In search of the American dream, Thomas Guitano Mallane (formerly Mallame before a typographical error in Ellis Island) and Catherine Granato immigrated with their families to the United States with dreams of a better life.
As for many immigrants, the reward of the American dream did not come easy. When the two Italians finally met, it was as laborers in the hills of Utah, far from the comfort of New York’s Little Italy or the familiarity of their native Italy. While Thomas fought courageously for his new homeland in WWI, Catherine’s family continued a tradition of goat farming. For both families there was simply no escaping the deflated economy of the great depression. Times were tight, and Catherine’s family (which had once produced cheese fine enough to be requested by the White House) now found that they couldn’t even produce their own wine, a practice which one might suspect continued throughout prohibition in the Wasatch hills.
Married in the 1930’s, Thomas and Catherine never knew the American dream of riches and life’s luxuries. Instead, they simply knew hard work and survival- perhaps creating the greatest legacy of all, tradition. As a child, I remember fighting over who would get the heal (crusty end) of Grandma’s homemade bread before we even left town on the four hour drive to visit. “Dalla cocina,” “va il gioco” (out of the kitchen, go play) we would hear no less than 20 times a day as we waited for dinner. While patiently waiting, we would devour every olive and antipasti in sight (there was little to no chance that anyone would ever feel hungry in Grandma’s house). Eventually, Grandma would usher us to the table for a feast fit for a king. After filling each plate over and over again and muttering: “ mangia, mangia “(eat, eat) at least 20 times, Grandma would finally sit down to eat with the rest of her family.
