It was a bitter-sweet day for the young Italian woman. She was coming to America to be reunited with her husband. At the same time, however, she would have to say goodbye forever to her father, Giuseppe Gavello.
The old gentleman was obviously moved; at the train depot, with tears in his eyes, he told his daughter that he would disown her if she did not return to Italy. She never did. Rosa Massetti was on her way with her two sons, Secondo and Joe, to Madera, where her husband Giovanni Massetti awaited their arrival.
The mother and her sons boarded the train in Montegrosso d’Asti, Italy, and rode to Le Havre where they embarked on the S.S. La Provence for the crossing of the Atlantic as third class passengers. On Jan. 18, 1914, they arrived at Ellis Island and continued their journey across America by train.
The oldest son, Secondo, recalled the moment. “It was a cold day, and they lined us up in chutes like cattle.” The immigration authorities put a tag on the newcomers, which read, “California bound,” and placed them on a train headed west...
Comments
The Massetti story.
April 12, 2012
Bill Coate
The Madera Tribune
I enjoyed your article about the Massetti Family. The first time I heard part of the story was when I was eight, nine , ten ( I don’t remember), I had ridden my bike into a farm yard and knocked on the door. Mrs. Secondo (Mary) Massetti answered. I offered the CCD stamps I was commissioned to sell. She replied, in English, that she did not speak English. I did not and do not speak Piemontese so I would not have understood her if she had done so. I persisted; finally she asked my name. I responded, “Nat Dellavalle.”
“Who is your father?”
“Alfred Dellavalle.”
“Who is your grandfather?”
“Nat (Natale) Dellavalle.”
Then she told me how the Massettis came to be in Madera. After that I could sell her anything. Such was their gratitude for the invitation to come to Madera.
Later I asked my grandfather, how he came to be in Madera. “The liabilities exceeded the assets.” Simple enough! The legend is that they sold the last family asset, the family cow, to buy his passage to Madera where he had a job establishing vineyards for the Italian Swiss Colony Winery.
He wrote to the Massettis that he was in the land of milk and honey, and they should come. He worked from sun up to sun down and part of the pay was three meals per day; “There is meat at every meal, you should come”. In the Italy he left, they had meat on feast days, if they were lucky.
Several things led to the situation in Italy. The family had a thriving silk business. Then an army came through. In need of fire wood they cut down the mulberry trees (the leaves are the only food source for silk worms) and the silk business was lost. My great grandfather had been elected mayor of the village of Vigliano d’Asti which is near to Montegroso d’Asti. Part of the deal was to co-sign notes for his patrons, but then hail damaged the crops seven years in a row, and the family farm was lost. At the same time someone was recruiting people to help established vineyards in Madera.
From Madera, Natale sent money to buy passage for a brother, then another, then his parents and a sister. He also invited others to come to Madera, the land of milk and honey.
The legend was confirmed by cogini many years later when my wife and I had the privilege to visit the Montegrosso area. I was shown the vineyards that my grandfather had tended, then the door to the cantina, through which he had passed. Inside were the casks in which my grandfather had made wine. Now that we were inside, I was glad it was dark as there were rivers down my face. The new owner (a cousin of my father’s neighbor in Madera) had an awl in his hand. He poked a hole in the oakum in the end of each cask as his wife handed him glasses. There were three or four oval casks, each about three meters high, two meters wide and three meters long. We “had” to sample wine from each cask. Then it was out into the noonday sun. Across the street was the Club Natale Dellavalle. After the war, Natale had sent money to help rebuild the village church. With money left over after the renovation, they had built the club, with room for several card tables, a full bar and attendant bocce courts. We were offered anything we wanted from the bar and were glad to find the gelato machine. As my name is Natale, they knew exactly who I was and made us most welcome.
Thanks for recognizing the contribution of the Piemontese to Madera’s past. And thanks for stoking my memories.
Natale Dellavalle
559 647 5316
ndellavalle at dellavallelab.com
Fresno, California