Leonilda Marie Antoinetta Verzone – A Life Begins

Leonilda Marie Antoinetta Verzone in her
christening gown.

The story of my grandmother, my “Nana,” is actually a story about countless immigrants who have made Canton their home and created a community of diversity and American values shaped by their experiences in far-flung countries around the world. How she came to Canton is a fascinating journey.

Leonilda Marie Antoinetta Verzone was born on February 24, 1911. That makes her 100 years old next week. A great accomplishment, but the path through a life is complicated and full of joys and sorrows, surrounded by family and friends.

Nana’s life began in New York City. Born to immigrant parents, she was an American citizen at birth. When she was 40 days old it was decided that New York City was no place for her to be raised, and her mother and grandmother took her back to Italy while her father stayed behind working as a waiter at the venerable Plaza Hotel.  The trip to Italy was marked by the fact that Nana’s grandmother fell and broke her leg, and upon arrival in Italy she recuperated slowly. Nana’s mother soon returned to America, and the small child was left behind, moved from aunts to cousins and eventually to her paternal grandmother.

Ernesta Verzone and Leonilda Verzone
circa 1916, Biella, Italy

At an early age Nana could never understand being left alone in Italy in the care of her grandmother. The only explanation seemed to be that World War I precluded sending her home. Letters would be exchanged and money would be sent for her support. The only connection to her family would be the occasional photographs that would be mailed to daughter and her grandmother. The small town in northern Italy was called Brusnengo, and it was here that Nana would go to school and play along the steep slopes of the fields surrounded by vineyards and small family “palazzinas” — villas. Her stories of her youth were full of trips to Torino and Biella. Brusnengo is still a small and beautiful town and very much like Canton in many respects. There is a strong community of “townies” who have lived their whole life in that place, and festivals gather neighbors throughout the year. Nana’s stories always stoked my imagination of her childhood home, and while she loved being with her grandmother, America was always pulling her dreams across the Atlantic.

Brusnengo in 1925

Nana’s grandmother had a wonderful mouthful of a name: Rose Luigia Maria Teresa Ernesta Verzone. For short, her name was Ernesta, and she was born to the DeFabanis family in 1859 and was raised in Fiano, Italy. It is easy to see the affection for all things Italian in a family, which, like many Canton families, can trace a significant lineage back to “the old country.” Ernesta was a schoolteacher, a widow, and also the maternal head of the “familia.” This strong woman ran the family concerns in Italy – her ledgers are detailed and track the rise and fall of the family fortunes in Brusnengo. She was the correct person, at 52 years old, to raise young Leonilda.

Leonilda's U.S. Passport
Photo taken in Italy

Finally, in 1922, the letter from her father arrived — simply — “send my daughter to New York and I will meet her upon arrival.” Arrangements were made, her passport was issued in Rome on March 17, and five days later she arrived at the port city of Genoa. At age 11, and by herself, she boarded the passenger ship Giuseppe Verdi as one of the 1825 third-class travelers and began the 17-day passage back to her homeland. She slept on the upper bunk so her feet would remain dry. The bunks were arranged in wards, and the ocean water was frequently awash on the floors. At a top speed of 16 knots, the days seemed like eternity to this wide-eyed girl who could only speak Italian.

Every photo tells a story, and the passport photograph that was taken for the trip to the United States shows a confident 11 year old in a new blue dress made from wool and decorated with simple embroidery. The dress had been handmade especially for the trip, and while her grandmother wanted a simple front, the dressmaker insisted that as she was traveling to America the style called for something more sophisticated. In the photo, she is adorned with tiny pearl earrings in each ear and a matching necklace. On her right shoulder her virgin hair is extremely long, and in fact when she came to Boston it would be cut for the first time — the hair saved, to this day, in a small package in a dresser drawer as a relic from her childhood.

Upon arrival in New York City, Nana would not have to go through immigration as she was already an American Citizen, and yet on April 8 she was in fact becoming an American for the first time. She had never met her father, yet she often told the story of arriving at the top of a majestic flight of stairs at Ellis Island and at the bottom stood the “most handsome man in the world.” After a night in New Jersey, the train trip to Boston brought her to the venerable Copley Plaza, where her father, Emilio Verzone, was the headwaiter, his brother being the maitre d’hotel after successfully managing the “Plaza” in New York.

Hotels and hospitality were a family business, and in the 11 years that Nana was in Italy the family had begun to moderately prosper. The Verzone family lived on Columbus Avenue, and since Nana’s departure a sister was born and the family consisted and older brother and a five year old sister, and soon anther brother would be born. Quite simply, the family outgrew the rental brownstones of Back Bay. Fellow waiters at the Copley Plaza hotel told Emilio of Canton, where dozens of northern Italian families from Gattinara had settled. Family names so familiar to us today: Bertiletti, Crevola, Zanazzo, Carrara, Piana, and Dardano all trace their lineage to the Commune of Gattinara, which was close to Brusnengo, Emilio’s hometown.

The Verzone children
Hugo, Leonilda, Gino and Florence

In Canton, the family settled on Walpole Street in a large farmhouse with a barn and several acres of fields along the Neponset River. The house that Nana would now call home was filled with laughter, her new brothers and a sister, and plenty of characters. The smells of rabbit, polenta and risotto would fill the warm kitchen. To make ends meet, Emilio would rent out rooms to Italian boxing contenders who would travel to Boston for prizefights. Glorious stories would be shared with this new little girl who would be amazed by the newness of it all. The dining room was a mix of English and Italian languages flowing over the house, sternly attended by a father and mother who slept in separate beds for most of their life. So much to learn about this new place, it was as if life exploded around her and Canton would be her new home for a lifetime.

Nana attended Canton Public Schools, and her brother Hugo would teach her English and she would take care of her sister Florence and baby brother, Gino. Her childhood transition from Brusnengo was complete. She writes in an early letter on Copley Plaza Stationary, “tutti un bacio con me” — a kiss to all from me.

Next week, we continue Nana’s story as she grows up, gets married, and finds a life in Canton.

This article originally ran in the Canton Citizen on February 17, 2011.

Emile Verzone's Dogs

Emile Verzone's Dogs

One of the strongest memories for me growing up on Walpole Street was of my Great Grandfather Emile and Great Grandmother Cesira who lived in the next house to us.  "Nonno" and "Nana" Verzone were traditional Italian immigrants who had arrived in Canton in the early part of the 20th Century.  

Emile had worked his entire life for the great hotels in New York and Boston. Principally employed by the Copley Plaza in Boston from the day it opened in 1912. Raising his young family on Columbus Avenue in Boston, he yearned to live in a place that would allow him space and clean air to live in a country setting. Surrounded by his brothers, and all from a small village in Italy called Brusnengo, he had heard about a small town just 14 miles from Boston that had a number of Italian immigrant families living in close proximity. 

Canton had, in the early 190o's burgeoned with Italian Families. The second wave of immigrants to come to Canton after the Irish had arrived in the early to mid 1800's. Family names like Fiori, Dardano, Berteletti, Zanazzo, and Crevola surrounded the patent leather factories and the industrial concerns of the town. All of these families had emigrated to Canton from the same village in Italy called Gattinara, and for Emile this was testament enough to move his family to Canton.

The house was a large rambling federal-style structure that he purchased from a family that had a bakery on the site. A large barn was just behind the house, and a few acres of fields and streams completed the idyllic picture.  Emile commuted every day to Boston to work at the Copley Plaza, and he spent many evenings and weekends building a gentleman's farm on Walpole Street.  Over time he began raising springer spaniels and eventually started raising beagles for sale as AKC registered pups. His dogs had names like Cantonia and America, the former was a champion dog and won many ribbons.  Verzone's beagles were widely sought after and he sold his dogs to many great hunters including the baseball legend Ted Williams. 

By the time I was born, there were only a few litters of puppies left and I had a small beagle pup as a companion. By the late 1960's there were no longer any yips and barks from the house next door and a few years later my Great Grandfather died. The memory is strong though and as a tribute to the family, the small road that leads past my boyhood home and down to the Verzone home is now called Postfield Lane in tribute to the Postfield Kennels that sold AKC registered beagle puppies - the first in Massachusetts, and right here in Canton.

The movie clip is very short and was shot in 1941 as part of a community-wide film. My Aunt Nadine and my Great Aunt Florence are shown doting over the puppies in the kennel just outside the barn. And, while we have some very nice photos, this is a rare piece of film that tells the story of my family in a wonderful way.

The Plunkett House

The way history works is through detective work. And here is the latest example of a fresh case. A few weeks ago I was working the afternoon shift at the Canton Historical Society, the "Histy" as it is affectionately known. It was a busy afternoon and the building was full of volunteers getting prepared for the historical house tour. Over at the corner was a couple from somewhere far away - poking through Canton while doing some family research. Jane, a descendant of the Plunkett Family was working through some family photographs and she shared this magnificent view of a grand old house believed to be in Canton. It was explained that this was a family house that belonged to her Grandfather by the name of Emerson Plunkett.

The search began in old street directories, and we dutifully checked our internal

database for any family references. All we could find was a few Plunkett's living on Rockland Street in the early 1920's. We sent them searching, and yet, the photo featured above turned out not to be on Rockland Street - where many modest homes abound. Instead, the photo to the right is most likely that small Plunkett home in a neighborhood more likely to allow for the survival of the perfect neighborly abode. Jane sent me this photo in an email and she believes this is Annie & John Plunkett's house. The search continues for the larger house featured above.

What more do we know? Well, Jane did find the final resting place of her Great Great Grandparents, Annie (Allen) and John Plunkett in the Canton Cemetery. They were there along with Jane's Great Grandparents, Alice (Smith) and John Plunkett. Yet, now she is searching for the next generation - Emerson, Ruth, Morris and Bill.

The photo at the top of the page is believed to be Emerson's home and such a grand old home would surely be recognized today. Look closely through the trees you can see a conical tower and on the side is a grand entrance portico. So many chimneys and wonderful field stone accents to the shingle style home. The eyebrow window in the roof and the crenelated tower accenting the bumped out round bay. Simply magnificent!!! The house would seem to date to the early 1890's and will certainly have been altered over time. (see the update at end of this article)

Yes, detectives are a big part of family genealogy, simply ask David Lambert at the Massachusetts Genealogical Society. David has been sniffing out history for his whole life. The intersection of family photos, letters, grave sites, and old fashioned footwork is what makes history real for families. History is not relegated to national events, instead, we all have a mystery in our family and we can all "track down" our ancestors.

Today, as you read this, you can assist in the search. Have you ever seen a house that looks like the one at the top of this page? Simply reply in the thread here and I will be sure to send out a detective to the location in the hopes of solving the mystery of the Emerson Plunkett House. Jane has scanned her photos, been to the graves, visited the same streets her grandparents walked and is hot on the trail. Let's see if we can find out what happened to the Emerson Plunkett Home. This is the power of history and detectives.

UPDATE: Jim Roach, Curator, Canton Historical Society writes:
Frank & Alice Plunkett lived at 447 Chapman St. the house known locally to some as the Spaulding house. The picture you have is a great photo that shows the house in all its glory. The house today is vastly different. The entire front of the house and carport are gone. Note in the attached photos that the small dormer near the front, turret at the center and the small hip at the rear are all the same. Some of the stone walls still seem the same but the property is very much over grown.

Here is how the house looks today...