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| An era of the past |
| Giovanni and Bella |
Seeing the lean times at hand, Bella was beside herself to figure out a way to
help her family. She had heard many friends and neighbors talk about the
money they were bringing into the family income by working in some of the
clothing and millinery factories that had become so prevalent in the area. One
in particular that Bella was interested in was the Triangle Shirtwaist Company
in the Asch Building in Washington Square East. She pleaded with Giovanni to
let her get a job there but he was dead-set against it. He reminded her again
of their dream to open a restaurant. He was afraid she would lose sight of that
dream if she joined the factory workers. Bella wanted to fulfill that dream as
much as Giovanni did but she didn't know if they would ever be able to come
up with enough money to do that. It was hard enough just to put food on the
table and a roof over their heads.
Bella decided to disobey her husband and interviewed for a job. She was
hired and she was terribly excited about it but she was also anxious because
she knew Giovanni would be upset with her. Upon the eve of her intended
employment, Bella could no longer keep her secret and she told her husband
of her plans to go to work at the factory. He vehemently forbid it, telling her to
have faith that there would be a better way. He was so insistent that Bella
finally deferred to his wishes and did not keep the appointment.
Later in the afternoon on that Saturday, March 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the
Triangle Factory, killing 146 women employed there. Most of them were
young, between the ages of 13 and 23. Some were so short because of their
age, they had trouble even reaching the machines they worked on. Already
struggling with having to learn a new language and culture, the majority of the
workers were Italian and European Jewish immigrants, who were terribly
exploited in the non-union factory and had to work under deplorable
conditions. The ventilation was poor, they were locked in and had be checked
out by a guard at night because the owners were afraid they would steal
something. There were not many safety standards in place at that time. With
collapsible fire escapes and water hoses not able to reach the height of the
fire, the women had no other choice but to leap to their deaths from the ninth
floor of the building, and one after the other, that is what a lot of them did.
Bella and Giovanni were both horrified and saddened to learn that some of
their friends and neighbors had been killed in the fire. They were also very
thankful they had made the right decision and that Bella was not among the
dead. Giovanni was now more determined than ever to get that restaurant
going. He was convinced that Bella made the best cheesecake of any he had
ever tasted. He had recently learned from a colleague that the Kraft Company
was working on a method to pasteurize cream cheese, and with his
knowledge of good cuts of meat, he knew their restaurant would be a
success. Not everyone in New York was poor. He was certain there were
many of the wealthier who could afford and would welcome a good meal and
divine dessert.
Meanwhile, back in Sicily one of his father's childhood friends, Calogero
Vizzini, had risen in status as a leader of the Villalba Mafia. The men who
originally formed the mafia had come together as a means of protection and
security for their families and friends. There were many bandits overrunning
the Villalba countryside and the State Police, who at times seemed to be as
much of a threat as the outlaws themselves, were not helping. The country's
unrest and hardship was the reason Giovanni's father had moved his family to
America.
Vizzini's family was a bit higher on the chain than most of the other peasants
in the area. Through his mother and two brothers' association with the
Catholic Church, he was able to acquire a sizable estate, a part of which he
allowed his uncle, who was not only a priest but also president of a local rural
bank, to share for a very minimal price with more unfortunate catholic
peasants. Vizzini may have gone on in later years to become involved in less
reputable and unscrupulous activities, as it has been reported that he was
responsible for at least 39 murders and suspected of multiple robberies,
thefts and extortions, he did not think of himself as a dishonorable man. As
evidenced by the thousands of peasants that attended his funeral in 1954,
neither did many of the villagers. He once said in an interview that he was
only doing what needed to be done. He reportedly told the Italian journalist,
Indro Montanelli, "The fact is...in any society there must be a category of
persons who put things right again when they have become complicated." [1]
It is this writer's belief that the same disreputable behavior that Vizzini has
been accused of can be said of some political organizations and laws that
have come into effect. Many have gone on to override and undermine the
very thing they were set up to protect. Greed is a powerful motivator and
when coupled with high-ranking affiliations, can become a dangerous weapon
if allowed to.
Giovanni's parents were devout catholics and through their affiliation with the
church, were able to maintain contact with Calogero Vizzini. He listened to
their plea of help in order for their son to establish a restaurant business and
believed, like Giovanni did, that he had a feasible idea and plan. He managed
to get Giovanni the money he needed for his business and he made certain
that the Italian-American gangsters that had surfaced in the New York area
were not to use extortion methods on Giovanni's business. In 1912, Giovanni
and Bella opened the doors to their restaurant and it is still in business today.
They have handed down to their third generation a legacy of history and love.
NOTE: This story is pure speculation and the imagination of this writer and all
characters other than those who can be documented historically are fictional
ones.
All photos used on this website are on public display at the NYPL Digital
Gallery. The NYPL Digital Gallery contains hundreds of thousands of digital
images of historical materials from the Research Libraries' and Branch
Libraries' original, rare, and specialized holdings. Images may be freely
downloaded for personal, research, and study purposes only, but the
copyright remains that of the NYPL. For commercial use, please see
Conditions of Use.
help her family. She had heard many friends and neighbors talk about the
money they were bringing into the family income by working in some of the
clothing and millinery factories that had become so prevalent in the area. One
in particular that Bella was interested in was the Triangle Shirtwaist Company
in the Asch Building in Washington Square East. She pleaded with Giovanni to
let her get a job there but he was dead-set against it. He reminded her again
of their dream to open a restaurant. He was afraid she would lose sight of that
dream if she joined the factory workers. Bella wanted to fulfill that dream as
much as Giovanni did but she didn't know if they would ever be able to come
up with enough money to do that. It was hard enough just to put food on the
table and a roof over their heads.
Bella decided to disobey her husband and interviewed for a job. She was
hired and she was terribly excited about it but she was also anxious because
she knew Giovanni would be upset with her. Upon the eve of her intended
employment, Bella could no longer keep her secret and she told her husband
of her plans to go to work at the factory. He vehemently forbid it, telling her to
have faith that there would be a better way. He was so insistent that Bella
finally deferred to his wishes and did not keep the appointment.
Later in the afternoon on that Saturday, March 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the
Triangle Factory, killing 146 women employed there. Most of them were
young, between the ages of 13 and 23. Some were so short because of their
age, they had trouble even reaching the machines they worked on. Already
struggling with having to learn a new language and culture, the majority of the
workers were Italian and European Jewish immigrants, who were terribly
exploited in the non-union factory and had to work under deplorable
conditions. The ventilation was poor, they were locked in and had be checked
out by a guard at night because the owners were afraid they would steal
something. There were not many safety standards in place at that time. With
collapsible fire escapes and water hoses not able to reach the height of the
fire, the women had no other choice but to leap to their deaths from the ninth
floor of the building, and one after the other, that is what a lot of them did.
Bella and Giovanni were both horrified and saddened to learn that some of
their friends and neighbors had been killed in the fire. They were also very
thankful they had made the right decision and that Bella was not among the
dead. Giovanni was now more determined than ever to get that restaurant
going. He was convinced that Bella made the best cheesecake of any he had
ever tasted. He had recently learned from a colleague that the Kraft Company
was working on a method to pasteurize cream cheese, and with his
knowledge of good cuts of meat, he knew their restaurant would be a
success. Not everyone in New York was poor. He was certain there were
many of the wealthier who could afford and would welcome a good meal and
divine dessert.
Meanwhile, back in Sicily one of his father's childhood friends, Calogero
Vizzini, had risen in status as a leader of the Villalba Mafia. The men who
originally formed the mafia had come together as a means of protection and
security for their families and friends. There were many bandits overrunning
the Villalba countryside and the State Police, who at times seemed to be as
much of a threat as the outlaws themselves, were not helping. The country's
unrest and hardship was the reason Giovanni's father had moved his family to
America.
Vizzini's family was a bit higher on the chain than most of the other peasants
in the area. Through his mother and two brothers' association with the
Catholic Church, he was able to acquire a sizable estate, a part of which he
allowed his uncle, who was not only a priest but also president of a local rural
bank, to share for a very minimal price with more unfortunate catholic
peasants. Vizzini may have gone on in later years to become involved in less
reputable and unscrupulous activities, as it has been reported that he was
responsible for at least 39 murders and suspected of multiple robberies,
thefts and extortions, he did not think of himself as a dishonorable man. As
evidenced by the thousands of peasants that attended his funeral in 1954,
neither did many of the villagers. He once said in an interview that he was
only doing what needed to be done. He reportedly told the Italian journalist,
Indro Montanelli, "The fact is...in any society there must be a category of
persons who put things right again when they have become complicated." [1]
It is this writer's belief that the same disreputable behavior that Vizzini has
been accused of can be said of some political organizations and laws that
have come into effect. Many have gone on to override and undermine the
very thing they were set up to protect. Greed is a powerful motivator and
when coupled with high-ranking affiliations, can become a dangerous weapon
if allowed to.
Giovanni's parents were devout catholics and through their affiliation with the
church, were able to maintain contact with Calogero Vizzini. He listened to
their plea of help in order for their son to establish a restaurant business and
believed, like Giovanni did, that he had a feasible idea and plan. He managed
to get Giovanni the money he needed for his business and he made certain
that the Italian-American gangsters that had surfaced in the New York area
were not to use extortion methods on Giovanni's business. In 1912, Giovanni
and Bella opened the doors to their restaurant and it is still in business today.
They have handed down to their third generation a legacy of history and love.
NOTE: This story is pure speculation and the imagination of this writer and all
characters other than those who can be documented historically are fictional
ones.
All photos used on this website are on public display at the NYPL Digital
Gallery. The NYPL Digital Gallery contains hundreds of thousands of digital
images of historical materials from the Research Libraries' and Branch
Libraries' original, rare, and specialized holdings. Images may be freely
downloaded for personal, research, and study purposes only, but the
copyright remains that of the NYPL. For commercial use, please see
Conditions of Use.
This is the story of Giovanni and Bella, a
couple who lived in New York City in the
early 1900s. Giovanni and Bella were
lovers. They were wed in a religious
ceremony in the Catholic Church. They
both believed in commitment. They
believed in family. Though the lower east
side of New York City was home to them,
neither had been born there or even in
the America. Their families brought them
to New York from Sicily, joining the
approximately 37 million immigrants to
arrive in the United States between the
years of 1840-1920 in search of the
"American Dream."
Giovanni was a hard worker, employed in
one of the meat packing plants that
dominated the Ganzevoort Market district.
Bella took care of the family and their
home, which is how Giovanni thought it
should be. He didn't want his wife working
in any of the sweat shops that had become
so popular during this industrial
revolution era. But times were hard. Food
prices were rising at an alarming rate.
couple who lived in New York City in the
early 1900s. Giovanni and Bella were
lovers. They were wed in a religious
ceremony in the Catholic Church. They
both believed in commitment. They
believed in family. Though the lower east
side of New York City was home to them,
neither had been born there or even in
the America. Their families brought them
to New York from Sicily, joining the
approximately 37 million immigrants to
arrive in the United States between the
years of 1840-1920 in search of the
"American Dream."
Giovanni was a hard worker, employed in
one of the meat packing plants that
dominated the Ganzevoort Market district.
Bella took care of the family and their
home, which is how Giovanni thought it
should be. He didn't want his wife working
in any of the sweat shops that had become
so popular during this industrial
revolution era. But times were hard. Food
prices were rising at an alarming rate.
This picture
depicts many of
the "sweat
shops" that
were prevalent
in New York City
during the
industrial
revolution era.
Circa 1911.
Notice the poor
lighting,
ventilation and
crowded work
space and it
appears that this
might have been
one of the
better ones. Can
you imagine
having to work
in all that
clothing women
wore back then
in the heat of
summer time
with no central
air conditioning?
depicts many of
the "sweat
shops" that
were prevalent
in New York City
during the
industrial
revolution era.
Circa 1911.
Notice the poor
lighting,
ventilation and
crowded work
space and it
appears that this
might have been
one of the
better ones. Can
you imagine
having to work
in all that
clothing women
wore back then
in the heat of
summer time
with no central
air conditioning?
Typical women's
clothing style of
1910. Look at that
intricate detail!
Easy to imagine
the long hours of
labor that went
into this kind of
production,
during a time
when few labor
regulations were
in force.
clothing style of
1910. Look at that
intricate detail!
Easy to imagine
the long hours of
labor that went
into this kind of
production,
during a time
when few labor
regulations were
in force.
| A look at the Asch Building after the fire |
Reference: [1] Hess, Mafia & Mafiosi, P. 74