I really appreciate all of the work translating the letters I've posted. I just wanted to say that I am working through each letter myself. It is very heartening to have some of what I've worked out confirmed by the translations posted by those in the know. I have several more letters but I don't want to wear out my welcome.

Thanks to all,

Tom

Thanks Livio....

....and Tom - post away! A few letters at a time. I'ts not as if they are really, really long or difficult. As you can see - they give a lot of pleasure to others with similar family letters/memories. I'm so pleased that your own efforts in translating them first is proving that 'you are getting there....' Well done and Bravo!

OK. I'll keep posting. Here is one more. 12 Mar 1933

Page1
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Page2
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completed

Page3
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Page4
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I'll post another a little later.

Tom

tjbrn wrote:

OK. I'll keep posting. Here is one more. 12 Mar 1933 Page1 img142.imageshack.us/i...ge1rj6.jpg Page2 img337.imageshack.us/i...ge2yd9.jpg Page3 img221.imageshack.us/i...ge3up6.jpg Page4 img145.imageshack.us/i...ge4sf1.jpg I'll post another a little later. Tom

OK folks - I've taken Page 1 ans Page 2.

Anyone wants to pick up the others - just leave a message so we don't duplicate the work - PLEASE!

Here are another couple of pages Tom:

Page 1

Belmonte Mezzagnoli - 12th March 1933

Dearest brother,

With a long delay I am answering your dear letter which gave me great
pleasure to hear that your health is good together with that of your
dear wife and that of your children, also your cousin (?) and also
family. I can assure you the same for my children and wife.
My dearest brother I couldn't write to you before as at that time I
was unable to accompany who could XXXXXX your sister-in-law Carmela
this life that I have I and my wife that no one believes me, as
however this hard life of your sister-in-law.
Dearest brother I can't say anything and cannot even tell you the
xxxxx xxxxxx that it did...


Page 2
...to our Mother, who with her last breath in fact was always asking
about you and saying I tell your brother to send the pictures (,) no
mother do not think of my brother whose pictures will soon be here.
After our mother died your pictures arrived and it didn't seem to me
to be you my dear brother. Thanks to our dear Father they have xxxxxx
and love and thanks to our dear mother and in ten years we are left
without our father and missing our mother , and it seems to me that I
no longer exist in this World, that I suffer scorn from here and there,
that your sister-in-law Carmela sees my business, but as for that I
recommend to God and the Virgin Saint Rosalia, I am only of the Father
and Mother and it seems that my life is in vain and scorned. Beloved
brother regarding the house I have been to onofrio livanto (this might
be a name) notary who made me read the act and explained that the dear

written upside down at the bottom of the page:
brother-in-law excuse my poor writing but I salute you and send a
kiss together with my wife ...

(I'm sorry I can't read the very last line - but it kooks like a
normal loving goodbye)

Please see corrections by Luca further on

27 Nov 1935

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Page2
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Page4
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If I should post these differently, please let me know and I will try to do so.

Tom

I try with some addition and a small correction. I hope I'm not wrong.
Luca

Carole wrote:

Page 1 Belmonte Mezzagnoli - 12th March 1933 Dearest brother, With a long delay I am answering your dear letter which gave me great pleasure to hear that your health is good together with that of your dear wife and that of your children, also your cousin (?) and also family. I can assure you the same for my children and wife. My dearest brother I couldn't write to you before as at that time I was unable to accompany who could speak (with) your sister-in-law Carmela this life that I have I and my wife that no one believes me, as however this hard life of your sister-in-law. Dearest brother I can't say anything and cannot even tell you the unhappy (in the sense of "suffering" I think) death that she (our mother) did... Page 2 ... our Mother, who with her last breath in fact was always asking about you and saying: Tano, did your brother send the pictures? no mother do not think of my brother whose pictures will soon be here. After our mother died your pictures arrived and it didn't seem to me to be you my dear brother. Concerning to our dear Father it has been a year and half before our mother that he died and so in two years we are left without our father and missing our mother, and it seems to me that I no longer exist in this World, that I suffer scorn from here and there, that your sister-in-law Carmela sees my business, but as for that I recommend to God and the Virgin Saint Rosalia, I am only of the Father and Mother and it seems that my life is in vain and scorned. Beloved brother regarding the house I have been to Onofrio Livanto (this is a name) notary who made me read the act and explained that the dear (written upside down at the bottom of the page): brother-in-law excuse my poor writing but I salute you and send a kiss together with my wife ... Your brother in low Tano

I don't want to run ahead of chronology here but I think this letter has some very different content. 14 May 1935

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Page4
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Tom

I try with some addition and a small correction. I hope I'm not wrong.
Luca

Carole wrote:

Page 1 Belmonte Mezzagnoli - 12th March 1933 Dearest brother, With a long delay I am answering your dear letter which gave me great pleasure to hear that your health is good together with that of your dear wife and that of your children, also your cousin (?) and also family. I can assure you the same for my children and wife. My dearest brother I couldn't write to you before as at that time I was unable to accompany who could speak (with) your sister-in-law Carmela this life that I have I and my wife that no one believes me, as however this hard life of your sister-in-law. Dearest brother I can't say anything and cannot even tell you Thank you for that help Luca the unhappy (in the sense of "suffering" I think) death that she (our mother) did... Page 2 ... our Mother, who with her last breath in fact was always asking about you and saying: Tano, did your brother send the pictures? no mother do not think of my brother whose pictures will soon be here. After our mother died your pictures arrived and it didn't seem to me to be you my dear brother. Concerning to our dear Father it has been a year and half before our mother that he died and so in two years we are left without our father and missing our mother, and it seems to me that I no longer exist in this World, that I suffer scorn from here and there, that your sister-in-law Carmela sees my business, but as for that I recommend to God and the Virgin Saint Rosalia, I am only of the Father and Mother and it seems that my life is in vain and scorned. Beloved brother regarding the house I have been to Onofrio Livanto (this is a name) notary who made me read the act and explained that the dear (written upside down at the bottom of the page): brother-in-law excuse my poor writing but I salute you and send a kiss together with my wife ... Your brother in low Tano

Thank you for that help Luca, I really appreciate it. Some of the dialect I do find difficult to understand.

Quindi:

12 Mar 1933

Page 1

Belmonte Mezzagnoli - 12th March 1933
Dearest brother,
With a long delay I am answering your dear letter which gave me great pleasure to hear that your health is good together with that of your dear wife and that of your children, also your cousin (?) and also family. I can assure you the same for my children and wife. My dearest brother I couldn't write to you before as at that time I was unable to accompany who could speak (with) your sister-in-law Carmela this life that I have I and my wife that no one believes me, as however this hard life of your sister-in-law. Dearest brother I can't say anything and cannot even tell you Thank you for that help Luca the unhappy (in the sense of "suffering" I think) death that she (our mother) did...

Page 2
... our Mother, who with her last breath in fact was always asking about you and saying: Tano, did your brother send the pictures? no mother do not think of my brother whose pictures will soon be here. After our mother died your pictures arrived and it didn't seem to me to be you my dear brother. Concerning to our dear Father it has been a year and half before our mother that he died and so in two years we are left without our father and missing our mother, and it seems to me that I no longer exist in this World, that I suffer scorn from here and there, that your sister-in-law Carmela sees my business, but as for that I recommend to God and the Virgin Saint Rosalia, I am only of the Father and Mother and it seems that my life is in vain and scorned. Beloved brother regarding the house I have been to Onofrio Livanto (this is a name) notary who made me read the act and explained that the

Page3
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(I brought some correction to the original):
... compratrice è stata Mazzola Giuseppa e Dragotta Ignazio, xxx che metà è tua e metà della nostra madre e per questo sono tutti contrari a me, perché l'atto spiega che la casa non è tutta tua capiscono (intendono) loro, ma non capiscono che la moneta (i soldi) l'hai lavorata tu con il tuo sangue (le tue fatiche), ma pensa tu a quello che si tratta infino (perfino) io non ti ho potuto scrivere prima perché essi sono stati tutti alleati, ma con tutto questo fino oggi non mi danno nessuna confidenza (non mi parlano), ma in appresso di tutto quello che si tratta (che succederà) io ti scriverò e ti dirò qualche cosa, ma io spero che tu non ti dimentichi anche di me, ma che se essi fanno qualche cattiva parte (azione) io ti scriverò e tu scriverai una lettera al giudice Asciutto di Belmonte e così lui li fa chiamare e sto in pace io e lui anche e basta, anzi per incazzà(?) (per arrabbiarsi ?) con qualcuno ora è passato il tempo ...

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per andare a rivelare a nostra madre e loro non ti vogliono votare xxx e dicono: il figlio sei tu. Ma io caro fratello, Dio solo lo sa come mi trovo, ma ti prego se mi puoi mandare qualche piccolo fiore(?) che così io farò tutto per riguardo alla occasione della cara madre, ma non posso scrivere a lungo che ciò assai disturbo(?), ma in seguito ti racconterò tante belle cose, hai capito? Ma però sono sempre ai tuoi mani xxx xxx ti saluto e ti bacio io e la mia sposa e i miei figli, ti baciamo le mani insieme alla mia cara moglie, credimi sono il tuo affezionatissimo fratello Gaetano



C'è qualcuno (Carole?) che vuole prodigarsi in una fantasiosa traduzione?

Ciao
Luca

Thanks Luca for the clarified version in Italian - that really helps.
OK - here are pages 3 and 4 for you Tom:

Page 3
... compratrice è stata Mazzola Giuseppa e Dragotta Ignazio, xxx che metà è tua e metà della nostra madre e per questo sono tutti contrari a me, perché l'atto spiega che la casa non è tutta tua capiscono (intendono) loro, ma non capiscono che la moneta (i soldi) l'hai lavorata tu con il tuo sangue (le tue fatiche), ma pensa tu a quello che si tratta infino (perfino) io non ti ho potuto scrivere prima perché essi sono stati tutti alleati, ma con tutto questo fino oggi non mi danno nessuna confidenza (non mi parlano), ma in appresso di tutto quello che si tratta (che succederà) io ti scriverò e ti dirò qualche cosa, ma io spero che tu non ti dimentichi anche di me, ma che se essi fanno qualche cattiva parte (azione) io ti scriverò e tu scriverai una lettera al giudice Asciutto di Belmonte e così lui li fa chiamare e sto in pace io e lui anche e basta, anzi per incazzà(?) (per arrabbiarsi ?) con qualcuno ora è passato il tempo ...

...the buyers were Mazzola Giuseppa and Dragotta Ignazio, xxx half is yours and half for our mother and because of this they are all against me, becuase the act explains that the house is not all yours I understand them, but I don't understand that the money that you have worked for with your hard work, but just think about what we are dealing with even I have not been abe to write to you before now because they have all stuck together, but with all this until today it gave me no confidence (they don't speak to me), but behind this we are dealing with (what will happen) I will write to you and tell you some things, but I hope that you will not forget me too, but if they do some unkind things I will write to you and you write a letter to judge Asciutto di Belmonte and in this way he will call them and I will be left in peace him and I it is enough, in fact to be pissed off with someone now that time has passed......



Page 4

...per andare a rivelare a nostra madre e loro non ti vogliono votare xxx e dicono: il figlio sei tu. Ma io caro fratello, Dio solo lo sa come mi trovo, ma ti prego se mi puoi mandare qualche piccolo fiore(?) che così io farò tutto per riguardo alla occasione della cara madre, ma non posso scrivere a lungo che ciò assai disturbo(?), ma in seguito ti racconterò tante belle cose, hai capito? Ma però sono sempre ai tuoi mani xxx xxx ti saluto e ti bacio io e la mia sposa e i miei figli, ti baciamo le mani insieme alla mia cara moglie, credimi sono il tuo affezionatissimo fratello Gaetano

...to go and reveal to our mother and they don't want you to vote xxx and say: you are the son. But I dear brother, only God knows how I feel, but I beg you if you can send me some little flowers (?) so that I can do everything regarding the occasion (anniversary?) of our dear mother, but I can't write a lot to you as this will upset you a lot, but later I will tell you many nice things, do you understand? Howevr I am always in your hands xxx xxx I salute you and I kiss you also my wife and my children, together we kiss your hands togehter with my dear wife, believe me I am your very loving brother Gaetano

These 4 pages were posted by Tom on Sunday evening - before we had completed the previous 4 pages. As there was a possibility that they would be missed, I've copied them here for anyone who would care to help/have a go....

I won't be around much today, so I may not be able (have time) to help.


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Page2
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Page3
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Page4
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OK - I've taken Pages 1 &2 and I'll try and get them done later today.

If anyone can do Pages 4 & 5 that would be nice...failing that I' try those later on!

In giornata mi occuperò di pag. 3 e 4

Luca