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Welcome  Our Family |
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AN AMERICAN STORY
Pietro Cofrancesco and his children
by John Alling Cofrancesco
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This
is a brief account of the life of Pietro Cofrancesco who
immigrated at the age of 15 with little more than the clothes on his
back. He worked hard, married, and raised two children, both of who
went on to college and became successful in their chosen profession.
Since neither of the children married, this line of the Cofrancescos
ended when they died. Fortunately, one of our cousins, Augustine
Cofrancesco, met Pietro’s children in their later years and
inherited many old photographs. Augustine’s wife Romily Cochrane
recorded and transcribed oral interviews with Pietro’s children. I am
deeply indebted to Augustine and Romily for the information they
provided to me, and which made much of the following story possible.
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1. Pietro was born in Massa di Faicchio
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Pietro Cofrancesco was born on April 25th 1875 in the town of Massa di Facchio, Province of Benevento, Italy. He is the son of Ferdinando and Maria Cofrancesco, and the 7 x great grandson of Giovanni Donato Colafrancesco/Cofrancesco who was born about 1560 and died on April 29, 1606. This represents a span of 10 generations. An Italian passport, issued on May 18, 1890, authorized Pietro to travel to New York. The passport was valid for one year. He immigrated in 1890, arriving at the Barge Office in lower Manhattan, since the Ellis Island facility was not yet built, and then traveled to New Haven Connecticut, probably to join his older brother Simone who immigrated the year before.
Pietro and Rose
Pietro married Rose Blasi in 1900. They lived at 18 York Street in New Haven, Connecticut according to the 1900 census. They later moved to a home at 99 Black Rock Avenue in New Britain, where they lived for the rest of their lives. They had two children, Paul, born on November 27, 1901 and Helen born in 1905.
Helen, Pietro, Rose, and Paul
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Pietro's passport
New Britain, Main Street (1912)
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2. Helen remembers her father Pietro
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In this transcript recorded in 1993, Helen remembers her father.
“The Cofrancesco family came from the Province of Benevento in the Town
of Massa, a small town at the foot of the mountains. My father was the
first one to come here at about the age of sixteen. He came alone and
sent money back to his family and brought the rest of them over here -
paid their passage. My father was born on the 24th of, some
certificates say April, others June 1875. On the ship they wanted to
vaccinate him, but he rubbed it off. He didn’t believe in all that.
He never had my brother (Paul) or me vaccinated. When he came here
there was somebody who looked after him for a while. I guess he got
some work in the fields or something. He was a very kind man. I never
remember my father or mother ever yelling at us. My father was a very
smart man even though he did not have the education. When he came
here, he went to night school for a while. But if he had had a good
education he would have been something. But even so, he assembled the
first ball bearing at New Departures in Bristol.”
Pietro and Rose
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Helen, Pietro's daughter,
in the 1990s
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3. Pietro's job at Fafnir Bearing Company
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Pietro was hired by the Fafnir Bearing Company on September 9, 1911 and worked as a general Foreman for many years.
Fafnir logo (1915)
The Company published a newsletter and one edition featured a picture of Pietro (Peter) and an article, which reads as follows.
“Aside from being one of our oldest employees, Peter holds the unusual distinction of having supervised the assembly of nearly every ball bearing made by the Fafnir Bearing Company. When he was employed by the Company on September 9th, 1911, the Assembly Department was located in the part of the old building, now occupied by the Receiving Dept. After assembling the bearings it was also Peter’s duty to inspect and pack them. The daily production at that time averaged 45 bearings. The growth of the Assembly Department and of the Company cannot be underestimated, when one considers the fact that quite recently nearly 35,000 bearings were packed in a single day. Away from his work, practically all of Peter’s spare time is spent in the cultivation of flowers. His love for them is well known. The flower garden in the rear of his home on Black Rock Avenue is one of the best in the city. In season, flowers are practically always in bloom. A large variety of roses, dahlias, tulips, asters, peonies, etc., in all their beauty abound. Needless to say, Fafnirites are at all times assured of a hearty welcome. Peter has two children – Helen, who is a teacher at the Smally Street School, and Paul, a student at Yale.”
Pietro's signature in a document of 1918
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Pietro Cofrancesco in the photo published in the newsletter of the Fafnir Bearing Company
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4. "We've had the best of everything"
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Frank Morico, youngest son of Ralph and Maria Giuseppa Cofrancesco Morico remembers that Pietro was close to his mother, Maria Giuseppa, and his Uncles, Antonio and Simone.
The oral history of Pietro’s children, Paul and Helen, however, suggests that Pietro was not close to his siblings, as they grew older. Not only did he live away from the New Haven area, but he had a different life style and interests. Paul comments to Augustine and Romily, “We haven't had much to do with any of the relations”, and Helen adds, “I don’t know much about your side of the family”, referring to the descendants of Nicola and his wife Angelina.
Although Pietro, like his siblings, had little formal education, he attended night school, and while working at the Fafnir Bearing Company, had several of his inventions patented. He was interested in art and classical music, according to Paul. “We’ve had the best of everything. My mother and father took us to the opera. I’ve met men like Arturo Toscanni, the greatest conductor the world ever had. (Rudolph) Valentino was a friend of mine”.
Paul with one of his cars
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Pietro's Family
Valentino's photo
with an inscription to Paul
Paul's painting
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Pietro sent his son to the Yale School of Fine Art for five years where Paul earned his BFA degree. Paul became
an accomplished artist and musician (piano and organ). He installed
organs in churches and painted a number of murals, but his main source
of income was from two sporting shirt factories (Paul’s Sportswear) he
established in New Haven near the railroad station. Paul had a wide
range of interests, and owned a number of antique automobiles, several
of which he lost in a fire at the barn where they were stored.
 
Paul's painting and drawing
Pietro’s daughter Helen received her BS degree from Central
Connecticut Teachers College and her Master’s in Education degree from
the University of Hartford. She was employed in the New Britain school
system and taught at the Smalley Street School. Her teaching career
spanned 50 years, for which she received a commendation from the
governor.
Helen with her father
She was a member of First Baptist Church, the Teacher’s Club
of New Britain, the New Britain Education Association where she was the
treasurer for 17 years, March Chapter No. 21 O.E.S. where she was a
past matron, Laurel Court Order of the Amaranth No. 8, and Vashti
Shrine No. 2.
99 Black Rock Avenue, New Britain
The home (built in 1900) where Pietro, Paul, and Helen lived most of their lives
Peter died on February 4, 1973 at the age of 97 at the
Farmington Convalescent Hospital from lobar pneumonia. He was buried at
Rose Hill Memorial Park, Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Neither of his
children married.
Paul and Helen (abt 1993)
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Paul and his mother
Helen as a young girl
Pietro on the Herald (1967)
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Paul died on April 22, 1994 at the age of 92. His
sister Helen lived on Black Rock Avenue until her death on April 22, 1999, at
the age of 94. This was exactly 5 years after the death of her brother.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 29 May 2011 )
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