Papa Mario passed away last November....he was just the best.....sweet man very kind loving....he is so missed in the Milano family. He worked hard for this family...6 kids and Mama. He used to work down a mine here in Sicily but lost his leg when he was only 40 yrs old in a mine accident.
He knew the land and plants here as only a born Sicilian can. We used to drive him all over the countryside and he would make us stop to pick wild herbs or vegetables growing and we would pluck some and we would eat them that night for dinner. He was brought up on the land in another time when the peasants/farmers worked hard for the Barons who owned the land and the farmers had to give up a portion of their crops to the Baron....add the Mafia to this story and you get the story of how the Mafia began.....I am saving that for another blog
Papa told us many times of the day the Americans marched in to Sicily to free them from the Germans...every single time he had tears in his eyes. He was a very emotional man...he told many stories and sang many songs..had a great strong voice....ever since Isabella was young he would sing her the old Sicilian folk songs. He always shed a tear or two reminding himself of days gone by.
Mama and Papa were married 65 yrs or so........she is very very sad without him........but we all know Papa is looking down on us and sharing a song a joke a story with my Papa....of this I am certain...we visited his resting place this week with Mama who goes often on her own just to sit and be with him. RIP Papa/Nona Mario Milano 1923-2009
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