La Famiglia Manno La Famiglia Manno had their roots in Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily. In 1946, their patriarch would stow away on a ship and make his way to St. Louis. His six children and their spouses would follow and plunge into the restaurant business. They would spawn Agostino's and Giovanni's and Benedetto's and others, all lost, plus John Mineo's and Paul Manno's and others, still with us. Their life was hard, but there was always opportunity and hope. And always family. Francesco Paolo Manno worked in the horse trade business. After the war, his business declined to a point where he could no longer provide for his family. So in 1946, he stowed away on a ship bound for the United States. Paolo "Paul" Manno was born in Palermo — the first boy after four girls. In 1956, he immigrated to the United States. He worked in a barrel factory, but wasn't happy with his job. That's when he met Andreino DeSantis, a fellow Italian who worked at Tony's restaurant. Rosa, the oldest of six Manno children, lived across the street from Agostino Gabriele as a child. She met him when she was around ten; he was four years older. He would tease her and pull her hair, so she knew he liked her. Anna Manno lived on the same street as John Mineo, who was two years her senior. When Anna immigrated to the United States in 1956 with her father, she was already engaged to Mineo. Part Five: Serafina & Giovanni Serafina "Fina" Manno was the second youngest daughter of Francesco Paolo and Elena Manno. In Palermo, Fina knew a boy name Giovanni Gabriele. When Fina immigrated to the United States, Giovanni joined the Italian Merchant Marine. On a stop in Baltimore, he called Fina and proposed. Rosalia "Lia" Manno was the youngest of the Manno children. In 1958, Lia immigrated to the United States with her mother and her sister. When Lia was 18, she met Benedetto "Benny" Buzzetta. Part Seven: Concetta & Francesco Concetta, the second oldest of the six Manno children, was born in Palermo. She was more social than her sisters. She had a beautiful smile. Concetta lived across the street from the man she would marry — Francesco "Franco" Sanfilippo. La Famiglia Manno spawned 34 restaurants in the Greater St. Louis area. Only five remain.
Copyright © 2024
LostTables.com |
