Last Update Oct 31, 1998
Welcome to my little corner of the Web world. Consider it a digest version of who I am and what's important to me. As you might guess, the most important thing to me is my family, being of pure Italian descent. Sure I won't tell you everything, but you know what they say...
Left
to Right: Lynda (Jim's wife), brother Jim, Sheila (Joe's wife),
niece Diane (daughter of Joe & Sheila), Vince (me), brother Joe, and
nephew Jimmy (son of Joe and Sheila) [missing from the photo are
the daughters of Jim & Lynda: Lisa and Laura, as well as Lisa's husband
John]
Both Grandpa Angelo Stamboni (nee Stampone) and Grandma Pasqua Rosa (Giuliano) Stamboni were born in the small Comune of Fraine in the Province of Chieti near the southeastern edge of Abruzzo, Italy. Grandpa came to America when he was about 6 years old with his parents (Concezio Stampone and Maria Vincenza Lalla) while Grandma came when she was about 19 in the accompaniment of her father (Cesario Antonio Giuliano). Grandma's Giuliano family lived in Paterson, New Jersey, like many of the Frainese who came to America in search of better working opportunities. Grandpa's Stampone family eventually wound up living in Port Chester, New York where their surname was phonetically spelled as Stamboni. However they met each other so many miles from their common birthplace may never be fully known, but they married in 1900 at Our Lady of Victories Church in Paterson, NJ and lived together in Port Chester for the remainder of their lives, raising 6 children to adulthood.
Both Grandpa Giuseppe and Grandma Filomena
(Fiore) Riccio were born in the small Cittadina
of Siano in the Province of Salerno,
21 kilometers east of the fiery Mount Vesuvius
and 10 kilometers north
of the City of Salerno in northwestern Campania,
Italy. Grandpa came to
America first in 1901 when he was about 22
years old. At that time,
he joined his brother Gaetano in Newark,
NJ where both worked on the railroads
for a time. He returned to Siano at
least once before 1910 and married
my grandmother there. Grandpa left
Siano shortly after he got married
and journeyed to Portland, ME in mid-1910,
where he was later joined in
December 1910 by my grandmother. Together
they raised 3 children
(2 boys and our mother). Either things
got lonely in Portland or
work got scarce, but eventually the family
moved to Port Chester, NY in
1926 where bother Gaetano and his family
had settled earlier. Grandpa
spent a good part of his life in Port Chester
as a porter at the local
hospital and was a member of a society known
as Court Volta. Like
most Italian men of the time, grandpa loved
tending his garden and he and
grandma were known for their extraordinary
kindheartedness. Grandpa
died from complications associated with a
leg amputation operation intended
to alleviate severe circulatory problems,
while grandma passed away from
heart failure complicated by diabetes.
They left a legacy to all
their Riccio
family children and grandchildren regarding the
the need and importance
of kindness and compassion in the world.
Dad was actually born Vincent Stamboni on Nov. 30, 1905 in Port Chester, NY, but became known as James Stamboni very early in life and always went by this name throughout his life. Being the oldest male child, he started working early as an Iceman, delivering ice by horse and buggy for home iceboxes. He lived his entire lifetime in Port Chester and left only temporarily during WWII when he was stationed in Yuma, AZ, and was later transported via the Queen Mary to serve in the 3rd Army in Europe. He took part in the Normandy landing and was awarded a Purple Heart after being wounded in the European theater. We used to laugh when Dad told us that he was a translator during the war, having served mostly in France and Germany. He said that he got the job because he was the only guy who could speak a second language (Italian). It mattered little to the Army that most translations that Dad had to make were either from French or German! Dad passed away in 1993.
Mom was born Giuseppina Riccio in Portland, ME on Jul. 2, 1914, but became known as Josephine throughout her life, especially after her family moved to Port Chester, NY in 1926 to be close to her uncle's family, later americanizing their surname. Mom was a quiet, thoughtful, and sensitive person. We recall how she she told us she endured the embarrassment of being criticized by students and teachers because of her "unusual" Maine accent. Mom graduated Port Chester High School in 1928 and found steady work as a seamstress. Mom and Dad were married in 1946 at Corpus Christi Church in Port Chester and had the three of us. Mom developed diabetes and heart disease and died at the young age of 50 leaving behind her many beautiful memories of the lovely person she was.
The commemorative Comune di Fraine Page
The commemorative Cittadina di Siano Page
And, hey, if you feel inspired, drop me a line at . It's always good to hear from fellow online travelers.