Born in Formia, Italy the oldest of four children. Her mother died when she was six years old and her father remarried shortly after her mother’s death to a woman with two daughters. Three more children were born to this union, but, much to the dismay of the stepmother who was unkind to Immacolata, she always remained her father’s favorite. From the age of eight, Immacolata preferred working on the farm with her father to going to school to help out and see the family had enough to eat. Her father would proudly say that Immacolata was better than any hired man and could do the work of two men. Even when the German troops took over their farm during WWII and her family had to hide in the mountains, she remained committed to providing food and protecting her family at all cost. At night she would steal food from the farm and sneak it to her family in the mountains. She attempted to carry her cripples uncle on her shoulders to safety when she was hit by shrapnel. Although injured, she placed her uncle in a cave and went to find help. The others were too afraid to leave their hiding spots, so she returned to the cave to find her uncle had died. She always remembered that moment with great sadness. After the war ended, people needed to replant their farms. With entrepreneurial spirit, Immacolata started selling seeds at the city’s open market. While she was selling, she impressed a family so much that they asked to arrange a marriage with their son Rocco. Soon afterward, Immacolata in her borrowed dress and Rocco having received no dowry because of losing everything in the war, were married. A few weeks before giving birth to their first child, the house they were living in collapsed as a result of previous damage during the war and heavy rains. They spent the next few days rummaging through the rubble for salvageable baby items. During the next eight years, Immacolata and Rocco had five children. They continued to work in the open markets and all seven of them lived in a one room garage. Times were tough in Italy until Immacolata had finally had enough. She was told that Latina, near Rome had just built an indoor market. She traveled for four hours to negotiate a spot there. The family moved to Latina, near Rome. Little by little they furnished their new home. They were the first in their neighborhood to own a refrigerator and a television. In the evening friends would gather to watch the commercials. There was always lots of food for the family and anyone who came to visit. On special occasions and Sunday’s they would walk an hour each way to “The Giardinetti” or the gardens for ice cream. Immacolata was always beautifully dressed with her gold jewelry and was so proud to have her children with her. Later in life she would raise her right hand and say she was a wealthy woman because she had five jewels, meaning her children. Immacolata was always looking for ways to improve her family’s lifestyle. This begins her chapter in America.
She loved to travel and would spontaneously board a plane to or from the U.S. or Europe. Until the end she was able to buy all of the jewelry, clothing and food she had ever desired.
Immacolata was the strength, inspiration and the glue that held the family together. She is fiercely loved and will live on in the hearts and memories of her five children, 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.