February 6, 2006

Lombard nicknames of St. Louis, Missouri, USA

A booklet edited by St. Louis writer Eleanore Marfisi Berra collects and preserves the heritage on its way to extinction of the Lombard migrants and their descendants. Nicknames have played an important role in the life of the migrant of the Milanese Upper Plains and most of all Cuggiono who have settled in an area just outside St. Louis named “The Hill” but locally known as “La Montagna” Here, the Lombards who had started to arrive by the 1880s in search of a new identity maintained their ties with their families and home-country. It’s interesting to note that the evolution also in popular terms signals the transition from Lombards to Italian-Americans and the list of nicknames include everybody as it was customary in Lombardy. Some nicknames are incomprehensible and lost for ever but most of them display an interesting and joyous view of the relationship among people. Nicknames were an integral part of the group and defined it with propriety and seldom with contempt.

The original spelling is used or the one that has remained in the memory of the migrants and transmitted to their children and grandchildren. 

Cassera: It’s a typical Lombard dish  made of pig’s feet, pork sausage (luganiga) and cabbage and denoted Joe Oldani.

Beccamort: Paul Calcaterra was the local undertaker and the nickname meant catch the dead.

Boof:  From buffoon or a fun loving person who loved to tease like Tom Clavenna.

Feree’: Anthony Ranciglio was the blacksmith of the Hill.

Frech: Mike Zarinelli started school without speaking English. When requested to take off his cap in class, he answered “Frech ul co” (my head is cold). And he was called that way from that time on.

Forchett: Louis Merlo’s family farmed in Italy and pitched hay with a fork. The nickname has been transmitted to his daughter Caroline Merlo Gianino named Forchetta.

Gusafam: The atavistic  hunger indicated Henry Garavaglia.

Zin du Spa: Serafin Ronzio was a town sweeper in Inveruno. His son Luigi (Luizeen) continued to be called  Zin du Spa while in St.Louis.

The survival of old nicknames entered the reality of the new  jobs but  continued the Lombard tradition.       

And so Chick was coined for Charles Galli raised chicken; Beer Charlie for Charlie Pozza who owned a tavern; City for Louis Venegoni who delivered beer and knew all the streets of the city; Jep Sacrista for Joseph Rossi, sacristan of St. Ambrose’s church; 6% Charlie for Charlie Garavaglia who sometimes lent money and always requested 6% interest; Steaks for Frank Ruggeri whose restaurant was famous for Steaks.

The life on the Hill reflected the tranquility of the native village.

Charles Ferrario, well known procrastinator was called Do Dopo (I’ll do it later), while Charles Torno who always took his time became Speed.

The medley between English and Lombard dialect was the norm in a neighborhood that is still predominantly Lombard.

Anthony Garavaglia who had opened one of the first Hill grocery stores was respectfully addressed as Mistra from Mister. The wife of his son Charlie became Lena Mistra and the niece Rose Marie Garavaglia Milani became Mistrina.

The mythical Yankees baseball player Lawrence Yogi Berra whose parents migrated from Malvaglio is one of the most important people of the Hill. Before being affectionately nicknamed

Yogi he was known on the Hill as Laudy from the call of his mother “Laudy (Lawrence), come home”.

Another personality of the Hill acquired an inadequate surname. The great politician Louis Berra was nicknamed Midge as a child and so he continued to be called in spite of this physical and moral growth.

The list is long with eccentric characters of the neighborhood.

Joe Budlajo was the the stumbling Joseph Pozzoli on his way home after a stint in a local tavern.

Rabbit and Porky denoted respectively Robert Airoldi, rabbit hunter and Charles Ferrario barbecue lover.

Louis Calcaterra invented a nickname to be able to talk to his Irish girlfriend. Her parents disapproved of the relationship and so Louis turned into Murphy and eventually Big Murph to distinguish him from his younger brother Gene called Little Murph.

Many Italian names were mangles or simply readapted.

Brerz was the short for Ambrose Ranzini, father of Carolyn Ranzini Stelzer who has played a  key role in compiling this booklet; Angelo Oldani became Angelino thence Lee while Angelo Berra became Giulin ; Charlie Miramonti evolved into Chaleen; Henry  derives from Enrico and then Rix for Henry Grassi and Rico for Henry Garavaglia; Giuseppina Fuse’ was known as Pineta.

Chaleen transformed into Chile for Charles Barbaglia but there was no problem for Gene Cucchi turned into Cookie pronounced more or less like his surname.

The changes mirrored acculturation: Louis Gualdoni became Luigeen and the Gene which is more frequently used as short  for Eugene, Oreste Zoia acquired the warlike nickname of Rastus and Charles Riva became River.

America required its identity tribute and thus increased the nicknames linked to the new world without any specific attachments with the Lombard past as it was maybe natural. Big John Giudici, Charles Smokey Berra, Charlie Crow Berra, Jimmy Blue Garegnani.

Esquire designated the dapper Johnny De Bernardi while the resemblance to the boxer Joe Louis led to Lou Miramonti. Hoover instead connoted the resemblance of Charles Garavaglia to President Edgar Hoover while light-skinned Mike Montani was dubbed Tudesc first and then Tusky.

Many people were identified according to their place of origin:  John Detroit Agosti, Mike Herrin Calcaterra, Mike Herrin Puricelli, Louis Marcalin Chiodini, Charles Ribon Baroli from Rubone. Herrin, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan were two historical destinations of the migrants from the Milanese Upper Plains.

The search about the origin and the persistence of the nicknames represent a beautiful page of migration history. 

Unfortunately over 200 nicknames remain either unknown or impossible to interpret. As if often happens, the oral tradition has not succeeded in keeping the total memory. Difficult to go back to the origins.

I have tried to recuperate some: Louis Gin di Aiss Aizzi might be Gin of the Aizzi family; John Pineta Berra might refer to a Giuseppina in the family shortened first to Pina and then Pineta; Charlie Fats Brusatti was probably fat; similarly Louis Big Garavaglia might indicate a big man and Charles Nasun Grassi reminds a prominent nose. Emil Makur Macchi where Makur is the augmentative of Macchi probably refers to a big man. Joe Packard Pedroli maybe was from a car make and Jake Succ Puricelli was either a shy or a few words person. Jim Jamoke Tapella leads to the Lombard idiom meaning you are already here. Charles Tagasheen Venegoni holds one of the best nicknames that recalls the grape skin (Tagash)  and suggesting  love for winemaking.

However, this is already ethnic archaeology._