COMING HOME TO MY DUAL ROOTS

by Richard Leto

Life’s journey can take us many places. It did for me. A job transfer 20 years ago took me out of South Philly to another place – Columbus, Ohio. I left the roots of my South Philly neighborhood where I was born and raised. As the saying goes, “You can take the person out of South Philly, but you can’t take South Philly out of the person!” Moving away never erased how I was brought up. I grew up in the typical South Philly row house and graduated from St. Monica’s and what was then Bishop Neumann High School in 1972 and 1976 respectively.

The connection to my hometown is no different from many others who share in this upbringing. I like to say that South Philly is in my DNA. For me, my ancestral roots start with my paternal (Santa Caterina dello Ionio – Calabria) and maternal (Comune di Biccari – Puglia) Italian immigrant grandparents who, more than 100 years ago, journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean and settled in South Philly to seek a better life.

Last November, I made a memorable journey - a homecoming of sorts - back to my South Philly roots. This visit was jam-packed with family, friends, and places/ events dear to my heart. As a thirdgeneration Italian American, I attended my first FILITALIA International Gala event that was held at the Overbrook Golf Club. Sure enough, here I am 500 miles away from Columbus, Ohio, and as fate has it, I meet my old next-door South Philly neighbor Alida and her daughter Silvana from 17th Street. It was a true sense of coming home, back to my South Philly roots for me and a wonderful time to see my neighbor and reflect on our “shared row home wall” experience.

My visit back to the old neighbor- hood included time to catch up with family and friends. I met my two first cousins Thomas and Angelo for breakfast, who still live in Philly. I also made a stop to see my first cousin Patricia and her husband Joe who have resided in Packer Park for many years. I met up with my childhood friend of more than 50 years, Vince DiLorenzo, who is a long-time member of the Palizzi Social Club where we had dinner one evening. Vince’s family lineage is from Vasto, Abbruzzo, from where the original Italian members who formed the Palizzi Club emigrated. Vince’s family had a little restaurant called the “Dugout” across from Southern High School on Snyder Avenue.

However, the most eventful time of my visit was truly the book presentation my cousin Erick Lucera and I were able to hold at the History of Italian Immigration Museum (HIIM) on East Passyunk Avenue. This was the culmination of coming home to my dual roots – South Philly and ancestral. Erick had col- laborated with our Italian relatives in our ancestral village of Comune di Biccari (Puglia) and wrote Birth of New Biccari in Philadelphia. The book is the story about those many early Italian immigrants, including my grandparents (Aniello & Elisa [Basile] Lucera), who settled in Philadelphia. Almost all those who attended the book presentation were descendants of relatives from Biccari who settled in Philadelphia. Afterwards, it was time to eat so we all headed to Popi’s Italian Restaurant for a late lunch.

A grateful thank you to my sister Elaine, family, friends, and those paesani at FILITALIA International/ HIIM for hosting our book presentation and making it a memorable homecoming. For me, having walked the ancestral village of my grandparents has enabled me to touch my Italian roots. It is so fitting to say that you should never forget where you come from. I have not and am so lucky to have dual roots – South Philly and those in the boot! PRH