An Interview with Joe Francone

It is funny what you will find when you decide to do some cleaning. A couple of months ago while cleaning out a closet I came across an old box. In that box, was a green folder which contained a 7^th grade Social Studies project I had completed. When I was a fresh faced lad back in 1981 attending Wilkins Jr. High School, our social studies teacher, Mr. Kurivial gave us a class project. (By the way this was the same teacher that would be the Dungeon Master for all us geeks who played Dungeon and Dragons after school.)

The project was about studying your heritage. Since mine was Italian, I was charged with creating one about my Dago bloodlines. In this folder, was a family tree, a recipe for my Mom’s lasagna, and a couple of paragraphs about famous Italians (I listed, Joe DiMaggio, Al Pacino and Mario Lanza for some reason.) I also was charged with interviewing an older family member. And I chose to interview my Grandfather.

Reading that interview was a bit jarring at first. My Grandfather died six years ago. So, reading what an 11 year old Nick would ask him, and reading his answers was very interesting to me. I still miss the guy at every family gathering I attend. But, when I was reading this I was able to close my eyes and hear his voice like it was yesterday.

Here I will transcribe the all too brief interview. Remember I was eleven years old and was no Geraldo Rivera at the time. (Also, if anyone wants my Mom’s lasagna recipe let me know.)

Nick: How old were you when you left Italy?

Grandpa Joe: I was seven years old.

Nick: What city did you leave?

Grandpa Joe: Bitritto City, Italy.

Nick: What did it feel like to leave?

Grandpa Joe: Although I was only 7, I went to school up to 2^nd grade. But I did not have much time to get used to what was going on.

Nick: What ship did you come on?

Grandpa Joe: The S.S. Luciana

Nick: How did it feel to be coming to a strange land?

Grandpa Joe: It was strange the first few days, but after awhile I loved it.

Nick: Did you speak English, how did you communicate?

Grandpa Joe: No, but in one month I learned the language well enough to communicate.

Nick: What was the first school you went to in America?

Grandpa Joe: The George Washington School on Grand and Morgan.

Nick: How did you like it?

Grandpa Joe: I found it interesting.

Nick: Did you get along with other kids?

Grandpa Joe: Fantastically

Nick: As a child did you miss Italy?

Grandpa Joe: For the first year I was kind of homesick.

Nick: What was your first job?

Grandpa Joe: I worked in a car wash.

Nick: Were you in a war?

Grandpa Joe: Yes, World War II. I was in France, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Panama City, and the Philippines.

Nick: When did you meet your wife?

Grandpa Joe: Through a cousin of mine, Vito. I met Rita and got married after I was discharged.

Nick: When and how did you get your present job?

Grandpa Joe: Sept. 15, 1946. My Brother-in-law brought me there.

Nick: Do you enjoy your work?

Grandpa Joe: Yes, I like being a truck driver for J.C. Deacon Plywood.

Nick: Do you have any desire to return to Italy?

Grandpa Joe: Yes and I am going to see the house I was born in.

Nick: Do you still have relatives in Italy?

Grandpa Joe: Yes, I have Aunts.

Nick: Do you wonder how they are?

Grandpa Joe: Very much.

Nick: Do you keep in touch?

Grandpa Joe: I wrote them but never heard back.

So there it is. It was surprising not to hear some no shits in there. (One on my grandpa’s nicknames was No Shit Joe. He would say something like, Hey, I just bought a new Granada, no shit.) I spent a lot of time in my younger days at my grandparent’s house and I got to spend a lot of time with both my grandmother and grandfather.

For that I am grateful. I got to know both of them. My grandfather was as deaf as Marlee Matlin. I can still think back to him falling asleep to the radio tuned to talk radio or some oldies station (I can recall the first time I heard the Ink Spots, Java Jive and my brother and I laughing our asses off when we heard it) at a decibel level louder then a space launch. He was always full of life and absolutely knew no strangers. You met him once and he made you feel like he knew you his whole life. Most everyone I knew that ever meet him, loved him. You just could not help yourself.