A New Life Begins

Yes, yes, grandfather had a girlfriend. He was a devilishly handsome man. Even though he was rather short, he had red hair, classic high cheeck bones and most desireable, for the times, he had a trade. He was a mason. He worked on the beautiful Lowes Theatre in Queens, Astoria, where I saw most all the movies of the times. It was fashioned after an Italian Palace with beautiful marble pillars, gorgeous wide, winding staircases leading to the "Lodge", as it was called where all the boxes were carved into the second story draped in Greek and Roman marble gods. The stage was emense and set across the whole length of the theatre with bright red velvet curtains with gold fringe across the bottom of the valance on top and curtain below.

Unfortunately, the teatre was pulled down in the early 1970's even though residents petitioned for it to become a landmark, the developers won the fight and built 2 family houses on the site. What a travesty.

Getting back to grandmother........Isabella Rondonella! Is that poetically beautiful or what?!
Marriages were arranged in Italy by the parents. Isabella was considered a beauty, with thick black hair and alabaster skin, high cheeck bones and amply full lips. At 16 years old, she was educated and even played the piano. Mom told me she had a lovely high voice also. At that young age bearing her first child, a boy, and grandfather traveling to find work in Italy as a mason. At 6 months, the child became ill and all the home remedies failed so a doctor was summoned. He advised my grandmother to open the window and let the child breathe. It was cold months and the child died a few days later. Every time grandmother saw this doctor she would scream "Murderer" at him. How awful she must have felt. She probably had more of an education than the doctor.

Several more years passed and grandmother had more children, six to be exact. Aunt's Mickie, Ida, Uncle Nini, Irma, (mom), Uncle Pipi and Aunt Lala, the youngest. Grandmother worked at what ever she could find, doing wash, sewing, and working for a wealthy baroness in her castle. I do think that is why my mother had such aristocratic taste. She was around very beautiful furnishings as a small child and it was familiar and comfortable to her. It came time for grandmother to book passage for herself and children to go to America. She was thrilled at the thought of a better life. Still a young and beautiful woman, she anticipated being reunited with her husband and being together as a family again. I know she was so dissapointed and hurt. But the courage and tenacity she demonstrated was truly admirable.

More tomorrow.........