Out of Nola
A Portrait of Two Families
by
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Nonna Luisa was in the kitchen frying sausages and peppers when suddenly, the kitchen door flew open. She turned around and saw Paul standing within the frame. "O! Vagabondo! Where you be?" "I tella you before. I go to Boston a few day to see Compare Rinaldo." "A few day? O! fa duo semane! - Hey! He be two week!" "Eh! O fatto matrimonia - I get married." He stepped into the kitchen, Mary following meekly behind him. Luisa's mouth fell open. "Madonna Mia! Ma dove trovata questa putane!? - But where did you find this whore?" Mary had naturally rosy cheeks - something the DeNobili girls had to paint on, so Luisa seized on this trait to express her "pleasure" at meeting Paul's new wife. "Ma, qui e questa prostituta!? But who is this prostitute!?" I justa tella you - she's-a my wife. And watcha you mout'!" Luisa's glance ran down from Mary's head, and when it reached her hands, she screamed. "The ring! The ring! So!!!! That's-a where it go! LADRO!!! THIEF!!!" You sister's engage-a-ment ring!! Paul covered Mary's ringed hand with his. "Non fa ceremonia. - Don't make such a fuss about it. I give it back. Here. Here, take-a the lousy ring!" He began to remove the ring from Mary's finger while tears of mortification slid down her face. Luisa continued to rage at him. "TOO LATE! TOO LATE!! You t'ink my daughter - my Bianca - ever gonna wear a ring that you put on HER filt'y finger?!! Go! Get out my house!" "STREGA! - WITCH! Tu e Sua gotsara casa! - You and your fuckin' house! I hope it boin down!" "Sfatcheem!!! Oh Jesu! What I do to deserve this? Vai! Vai! - Son-of-a-bitch! Go, go. Out! Out! And never come back! I swear on my dead mother's eyes, I kill you if you do!" Paul and Mary started to leave. When they reached the bannister in the hall, Luisa stuck her head out of the door and yelled, "O! Aaayyy!! Jooch!! - Hey! Jackass! where you gonna sleep?" "IN-A THE STREET! WHAT YOU CARE?" "O, que bella cosa. Oh, what a pretty sight. A DeNobili who sleep in the street like a tramp! Get in here - and no another word outta you! Mama mia, what I do to deserve this? Now I gotta move all the beds again." The newlyweds came back into the house. No sooner were they into the kitchen when another scream was directed to Paul. "CATIVO! EVIL TROUBLEMAKER!" Now see what you do!!! You make me burn up all the peppers and sausages. Nice! Now who's-a gonna clean up the fry pan!!!"
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About the Book
The year was 1879. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Nola, Italy. The DiNobili family, proud, imperious and of substantial means, joined the crowd of people in the streets, celebrating the Festa Dei Gigli. At the same time, in a rural village just outside Nola, lived the daughter of a family - poor, humble farm hands, bound to the soil and subject to the will of an aristrocratic land owner. As the result of a misguided love affair with him, she produced an illegitimate child who would one day through marriage become part of the Ferraro family. In the early 1900’s, both families emigrated to America. The DiNobili’s occupied first-class cabins, and the Ferraro’s sprawled out in steerage. Both settled in the poorest section of Brooklyn, New York, known as Greenpoint. The Ferraro’s rented a cold-water flat in a run-down tenement, and the DiNobili’s resided in the same type of tenement except that they owned the entire building. Years later an offshoot of each of these disparate families created a new family as a result of the elopement in 1916 of Paolo DiNobili, and 16-year old Maria Ferraro - much to the dismay of both families - the DiNobili’s because of their assumed superior social status to the Ferraro’s and the Ferraro’s because the choice of a husband had already been made for Maria. This tragi-comedy is told in colorful and authentic dialogue - a heart-rending account, juxtaposed with infectious humor as a picture of the lives of the descendants emerges. Paolo (Paul) Nobili’s life is woven throughout its telling - from his violent birth to his outrageous behavior on his death bed 92 years later. His often displayed uncontrollable rages and undeniable cruelty toward his family when provoked is shocking. Paul’s aberrant behavior degenerates into a new and lascivious dimension when, in his sixties, he forces upon his son’s wives and his grand daughters his latest ignoble trait. Almost 150 years of tragedy and humor experienced by these families is laid bare. Paolo never experiences the humor.
About the Author
Mary-Jo Balman is a world traveler whose books are set in various parts of the world. Her colorful characters, entertaining dialogue and insight into human foibles evoke the reader's own awareness of the human condition.