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The first generation of offspring of the Panni immigrants in R.I. were likely to have heard the detailed stories as to why their immigrant parent or parents had left Panni, who they had left behind, how their parents and siblings had dealt with the poverty and survival, and why they had chosen Rhode Island. Unfortunately, no one back then to say was much interested in genealogy, so many of us second and third generation offspring know very little of our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ individual stories. Therefore, those of us in the Pannese Society, should all have a special interest in this one particular early immigrant, Giuseppe Anzevino , because he was the 1909 founder of the original Pannese Society. Panni’s residents faced a grave existence if they stayed in Panni. Families could not feed and clothe all their children; there were no jobs; the peasant masses were struggling.
According to oral family history, Giuseppe was the first Panni immigrant to settle on Federal Hill. In the late 1800’s there were very few Pannesi anywhere in R.I., so Giuseppe and Vito were pioneers of sorts. Giuseppe was a very hard worker; in fact, his Death Certificate notes that he was a highway laborer for 25 years well into his 70’s.
As other Pannesi arrived, he helped these new immigrants to acclimate to their new home. He was generous with his time and his help to family, relatives, friends, neighbors and his community. Everyone knew, admired, and respected him because he was friendly, helpful, thoughtful, generous, loyal, a well-loved family man, and a good provider.
At the time of the June 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Giuseppe (58), Colomba (54), Vito (27), Giovanni (19) and Carmela (15) lived at 19 Murphy Street off Spruce St. in Providence. Vito had married Vincenza Iacovone (called Lena) in 1898; it’s unknown why she is not listed in this census. Luigia (24) had married Michele Lapolla in March 1897, and Saveria had married Antonio Croce in July 1898.
As time went on, Giuseppe became a land and homeowner on Spruce Street, and he helped his son Giovanni “John” open a bicycle shop on his property. Later John went on to open The New England Cycle Shop in Hoyle Square on Westminster St, Providence where he built and repaired bicycles for 60 years.
By 1909 there was a burgeoning community of Pannesi in R.I. Giuseppe wanted to keep the spirit of his beloved Panni alive in their new home; he had great pride in both Panni and Federal Hill. He was extremely helpful to newly arriving Pannesi. He encouraged all the Pannesi to get together socially, to discuss common problems, to share news from home, and to reminisce about their youth in their beloved Panni. He crafted the idea of creating a social organization for his Pannese friends and neighbors. Thus, in 1909 at the age of 67, he and ten other Pannese men (Giovanni Anzevino, Donato Calabrese, Alfonso Calitri, Donato Colaninno, Pietro Croce, Domenico Mansolillo, Antonio Pascone, Antonio Procaccini, Costanzo Saurino, and Michele Sullo) founded the Pannese Society, originally called the Società Mutuo Soccorso Maria SS Incoronata del Bosco di Panni. Giuseppe was gregarious and a very moral man, so he was much admired as a leader. Very early on he saw the value of maintaining a strong bond between Panni, her traditions, her emigrants, and their descendants. We present day Pannese descendants owe much appreciation to this man. On July 6, 1909, Giuseppe and Colomba Anzevino were issued passports. A very religious man, Giuseppe returned to Panni specifically to bring back a relic from the Mother Church, a statue of the Patron Madonna, Maria Santissima Incoronata del Bosco di Panni. This large statue was installed with great ceremony in Holy Ghost Church on Federal Hill, established in 1889 to serve the growing Italian community. A 1910 photo of the sanctuary shows the statue on the far left. An annual procession of the statue through the streets of Federal Hill occurred for many years around the Madonna’s Feast Day, August 15th, thanks to this man. In 1923 the Society paid to have the statue painted and purchased candlesticks to be placed in front. The diaries of the priests in the 1920’s & 30’s made note of the annual processions that also included the school’s children. In 1938 all of the statues were removed and given away or disposed of when the inside of the church was completely redesigned. A member of the Society stored the Madonna del Bosco statue, eventually passing it on to Louis Spremulli, President of the Society, who passed it on to his cousin Joseph Spremulli when he took over the presidency. This statue, refurbished in 2013, was instrumental in the revitalization of the Pannese Society in recent years. Today, the statue prominently resides in the Sanctuary of La Madonna di Fesa inside Our Lady of Grace Church in Johnston where a solemn mass is celebrated annually in conjunction with the Feast Day held in Panni, Foggia. The mass is followed by a breakfast.