my mom living with me.. but ..you are right... no one has the time or the appetite to enjoy...LIFE!...God Bless you John

[@patriciaricca2981]

Being an American-Italian, this video, as my cousin puts it, really hits the spot! It's all so true. I love it.

[@mariannecapozzoli7139]

I loved the memories. God those were the days! Thank you Vincent.

[@AldimarVideo]

Fantastic. I too am a second generation Italian and became a dual citizen of Italy and the USA. I am proud of both. Being a videographer I have produced several travelogues and documentaries about Italy and my ancestral town of Corfinio, or in ancient times known as Corfinium. Thank you for a fine presentation on our heritage ... and respect. I remember my grandmother rolling out the pasta to make into spaghetti and my grandfather making wine.

[@Olizimm]

Questo video seppure bello,rappresenta solo una piccolissima parte di ciò che significa "essere" italiani. Noi italiani non siamo migliori di altri,no. Ma siamo diversi,particolari. Ed è inutile tentare di imitarci. La nostra è una cultura che affonda nei secoli dei secoli; l'amore per il cibo è superato solamente dall'amore per la famiglia e nella famiglia la Mamma è la divinità assoluta. E' lei che ci trasmette tutto ciò che noi saremo. Diceva un filosofo: "Noi siamo ciò che mangiamo". W L'Italia e W gli Italoamericani.

[@joyrussell1974]

OOOOOOOOOOOOh just beautiful and I never get tired watching this, It reminded me of uncle Henry and Uncle Joe who came from Italy also and he is very hard working person and love his big family... But it very nice respond i feel home lol

[@Holidaydecoratorguy]

How inspiring and yet sad at the same time.....this is exactly how it was and will never be the same again. What a treasure to have grown up in that era. God bless.

[@spideraxis]

I haven't cried watching a video as I did with this one. Oh, the joy of coming from an Italian family. It's why they got ahead in America, they had strong family values and helped each other...didn't depend upon government or feel they were owed something.

[@chriskrichie566]

Wow. I feel that little bit of saddness. My big extended family is going through that same seperation right now. When I was little every holiday ment we would all be together. But as the family gets bigger. We also become smaller. Only seeing eachother for weddings and funeral. I'm glad I had the childhood I did.

[@TheWaldo01]

Wow, touched home. Just got back from a trip to NYC with my family. I showed them the neighborhood and we searched for good old Italian food. Yes, that time may be gone but we can pass down the traditions and explain the meaning. I have and I am proud to say my two boys share my proud feeling of being Italian. All I can say is be proud, keep the tradition and pass it down

[@nickiamaio9034]

This guy gives a great synopsis of our Italian family

[@thehumancat777]

Miss you Nana. It's one thing to die for someone, but you woke up everyday for 70's years and worked your hands to the bone to give us what you called a better life. But looking back, the days we had with you were the best of all. I love you.

[@jamclarks]

When I grew up holidays were spent with all of us together! And there was many generations!

[@16102tonij]

Johnny enjoyed the video thanks for sharing. Been to Italy twice to Camigliano, Caserta, Italy the homeland of my grandfather DiBernardo wld love to live there one day. Made me think of the good old days that we will never have again it was the best time of our lives and we didn't realize it....loved the old picture of your family.

[@louisviscusi]

wow, great stuff. still doing some of this to try and keep it going.

[@courtfam2524]

Simply Beautiful! Thats the way it was!

[@CandyLangan]

What I miss most is the "everybody". My entire family lived within several blocks of each other. I saw everyone everyday! We not only lived together but we certainly ate together especially every Sunday. I still try to keep the holiday tradition of togetherness so that not only my children but even my grandchildren value "family"

[@teomeo5235]

This is a nice story.you make me think at my youth. In the 70/80 ... With the vegetables garden and all

[@jrf3364]

Thank you and I am glad that I could bring back a few good memories

[@tarotbear]

Gee! It reminds me of growing up Italian in Waterbury, CT, even though we lived in the South End - which was considered the 'French' section of town!

[@6672rock]

What can I say about this wonderful video that hasn't been said already? It's true that certain traditions get lost with each passing generation. Case in point -- the Christmas Eve 7 fishes dinner. Now that my grandparents are gone, the only one keeping that tradition alive is my sister. The rest of the family kind of splintered apart, and a lot of them moved to other states. Holidays just don't have the same magic to me anymore. The things I used to look forward to as a kid just don't exist anymore. I can't even remember the last time I ate pasta that was homemade instead of dumped out of a Barilla box into a pot of hot water. How I would love to go back in time to taste my grandmother's homemade gnocchi or cavatelli pasta, or her homemade tomato gravy with all kinds of meat in it! My maternal grandmother used to make white linguine with oil, garlic and fresh parsley that was to die for! Put some cooked cannellini beans on top, and I thought I was in Heaven! I miss those times, those traditions, and the people that went with it all. Why do so many good and wholesome things have to get ripped away from us? How does it make us better and stronger people when the things and people we love aren't there anymore? What on God's green earth is it all for? What's the reasoning behind us having to endure all this loss and sadness? It's just madness! I'd like to think Jesus will make good on His promise and come back soon to right all the wrongs and restore all that is good, because it'll drive me batshit crazy to think all we have to look forward to is this cesspool of death, disease and destruction that this world is fast turning into. I await the second coming and the resurrection of all the people I've loved and lost, and maybe those old traditions will have new life breathed into them as well! At least I have those wonderful memories to sustain me in this life and counter-balance all the crap that's going on in this world. God bless all Americans of Italian extraction who are trying their best to keep passing those old traditions to successive generations. You're making your ancestors proud, and in a way, keeping a piece of them alive as well.

[@George-rb6bv]

Thank you for some wonderful, heartwarming insight about your Italian family, the love, traditions, food, etc. I am a Portuguese Canadian, and I was able to relate to all of what you talked about as the Portuguese and Italian people are so culturally similar almost point for point! We use to do the 7 fishes dinner too on Christmas Eve. For us Portuguese it's all about God, family, love, and FOOD! And I love Italian food by the way! The Portuguese are experts at cooking fish and seafood dishes and stews i.e., Bacala is King of course (prepared 101 different ways), Crab, Lobster, Octopus, Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, Scallops, Eel (Anguia), Calamari (Lulas), Hake (Pescada), Grouper I really miss all of those huge family gatherings/traditions - my heart so longs to have those days back again. The world today has really gone to shit. That magic of growing up in the 70s is gone! I feel so fortunate to have known both sets of grandparents, and all of my Aunt's, Uncles, Cousins, and even other extended family. What a blessed time that was. In the grand scheme of things, in those days it was all about "FAMILY, LOVE AND TOGETHERNESS"! On regular Friday and Saturday nights, q whole bunch of us would cozy up in the living room sofas and floor shag carpets and watch a really movie i.e., the Ten Commandments, It's a Wonderful Life, The Godfather, The Sound of Music, The Great Escape, et., etc. Nona would bake cakes, cookies, and make fruit juices, and wine and coffee for the older men. Just all being there together in the dimly lit living room, with a raging winter blizzard outside, the warm fireplace on, all of us laughing, the older men telling stories from back home, just enjoying one another's company, was the epitome of love and happiness - no amount of money can buy a contentment and peace of mind like that. It was PURE BLISS! Nowadays, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing compares to that. If I think too much about it I break down and weep. Nothing is the same anymore. Many of those beloved relatives have since passed away, and everyone else is mostly estranged from one another. It feels like all changed in the blink of an eye. Most of my best friends growing up were Italian, and I always felt right at home being around them and their families. I even learned a fair amount of Italian just from being around them. Well it certainly was a big help that I am fluent in Portuguese as the two languages, apart from maybe the accent, share much vocabulary, grammar and structure. However, there are many Italian dialects whose accents resemble Portuguese quite a lot i.e., Napolitano, Genovese, Calabrese, etc.). I feel stuck in past. The past warms my heart, but at the same time I not allowing myself to be fully present. I do have much to be thankful for, and quite a bit not to be too happy about either. My mom is in palliative care for lung cancer. I was diagnosed with MS in 2018. I had a special treatment in Moscow 3 years ago which basically stopped the disease progression. As such, I am still walking, albeit with a cane. With a a tremendous amount of physical therapy for my legs i.e., swimming, much walking, etc., I may be able to recover most of what I lost, but it is so hard to get motivated especially in the winter. I may buy a treadmill to use in the basement during the winter. I do have a stationary bike which is pretty good too. And I do go for walks, and to appointments, stores sometimes where I use the shopping cart as a walker. It's a big help. Still, it's very depressing to not be able to walk like I use to before the onset of the MS. I had to stop teaching too because of the MS - it started getting dangerous for me on the stairs. Teaching online from home is an option, but the social aspect of working with other people is important for my mental health. Being stuck at home for a prolonged period of time is very frustrating and demoralizing. Being around others is good for me. /well, maybe God will open another door for me. Anyway, sorry for going off on a tangent. Thank your for reading. God Bless!

[@ricoman50]

Sounds like my family history. I often lament how I miss the big holiday feasts when all the family and close friends got together. So true, always had lasagna before the turkey or ham.

[@Brancato8]

yep he said it so well, most all of them have gone on now and I feel that it is a blessing for they are turning over in their graves to see what this country has turned out to become form the bottom to the top they did not leave their homelands to build here to see it all go down the drain. May we recover and live once again as they have taught us. Resto nella pace ciascuno ed ognuno di voi, invio il mio amore

[@rosaliefalcone1724]

What nice memories, love it!

[@Nulltank]

Italian culture seems so nice. Great video by the way.

[@zeedorotee3]

Bring it all back! We need more Italian culture...it's never too late...just do it! Ciao....

[@catherinedecarlo691]

This is like my family also. I'm 3rd generation. I've also noticed we different than your typical American and are owned culture. Lots of time I fill still a outsider. Hu! We just keep a're values. Thanks for your memories. Samuel Decarlo in L.A.

[@nickdecarlo4422]

There no one thing that split the family up but since my grandma passed and now my aunt Chris l feel disconnected and on my own.

[@jrf3364]

Thank you for watching and I am glad you enjoyed it

[@patjusto7265]

This video made me remember my childhood Thank you

[@patricadyson778]

Italians and food go good together.

[@vito4260]

Brings back memories of growing up around Philly and south Jersey.

[@albertpuglisi3428]

Jamclarks and jrf3364... I have experienced the same type memories even in my 76 years! One of my sons asked me to write down some of the memories. I did and made a booklet of them with volume three in the works and anticipating volumes four and five! This is an opportunity for you to do the same... they will love you for it for many years to come. You can leave sort of a legacy of yourselves! Many friends outside the family enjoy reading them as well! Thanks Al Puglisi

[@helenarano6235]

I grew up in PA, I am of Russian and Irish decent, however, we had the ice man, the bread man, vegetable man, coal man, and we grew up American, we did not distinguish our nationality. We also ate Italian, we loved it, we also ate the American foods, and lots of family to gather, mostly what I member is we all helped one another. My dad was a coal miner, they consisted of all nationalities, they worked hard and helped their neighbors. It was a safe time and we never had nothing to do. We canned what we grew to savor in the winter months, it was great going out to the chicken coop and gathering the eggs with gramps shoeing us how to tell they were good to eat or to put back for baby chicks. Love was plentiful.

[@10admiral]

I remember this well, I'm one of those 'first' generation kids, born and raised in San Francisco and of course in the Italian neighborhood. But the stories are the same from coast to coast and everything in between! "si thatza how it waza" I still have my those loving thoughts and my family still keeps getting together - at least once a year for a weekend and celabrate la familia!

[@Olizimm]

FROM ITALY.... CONGRATULATIONS!!! ;)))