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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Ciao paesani

Mention to anyone that your partner is Calabrian and you are confronted with knowing looks and smiles. Mafiosi, revenge and marijuana plantations at Griffith in NSW Australia come to mind. Today on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald was an article about the Italian government wanting the extradition of three Calabrian/ Australians wanted for drug/Mafia related crimes.


There is of course another side to the Calabrian stereotype and that is the hard-working loyal and family loving (when not feuding) Calabrian. My in-laws were the latter and in thone generation went from illiterate peasant farmers with very little, if any, schooling to proudly attending the university graduation of their two sons, Bruno and Salvatore.
Salvatore Nesci, my partner for nearly 30 years died on May 10 2009. He was born in Fabrizia, a small town in the hills of Calabria and migrated to Australia with his family when he was five years old.


I wanted to tell his story as a tribute to all he did for me and our daughter, Raffaela. It is also a thankyou to my brother-in-law, Bruno who pledged that he would look after us on my husband's deathbead. I am forever grateful, if a somewhat difficult person to look after.
The picture for this blog is of Salvatore when he was 2 or 3, dressed as a little Saint Anthony. This, my friends is a good place to start Calabrian Tales.




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