Patsy & Betty Were Sweethearts

1930

My grandfather Pasquale "Patsy" Rosania arrived at Ellis Island from Naples, Italy on February 24, 1906 with his mother and siblings. Mama Concetta age 35, Pelligrino 11, Salvatore 9, Agostino 7, Ricardo 6, Pasquale 4, and Rosina 2, were met at Ellis Island by my great grandfather, Papa Cotello. He arrived at age 29 on February 14, 1903, three years earlier. They came to reside in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Serino, Province Avellino, Italy is were my family was born.

The Citta di Napoli is the ship my great grandfather came over on.

The Brasile is the ship my grandmother and her children came on.

Patsy became a carnival man, and was a member of the Miami Showman's Association. He traveled all over the country with the carnival. On one of his trips through Tennessee he saw my lovely Irish grandmother, Betty Meek, grabbed her up, took her home to Connecticut and married her. (The Italians do not mess around!) A couple years later my mother, Barbara Joyce Rosania, was born.

I never met Patsy. He died a year before I was born. My mom says he was very jolly, and loved cooking for family and friends. She has his recipes for lasagna and spaghetti sauce tucked away somewhere. She says he always walked around with a dishtowel over his shoulder, and cooked a lot for the carnival workers. He resembled Lou Costello, and used to sing all the time. One song she remembers him singing was "Amapola". He used to let her put her feet on top of his feet and dance around with her. She remembers him being a really happy and loving guy!

It would have been really nice to have known Patsy Rosania.

I Wish You Love,

Joyce