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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | I Ricordi d'un Immigrato [Pietro Greco Autobiography] |
| Date | 1889-1969 |
| Document Type | Personal Account |
| Reference | IHRC812 |
| Library / Archive | Immigration History Research Center Archives, University of Minnesota |
| Collection Name | Greco, Pietro Papers |
| Description | Greco's autobiography deals primarily with the period from 1889 to 1919. During this time he lived in Brooklyn, at first with his brother and with a cousin's family. Greco worked for C. Kenyon Co. in New York, a large manufacturer of U.S. Army uniforms. Most of the employees were Italian; Greco discusses the factory, labor conditions, salaries, and coworkers. Greco was also a poet; his poetry was published in La Follia and elsewhere. Greco did not mention any political affiliations. No labor or occupational affiliations were mentioned. Greco writes about his family, concentrating on his relationships with his brothers. He provides colorful descriptions of them and of his cousin's family in Brooklyn. Greco discussed his brother's courtship and also his own courtship of a coworker in the uniform factory. Greco described the south Brooklyn Little Italy, where he lived, as it was in 1904. Greco mentions no discrimination or political persecution. He seemed to have lived in a completely Italian environment; at one point he wrote that living there was like being in Italy. Greco discussed his involvement with an amateur theater group, and provided a detailed description of an evening at an Italian-American theater where Rocco De Russo performed. There was also an extended character study of a local barber who was a poet at heart, and a discussion of the role his barber shop played in the community. Greco describes the excitement and preparations among the passengers as his ship arrived in New York City harbor, and discusses briefly the disembarkation process, but made no specific reference to Ellis Island. |
| Biographical Note / History | Pietro Greco was born on 9 June 9 1889, in Sant' Andrea Apostolo Sull'Ionio (Catanzaro), Calabria, Italy. Greco's father was a tailor; Greco began learning this trade at age six. At age eight he began studying music and traveled to nearby villages to perform at festivals with a musical group. He also was an enthusiastic student of poetry, and was in school studying for the priesthood before he emigrated. Greco states that many Italians during this period went to the United States for a few years to make money. After his brother left for this reason, Greco asked permission to join him when he was of military age. Greco left Italy on 12 July 1904, and reached New York City on 17 July 1904. Greco returned to Italy in 1921, stayed for a year, then returned to Brooklyn. |
| Theme(s) | Permanent Settlement and Successive Generations |
| Country (from) | Italy |
| Country (to) | United States of America |
| Ports | New York, United States |
| Keywords | emigration, theatre |
| Additional Information | Please note: Some of the metadata for this document has been taken from the Immigration History Research Center Archives catalogue. |
| Catalogue Link | Immigration History Research Center Archives Catalogue |
| Language | Italian |
| Copyright | Copyright ownership in these materials is governed by US and international laws. The Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA) holds the original objects from which these copies were made, but does not claim copyright ownership in the originals or scanned reproductions. The IHRCA welcomes additional information about the originals. |
