By Robert Zarlingo
My grandfather, Antonio Cozza, my mom's dad, came to work in the coal mines in New Castle in 1881. He was a well-educated man who was outspoken, and that didn't go over so well in Italy at that time. The government was very unstable, and, after a while, Grandpa knew that if he stayed he would be drafted and end up as cannon fodder in a war or just murdered on the street for talkin' too much.
He left shortly after he married my grandmother. Grandpa worked and saved and was finally able to send for her and Uncle Pete eight years later. Grandma was seasick the whole way across, and then she rode the train, which was probably one step above cattle cars.
Source: http://www.postindependent.com/
