If last week’s program offers any measuring stick, the Johnston Historical Society just may have to think about another renovation of its Museum Barn.
“This was exceptionally educational and entertaining,” said Anthony Ursillo, a member of the society’s Board of Directors, after listening to Dr. Edward A. Iannuccilli deliver the night’s program on Italian American family life and an accompanying slide show. “Without question, a real nostalgic gem.”
Many other people who attended the 90-minute-plus presentation concurred, and were so impressed they purchased one of more copies of Iannuccilli’s books.
“I’m not even Italian and I found this very interesting,” said Lou McGowan, the society’s president. “Just the story of immigration was incredible and well done.”
Iannuccilli, a retired physician who is now devoting his energies to writing and giving presentations, has authored such books as “Growing up Italian,” “Grandfather’s Fig Tree” and “Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinner?”
Iannuccilli took the night’s attentive audience from those early days when Italians – and other immigrants – entered the United States at Ellis Island in New York to those pushcart and open-air market days on Providence’s Federal Hill.
“I lived on Atwells Avenue [in Providence] in my childhood and I could certainly relate to many locations,” Ursillo said.
Like others in the attentive audience, Ursillo emphasized how Iannuccilli’s two books very much reflect the Italian lifestyle of times past. Family, for example, was always the focal issue of growing up on Federal Hill.
“History is certainly an unforgettable part of growing up Italian, and learning about our ancestors who immigrated to this country many years ago, laying the foundation for our progression and advance in society as Americans,” Ursillo said. “Visiting relatives on Sunday afternoon and all sitting around the dinner table was a given and very much anticipated from week to week … [Iannuccilli] took us back to a much simpler time and way of life, and memories which will exist in four minds for decades.”
Special speaker
March 22
On Sunday, March 22, Pat Perry from Sneak Peek Productions will test the knowledge of historical society members and their guests about historical myths and tall tales during what promises to be an interactive program for all ages.
The better a person can guess, the better his or her odds of winning a fabulous gift from Pat’s gift basket.
The society, which is always accepting new members for the small fee of $10 per year, will hold its next general meting on Wednesday, March 25 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Museum Barn, located next to the Elijah Angell House at 101 Putnam Pike (Route 44).
The night’s speaker, society corresponding secretary Christopher Martin announced, will be Gloria Merchant, who is the author of “Pirates of Colonial Newport.”
She’ll discuss the tales of Thomas Tew, Thomas Paine, Captain Kidd and the 26 pirates who were hung at Gravelly Point in 1723.
Admission is free.
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