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Zio Paul Joseph Frazzini - my mother's  brother

ca 1935. Paul was born in the USA, the first child born in the USA in the immediate family.	1937 My mother, Betty, my Grandmother Lucrezia and Paul.
My mother and her brother Paul.	1945 High School graduation. Confirmed for me by George Paich (former West Aliquippa resident) who had a copy of the 1945 Beaver Falls High School yearbook.
Paul Frazzini This photo was sent to me by Dennis Diullo. It was in the photo album owned by his grandparents Filiberto diIullo and Rosina Rossi.	1946 Paul Frazzini - Army Days
June 11, 1959 Frazzini Family in kitchen of 11th Street, Beaver Falls house. The photo appears to have been taken around Easter. Maxine Frazzini   Paul Frazzini    Lucrezia Frazzini	Uncle Paul and his wife Maxine. Taken in the yard of their house in Beaver Falls.
1972 Christmas - Maxine, Paul and Jeff Frazzini, Patsy, Betty and Patricia DiVecchio. Picture taken in the kitchen of the DiVecchio's in Aliquippa, PA.
Sooooo 70's. Paul and Maxine's children with my Mother, Betty. That's Jeff, Barbara and Paul.	1979 Thats me with my Uncle Paul.
Paul J. Frazzini, Saint Mary's Cemetery, Beaver Falls, PA
	2002  Paul Joseph Frazzini Nicole Elizabeth Frazzini Son and daughter of Paul Michael Frazzini (oldest son of Uncle Paul) and Maria Theresa Whelan. Paul Joseph continues the line of Paul's from his father, Paul Michael, his grandfather, Paul Joseph, his great-great grandfather IppolitoVincenzo and his great-great-great-great grandfather Ippolito.

Zio Anthony (Tony) Joseph DiVecchio - my father's brother

1930 Uncle Tony's immigration card. He came over with my father, Pasquale, and their mother, Lucia. He arrived on 23 Jun 1930 on the Conte Grande sailing from Naples.
The DiVecchio Family in the 1930's. Most likely taken in West Aliquippa, PA. From left to right: Anthony DiVecchio - Nick diGiovine - Lucia (diGiovine) DiVecchio - Camillo DiVecchio - Patsy DiVecchio
1938	1940
Uncle Tony entered the Army on 27 Jan 1942. His last day of work at the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad Company was 6 Dec 1941. His first duty station was Co. D - 3rd Tr-BN, Camp Wheeler, GA where he arrived 4 Feb 1942.
1942 West Aliquippa, PA Camillo DiVecchio   Anthony DiVecchio     Lucia diGiovine DiVecchio     Patsy DiVecchio           Rita Politano                                    Guido Politano Probably at their home: 337½ Beaver Ave West Aliquippa, PA
From the 4 Sep 1943 issue of the Pittsburgh Press This is the first time that I heard about him being missing in action.
I wrote about this to my cousins and Guido Politano replied: Subject:    Re: Uncle Tony - Missing in Action during WWII? Date:    Tue, 11 May 2010 09:20:32 -0400 From:    gwpzjraol.com Mark: Sept 3rd, it was was just days before my 5th birthday. Our family was getting ready to move from West Aliquippa to Center Township. For some reason I was at my grandparents house. It was located behind the SOI Hall  in West Aliquippa, this was before they moved to 109-1/2 Main Street. I remember walking into the kitchen and finding my grandmother and grandfather sitting at the kitchen table both holding on to a letter and crying. I asked what was wrong. They assured it was nothing I did. They had just come back from having someone read and translate the letter so they could understand it. They told me Tony was missing in action. This was a reason for concern because many people were getting death notices. I never asked Pundy about it because he didn't like to talk about the war. I do know he was wounded and that could account for his being missing. That's all I know about the incident. Guido	I followed this up with a phone conversation with Rita Politano Dimtrovich which I summarized in this email: I talked with Rita on Saturday. First, I want to correct something that I wrote in my first email, the invasion of Sicily began on the night of July 9-10, 1943 not what I had written in that email. The last German troops left Sicily for mainland Italy on 18 Aug 1943. The Allies invaded mainland Italy on 3 Sep 1943. The newspaper article was dated 4 Sep 1943. So based on this timeline, Uncle Tony must have been wounded in Sicily since that newspaper story must have been several weeks (or even a month) after the actual event. I was able to confirm this from his discharge papers. He was wounded on Sicily in August of 1943 (The discharge paper is very hard to read and I can't make out the date - might be 6.) Rita recalled that when Uncle Tony was wounded in Italy, he was taken in by an Italian family. Once he recoverd enough from his wounds, he returned to his Army unit. It was during this time period that he was listed as Missing in Action. Rita also recalled the first letter delivered by a soldier to our grandparents house in West Aliquippa. She recalled that they got one of the diNardo kids to translate the letter. The same with the second letter that informed them that Uncle Tony had been recovered. Rita remembered that nona spent a lot of time at the church, praying. Uncle Tony was wounded again on 9 June 1944 in France. This would put him in the hospital for the next year. He returned to the US on 7 Aug 1944 and was at the Thomas M. England General Hospital in Atlantic City, NJ until his discharge on 28 Sep 1945. Mark
In Uncle Tony's address book, dated inside the front cover September 1943, were these names (most had APO addresses): Carmen Ross V. DiVecchio Paul DiSena Luco Crivelli (Aliquippa, PA) Robert diNardo (Aliquippa, PA) Lucy DiGiovanni (Boston, MA) Patsy DiVecchio (McKees Rocks, PA) Emidio DiBenedetto (Aliquippa, PA) Ralph diGiovine (Aliquippa, PA) Mildred Toth (Aliquippa, PA) John Timperio (Watertown, MA) J. Giovanni A. Giovanni George Gardlik John DiGiovine	Here is a letter written to his mother and father: March 19, 1944 Dearest Parents,     I have just received a letter from you. I was happy to hear from you. As you can see, mail from home gets here faster than before since all is straightened out. Today is Sunday and I just got back from church which is not far from here. The catholic churches here are rather small and not quite so beautiful as the ones you'd see in N. Africa or Sicily. I guess its due to the small portion of catholic families among the English people. Also heard from my brother. As I told you before, he sent a photo and is still in Camp Chafee. I also received the money you sent me. Was Patsy home on furlough? I don't know why but I haven't seen anything of the newspapers yet. I  believe they were sent to my old address and never got your pictures yet. The same might of happened to them. You can send a 5lb package if you wish, including some toilet articles, soap, razor blades, the latter being very hard to obtain at the very present. Is is really true about Mike Galterio? I'd like to have a Mass said for him. I'm in the best of health and don't worry. My regards to you and father, best wishes to Dom, Agnes and the children. Pray for us and God bless you all. Your Son, Anthony
1945 Atlantic City, NJ. As a member of the 1st Infantry Division, my uncle Tony participated in three major landings in Europe during WWII.  - North Africa, Sicily and Normandy. During the last one, he was badly wounded in the leg. Here he is recovering in Atlantic City, NJ. Notice the "Big Red One" patch on his shoulder. The Army's 1st Infantry Division spearheaded the landings in North Africa (Oran, Algeria, Arzeu Beach), Sicily (Gela) and Normandy (Omaha Beach). More details. History. Documents that I have put him in Company "L" of the 26th Infantry Regiment. After being wounded on 9 June 1944, he spent the next year recovering at the  Thomas M. England General Hospital, Atlantic City, NJ. Apr 2011 - I received an email from Sue DePaola. Her father, Ray DePaola Jr was also in Company L of the 26th Regiment. Her father was wounded three times. Sue's web site dedicated to her dad: http://www.depworld.com/frame/	Here is what remains of Uncle Tony's World War II insignia. His "Big Red One" patch, his uniform badges, his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with 3 bronze service stars) and his Purple Heart (with bronze oak leaf cluster). When I found his Purple Heart, it came as a surprise to me to learn that the bronze oak leaf cluster indicates he received TWO Purple Heart awards. He was discharged on 28 Sep 1945. Look at the box right below for more......
Aside: The Thomas M. England General Hospital operated on the site of what is now Resorts Atlantic City. Resorts Atlantic City is located at the northern end of the famed Boardwalk in Atlantic City, along with eight other of Atlantic City's 12 casinos. It is the former Chalfonte-Haddon Hall. Established in 1929, Chalfonte-Haddon Hall has been a vital part of not only New Jersey history, but nationally as well. During World War II, Haddon Hall was transformed into the Thomas England General Hospital. The property's wide corridors made it easy to facilitate the transport of medical equipment and supplies. Following the war, Chalfonte-Haddon Hall re-opened in August 1946 as a convention site and summer retreat.	I wrote to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for help with Uncle Tony's records. At first they indicated that all of his records were destroyed in the July 12, 1973 NPRC fire. I sent them copies of what little documentation I had and they were able to send me an (almost) unreadable copy of  his Report of Separation and a Certificate of Military Service. From those documents, I learned: 1. He received these medals: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart w/bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, EAME Campaign Medal w/4 bronze service stars, Presidential Unit Citation, WWII Victory Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and Honorable Service Button WWII. 2. He served from 27 Jan 1942 to 28 Sep 1945 - total service of 3 years 8 months. 3. Battles and Campaigns: Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy. 4. He went overseas in July 1942 and returned to the US on 20 Jul 1944 for a total of 2 years 5 days. 5. He was wounded in Sicily on 6 Aug 1943 and in France on 9 Jun 1944. I have since received replacement medals in his honor.
1945 Another photo of Uncle Tony while recoving at the Thomas M. England General Hospital in Atlantic City, NJ.	After the war, Uncle Tony went to work for the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company in Aliquippa. He worked in the Tin Mill.
I remember Uncle Tony mostly from visits to West Aliquippa when my grandmother, Lucia diGiovine, was still alive. Uncle Tony lived in the same row house on 109 ½ Main Ave from the time he got out of the Army until he had to go the geriatric center. He used to come to our house every Thanksgiving for dinner and every Christmas Day. He hung out with his friends from West Aliquippa. He enjoyed playing the ponies and would often travel with friends to various horse race tracks in the area. He died from skin cancer.	Beaver County Times, 27 Apr 1993 Anthony DiVecchio, 73, of the Beaver Valley Geriatric Center, Brighton Township, died Sunday, April 25, 1993, in the geriatric center. Born April 8, 1920 in Italy, a son of the late Camillo and Lucy DiVecchio, he was a member of  St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, West Aliquippa, and before his retirement was employed in the tin mill department of LTV Steel Corp., Aliquippa. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, and a recipient of the Purple Heart. Surviving are a brother, Patsy DiVecchio, Aliquippa; two sisters, Anna Politano, Center Township, and Eufemia Pantalone, Boston, Mass.; a niece Rita Domitrovich, Center Township, and several other nephews and nieces. Friends will be received today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. in Wayne N. Tatalovich Funeral Home, 2205 McMinn St., Aliquippa, where a service will be conducted Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 9 a.m. in the St. Titus Roman Catholic Church, Aliquippa. Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery, Hopewell Township. A rosary will be recited today at 8:30 p.m. in the funeral home. Full military rites will be conducted by the Beaver Valley Special Unit.
Anthony J. DiVecchio, Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Aliquippa, PA

Zia Agnesa (DiVecchio) Politano - my father's sister

Known to the family as Annina. When her mother and brothers came to the US in 1930 she stayed behind as she was training to be a Nun. I guess that didn't work out. She arrived in New York on 12 Dec 1935 on the Rex sailing from Genoa. The record uses the name Annina. She was going to her father, Camillo, at 337 1/2 Beaver Ave, West Aliquippa, PA. Her sister, Eufemia, was still in Sant'Eufemia a Maiella. Aunt Eufemia would come to the US in the 1950's.

Agnesa married Domenic Politano. They had three children. In this photo are Rita, the first, and Guido, the second.	Guido Politano - Guido is a ham radio operator, now WB9ZJR. He is the person who helped me develop my interest in ham radio and electronics.
Rita Politano	Rose Politano.
1995 Agnese (DiVecchio) Politano	1990 Rose married Fernando (Fred) Roccatani. Here they are with their daughter Gia. They live in California only about 100 miles from me. Some  pictures from a 2002 trip to visit them.
Domenic and Anna (Agnese DiVecchio) Politano, Mt.Olivet Cemetery, Aliquippa, PA

Zia Eufemia (DiVecchia) Pantalone - my father's sister

1936 Pasquale Pantalone and his wife, my aunt, Eufemia DiVecchia with two of their three daughters, Maria (~6yrs) and Anna (~6mos). Taken in Italy. Anna was killed after picking up an unexploded bomb during WWII (about 1943).	1926 Pasquale Pantalone during his (Italian) Army days. He served 18 months, stationed in Rome. This photo and the previous one are from Lucy Pantalone Ricchio, their third daughter. Pasquale's father was Vitantonio Pantalone. Vitantonio had a brother, Michele Pantalone, who emmigrated to Australia.
1960 - The Pantalones on a visit to Aliquippa. They lived in Watertown, MA. Left to right: Lucy Pantalone (my cousin) Domenic Politano (my father's brother-in-law) Pasquale Pantalone (my father's brother-in-law) Anthony DiVecchio (my uncle & my father's brother) Lucia (diGiovine) DiVecchio (my grandmother) Agnese (DiVecchio) Politano (my aunt & my father's sister) Eufemia (DiVecchio) Pantalone (my aunt & my father's sister) Rose Politano (my cousin)	Taken in Boston, MA. Probably in 1970's or early 1980's. left to right: Benilda Frazzini DiVecchio (my mother) Patsy DiVecchio (my father) Rita Politano Domitrovich (my cousin) Pasquale Pantalone (my father's brother-in-law) Eufemia DiVecchio Pantalone (my aunt & my father's sister)
Zia Eufemia's other daughter, my cousin, Maria. She married Domenico diGiovine. They live near Boston. This photo was taken in 2003 in Sant'Eufemia a Maiella in front of my father's old family home there.