Family Stories
This page presents the individual stories of families migrating from Grammichele to Victoria, Australia.
This space is reserved especially for you and allows you to record those memories that are most precious to you, giving life to the unique journey experienced by your family.
(If you wish to submit your family story - including photos and/or other items - include these in an email to GoV with attached photos)
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Maria Altamore, neè Angelico
1900 - 1993
Nonna Maria, my grandmother
Written March, 1995 by Sarina Greco
I dropped in to see Nonna. It was three o’clock when I arrived and she was just dishing up a bowl of spaghetti for herself. She had made some fresh sauce, just enough for one serve, from the last season’s tomatoes growing in her small back garden.
How times have changed for her. In her younger days. Sundays and holidays always brought a house full of family and friends to her table. From the years before the war, their home on the farm at Werribee was a popular gathering place for many of the paesani. Some were young single men or men who had come to Australia on their own before sending for their fiancés or for their wives and children. They would sit for hours on end after lunch talking with my grandfather, or more often listening to him. They respected him, says nonna, because he was a fine man and a good husband and father. People still recall how my grandfather would sit at the head of the table brushing the crumbs on the tablecloth towards him as he spoke, with deliberate tidy movements of his hand.
I never knew my grandfather, Salvatore Altamore. He died soon after I was born, after being bedridden for months following a stroke. He left behind nine children, the youngest only two years old.
Thirty years before his death, Nonno Salvatore had left behind his young wife and their first born baby daughter, Anna, when he came to Australia to set up the beginnings of a new life for his young family.
Two years later Nonna and Anna left Sicily to join him. She recalls with much detail the long voyage by ship. Nonna still remembers with pride how she dressed the toddler in an indigo blue velvet dress that she had made by her own hands, the way she combed the child’s hair, the anxious excitement she felt at seeing her husband again and wondering what her new life would bring in this new land.
My grandfather’s death brought many changes. Times were hard, there were debts and many mouths to feed. They had opened a delicatessen business in Richmond which Nonna then ran with the help of two of the older children.
Copying with the demands of raising younger children on her own and making ends meet financially were not the most difficult changes to adjust to, it seems. What Nonna felt more perhaps was the change in her status and in the respect afforded her family now that her husband was no longer alive. For my grandmother, respect was an important value which she often talked about.
As I sat with her that afternoon while she finished her lunch, I glanced around the room where most of her wake hours are spent nowadays.
The top of her glass cabinet is cluttered with photos, old and new. There are photos of her parents, of herself, and my grandfather in the middle age, of her brother and sister both dead now. In contrast to these old studio photos stand dozens of snap shots of family gatherings, of grandchildren’s weddings, of great-grandchildren.
One is of Sammy, her youngest son, who died many years ago of leukemia just two weeks after he was married. Beside it stands the latest photo from her daughter, Rose, in New York, sent for Easter, which proudly presents her family and her newest grandchild, another great-grandchild for Nonna. On the television stands the large floral bouquet also sent for Easter from Rose in New York.
Nonna caught me looking at a large handwritten note clearly printed and displayed on the top of the television. I would read it from where I was sitting
It said:
MUM,
DR. LIVINGSTONE COMES TUESDAY 11 0’CLOCK. TAKE A BATH IN THE MORNING I’LL COME AT 10 O’CLOCK
CATHY.
Nonna smiled and said – “Cathy thinks I might forget.” I laughed with her.
Sarina Greco
March, 1986
Salvatore & Agrippina Angelico, and Lorenzo Angelico
Recollections of Sam Angelico (grandson and son) published in:
Peter Gerrand, 2025. ‘Growing up in the Italian community on West Melbourne’, Chapter 22, pp.216-221, in West Melbourne. A Sense of place. Editors: Zia Racho-Knight and Felicity Jack. {Hotham History Project, Melbourne, February 2025], ISBN 978-0-9922978-3-1.
Early Recollections
Salvatore’s (Sam's) mother Eugenia, helped by her daughters, often cooked and arranged two hundred portions of arancini. Other families offered Italian cheeses and sausages, lasagne, lamb cutlets, crumbed chicken drumsticks or salads, and desserts such as Sicilian cannoli, figs and punnets of strawberries. Others provided wine or coffee.
Later in the day, the back of one of the trucks became a small stage for musicians to perform, stimulating much dancing and gaiety. When Salvatore turned 11 his parents, Lorenzo and Eugenia, encouraged him to change into a blue velvet suit that Eugenia had made for him, with a red bow tie, and perform his magic tricks—such as making multiple billiard balls appear out of thin air—on the small, improvised stage.
Lorenzo and Eugenia
Sam’s father Lorenzo was, by all accounts, an extraordinary entrepreneur, even among the cohort of innovative Italian immigrants of that era. Together, they changed much of the face of inner Melbourne, opening Italian restaurants and cafes such as Johnny’s Green Room and Brunetti’s in Carlton, and Pellegrini’s in the city. The terrazzo specialists and major building firms, such as the Grollo family, created new Italianate buildings.
The later wave of Italian migrants from Sicily and southern Italy, such as Sam’s parents (Lorenzo and Eugenia), established their own communities in West Melbourne and in other western and northern suburbs of Melbourne (such as Footscray and Fawkner), or created market farms on the outskirts of the city.
Lorenzo’s father, also named Salvatore Angelico (like Sam), arrived in Melbourne by ship from Sicily in the late 1920s as a potential immigrant, leaving his wife Agrappina and his children (including Lorenzo) in Catania until he had found ongoing work. After finding both paid work and a supportive Italian community in Melbourne, he returned to Sicily three times by boat to persuade Agrappina to join him in Australia. It was only on his third return trip that she agreed. Lorenzo was 14 when he arrived in Melbourne with his mother and two sisters in the late 1940s. One of his sisters died on that passage. They soon moved to 112 Miller Street, West Melbourne. It was a large two storey, 10-roomed brick house on the corner of Miller and Lothian streets, which Salvatore bought. There he established an Italian grocery and general store on the ground floor, run by members of his extended family. On the empty block next to their house, they created a vegetable garden and a large chicken pen.
The La Scala Cinema
In 1957 Lorenzo became co-founder and part owner of the La Scala Italian cinema in Footscray, which exclusively showed Italian films until it closed in 1972. The first film Sam saw, when he was only five years old, terrified him. It was an Italian version of Ulysses, with the one-eyed giant, Cyclops, emerging dramatically from the sea. The cinema complex, with seating for 800, included a large Italian café that provided valuable cashflow to the cinema. Sam saw some of Fellini’s films there, as well as popular spaghetti westerns and romcoms with the glamorous Sofia Loren and Anna Magnani. Sam remembers rushing from the café, where he had picked up a toffee, to the cinema to see the live fan dancer who regularly performed before the films were projected: ‘very much in the tradition of Italian culture’. La Scala would usually start its sessions with a short comedy by Toto, the immensely popular Italian comedian, before screening classic feature films by directors such as Fellini and Sergio Leone. ‘If you’ve seen Cinema Paradiso, it’s amazing how Dad’s cinema mirrored that,’ recalls Sam. In the mid-1960s, Lorenzo was one of the first people in Melbourne to buy a Super-8 movie projector, and used it to show Charlie Chaplin, Keystone Cops and other black-and-white silent films to family and friends at home. Meanwhile, La Scala became a major hub for the Italian community in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
The Market
Several of the Italian and Chinese families living in West Melbourne ran fruit and vegetable stalls at Queen Victoria Market, with supplies regularly trucked in from the market gardens that their extended families owned on the outskirts of Melbourne. ‘When I went with Dad to the market to get supplies for the shops, he would spend hours there, chatting with my uncles who ran stalls there,’ remembers Sam.
Vincenzo Paglia
The Story of VINCENZO PAGLIA (1927 — 2017)
as told by his daughter Lucia
Background in Sicily
Vincenzo was born in Grammichele, a town in the province of Catania, Sicily on the 26th October, 1927. Second child of Gaetano Paglia and Lucia Spataro. His siblings were Francesca, Francesco, Carmelo, Gina and Annetta.
Vincenzo was fortunate to have been educated up to the equivalent of 8th grade and then to be trained by his uncle in his trade as a blacksmith.
As soon as WW11 ended, Vincenzo was of age and served in the military for just under one year. He was stationed in Rome and because of his abilities, he helped maintain and fix the military vehicles and became the driver for one of the officers.
Military photos taken in 1946
On his return to his hometown in Sicily, Vincenzo realized that although he still had a job and a trade, many people were struggling to survive after the war. Italy was overpopulated and something needed to change to lift the Italian economy. Vincenzo was willing to take the chance, go to Australia, find work with the skills he had. Many people from his town had already gone and were settling in Melbourne.
Arrival in Australia
Passport photo 1951
The Neptunia 1951
Vince (his new Australian name) arrived in Australia on October 11, 1951. His ship, the Neptunia docked at Victoria Dock and he was met by his ‘paesano’ and childhood friend (my father once mentioned who this person was, but regrettably I did not note this and it has been lost). Vince carried his suitcase (his trunk was to be delivered to his home address later), they picked up the tram on LaTrobe St and they went to stay at the board that had been arranged for him.
Vince with paesani friends at a wedding.
Vince is second from left.
The first on the right is Michele Cannizzo (Michele and Vince were at school together in Grammichele)
From the left I recognise Mr Viola,
Michele Ventura, unknown, Mr D’Amico,
Unknown, Vince, I don’t recognise the two standing on the right, Mr Interligi in the front.
There was a significant Italian community in Richmond, all connected and helping new arrivals.
Vince boarded in the home of a very kind, widowed Maltese lady, who had formerly married an Italian. She owned a reasonably large home and was happy to have well-mannered Italian single people who followed her house rules.
Earning a Living
Vince first worked at Malcolm Moore, manufacturers of cranes and heavy machinery. In 1955, he started work at Holden Car manufacturers as a fitter and turner, until he retired in 1992.
Vince working as a fitter and turner at Holdens, Port Melbourne.
Vince loved cars throughout his life.
He was one of the few people with a car at the time, so also took as many as could with him on his way to work to Port Melbourne, including Pietro Paglia, his first cousin, also from Grammichele.
Vince’s Holden FE.
From far left: Vince, Pietro Paglia, Giovanna Paglia, young boy unknown, me as a baby, Concetta Paglia,
my mother Nella Paglia, Giovanna Ventura, Maria Ventura, young boy unknown.
My mum and dad in the FE Holden. He couldn’t be happier.
But Vince also had a passion and a talent. He was a blacksmith by trade, so he also made beautiful wrought-iron gates, balustrades and furniture, not only for our home, but also for other people. His work was carefully and perfectly constructed, but also aesthetically beautiful and original. He was often told that he should leave his job to do this work and set up a business, but he insisted that he was not business minded and it was only a hobby for him.
Example of Vince’s wrought iron work:
Carmelo Paglia, me, Tina Maio, my brother Gaetano Tony.
1 year old Gaetano Tony. My dad’s work in the background.
We are sitting on the beautiful wrought iron furniture made by my father. From left to right, Vince, my nonna Graziella Giuliano, my mum Nella, baby Robert Maio, Gina (Vince’s sister), Nicola Maio, Gina Giuliano (my mum’s sister), me and tina Maio in front.
My brother Gaetano Tony is in the wrought iron walker made by my inventive father.
Note the beautiful outdoor chair.
Vince always considered himself very fortunate in his life. The opportunity to come to Australia, have work, buy a home, have a beautiful, healthy family. So, he tried to give back to others what he could. Working at Holden, he was instrumental in helping newcomers obtain work quickly. When he had his own home, he took in relatives and whole families until they were able to settle. Over the course of just several years after purchasing his first home, he took in his sister Gina, his cousin Pietro Paglia with his wife Concetta, his cousin Caterina Paglia and her husband Michele Ventura and their families, his brother Carmelo, mother-in-law Grazia, sisters-in-law Carmela and Gina.
Vince’s first home at Stanley St Richmond.
Vince’s trade skills allowed him to find work easily and he was well regarded and respected in his work. Because of this, he was able to recommend friends who wished to work in the car industry. I know he was instrumental in a number of people finding work and in particular, his cousin Pietro was employed at GMH on my father’s recommendation. Until their retirement, since Pietro did not drive, my father made sure to take him along.
These are just some of the countless generosities I witnessed from my father.
Marriage
Vince’s greatest joy was his family. He met his beautiful wife, Nella (Sebastiana Giuliano) in 1957. She had come to Australia on her own, now living with her uncle and his family. A mutual friend of Vince and Nella’s uncle introduced them. They were engaged, then married on January 25, 1958.
By all accounts, the wedding was quite lavish for its time. Nella’s Zio Francesco was so proud of his beautiful niece and so happy about the match that he invited 400 people to the wedding! There was a generous buffet dinner and plenty of wine and beer. My mother always likes to tell me that it was so hot that night her ‘paesani’ from Sortino were taking cases of beer outside to drink and at one point, they ran out of beer! Che mala figura!
Home and Family Life
Vince had already purchased his first home in Stanley Street Richmond. Lucia was born on March 21, 1959. Within 6 months, Nella’s widowed mother, Grazia Tabacco Giuliano and her daughters Carmela and Gina arrived from Sicily to live with them.
Two years later, Vince and Nella sold the house in Stanley Street and purchased a home in Acheron Ave, Camberwell. It was a quiet leafy street in the outer suburbs of Melbourne and the house was on a large block of land. They planned to raise their family here.
The house was not very large, but they still managed to comfortably host Nella’s mother and her sisters, Vince’s brother Carmelo and Nella’s brother Pippo for a time. It was a time of many visitors, large Sunday lunches and family picnics (le scampagnate).
By 1964, my Nonna Graziella had bought her house in Carlton, Zio Carmelo had moved back to Italy having decided that Australia was not for him and Zio Pippo had finally settled down and married.
Gaetano Tony was born on June 1, 1964. Then Marco Luigi Francesco was born on October 4, 1971.
Vince’s family outgrew their home in Acheron Ave and after much consideration on whether to renovate/extend/rebuild, they decided to build a brand new home in Bulleen, where they lived from 1977 to 2015. They then downsized to a new apartment in Kew.
Camberwell 1973
Trip to Grammichele in 1967
Return to Grammichele
In 1967, Vince and Nella, together with their children Lucia and Gaetano, went to Italy by ship for an extended holiday, with the possible consideration of resettling there. It was a wonderful experience for us all, but Vince realised that, although he still considered himself as Italian, he had changed into an Italo-Australian (but unable to define what that actually was). For me, the experience gave me a sense of identity and pride, not only in being an Italian, but also as a Sicilian.
Vince’s family outgrew their home in Acheron Ave and after much consideration on whether to renovate/extend/rebuild, they decided to build a brand new home in Bulleen, where they lived from 1977 to 2015. They then downsized to a new apartment in Kew.
Challenges and Successes. Love of Life.
Vince held a great deal of importance on education. He wished his children to obtain the higher education that he had not had the opportunity to have. Although his level of education was not high, he had a deep love of learning. Much of his mechanical electrical skills, his ability to fix almost anything was self taught and I was always in awe of his problem-solving ability. He would love to sit with me and my maths textbooks and help as much as he could.
Vince also had a love of music, in particular, Italian Opera. We were often woken up on a Sunday morning to the sounds of Verdi or Puccini.
While we were recently looking at some old photos, Nella was asked, by one of her grandchildren, how she knew that nonno was the right one for her, since they didn’t go out alone before they married. She told us a beautiful story.
Before they had their engagement party, Vince asked if she knew how to dance. She told him that she did not. The following evening, Vince came over with his gramophone and all his 75’s records of the latest Italian hit songs, which he had managed to bring with him from Italy. There in Nella’s uncle’s lounge room, with all the family watching, my father taught her to dance.
Vince and Nella always loved dancing together. At every party, family gathering, wedding, dinner dance, I remember my parents dancing in perfect unison.
All about family. From left to right: Connie Greco, Cettina Lamagna, David Brennan, Robert Greco, me, Paul Greco, Franco Lamagna, Vince, Nella, Giuseppe Lamagna.
Event at Grammichele Club
Sisters and brother-in-law visit from Grammichele.
L to R: Vince, Francesca Cuccuzza, Gaetano Cannizzo, Mario e Annetta.
Vince and Nella – 50th Wedding Anniversary
Written by Lucia Greco (neè Paglia)
