It started with people from Belsito Calabria that settled in Melrose Park. My great-great-grandpa was one of the immigrants from Belsito Calabria. They brought pepper seeds to grow in their gardens. Over time, because they were in Melrose Park, they were called Melrose Peppers. My great-great-grandfather came on a ship and landed at Ellis Island. He carried the seeds over in a leather pouch. Next, he traveled to Melrose Park where he settled. There he grew the peppers in his garden to eat. The reason he carried the peppers was that he wanted some food from Italy. Sometimes the corner store below his house would buy peppers off of him and sell them. When the clerk ran out of peppers he would just take some out of the garden and pay my great-great-grandpa later. It shows the origin of how Italians settled and how an important part of the culture is here today. Melrose Peppers are in dishes in Chicago and all over the country. My great-great-grandfather was part of that. The peppers represent me by giving me mental notes that my family was apart of something that I use today. Just last Friday my parents and I went out for dinner and we ordered an appetizer. We got sausage and peppers and it had Melrose Peppers. That is what I learned from my grandma about my great-great-grandfather and Melrose Peppers.

– Gabe

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more