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At far left sitting: Frank and Jennie Cammarata
From left standing in front: Virginia Sharamitaro, Katy Sharamitaro holding her son Peter, and James Sharamitaro.
Standing at top left: Peno Sharamitaro, holding his son Peter.
Standing at back: James Alvernia, Fannie Alvernia, their daughters; Laura, Ida and Jennie. Joe Ciaramitaro, Sadie Sharamitaro and Laura Sharamitaro
From left sitting in front: Charles Sharamitaro with Jimmy (Jim & Katie's son), Grace Sharamitaro with her daughter Jeanette, Laura Ciaramitaro, Tony Pupillo, Joe Sharamitaro, Jennie Sharamitaro holding Peter Palumbo and Rose Pupillo.
Photo taken at the wedding of Martha Green (sister of Virginia Green Sharamitaro) and John Garavaglia. Location unknown.
Special thanks to Peter Sharamitaro for sharing this photo, and to Rosalie Sharamitaro Kiernan for adding names to the faces
On Pietro and Eulalia "Laura" Ciaramitaro
Pietro Ciaramitaro (1870-1912) and Eulalia Bommarito (1882-1952)
Were married on 17 Jan 1897 at the Santa Maria Sanctissimo Grazia Catholic Church in Terrasini Sicily. Eulalia (Laura) Bommarito was the daughter of Giuseppe and Gioivanna Conziglio Bommarito and Pietro Ciaramitaro was the son of Giuseppe and Giovanna Conziglio Ciaramitaro.
Pietro’s occupation was recorded as pescatore (fisherman), so it seems understandable that he chose to settle, along with others in his family, in Boston, Massachusetts.
It's not clear when Pietro first arrived in the U.S., but records show that on 18 Aug 1902, Eulalia Bommarito arrived in New York harbor on the ship; Roma, bringing with her the first three of their nine children. They would settle in Boston, Massachusetts.
We know from Massachusetts state death records that Pietro Ciaramitaro died on 6 December, 1912, just 2 ½ yrs after their first born son Giuseppe (Joe) died tragically at only 13 years old, in a drowning accident on 26 Aug 1909.
The 1910 Census (MA) lists Pietro as head of household living in Boston, Ward 6, Suffolk County, Massachusetts with wife Laura, and children; Giovanna, Fara (Fanny), Orazio (Grazia), Giuseppe and Catarina.
Back to topOn the three points of connection between the Two Ciaramitaro Families
The first is that the two wives were sisters; Rosaria and Eulalia Bommarito born in Terrasini, Sicly in 1869 and 1882 respectively to Giuseppe and Giovanna Conziglio Bommarito. And like their other siblings, they were baptized as babies and married as young adults at the local Catholic Church; Santa Maria Sanctissima della Grazia.
The second important point is that sometime after her husband Pietro’s death in Boston, Massachusetts in 1912, Eulalia Ciaramitaro would make the decision to move herself and her children to St. Louis to live nearer to the families of her sister; Rosaria Bommarito Ciaramitaro and her brother; Sam Bommarito.
The third and last important point is that three of Rosaria’s sons (Giuseppe, Salvatore and James Ciaramitaro) would grow up and marry three of Eulalia’s daughters (Giovanna, Grazia and Caterina Ciaramitaro) and all would raise their families in the St. Louis area.
On memories shared by the Grandchildren of Pietro and Eulalia Ciaramitaro
From Rosalie Sharamitaro Kiernan (daughter of Grace Ciaramitaro Sharamitaro)
My grandmother, who lived in the North End (Boston, MA) was Laura Bommarito Ciarametaro . My grandfather was a fisherman. They came over from Terrasini and he died while fishing here. My mother's siblings were Fannie, Jennie, Catherine, Giuseppe, Peno. They moved after my grandfather died about 1914. They went to St. Louis, Missouri to be with my grandmother's sister
When my mother was living in Boston, and when she was a small child, she had a cousin whose last name was Aiello and I don't know how they were related. I am assuming their parents were cousins or such. They were the same age or one year apart and they were always playing together. When my mother left Boston for St. Louis, after her father died, she said she was so sad to leave her cousin. They never corresponded. After we moved here in June 1980, my mother came to visit that Fall and we took her and my sister, Jeanette, to "The North End", a large Italian neighborhood in Boston, where she was born and played as a small child. She showed us the house or "she thought it was the house" where she was born and lived. On North and Fleet streets. Then we discovered that her cousin was living in Fall River, MA. And another cousin was also living in Fall River, MA. So, we all drove down to Fall River so that my mother could meet her childhood best friend, her cousin. I can't remember right now what her married name is, but her husband owned a large fishing facility. Fishing boats and warehouse full of fresh caught fish.From Peter Sharamitaro (son of Katerina "Katie" Ciaramitaro Sharamitaro) who kindly shared the photo above of his grandmother; Laura Ciaramitaro
Also as the story goes, my mother’s dad (Pietro Ciaramitaro) was a fisherman in Boston and died of depression following the drowning death of his son. Her mother (Laura) took the children and moved to St. Louis and moved in with her daughter Jenny. That is how they ended up in St. Louis
Again as the story goes, when my grandparents came from Sicily they only spoke Italian and never learned English so my parents talked to them in Italian. They were subject to how the custom people wrote their papers which is why there is two spelling for the last name.
I was told that back then (when his parents, James and Katerina married in 1931) all wedding celebrations were two days long. The first day was the band and food and the second day people stopped in again. My father said on the third day they took the money and went around and paid for the food, music and photographer. They paid for the whole wedding themselves.
There was a pecking order on naming your kids. Fannie had a Laura (Lovena) Vogel; Jenny had a Laura (Bruce); Peno had a Loretta (Baum); Gracie had Laura (Ashley). They were all supposedly named after the grandmother (Laura Ciaramitaro).
From James Sharamitaro II (son of Katie Ciaramitaro Sharamitaro)
Laura Ciaramitaro worked on Washington Avenue in Clothing District until she was unable to work. She never learned to read or speak English. She learned to watch for the bus number that would take her downtown to work and back.
From Josephine Alvernia Barriner (daughter of Fanny Ciaramitaro Alvernia)
Funny thing, a funeral visitation card was on the floor in my basement, which is finished. I picked it up and it was from my mom’s mother, Laura Sharamitaro , Born Jan. 30, 1882 and died on April 27, 1952, which I remember. I was small, but it was my mom & dads anniversary. I'm thinking it was my mom’s 34th Anniversary, cause she was 17 years old when she married. So maybe she married in 1918, she was born 12/1/1901, so I don't even count that year, cause it was at the end of the year.
From "Remembering Mary Virginia Sharamitaro" (wife of Peno Sharamitaro) written by her grandchildren upon her death
Grandpa (Peno) spotted her beauty on the corner of Tamm Avenue. He saw her walking with a red tam on her head and knew this would be the girl (Virginia) he'd marry. He had to wait a few years, though, because her Daddy said she was too young for a boyfriend. Grandpa had to find tricky ways to see the Irish beauty. Everyday Grandpa would pick up his own mother (Laura Ciaramitaro) from work in downtown St. Louis. Then he would pick up Virginia and her girlfriend from Rosati Kain (High School). Grandpa's mother (Laura C) wanted to know who the girls were. Peno told her they were customers of the produce stand.
From "The History of Cheltenham and St. James Parish by Rev. P. J. O'Connor" - dated 1937 - Page 80
JOE’S PLACE
Joe's Place, at 6328 West Park Avenue, corner Tamm and West Park, was opened in 1918. The genial personality of both Joe and his wife, Jennie have endeared them to the community. They have an excellent line of all fresh fruits and vegetables in and out of season. The store is a popular meeting place for the parishioners of St. James. There is always a friendly greeting by Jennie.
Additional notes from Rosalie Sharamitaro Kiernan (daughter of Grace Ciaramitaro Sharamitaro) resident of Boston, Massachusetts
I use to talk with my mother a lot and she would tell me a few things. I am just sorry that I didn’t start talking genealogy A LONG TIME AGO.
After we moved to Massachusetts, I use to visit cousins up in Gloucester, MA. And, when my mother and sister, Jeanette, came to visit, we took them to Gloucester to visit relatives. And, as we sat around the kitchen table and ate lobsters, they would tell us about what happened and how they all ended up in Gloucester. Some of the people they talked about, I didn’t know who they were, but my mother did. Then we took my Mom to Fall River to see cousins that she hadn’t seen since she left Boston, at a young age.
I did talk with Sam and Rose Sharamitaro, Josephine Alvernia Barriner's sister, and it was Sam that told me that Grandpa Pietro had died in Boston and was buried in the (Milton, MA) City Cemetery. I told him I was going to the cemetery and visit his grave. Sam said, “oh, no you’re not. The area is not a very good area. I don’t want you anywhere near there.” He scared the daylights out of me and I dropped it. I always thought I would look into it a little more, but never did. Sorry. I do not have a death certificate. Grandma Laura must have received his death certificate and I wouldn’t know who she gave it to.
I welcome any and all family memories of this Ciaramitaro Family, and would be happy to add selections of them to this page.. Please see the top left menu option to "contact me". Thanks.
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