Person:Maria Ricciardi (2)

On April 8, 1911, Giuseppe married Maria, age 17 and set out for a new li fe in America. The newlyweds, along with Giuseppe's father boarded t he SS Venezia and arrived in NY City on May 12, 1911, one month and four d ays after their wedding. Maria never communicated with her parents agai n. The three continued on to Cleveland OH. Sadly, the young bride and h er distraught groom buried his father two weeks after their arrival. Anton io died of acute peritonitis (burst appendix). With the help of Maria's si sters Gaetana and Rosaria, and brothers-in-law peter and Vincent Fazio, t he couple began their family in Cleveland. Husband Joe worked in a brewe ry and completed an apprenticeship in plastering. Maria tended her growi ng family by making their clothes, baking bread and rolling and drying h er own pasta. On November 11, 1925, Joe declared his intention for US citi zenship in Cleveland OH. He worked with his brothers-in-law in contracti ng until the economy went sour in 1928. Through his brothers-in-law Charl ie (husband of Rosalie) and Ted (husband of Maria Serafina) Purpero, Giuse ppe learned that a new court house was being constructed in Milwaukee a nd there would be work for plasterers. Giuseppe came to Milwaukee in Ju ly of 1929 with hopes of getting work. He lived with the Purpero's who we re in the excavating business. About 4 months later he sent for his wife M aria (7 months pregnant) and their eight children, including their eldes t, Rosina Mary, her husband Frank Calarco and their son Alex.