Love and Courage Passed Down

To my grandson Giovanni Emmanuel Moreau, on his 18th birthday 

Gabriele Micchelli was born in Italy in 1882. His wife Anna was born there too in 1885. At that time, Italy was a relatively young kingdom, formed in 1861, unifying the providences in that area under a single king. Note that in the USA, 1861 was the start of the Civil War. 

In the late 1800s, there was dire poverty among the common Italian people who did not own land, and even for those who did, the soil was poor. Exploitation, violence, malnutrition and disease were widespread. Because of this, more than four million Italians immigrated to the United States between 1880 and 1924 to look for a better life. Among them were Gabriele and Anna Micchelli. 

Gabriele and Anna settled in Newark NJ near other family and had nine children, six boys and three girls. As per tradition, the first seven were named after grandparents, uncles and aunts. The eighth was named Ann after her mother. Their last baby, born November 6, 1925, was a surprise as Anna was 40 years old and thought she was past child-bearing age. They named their baby son Gabriel after his father. 

Gabriel grew up in a multi-generational home. His oldest brother Louis was 20 when he was born. When Louis married, he brought his bride to the second floor apartment to live. There, they had a son who they also named Gabriel. He was about four years younger than his uncle Gabriel and they grew up together, as did the other cousins, as the oldest Micchelli children married and took their turn to live in the upstairs apartment. 

In 1929, when Gabriel was four years old, his father died of the flu at age 47. Anna was only 44. Gabriel had no memory of his father, only sharing with us the story of him playing in front of the casket set up in the living room for family to visit. The oldest sons were already working and contributed to the household so that they could manage to keep food on the table. Thus began a habit of the brothers bringing their pay home each week's end and placing their pay envelope (they were paid in cash) on the kitchen table, unopened, for their mother. This practice continued until Gabriel married, when to Louise's surprise, at week's end, he came home and placed his pay envelope on their kitchen table, unopened. Gabriel's older brothers and sisters helped raise him. He remained the beloved baby brother to them all of their lives. 

The language spoken in the home was Italian. Anna never learned English and taught all her children to speak Italian. Therefore, when Gabriel went to public school, he spoke only Italian and had to learn English there. 

The year of Gabriele's death was also the start of the Great Depression. Money was tight. Favorite meals included Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans) and pasta with gravy made with leftover bones bought at the local butcher shop. All the brothers at home slept in one room and Gabriel joked that since they all shared clothes, the first one up was the best one dressed. 

When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, the United States declared war. Gabriel had just turned 16 years old. Therefore after high school, Gabriel did not go to college and he did not get a job. He enlisted in the Army and saw combat in World War II overseas. He was one of the fortunate ones to return home with only a hearing loss due to a bomb that exploded nearby. Another of his brothers, Joseph was not so lucky. He was wounded in the rear leg, had to wear and brace, and suffered with pain for the rest of his life. 

When Gabriel returned from the war, his future was mapped out for him. Like the rest of his brothers and one of his sisters, he learned the hairdressing trade because one well-established Micchelli uncle had a successful hairdressing shop in Newark. Gabriel worked there for several years. He worked as a hairdresser all of his life, until he retired. Then he continued to cut our hair until his dementia took hold of him. 

Gabriele and Anna Micchelli are your great-great grandparents. I have no memory of either grandparent, Gabriele or Anna. All I have are the memories of the stories told about them. But the love they had for their children has been passed on to me. The courage they had to leave their homeland, to come to a distant country for a better life, and to struggle through loss, poverty and war, that has been passed down to me as well. And so I want to pass that on to you. 

This week you turn 18 and graduate from high school. You will attend university in the fall. This is a great adventure, but also a great privilege. Always remember you stand on the shoulders of great men and women of love and courage who have made this possible for us. 

And remember to pass it on.

More on Gabriel Micchelli, click  here.