My great Grandfather Alphonse Dejoya  used to work aboard a ship that would travel across the Atlantic ocean from  Italy to Ellis island New York. He desperately wanted to become a US citizen so one day when his ship was docked in NY he left and never came back. He brought a bag of his clothes, all the money he owned and a few personal belongings he brought on the ship from home. One of which was the pasta maker that would eventually make it's way down my family going from my Great Grandfather to my Grandmother and now my Uncle. Every year during special occasions or holidays like Christmas my family comes together and we hand crank 4 to 5 pounds of home made pasta and a week later we eat it all. There's never any left over.This pasta maker reminds us of our Italian heritage and the long journey my family has made over the decades but also brings us together and helps us become closer together.

– Billy Schussler

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