Addicted to old photos? How about identifying who’s who?
There was someone I thought I had seen before on a photo Dennis had sent last year. I had identified everyone on it.
That photo was taken in 1915 in St. Hyacinthe, Québec.
Fast rewind 1911…
Laurette Lagacé, born in 1906, was visiting her aunt Amanda Ménard, Dennis Lagasse IV’s paternal great-grandmother around 1911.
Her parents had to be with her. So where were they on this photo?
First row on the left is her father Adélard Lagacé who’s my granduncle. Next on his left I guess is Maria Landry, my grandfather’s soon to be first wife. They would get married in 1912.
The girl next to Laurette is Annette seen here a little later in life on her father’s left side.
In front of Adélard is Yvonne Lagacé who wasn’t not born yet in 1911.
Next is my grandfather’s cousin Philippe Lord with the cigar.
Behind Philippe Lord is Éméline Côté, Laurette, Annette and Yvonne Lagacé’s mother.
Behind the girls is probably Adélaïde l’Hérault seen on this 1915 photo on the far left next to my grandfather who’s behind Maria Landry.
In the back, next to Amanda Ménard is Marie Josephine Anna Campbell. Then her husband Harry Lagasse, Amanda’s first son.
Finally, on the far right, is my grandfather about to drop his hat on his sister-in-law Éméline Côté.
Later Dennis sent me two more photos.
We see his grandfather Levi Napoleon and probably a close cousin I still need to identify. I would venture she’s one of Malvina Lagasse’s daughter.
My distant cousin-in-law sent me another calendar this year…
Hoping we’ll all be here in 2025.
This is what he wrote me…
There are new photos this time, far fewer repeats (a few, but some family pics are too wonderful to not repeat) – so I hope you enjoy. Like you, there is nothing more magical to me than seeing the wonderful old family photos. These were amazingly precious to our ancestors. It wasn’t like today with people blasting off a hundred pictures a day with a cell phone camera, only to have them disappear into the ether over time. These were expensive and valuable keepsakes for people. My paternal grandfather came to America in 1911 and when he did he brought with him ONE photo of his mother and father, and as far as we know, it is the only known photo. Each one of these pictures is a little treasure.
Merry Christmas!!!!!
Joe P
COVER –
Coney Island, summer 1913 – my grandfather Ralph Mocciolo was 15 in this photo. In a few short years he joined the U.S. Army, was shipped to Europe with the Allied Expeditionary Force, and was gassed by the Germans, and survived, in Alsace-Lorraine.
Now, the ID conundrum: back of photo lists the names, left to right, Victor White Hope, 14, Ralph Mocciolo, 15, Frank Leoni, 13, Ralph Sciciliano, 16, but clearly that is NOT my grandfather guzzling the Chianti. Grandpa Ralph is on the left, seemingly masterminding the stickup.
JANUARY –
One of the earliest known photos of some of the founders of the Northeast Transportation bus company (best guess on this photo is 1925) in Waterbury, Conn. One of the 12 founding members was Dorothea’s grandfather, Carmine Spina, shown far right in photo.
Next…
In that photo, that is Dorothea’s dad, Jim Spina, on right, with other Northeast employees. No date known on the photo, but clearly post WWII.
Northeast Transportation is the last of Waterbury’s bus companies still in operation.
FEBRUARY –
Eva Mocciolo, year unknown, but most likely mid-1920s. A stunning beauty, Eva’s uncles were hairdressers, and she often modeled for them. The photos were hung up in the shop in downtown Waterbury.
MARCH –
This glorious shot is the oldest known family photo. It is a military reunion picture taken in 1887, and there are two ancestors in the photo: my great great grandfather, Raffaele Mocciolo (1830-1910, although there are some records that put his date of birth at 1827), and his brother, Giuseppe Antonio Mocciolo (1836-1923). Raffaele, seen in the inset, served alongside Garibaldi in the 1860 uprising which led to the unification of Italy, and for his deeds he has a small bio in Italian history books. Raffaele is pictured top row, second from left. Giuseppe Antonia is pictured in the second row, second from left. This is the only known photo of Raffaele. All were born and died and buried in Anzi, Italy.
APRIL –
Ludovico Mocciolo, (1860-1938) – son of Raffaele, brother of my great grandfather – born in Anzi, Italy, died and buried in Anzi, Italy.
MAY –
More Mocciolos coming at you. First my grandmother, Marie Morrotto, born 1907 in Rapone, Italy, pictured here with my mother, Theresa Mocciolo (1929-2022), downtown Waterbury, circa 1932/33.
My mother at approximately age 8/9.
The earliest known photo of my mother, most likely 1930.
JUNE –
My dad, Nick Palladino (1931-2014), pictured in Leavenworth High School graduation photo (1949).
And him as a young man about town – most likely 1952 or 1953, pretty sure before he was off with the U.S. Army to Korea.
JULY –
We have used this photo before, but truth be told, it may be one of the great family photos. Dorothea’s mother, Dorothy Miller Spina (1919-2009) in photo from, most likely, Brewster, N.Y., circa 1923 – from left to right, the siblings, Edsen Miller, Dorothy, and Dalton Miller. Looks like it is game day.
AUGUST –
This is the great mystery photo of the 2024 calendar. The man in the middle is Angelo Possemato, born in Waterbury in 1895, died in Los Angeles 1961. This photo predates the family’s move to California, but I do not know the date, or, the other people in the photo. Father Luigi on left? Very likely. Brother on right, Domenic or Albert? Do not know. But perhaps we will find out through the circulating of this calendar. The Possematos are all in California, and I will try and track down this information in the coming weeks.
SEPTEMBER –
Yes, more Mocciolos, the dominant theme here. That is my grandfather Ralph, on the left, with two of his best friends, Henry Santoro, standing, and Dewey Pennington, sitting. Date of photo is 1914.
OCTOBER –
Two photos that can never be omitted.
My aunt, Josephine Mocciolo, who died in 1939 at age 6.
My uncle, Joseph Palladino, who died in 1940 at the age of 18. This is the only known photo of Joe, although I have found another photo and there is a good chance he’s in it. Tragically, Joe was committed to a sanatorium (Waterford, Conn) at, I believe, age 8, and lived there the last 10 years of his life, before he was taken by tuberculosis. This is one of only two known photos of Josephine, from the same sitting. She died of appendicitis. The story goes that the doctors decided to wait until morning to do the surgery, and she died during the night. Considering that there are a few infant photos of my mother, one would guess that there are more of Josephine, but, we do not have them. Of course, it hardly needs mentioning that I am named after my mother’s sister and my father’s brother.
NOVEMBER –
OK, yes, another Mocciolo, Aunt Mary (1896-1974), or Maria Mocciolo, my grandfather’s sister.
DECEMBER –
And lastly, one more glam shot, my wife’s mother, Dorothy Miller (Legace) Spina. Not sure of the year, somewhere in the late 1940s I believe. Someone call the Ford Modeling Agency and sign her up!
Our Ancestors II 