Biography: Pietro Cesare Stefano Misseri

When Pietro Cesare Stefano Misseri was born on 18 October 1886, in Carini, Palermo, Sicily, Italy, his father, Don Francesco Misseri, was 54 and his mother, Maria Grazia Lombardo, was 40.

 

Between 1900 and 1910, more than two million people immigrated to the United States from Italy. Most of these immigrants came from southern Italy and Sicily, drawn by economic opportunities in American cities and industries. Pietro Cesare Stefano Misseri was one of four direct ancestors to make that voyage across the ocean to look for opportunity in the New York area. He actually made the trip three times from Italy to the United States, which was not uncommon because many immigrants made money in the United States and brought it back with them to their families.

He married Marianna Giulia Doneta de Pinto on 15 May 1911, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. They were the parents of 1 son and 1 daughter. He immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, United States in 1907 and Ellis Island, New York City, New York, United States in 1909 and 1911 and lived in Yonkers, Westchester, New York, United States in 1930 and Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York, United States in 1940, where he lived out the rest of his years until 1958.

Pietro's given name probably came from his aunt Pietra Rosalia Misseri, who was his godmother, and his grandfather Vincenzo Misseri was his godfather. Pietro's middle name of Cesare was given to him because he had an uncle, Cesare Misseri, who was a priest in Carini, who baptized Pietro as an infant.

The last time he saw his parents and family in Italy was in December 1911. During the December trip, Pietro introduced his wife, Marianna, to his family (they got married seven months earlier), but it is suspected that he probably registered with the Italian government he lived in America and probably already served his military time years earlier. Because in September of 1911 through 1912, the Italians fought in the Italo-Turkish War; it was fought between Italy and the Ottoman Empire resulting in an Italian victory and the annexation of Libya and the Dodecanese Islands. Then a few years later, World War I happened (1914-18) with Italy entering the conflict in 1915 on the side of the Allied Powers, fighting a brutal alpine campaign, known as the Italian Front, primarily against Austria-Hungary. This time, Pietro might have been considered a military deserter since he did not return to Italy to fight as an Italian citizen during World War I. One possibility, if he did go back to Italy later in life, is that he could have been court martialed and potentially killed by a military firing squad for not participating during the Great War. Italians were very strict about their men doing the required military "duties."

Realizing that he could not go back to Carini, in 1925 Pietro made a declaration to the United States government that he wanted to become a United States citizen. Three short years later, on 19 Jul 1928, Pietro took the Oath of Allegiance and received his Certificate of Naturalization (#2870390).

Pietro was the last of seven children, and in a typical southern Italian family, that meant that he had to go out on his own to make something of himself. However, Pietro came from wealth and prestige in Carini. His father, Francesco Misseri, was well-connected in his hometown (Francesco had a brother, Salvatore Misseri, who was the mayor of Carini) and his father probably helped him set up business in the United States. One of Pietro's brothers was a lawyer (Vincenzo Salvatore Giuseppe Misseri), and another (Antonino Rosario Misseri) came to United States early on when Pietro was first in New York City. After helping his brother, Pietro, Antonino Rosario Misseri went back to Carini and eventually stayed in Carini and raised a family.

Pietro was a clothing designer and a manager of a dress shop in New York City. His wife, Marianna de Pinto, was a seamstress, so the two of them had that in common and it is suspected that Marianna's work would end up in the shop. 

Besides working in the garment industry, he was a lover of languages; it is said that he knew English, Spanish and maybe a few others, beside his native tongue of Italian. He loved the Italian language so much that he spent years teaching adults in the evenings in Mount Vernon. When he had any pleasure time for himself, Pietro was found in his room reading books or the daily newspaper.

Pietro and Marianna had two children, a boy, Francis Messeri (named after Pietro's father, Francesco), and a girl, Grace Messeri (named after his mother, Maria Grazia) - sticking with the Italian naming convention but americanizing both names for their children.

Pietro Cesare Stefano Misseri died on 4 November 1958, in Wingdale, Dover, Dutchess, New York, United States, at the age of 72, and was buried in Rockland, New York, United States.