Concettina Died and Other Stories of the East Side

"In Italy, the Nativity was celebrated by building a large crèche, surrounded by a village, filling a stocking with fruit and nuts and having wonderful elborate meals on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. Our family continued those traditions in America, except the crèche was smaller and a Christmas tree was added...."Marco brings the family into the present—through past holidays, new forms of celebration, and the ongoing joy of traditions old and new.

Marco sings an offensive slur for Italians, David shrieks a line from Singing In The Rain, Marie's kitchen apparently explodes. These are bloopers and outtakes from the wildly popular Italian-American podcast that everyone wants to be a part of. Except Stanley Tucci, for some reason.

"She placed only a nickle bet on the number Papa had chosen, and put 95 cents into her small coin purse to use at the grocery store. She never made it to the store though, because she went into labor, and within hours was in the hospital, giving birth to a son—namely, me."Marco came into this world as a good-luck charm for his father, and with a lesson in frugality from his mother.

"My father’s cousin, Antonio Zaza, was physically unable to make the journey. But a passport had already been paid for and money had been set aside for the voyage. So it was decided that someone was going to use this passage to America to start supporting the family back in Molfetta, Italy."Corrado set himself to work, took advantage of an immigration amnesty, and build an American life.

"After being here for almost two years, Papa decided to obtain citizenship, and inquired from an influential Italian-American how to go about it—but without having to go to classes to study American Civics and History. This person, whose identity my father vaguely referred to as a low-ranking Mafia member, arranged a midnight meeting with the judge who presided over the naturalizations in the courtroom. My father’s only instructions were to bring with him two quarts of the best liquor he could find, and to present them to the judge."Marco's father secures his American citizenship, beginning the Italian-American phase of the Zaza family.

"Now age 26, and engaged to be married, Gaetano decided to leave Italy again, promising his wife-to-be and her family that he would return in three years. And after traveling to France, he departed from Cherbourg on the ship Gothland on October 9, 1920."Marco's father journeyed to America three times before remaining permanently. 

"I assumed this was Anthony's yearly Christmas call. Preparing to rub it in about the cold northern weather he and Judy were having in New York while Marie and I were walking on the beach, I asked about the weather up north. He replied it was pretty good, but changed the subject by asking me if I was sitting down, because he had some news to give me."Marco uses the renewal of an old friendship to discuss the ever-shifting line between family and friends. 

"Our common denominator was our Italian heritage, of which we were both extremely proud. We shared everything. At month’s end, when we were broke, we bought and shared a loaf of bread to make mayonnaise or catsup sandwiches. In early 1961, Anthony was rotated back to the States for discharge and in April of that year I also was discharged. Each went home, he to New York, and I to Youngstown, Ohio. We promised to keep in touch, and we were true to our word...."Marco tells of how coincidences can often reveal how much we have in common with the friends we choose to be close to.

"The three DeGennaro children departed Italy June 25, 1930, from Naples, aboard the Italian ship Augustus. Nine days later they arrived at the Port of New York."A teenager's migration to a new life in American begins an upward trajectory for this independent Italian woman that would last into the twenty-first century.

"Imagine starting on a journey to a new land, with a three-year-old daughter in hand—and waiting for you at the end of your journey, a husband you haven’t seen for four years...."Marco's mother reluctantly leaves her hometown to join her husband in the United States.

"After Mama’s death, among her few small possessions hidden in her dresser drawer, we found a letter written to her many years before. Yes, a love letter from Papa to her, when he courted her in Molfetta, Italy. The letter made us aware that this hardworking, demanding taskmaster was once also a young man, very much in love, and able to profess that love with words...."Marco shares the origin story of our family—his parents' budding romance 101 years ago.

“I was afraid to stand up or move too much in my seat, for fear that I would rock the plane, like a row boat; so I sat stiffly upright for almost two hours. Then I began to squirm...."Marco's mother takes her first airplane trip to revisit her homeland.

"Papa was always inviting friends or business associates to dinner with little or no advance notice to Mama. As much as this infuriated her, she never failed to prepare terrific dinners for these guests."After an extraordinary coincidence, Marco recalls a feast his mother prepared.

"In 1960 I was in the army, stationed in Ansbach, Germany, and I decided to take some leave time and go to Molfetta, Italy, the birthplace of both my parents, and home to two uncles, one aunt, cousins by the dozens, and most importantly, my paternal grandmother!"Molfetta, Italy welcomes Marco while he's on leave from his Army post.

"In 1958, after leaving Ohio University—actually I was asked to leave due to poor grades—I enlisted in the Army for a three year hitch, which was a better alternative than living with this disappointment and the wrath of my father."Marco sees Kentucky, Texas, and Germany.

"After my high school graduation, my parents were busting their buttons because I was the first in the family to go to college. That fall, they drove me to Athens, Ohio, where I would start classes at Ohio University."Marco starts his college days with a  drive to Ohio University.

"In July of 1949, I was just eleven years old. Palma, who was 18, invited a young man to our house, so that he could ask my father’s permission to marry her. This came as a complete surprise to Mama and Papa, who strictly forbade my sisters to date at that age."Marco remembers his close relationship with his sister Palma.

"My mother’s lady friends came calling on her, not all at once, but throughout the morning. Each one had the same horrific news to tell: 'Concettina died this morning!' Each time this news was reported, my mother and the friend crossed themselves and clucked that Concettina was too young to die, and now her beautiful vegetable garden would surely go to seed and disappear."Our special guest this week is noted epidemiologist Dr. Stephanie Zaza.

“Here’s two empty gallon jugs for each of you. Don’t run, walk slowly, and go to the top of the hill, to the natural water spring, have a nice long drink, and then fill the gallons with the cold water, so that we can all enjoy it.”Our special guest this week is Marco's wife—and David's mother—Marie Zaza.

"As Martha, Joe and I watched him run, he suddenly fell backward as if he had run into a wall. He jumped back up and began running around, holding his forehead, his mouth forming the word “oh,” but no sound was coming out."Our special guest this week is the youngest of Marco's siblings, Jerry Zaza.