Pasquale came to this country when he was 19 from Gallo Italy. He worked as a laborer during the depression. He was a very hard worker and did manual labor up until his retirement. He was so tough that once he broke his big toe and still went to work - with a compound fracture - coming home every day and changing his bandage. How he did it, I will never know. He was very handsome, but people stepped out of his way when he came down the block in NYC where we used to live. He was tough outside, but there was a very good hearted man inside. He could sledgehammer rock walls down in his 70's - that's how strong he was. He loved to work in his garden every day during the good weather. He grew the biggest tomatos I have ever seen, and would let his grandchildren wait on line and pick out one tomato to take home. He would point out the reddest ones and they would carefully twist to take the tomato off the vine. He walked for miles to go shopping or get his hair cut, as he never drove a car. He was married to Judith Del Vecchio in 1931 and had 3 children; Dominic, who passed on in 2005, Joseph John and Mary Jo. There are 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He died from emphysema. He smoked too much and his lungs were damaged from working on the jackhammer for many years.
There is a funny story about the picture with his friend with the white hat on - that was my dad's hat, but the shorter fellow (Joe) had shaved his head beacause he thought he was going bald and he borrowed my dad's hat. By the way, my mom told Joe to shave his hair as a joke. She told him it would grow in thicker. Got to love my mom.
I miss you Dad
There is a funny story about the picture with his friend with the white hat on - that was my dad's hat, but the shorter fellow (Joe) had shaved his head beacause he thought he was going bald and he borrowed my dad's hat. By the way, my mom told Joe to shave his hair as a joke. She told him it would grow in thicker. Got to love my mom.
I miss you Dad
Pasquale came to this country when he was 19 from Gallo Italy. He worked as a laborer during the depression. He was a very hard worker and did manual labor up until his retirement. He was so tough that once he broke his big toe and still went to work - with a compound fracture - coming home every day and changing his bandage. How he did it, I will never know. He was very handsome, but people stepped out of his way when he came down the block in NYC where we used to live. He was tough outside, but there was a very good hearted man inside. He could sledgehammer rock walls down in his 70's - that's how strong he was. He loved to work in his garden every day during the good weather. He grew the biggest tomatos I have ever seen, and would let his grandchildren wait on line and pick out one tomato to take home. He would point out the reddest ones and they would carefully twist to take the tomato off the vine. He walked for miles to go shopping or get his hair cut, as he never drove a car. He was married to Judith Del Vecchio in 1931 and had 3 children; Dominic, who passed on in 2005, Joseph John and Mary Jo. There are 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He died from emphysema. He smoked too much and his lungs were damaged from working on the jackhammer for many years.
There is a funny story about the picture with his friend with the white hat on - that was my dad's hat, but the shorter fellow (Joe) had shaved his head beacause he thought he was going bald and he borrowed my dad's hat. By the way, my mom told Joe to shave his hair as a joke. She told him it would grow in thicker. Got to love my mom.
I miss you Dad
There is a funny story about the picture with his friend with the white hat on - that was my dad's hat, but the shorter fellow (Joe) had shaved his head beacause he thought he was going bald and he borrowed my dad's hat. By the way, my mom told Joe to shave his hair as a joke. She told him it would grow in thicker. Got to love my mom.
I miss you Dad
