Italian immigrants found new paths, mainained traditions in New Haven

In the late 19th century, during the period of great political upheaval in Italy, people from all classes were affected, both financially and economically.

The great migration to America was one that included Italians from all walks of life and from various social classes. The population that immigrated to New Haven seeking financial and social security reflected that: In addition to those who left rural homes behind, there were those who left behind positions in government or the professions.

But, as is often the case with immigration, everyone was relegated to a similar role, which was as a newly arrived noncitizen without any particular status. So everyone needed to work and they needed to establish themselves as productive residents of their adopted country, so they took whatever jobs were available or offered to them. And, mostly, those were menial and unskilled.

However, and to their credit, the first wave of arrivals to New Haven almost immediately began to exercise their opportunities to raise their standard of living and to infiltrate their community with organizations, financial institutions, literary and political societies, and businesses that were modeled after those left behind.

Those who were more highly educated were able to use their knowledge to penetrate the barriers that were in place, and so they began the upward progression that continues to this day, working against prejudice and intolerance.

The Italian approach to death is to acknowledge that a person should be offered a respectful burial and that grieving is a proper reflection of one’s level of affection for the deceased. The Italian custom, to this day, is to have a wake in the home, where friends and relatives come to show their support for the family and pay their respects for the deceased. In Wooster Square, the early custom was for a family to have a wake in the home where the deceased was on display for several days. The family would stand watch until the time of burial which followed a requiem Mass at St. Michael Church. Members of the family kept vigil; men remained unshaven, as neighbors stopped by to offer support.

This being the case, the funeral directors were among the first to establish themselves as legitimate service providers for the community. Over time, the custom evolved to the use of funeral parlors rather than the homes, which were often ill designed for an influx of visitors. The stately homes along Chapel Street and Wooster Place were ideally suited for such use, with their large rooms and easy access. As an example, Maresca Funeral Service, which was among the first to transition, was able in 1920 to purchase the home of James English, who was president of the New Haven Clock Co. and a former governor of Connecticut. At the height of the immigrant population residing in Wooster Square, there were no fewer than seven funeral parlors within a four-block area, all of which were patronized by residents who had a special relationship with one of them, either through a family or business connection. The bond between the grieving family and the funeral director or undertaker, as they were known, was strong, and enduring.

Mid-winter also heralded the transition to the simple cold-weather foods which, though simple, were delicious and hearty. Pasta, or macaroni, which was the more commonly used appellation, was served in many different versions in addition to the classic Sunday sugo or ragu. Beans of all kind were turned into sauces for macaroni which were both economical and filling, as well. Some macaroni were sold loose in wooden boxes and when the last remnants were sold, usually broken pieces, they were offered at a bargain price. The leftover pieces became a mista, or mixed pasta, which was used with beans or ceci. Even now, many Italian Americans prefer mixed pasta with their pasta fagioli, as an homage to that old custom.

February was usually the beginning of Lent, a period of fasting and denial. Everyone heeded the nuns’ admonition to do penance for the 40 days through abstaining from your special indulgence, such as candy or gum or listening to your favorite program on the radio. The local customs for Lent were very much modeled on the traditions that were familiar to the immigrants who were raised with the church’s emphasis on self-denial as a means of earning the reward of Easter.

On the Tuesday before

Ash Wednesday, the last day of ordinary time, Italians celebrated Carnevale, a kind of last hurrah before the Lenten restrictions took over. The revelry of Carnevale in Italy was usually replaced with a festive dinner — my mother cooked a lasagna for our celebration —something special and rich, to usher in the season of lean and mostly meatless meals. Once again, the church orchestrated the lives of the faithful, with ancient rituals and customs that were focused on the spiritual. Since most of the women were also the most religiously observant, we all followed their lead, which was to maintain a home that was true to their own experiences living in a country where the religious and the secular were sometimes one and the same.

But, meanwhile, winter always brought with it the specter of long nights with many of us huddled in the kitchen gathered around the stove, which was always warm and welcoming.