Hey Guys,
Carl you have done an amazing job, the site looks great,
Happy to help in any way I can.
In regards to towns - not sure how specific you wanted to get but all of us live in Melbourne, Australia.
If you are wanting suburb level then we are scattered a little. Reservoir is where Enzina lives and my parents bought their first home. To this day Reservoir is still heavily populated with Italians. The Vecchios - me, my brother and my mum all live in Greensborough and so does Adelina. Carmela who passed away and her husband Ralph who also has passed, lived mostly in Thomastown....another heavily Italian populated area.
So I guess they are the main three suburbs we grew up in.
Ripoli Family (Enzina) in Reservoir
Vecchio Family started in Reservoir, then moved to Greensborough from 1980 onwards
Palermo family (Carmela) in Thomastown
Bonfante family (Adelina) I believe started in Reservoir and then also moved to Greensborough - before the Vecchios.
All the cousins are scattered somewhat but only really 20 mins away from each other.
Here is what I know of my grandfather Sabato.
He was born around 1900 and died in around 1961 - he was hit by a car.
I believe he had many jobs but my mum seems to remember he was a shoemaker.
He had 8 kids:
Lorenzo - born 1923
Marianna - 1925
Vincenza - 1928
Antonietta - 1931
Nicolina - 1934
Carmela - 1937
Adelina - 1940
Vincenzo - 1943 - my dad.
As you can probably tell he named all 8 of his children after his parents and brothers and even his sisters in laws (Adelina and Carmela).
As far as I know Vincenza (Enzina) was the first to come to Australia around 1960.
Then around 1961 Carmela came to Australia and around 1962 Adelina came to Australia too.
My dad, Vincenzo came to Australia alone in 1963, mainly to avoid national service (had to be a soldier when they turned 18). But he still had a girlfriend back in Postiglione (my mum). So in 1965 my dad came back to Italy married my mum and then both came to Australia.
Funny story is that my dad came back to marry my mum but was avoiding the "authorities" given that he had literally skipped the country to avoid national service. But things we perhaps a little "awkward" between he and my mum when he returned, so my dad went to see her at the beach and my mum wanted to play it cool and ignored him somewhat and proceeded to head into the water.......but she forgot she couldn't swim, so started to let's say drown in the water and my dad came rushing into the water and saved her. Classic story of how my parents reconnected and within months were married and moved to Australia. NOTE my mum was only just 18 at the time.
So my brother's name comes from my Grandmother Alessandra. My brother Alex was born Alessandro.
My dad didn't want to name him Sabato as it wasnt really a common name and could see him getting picked on at school - after all it means Saturday in English. He then wanted to name me Vincenzo, but my brother got upset as if anyone was to be called Vincenzo it would be him, so I was named after his grandfather Lorezno......which I believe Larue is also named after - how crazy is that. Half a moon away and our names come from the same person. Oh and my middle name is Sabato. My dad figured it would be less embarrassing having Saturday as a middle name.
​
Apparently Marianna and her husband and their two kids came to Australia to live for around 4 years but returned back to Postiglione, Not sure on dates, but this was after my dad was here, so I'd guess around 1968?
Also I remember a story, I will get clarification on, but I believe Sabato and his daughter Enzina had applied for a VISA to go to the USA to meet up with his brothers. But they never got a reply so Enzina proceeded with plans to move to Australia and I believe the story goes that soon after Enzina left, they got the VISA to go to USA. But by that time it was too late. A real sliding doors moment for the Vecchio clan as if they had got the VISA sooner, we would probably ALL be in America as Enzina started the chain reaction to Australia.
​
Hope this helps, will dig up some more photos and facts and let you know how I do.
​
Regards
Lory Vecchio