Pt 3: Love Across the Ocean: The Story of Guiseppa and Antonio Corbo’s Journey towards la bella vita
Getting to America and Minnesota
In parts 1 & 2, the early years of Guiseppa & Antonio in Italy were full of political unrest and farmland that was increasingly difficult to work. Guiseppa’s older sister Filomena departed for America in 1906 and Guiseppa’s suitor, Antonio, acquired a passport with the intention of sailing to America and sending for her within just a few years, but plans don’t always work out.
Having acquired his passport just days before the infamous sinking of the Titanic, Antonio delayed his trip more than year, eventually sailing from Naples, departing on the SS Taormina 18 June 1913 and arriving in New York 3 July 1913. Needless to say, the 15 day passage across the ocean was free of icebergs and although the weather in New York was more than 90 degrees and humid, the view of the Statue of Liberty was something he would remember forever. While waiting for ship inspectors to clear them for medical inspections at Ellis Island, perhaps he saw fireworks light the night sky in pre-celebration of America’s independence.
A paper was pinned on Antonio’s lapel, stating “TO NY” - he assumed they had shortened his name to “Tony” when in reality, the label was identifying that he was going “to New York” to get the train. This is a story he later told his wide-eyed children and grandchildren in broken English, laughing all along. Did this really happen? Or did he shorten his name to Americanize it himself? Probably the later! Regardless, in America he went by Tony.
He took a train and within a few days, he arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota at Union Depot station, arriving sometime in the second week of July.
Upon arriving in St. Paul, he was greeted by a friend who walked with him to a local bar for a quick beer. The bartender refused to serve him because he thought he was too young! He was young but determined, having traveled across the ocean and half way across the country alone at the age of 17.
The ship’s manifest indicates that Tony’s brother paid for his passage and that he would be joining his “brother Giovanni” at 26 1/2 Phalen Creek. Herein lies a mystery: Tony did not have a brother named Giovanni. He had a brother named Guiseppe, but Guiseppe was not living in St. Paul, he was back in Italy. The only brother Tony had in Minnesota at that time was Nicola. Interestingly, Guiseppa had a brother named Giovanni who had immigrated to St. Paul in 1911, originally staying with his sister Filomena and her husband.
A 1914 city directory has several clues for who Giovanni may have been. If the simplest answer is usually correct, then a fellow listed as Joseph Corbo was actually Giovanni and Tony was referring to his future brother-in-law — Filomena and Guiseppa’s brother — who was known to have immigrated to St. Paul in 1911. The name “Joseph” could have been an Americanization of the name “Giovanni.”
In any case, according to the manifest, Tony stayed briefly in Swede Hollow at either 26 1/2 Phalen Creek or 36 1/2 Phalen Creek (depending on how the handwriting is interpreted).
By 1913 Tony was living at 43 N Phalen Creek. While living in this area, which was known as Swede Hollow, he was becoming orientated to the land and getting his first job on the railroad. But a world wide war was looming. In the next post, Tony trains for war and Tony earns his citizenship.