Now for my father's side of the family -
This picture I love. It's my dad (Nicholas Cardella) as a little kid looking very dapper in his uncle's grocery store. This had to have been 1927 or '28. On the top shelf is all kinds of cereal, like Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Puffed Rice and Rice Krispies. I think my dad is standing in front of the candy bins. I love his socks!
Then this is my dad's father, my grandfather Giuseppe Cardella. He was born in Agrigento Sicily in 1884. This may be the picture taken on his wedding day. He was a shoemaker and shoe repairman and opened his own shoe store here in Rochester. He arrived in the USA in the early 1900's.
My mother said that he was so sick with cancer and was in bed a lot when I was born, but was SO happy that I had come along. He wanted me near him, so she would plop me down in the bed beside him so we could get to know each other. He died in 1953 when I was exactly three months old.
These next folks are his parents, my great-grandparents. You will love their names - Nicholena D'Amato and Gerlando Cardella! My father was named after this grandmother. It's a funny story. Traditionally, the first born child was always named after the paternal grandfather. The next child was named after the maternal grandfather. Baby number three was named after the paternal grandmother. My father was third in line so he was named Nicholas, which is the masculine form of Nicholena. Well then baby number four comes along and it's a girl, so they named her after the paternal grandmother as well. So there was a Nicholas AND a Nicholena! My father and my aunt were both Nickie's!
I love it.
But isn't this such a classic photo? When my dad got older, he looked almost exactly like this grandfather of his. They had the same smile. He was a shoeman, too. So was my father.
My dad - doesn't he look like his grandpa above?
AND, here is me. That dog is just the coolest thing in the world.
