A Story of Commitment, Persistence and Faith

On June 19, 1914 the ship Canada2, laid down as the “Santa Lucia” in 1911, sailed her last voyage between Marseilles, Naples, Palermo and New York, carrying 120 1^st class, 196 2^nd class and 1,850 3^rd class passengers, consisting of business people, tourists and immigrants.  On that ship, during that particular voyage, was an Italian family from Caserta, Naples with hopes and dreams of starting a new life in the land of freedom and opportunity.  Surely these dreams were rekindled as they entered New York harbor and gazed at the Statue of Liberty on their way to Ellis Island.  The head of this family was Domenico Iodice, accompanied by his wife, Maria Carmela DiGiovanni, and their five children, Francesco (7), Giuseppi (12), Rosa (22), Maria Francesca (10), and Annunziata (15).  Upon their arrival, the Immigration authorities changed their name to Yodice.  These are the roots of the Yodice family, with my father, Francesco (Frank), being the first of three succeeding generations.  This is my life story; a story filled with successes and failures, disappointments and jubilation, happiness and heartaches, motivated by commitment, persistence and fai