Costante and Mary Dalpiaz

According to Aunt Josie, Costante sailed from Naples because that was the only available port just after WWI. He was 19 when he arrived at Ellis Island on the Guglielmo Peirce . The Ellis Island records indicate the ship arrrived Christmas Day 1920. Josie says he had to wait in port aboard ship with cousin Vittorio (also 19) until Dec 26 due to the holiday.

Costante apparently went to Illinois (Springfield perhaps) after his arrival to work in an auto manufactuing plant. This is something I'd like to do some more research on. He may have lived there with uncle Ottilio (more about Ottilio to come!) After being laid off, he went to Lafferty Ohio (some 500 miles away) to work in the coal mines because his sister Erminia Torresani was there.

Costante met Catherine Messa first because they were both in an Easter play together. That's how Costante met Mary. They were married June 6 1925.


The story is told that Costante left Ohio in Nov 1926 just ahead of the sheriff who was looking for moonshine which someone planted outside his garage. ("Planted" ??--what do you think?) Mary was 7 months pregnant with Josephine at the time and Mr. Lessie snuck Mary to Wheeling to meet Costante to take the train to Long Island City, since the Lessies (in-laws) were there.

Costante first worked in the Jack Frost sugar house in Green Point Brooklyn. Mary may have also worked there. After that, he started working on the trollies then buses but had to learn how to drive.

He never owned his own car and would pull into bus stops when driving cars by habit. I love that little tidbit! Anyhow, as they say, the rest is history!