Agata Caterina (Parisi) Garraffa (1900 - 1989)

Born 31 May 1900 in Caraffa del Bianco, Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy

Died 11 Apr 1989 at age 88 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA

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Biography

Agata was born in 1900. She was the daughter of Antonio Parisi and Cecilia Battaglia. She passed away in 1989.^[1]

Giuseppe Marvici and Caterina Parisi are married on 14 August 1916 in Springfield, MA. It is the first marriage for them both. Giuseppe is 25 (b. 1891), lives in Waterbury CT. Caterina is 17 (b. 1899). She lives at 48 Sprague St., West Springfield. Giuseppe is a grocery clerk, born in Italy, the son of Pasquale Marvici and Minnie Agata (actually, Agata Minnici). Caterina was also born in Italy, daughter of Antonio Parisi and Cecelia Battaglia.^[2]

Pasquale Fortunato Marvige (Marvici) is born at 48 Sprague St., West Springfield on 19 October 1917. He is the son of Giuseppe Marvige and Caterina Parisi. His father is a laborer. Both his parents were born in Italy.^[3]

In the 1920 federal census of Waterbury, New Haven, CT, taken 3 January, Joseph Marvici, 29 (b. 1891), heads a household at 43 Meadow St. with his wife Catherine, 19 (b. 1901), both born in Italy, and “daughter” Pasquela (this is their son Pasquale), 2 yrs 2 months (b. Nov 1918), born in MA, and cousins Salvatore Moselino, 10 (b. 1910), born in NY, Joseph Moselino, 8 (b. 1912), born in CT, and Juleno Moselino, 6 (b. 1914), born in MA. Joseph emigrated in 1906 and Catherine in 1913. Joseph is a grocery store clerk.^[4]

Catherine's brother, Joseph Parisi, is a bootlegger who buys his wholesale supply from Carlo Siniscalchi. After Carlo allegedly cheats him of $750, Joseph finds him on Main Street, sitting in his car, and shoots him six times, killing him and injuring a passenger on a street car. Joseph is sentenced to 7-8 years in prison.

While he is awaiting trial, Catherine, her husband Joseph Marvici, their son Pasquale, brother-in-law Joseph Darlissi, and Parisi’s attorney, William C. Giles, are ambushed in a drive-by shooting while they are on their way back from the jail where they visited Parisi. Four-year old Pasquale is injured in the attack.^[5][6][7]

On 11 September 1922, Joseph Marvici is killed and John Musolino is seriously injured in another drive-by shooting. They were on their way to visit another bootlegger, Dominic Parati.^[8]

Catherine remarries to Domenico Garreffi.

In the 1930 federal census of West Springfield, Hampden, MA, taken 14 April, Dominic Griffe, 30 (b. 1900), born in Italy, heads a household at 68 Merrick St. with his Italian-born wife, Catherine, 29 (b. 1901). He first married at 25 (m. 1925) and she at 16 (m. 1917). With them are children David, 3 yrs 10 months (b. Jun 1916), born in New York, daughter Antonetta, seven months (b. Nov 1929), born in Massachusetts, and the Marvici stepchildren: Pasquale, 12 (b. 1918), born in MA; Ermido, 9 (b. 1921), Frank, 9 (b. 1921), and Carmela, 8 (b. 1922), all born in CT.

At the same address, Catherine's brother Joseph Parisi, 35 (b. 1895), heads a household.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Personal recollection of events witnessed by Nicholas Parisi as remembered 22 Feb 2023.
2. ↑ Marriage of Giuseppe Marvici and Caterina Parisi. (1916, September 11). Record no. 69. Marriages registered in the town of West Springfield for the year nineteen hundred and sixteen. P. 4. "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L1GY-9X2?cc=1928860&wc=M6S9-LTL%3A223963601%2C223995001 : 20 May 2014), Marriages > Marriages 1916 vol 638 Franklin-Middlesex > image 279 of 939; State Archives, Boston.
3. ↑ Births registered in the town of West Springfield for the year nineteen hundred and seventeen. (1917, October 22). Record no. 252. P. 6. "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L1BF-HM1?cc=1928860&wc=M6SS-QP8%3A223963901%2C224094201 : 20 May 2014), Births > Births 1917 vol 641 Franklin-Middlesex > image 294 of 1010; State Archives, Boston.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RJM-GSW?cc=1488411&wc=QZJY-6K1%3A1036470301%2C1037162201%2C1037412701%2C1589335302 : 10 September 2019), Connecticut > New Haven > Waterbury Ward 4 > ED 462 > image 1 of 62; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ “Two Held As Suspects In Water Street Auto Fight; Car Is Mrs. Siniscalchi’s.” Published 4 July 1922 in The Springfield Union (MA). Pp. 1+.
6. ↑ “Siniscalchi’s Nephew Held In Connection With Murder Attempt.” Published in The Springfield Republican. 4 July 1922. P. 1.
7. ↑ “Vona and Guerriero Held in Heavy Bonds.” Published 5 July 1922 in The Springfield Republican. P. 1.
8. ↑ “Joseph Marvici Falls Dead in Speeding Car.” Published 12 September 1922 in The Springfield Republican. P. 1
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRH4-WKC?cc=1810731&wc=QZF3-2QX%3A648804401%2C649977101%2C650092301%2C1589284609 : 10 December 2015), Massachusetts > Hampden > West Springfield > ED 194 > image 3 of 54; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).