Although I’ve never met my Papa, Theodore Piscitello who moved to America from Sicily, Italy in 1921, I am able to connect with him through this wooden spoon. He brought little with him, as he was a young boy at the time. A few outfits and a wooden spoon. My papa learned English quickly in his new homeland. He married my nana, Lovana, in 1955. She was an Irish, 18-year-old woman from West Virginia. Together, they raised my mother, Mary. In their home, they cooked often for family, friends, and homeless people; using the wooden spoon. My papa was a strong man who fought in World War Two under General Patton. He was stationed on the ground, in Germany. He not only survived, but after he returned home, he was awarded a Purple Heart, a Gold Star, and the Congressional Medal of Honor. A man of his stature would never be expected to be as generous and caring as he was. He passed away in 1988, 13 years before I was born. My nana and mom cooked every day with that spoon, and when I was old enough, I did too. My nana passed away in 2016. So now, my mother and I cook with the spoon and I will eventually pass it down to my children in the future. This wooden spoon traveled great distances; Sicily to America, and then bouncing all around Long Island.

– Rebecca S.

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant