Family in running for fair contest

In 1933 and 1934, millions of people flocked to the wondrous Chicago World’s Fair – also known as the Century of Progress International Exposition. Allegedly, Costanzo and Antonia Caparelli of Johnston didn’t even know they were in the running to hold a special title at the fair – that of the largest and healthiest Italian family in America – until they were informed they’d come in at second place.

A major feature of the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair was the erection of over one dozen foreign villages, the construction of which carried a price tag of over two million dollars. Those running the fair’s Italian Village voted the Caparelli family at number two in the nationwide big and healthy Italian family competition.

Antonia D’Agostino married Costanzo Caparelli when she was 14 years old and he was 24. After immigrating to America, they settled on Plainfield Pike in Johnston where Costanzo began a successful dairy farming operation. The public announcement of the family’s second-place win stated that Costanzo and Antonia had 20 children, however the existence of only 17 have been located for this story: Cristina in 1896, Benjamin in 1897, Mary in 1899, Lillian in 1901, Antonio in 1904, Peter in 1905, Rose in 1906, Jessamina in 1907, Laura in 1909, Costanzo Jr. in 1911, Edith in 1914, Joseph in 1915, Luigi in 1916, Maria Cristina in 1917, Elizabeth in 1920, Raymond in 1922 and Rudolph in 1924. Upon learning of the honor they’d been awarded, Costanzo stated that he attributed their health to fresh air and the hard labors of farm life. It was noted that, of their 20 children, four had died prior to 1934. Cristina had been skating on Simmonsville Pond on Feb. 17, 1915 when she fell through the ice and drown at the age of 19. Laura had been sick with uremia and nephritis for 10 days when she died in 1933 at the age of 24. The fate of the other two children hasn’t been uncovered.

Antonia died from the effects of diabetes on July 28, 1941 at the age of 62. The previous day, an abscess on her thigh had been cut open and drained, resulting in blood poisoning. Costanzo Sr. died in 1953 at the age of 84. 

Of the remaining children, Rudolph died from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident in 1964 when he was 40 years old. Joseph lived to be 63; Antonio lived to be 74; Edith lived to be 75; Raymond lived to be 76; Jessamina lived to be 79; Mary and Luigi lived to be 78; Costanzo Jr. lived to be 84; Benjamin and Elizabeth lived to be 93; Peter lived to be 94; and Rose lived to be 95.  

The first place winners in the ranking of the biggest and healthiest Italian family in America went to Illinois landscaper Michael Latorra, his wife Rose (Mazzone) and their 19 living children.

Kelly Sullivan is a Rhode Island columnist, lecturer and author.