Willie in Goriano Sicoli

My inspiration to visit Goriano Sicoli, as I’ve mentioned before, came from letters that were written during World War II. I’d like to start sharing with you a few excerpts from the letters.

Here is an excerpt from a letter from my great grandmother to her son, Johnny, sent on October 15, 1944. I am leaving in spelling errors as they were originally transcribed. A note here: my great uncles’ names were Ralph, Johnny, and Willie.

Well, I guess by this time you already heard from Willie about him been in Goriano, boy! That really was something to surprise those people like he did. It’s a funny world that after 30 years that your Pop hasn’t seen his relatives, and the youngest of you boys had to go over and meet them. That was really something. He really looks good, happy with a big smile in the picture that he took with your Uncle Domenick and family. Poor kid. I guess he makes himself at home wherever he goes. He says he has seen [unreadable] but he doesn’t have the beer belly he use to have.I can imagine poor people how they have to suffer….

…Well, Pop wants to know if it’s possible that sometime if you have a pretty long leave if you ain’t so far away from Italy if you could go over sometimes and see the relatives and maybe you can also see Willie there. Too bad, I guess. It’s impossible. Did Willie send you those pictures that they took together there? If he din’t send it, soon as Ralph sense the one he sent us back, we will send it to you. We send Ralph the pictures so he could (get) a big kick out of it the way we did, although we had to cry. But it was worth it; he also wrote us 8 page letter telling us adventures there. We certainly made everyone read that letter.  it was really good. I guess he told you that he also met Mike Pronio’s mother. They in another town near Goriano. Willie was looking for a hotel and asked a boy and happened to Pronio’s nephew so therefore than he took to his mother. We can be proud. Such popular member of our family.

Boy, I would give anything if I could take a trip to see you boys. here we go again talking out of my head. it’s impossible. Well, now I have to be satisfied with a piece paper. Maybe I din’t appreciate you kids when you was here. Well, what can we do about it? I am not the only one. Pop said how about you writing to Uncle Domenick and Aunt Marinecia a few lines. if you can’t get anyone to write in Italian, write it to him in American. They can always find someone that knows how to read.

And here is a letter from Uncle Willie to Uncle Johnny on October 27, 1944:

Dear Johnny (Pitchie):

Was surprised by your quick response. Oh Well, miracles do happen, don’t they brother “dear!”

Well to start this masterpiece off, I’ll tell you about the town of Bucciarelli’s Goriano Sicoli! I never knew a whole town could fit into one room. Well it did that night I arrived there! Everybody wanted to see this specimen of their own kind from America! I never seen nobody as happy as Uncle Domenick! He looks just like Pop, except he’s a little thinner. All the time I was there, I thought he was Pop! He put on his Sunday clothes and strutted around with me like a proud peacock just like Pop does when he takes all four of us out visiting, remember?

I can hear Uncle Dominick still saying “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it!” He told me out of us four, there had to be one in Italy – there just had to be!

Every time I’d step out of the house, the people would be lined up in the streets waiting to talk to me! You can imagine how happy they were after not seeing Pop for 30 years!

I only stayed there 2 days but I lived like a “king!” Even despite the fact that they are as bad off as the rest of Italy! I ate every half hour and naturally drank “vino!” They didn’t know the word “stop.” If I would have stayed there one more day, I would have been “mayor”!

Half of the town is our relations or named Bucciarelli so you can imagine the “feasta” we had!

They also got a kick out of me talking Italian, figuring since I was born in America, I couldn’t speak their “lingo!” I could go on talking for pages like this but it will have to wait till we get together!

Naturally, I told them everything about us including you!

By the way, in case you ever get some kind of furlough come and find me – look me up and we’ll go to Goriano – it may be impossible but try if you will you?

….

As for the pictures, I only took one in Goriano with one of the antique cameras they had there ’cause I didn’t have any – sorry I didn’t.

If you want to know anything else, I forgot to mention, let me know.

So long for now and take care of yourself!

Your Kid Brother,

“Willie”

P.S. Ask Mom to let you see that picture.