One Immigrant's Story
Coming to America
by
Francesco Paolo "Paul" DellaPietra
(1906-1984)

"Well, I came to America because I heard the streets
were paved with gold.
When I got here, I found out three things:
first, the streets weren’t paved with gold;
second, they weren’t paved at all;
and third, I was expected to pave them.”

An Old Italian Story Displayed in the Ellis Island Museum

On September 10, 1928 I left my town of Lanciano in Abruzzo.  I boarded a boat called Carte Biancamano departing from Naples and arrived in New York  on September 21.

Because I was 21 years of age, I was detained on the boat. Then they brought me to Ellis Island, the island in the middle of the ocean. I was examined for a suspected eye problem.  After some days, they took me in a small boat to the port of New York. On September 24, around 11 o’clock in the morning, they took me to the train station.

I arrived in Rochester at 5 am in the morning on September 25, 1928. At the station I found my brother, Nick, and Peter Paul, the father of my future wife. The next day, September 26, I went to the doctor’s because I had a cold.

A few days later, October 1st, I started working on the railroad at the Car Shops west end unit. My pay was 50 cents an hour, 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. My total pay was $27 a week and I gave this to my father, Antonio. He would give me $2 a week for spending. Every 2 weeks, he gave me $3 for a haircut. I ate only pasta, potatoes or beans. I drank water.  I roomed with my father and brother in Fairport at the home of Peter Paul LaPietra.

After 2 years, I changed work and I went to the Certo factory that made Jello. (editors note: on the corner of Fairport’s Main Street and Lift Bridge Lane East)  After 2 years, I did not have to give my earnings to my father, In 1930 I bought an automobile for $50.
This is the Immigrant
ID card issued to Paul in 1928
and indicates the ship he was
traveling on.

In September 1931, I returned to Italy with a total of $700. I stayed there until late February when I returned to America on the boat Conte Grande. To travel across the ocean was dangerous; the boat almost capsized. My younger brother, Joe, was with me and I felt responsible that something might happen to him. We arrived in New York on March 2nd and in Rochester at 3 o’clock in the morning. My brother, Nick, was at the station to greet us.
Paul on board the ship
that returned him to Italy in 1931
so that he could accompany
his young brother to America.

This is a photo of the storm
encountered by the Conte Grande.
It was feared the ship would be
capsized and Paul was frightened
for his younger brother's safety.

This the ID showing
Paul returning to America
in 1932 and indicates
he is traveling third class.

When we arrived there was no work since the depression had started. In March and April, my brother and I would go to cut wood with a hand saw. It was very cold. We made $1.40 a day. In the month of May, we took a contract of work to build a road to Macedon. My father, brothers and I would work from 3 o’clock in the morning until 7 o’clock at night. Until September of that year, all we made was $250 after paying room and board.

Editor’s note: Paul left his home in Italy at age 21 after completing 2 years of compulsory service in the Italian army.Editor’s note: These words were written by Paul DellaPietra himself when his children asked for information on his coming to America.
Editor’s note: The 2007 movie “The Golden Door” about Sicilian immigrants coming to America paints a vivid picture of what it was like to go through the immigration process at Ellis Island.

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