Mattia Family Papers

The Mattia Family lived in Newark, NJ and was one of the first Italian families to come to Newark.

Angelomara Maria (1841-1925) and Filomena Ilaria Mattia (1845-1915) and their two children Petrino (Peter, 1869-1953) and Richard F. (Rizziere, 1872-1961) immigrated from Calabritto, Italy to Newark, NJ around 1873. Both boys attended State Street School and Newark Business College, and were two of the first Italians in the Newark Public Schools. Petrino was married to Gessumina Ilaria (1870-1946) and had at least eleven children, eight of whom lived to adulthood: Angelo (1889), Alfonso (1891), Virginius (1893), Roma (1901), Palma (1903), Oliva/Olive (1906), Lira (1909), and Flora (1912).

Richard married Filomena Parisi (1876-1968) and also had many children; those who survived infancy were: Filomena (1893; known as Minnie), Richard, Jr (1898; he died in his early 20s), Julietta (1899), Romeo (1902), Leone (1905), Violetta (1907), Ettore/Hector (1909) and Alfredo (1912).

Petrino was a photographer-inspector for the NJ State Bureau of Tenement Supervision from 1915-1946. He worked as a shoe shine boy and barber early in life, as well as a scenic artist for Miner’s Theater. Petrino wrote and produced a play called Cuba Libra in 1898 and joined a stage company in 1904. He was also a dramatic instructor at the Young Men’s Catholic Institute of Newark for many years. He was a founder of St. Lucy’s Church and a lifetime member of the Elks. He wrote “The Recollections of Peter B. Mattia” late in life.

Richard worked for the Daily Advertiser as a photographer. In 1905 he founded the Mattia Press where he edited and published an Italian Language newspaper La Revista (The Review). He operated the press for 26 years, before entering real estate. Richard also taught evening classes for immigrants. He served as an Essex County Freeholder from 1908-1918, where he brought clergymen to local prisons and instituted 8 hour days for prison guards. He was the first Italian American to serve on an Essex County Grand Jury, at age 21. He served in the National Guard from 1919-1927 and was an excellent boxer, wrestler, runner and biker as a young man, winning an 1897 bike championship. He also performed in amateur theatricals. He was a charter member of the Bloomfield Avenue Business and Improvement Association and the Guards of Columbus.

The brothers opened a photography studio together from 1887, possibly to 1915 [see appendix 3] and their photos won 24 prizes at the State Fair at Waverly Park. Angelo (1889-1946) married Carlotta Palmieri (1885-1923) in 1907.

The family has many descendants who continue to be interested in their Newark history.

By Rita Mattia Updated in 2018 from an earlier “history”created for some of our many cousins

Petrino B. Mattia (1869 - 1953). This is as good a place to start as any, since he is the “glue”that binds so many of us cousins together. Petrino (later often called Pete or Peter and even occasionally called “Pietro”) was born in 1869 in Calabritto, in the province of Avellino in the Campania region of Southern Italy. From research and visits, we know that this is a highly seismic/volcanic region that has never been entirely friendly to human habitation (sadly, much of this village — and others nearby — was obliterated by a 1980 earthquake). Politics in Italy have always been chaotic as well, especially in the 19th century, so it is not surprising that Petrino’s family came to Newark, NJ, USA in the early 1870s. Much of this is covered in his beloved “Recollections” and in other histories of 19th century Newark that invariably mention the Mattia family. (Michael Immerso’s “Newark’s Little Italy: The Vanished First Ward” is a good place to start … and Sandra Lee’s “Italian Americans of Newark, Belleville and Nutley” contains an amazing collection of photographs.)

[A note on the “Recollections:” I can provide PDF copies of this document to family members; it is also in the archives of Rutgers University and elsewhere.]

Petrino was a barber, a photographer, a pastel artist, a landlord — and a building inspector for the City of Newark, NJ where he spent much of his life. He was also a playwright who dabbled in set design, acting and directing. We have copies of programs, reviews and a photograph of one of several “politically incorrect” minstrel shows. His play about the Spanish American War and his involvement with the Junta (and gun-running to Cuba!) are recorded as well. We also have other photographs, clippings and memorabilia, including certified copies of Italian birth certificates for Petrino and his wife, Gesummina. Originals of these pieces of ephemera are in several cousins’ homes.

Just as significantly, several of Petrino’s paintings still exist. Four examples are in family hands (two are signed & dated; two are verified by family member recollections); others have been researched but not verified.

Full-size limited edition prints of the three pastel-on-paper works have been made available to family members.

We also have copies of a photograph (the original belongs to cousin Gail Mattia Boffa) in which Petrino is working in his studio. A large-scale framed restoration is in my home. Petrino married his first cousin Gesummina Ilaria (1870 - 1946) in either 1886 or 1889 or some other year in Newark, NJ, depending on which records/statements you choose to believe. The confusion arises, in part, out of their familial relationship -— the Roman Catholic Church has never smiled gladly on first cousin marriages (and, in fact, a special dispensation preceded the Baptism at St. Philip Neri Church of their first child, my grandfather, Angelo Maria Mattia). Although she was born in Calabritto, Gessumina’s family was “originally” from Caposele, a nearby village. According to at least one newspaper interview with him, they had twelve children. We know of 11, eight of whom lived to adulthood: Angelo (1889), Alfonso (1891), Virginius (1893), Roma (1901), Palma (1903), Oliva/Olive (1906), Lira (1909), and Flora (1912). More on all of them later.

After all of their children had pretty much grown up, Petrino and Gesummina moved to Highlands, NJ, where they lived until Gesummina’s death in 1946 (a newspaper article about his love of Highlands appeared in a Red Bank newspaper in circa 1950). He then moved into a room in the Newark home of his son, Virginius (AKA “Doc”), where he lived until his own death, in 1953. It was during those final years that he wrote the “Recollections.”

(SIDE NOTE: That Newark house seemed grand and large to my generation when we were kids growing up and spending Sundays after Mass with cousins and siblings. A drive by there in recent years was … disappointing. I believe the address is 204 Highland Avenue. It is, I think, noteworthy, that many family members lived in Doc’s home during this same era, which had a small apartment on the third floor. After their 1940 marriage, my parents Homer and Christina lived there for a couple of years and after their 1951 marriage, Jessie and Ken Rosa did as well. I cannot confirm this, but Dr. Virginius D. Mattia, Jr (“Barney”) and Alice (neé delTufo) may also have occupied this apartment for awhile. There was also a “cousin” of Doc’s wife Laura (neé Santoro), who was known only as “Maria Felice” who also lived there well into the 1950s and helped with cooking. We’ll learn more about Doc and Laura later.)

According to county records we have found, the house in Highlands was purchased by Gesummina (only!) in 1929, and sold in 1934 for one dollar, to their daughter Olive Mattia, who was single at the time. I believe the address is 209 Linden Avenue, but cannot confirm this. I think that Karen knows, and spent time there as a child growing up in the area. Who were Petrino’s ancestors?

His Mattia line has been traced through his father (Angelo Maria Mattia (1841 - 1925) — who came to the USA around 1872-4, soon to be followed by his wife Filomena Ilaria (1843 - 1915), and sons Petrino and Rizziere. We have found records dating back to Petrino’s Great Great Great Grandfather Carlo Mattia, who was born and died in Calabritto in the early 1700s. We have a fairly detailed family tree, which is (currently) posted (but private) on ancestry.com online.

We also have framed artwork for a “family crest” which was created at the behest of a descendent; it is currently in the home of cousin Barney Mattia of New Jersey (it was commissioned by his father Virginius D, Jr, while in Rome on business). We find it to be more than somewhat specious, given the peasant status of so many generations of known Mattias. From what we know, all of our Calabritto ancestors were farmers, shepherds and/or woodcutters.

(All seem to have been short in stature, with dark curly hair and dark brown eyes. My late father certainly fit the profile.)

Who were the Ilarias?

This could be interesting. We have an original sepia-tone photographic portrait of Filomena Ilaria, who was Petrino’s mother (AND Gesummina’s aunt). [NOTE: this is among the glass plates now at NPL as well.] She clearly had light eyes (as do I, though both of my parents were very dark-eyed), with possibly medium-brown, barely wavy hair, and was born in Caposele — a village very close to Calabritto that was also devastated in 1980. (Our photograph of Filomena has been restored; a large framed copy is in my home.) From inconclusive research, we have theorized that her ancestors may have originated in Albania, arriving by sea centuries ago. However, we also have the text of an Italian-language short history of Caposele that suggests that circa 1500, land was granted to certain families by the King of Naples. Their surnames included Benincasa, Bozio, Ceres, Cozzarelli, De Rogatis, Ilaria, Masi, Russomanno, and Santorelli; some of these surnames appear on the extended Mattia and Ilaria family tree. (Some also appear on the family tree of my father’s mother’s family --- the Palmieris of nearby Lioni, Italy. My father’s mother’s name was Carlotta Palmieri Mattia.

According to church records we have found, in the 1700s and 1800s the Ilarias from whom we are descended were living in the village of Caposele in the province of Avellino (where many Ilarias still live).

(We also have a sepia-tone photographic portrait of Angelo Maria Mattia; a framed copy is in my home.)

Caposele and Calabritto are two out of a cluster of mountaintop and mountainside villages including Senerchia, Lioni, Teora, where some of our “marry-in” Italian ancestors were born. Although these towns date back (at least) to the 1200s, much of the villages and their history and older records were destroyed in the catastrophic earthquake of 1980.

Angelomaria & Filomena’s Children

We have been told that Angelo Maria Mattia (1841 - 1915) (whose given name often appears as “Angelomaria”) was a board sawyer, though once he was here in the United States, he became a property owner and landlord. He and his wife Filomena Ilaria (1843 - 1925) had a daughter Emmanuela, born in Calabritto in 1867, who died before the family came to the States. Their next born child was Petrino in 1869, followed by Rizziere in 1872; both were born in Calabritto. Another daughter was lost in childhood: Julia Mattia was born and died in Newark, NJ in 1884. We have never heard her mentioned in the family, but her life and death are duly recorded in the NJ state archives (and her name is carried on by Rizziere and his wife.) We’ve already told you a bit about Petrino; this was Rizziere: Rizziere F. Mattia (1872 - 1961) preferred to be known as “Richard”. The only sibling of Petrino to reach adulthood, he married Filomena Parisi (1876 - 1968), who was (probably) born in Lioni, Italy. They, too, had many children; those who survived infancy were: Filomena (1893; known as Minnie), Richard, Jr (1898; he died in his early 20s), Julietta (1899), Romeo (1902), Leone (1905), Violetta (1907), Ettore/Hector (1909) and Alfredo (1912). A wonderful circa 1914/5 photo that includes this entire family, at Coney Island, NY is in my collection. In fact, through a quirk of fate, many photographs and mementos of members of this branch of the family are in my archives. One of my favorites is one of Richard, advertising his artistic abilities.

What do we know of the descendents of Petrino and Rizziere/Richard?

We’ll circle back to those children of Petrino and Gesummina (AKA Pete and Jessie) who survived childhood:

First born was Angelo Maria Mattia (1889 - 1946). Obviously named for Petrino’s father, this man was a bit of an enigma. A photographic portrait of him at age 13 suggests exquisite good looks and an almost angelic mien. During his (relatively) short life, he dabbled in theater, considered himself an inventor, and worked for several years as a resident orderly at an infamous (and now defunct) New Jersey insane asylum: Overbrook. We have a 1912 photograph of him on-the-job at that institution; perhaps not coincidentally, he was known to have a violent temper and wild mood swings.

In 1907, he married Carlotta Palmieri (1885 - 1923) — a native of Lioni, Italy descended from a prominent and often famous family — who bore him two children. The first of these was Peter B. Mattia (1909 - 1933), obviously named for Angelo’s father. The second was Homer Theophilus Mattia (1914 - 1995), obviously named during a flight of creative fancy. He was my father.

Carlotta died in her thirties of blood poisoning from the botched lancing of a boil on her lovely face (we have just two portraits of her; in one she is pictured with the infant Peter; in the other, she is alone). She came to the USA in about 1906 with her widowed mother Giuseppa Bozio Palmieri (1845 - 1933) and her younger brothers Olindo and Oreste Palmieri (a deaf mute who left some interesting, brief autobiographical letters). Her life story and that of her ancestors include a failed emigration to Uruguay (which is where Giuseppa’s husband Donato Palmieri died of “jungle fever” in 1896); some amazing photographs and documents; and documented proof that her mother’s family line would have died out in the 1700s were it not for the posthumous intercession of St. Gerardo of Maiella (whose North American shrine is in St. Lucy’s Church, Newark, NJ). While it is not “Mattia” history, I do enjoy sharing these stories, too and ask you to bear with me ….

Her grandfather, Cavaliere Carlo Bozio, was a knight (in the court of the King of Naples, we believe). Except through me (and my son), Carlotta has no other known familial relationship to any member of the Mattia family. At the time of Carlotta’s death, her mother Giuseppa and younger brother Oreste still lived with Angelo and his two young sons; this family group quickly dispersed. Giuseppa and Oreste joined Olindo and his wife Elvira Natelli in Brooklyn, NY. Peter and Homer were passed around to various relatives because … within six weeks of Carlotta’s death Angelo had married Effie Kellenberger (1892 - 1991) … and soon moved to her native Pennsylvania.

We have photographs of Olindo and Oreste, as well as many of Effie. In addition, we have a wonderful circa 1940 photo of the five daughters of Olindo and Elvira. Whether the courtship/marriage of Effie and Angelo was especially ethical or not, Effie Kellenberger Mattia ultimately became a good friend to her stepson Homer and a beloved grandmother to me. As a result, many photographs came my way at the time of Effie’s death — nearly a half century after Angelo. There are many “Effie Stories.” Many. And most living Mattias in my generation have memories of her.

These are the two offspring of Angelo and Carlotta:

Peter Mattia (1910 - 1933) died at age 23 in an apparent murder suicide in Newark, NJ. We have some wonderful photographs of him, a small (strange) painting he did, and extensive newspaper coverage of his tragic death. We also had his high school yearbook, a high school and a college pennant, and a restored panoramic photograph of his 1928 graduating class from Barringer High School in Newark, NJ. He never married or had children. We have donated the yearbook and a print of the panorama to the archives of Barringer High School. Homer Mattia (1914 - 1995) married Christina Welsh (1917 - 1995) in 1940. Their only child is I, Rita Mattia; my only child is Christopher. We are both still living and neither is married at the time of this writing. There are no other descendents from this line. We have tons of photos of Homer, Christina, Rita and Christopher, as well as memorabilia. Christina was known as Teeny and/or Chris.

Probably my favorite photo of the young Homer and Christina was taken on the beach in Highlands, NY in 1938, two years before their marriage in 1940. Their 1940 marriage snapshot includes friend Danny del Tufo (a cousin to Alice del Tufo, wife of Barney/Virginius D. Mattia, Jr) and Christina’s sister Mae Welsh McCann.

Second born to Petrino & Gessumina was Alfonso Mattia (1891 - ?). All we know of him at this time is that he married a woman named Ellen or Eleanor Marlow in 1926. We continue to dig. Third to come along was son Virginius Dante Mattia (1893 - 1961). He married Laura Santoro (1898 - 1981), who was born in Lioni, Italy. We have many photographs (and fond memories). Virginius was known as “Doc.” He had a successful dentistry practice which he operated out of their large home near Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ. He was also very active in local politics and was an outspoken (and oft-quoted) Fascist and supporter of Mussolini. We have many early newspaper clippings from his life. He often wrote for local publications as well. In addition to photos, we have examples of Laura’s superb crochet and embroidery work. She was also a masterful cook and baker -— and we are also very fortunate to have a small collection of Laura Santoro’s recipes, transcribed by Ken Rosa and Leslie Rosa at about the same time as the “Recollections” was salvaged and transcribed.

Laura and Doc had two children. Their first-born was named Virginius Dante Mattia, Jr (1923 - 1971) but was always known as “Barney.” He is probably the best-known member of our modern-day family: he was a superstar at Barringer High School, he became a medical doctor, served in the US Navy, and rose to become the president of Hoffman LaRoche Pharmaceuticals. His early death from a heart attack was a shocker. He was married to the former Alice delTufo (1923 - living). Their children are all living and all have children of their own. Their oldest, Peter Mattia, has a daughter Lauren Mattia Levine and grandchildren. Other children in that generation include (in descending birth order): Gail Mattia Boffa (a sociologist/psychologist who has five children; one adopted), Mark Mattia (an attorney who has one son), and Barney Mattia (an entrepreneur who has three sons). Their second child was Jessie Laura Mattia (1926 - 1997) named for her grandmother (Gesummina was known as “Jessie”) and her mother. She was a registered dietician and worked for several years in a prominent New Jersey hospital. Jessie married Canio “Ken” Rosa (1926 - 2009), who was a successful CPA and banker. Jessie and Ken had five children. In 1953, they lost infant twin sons (I think their names were Kenneth and Robert). In 1955, their daughter Donna Rosa was born, and in 1958, their twin daughters Leslie and Marsha Rosa were born. The twins are both married; none of the three Rosa daughters has any children. It was Ken Rosa who uncovered and, with the help of Leslie, transcribed the “Recollections” about 40 years after it was handwritten. Donna travels the world, bringing marketing expertise to entrepreneurs in developing nations. Marsha is a dietician like her mother and is married to Jack Gillespie, a retired law officer; Leslie works as a customer representative for a NJ manufacturer. Her husband George Metzgar is a 9/11 Twin Towers survivor and has recently retired from a long career with the Port Authority of NY/NJ. All reside in Northern NJ.

After Petrino and Gesummina’s three sons, there were some lost babies, and then a run of daughters.

The first of these was Roma Mattia (1901 - 1975). She married John Miller (1897 - 1959). They had many children, none of whom are living: John (1926 - 1999), Robert (1929 - 1983), Beatrice (1932 - 2015), Donald (1934 - 1984), Marilyn (1935 - 2009), twins Arthur (1937 - 1996) and Alfred (1937 - 2008), Kathleen (1942 - ?), and Alice (1942 - 2009). There are biological descendents of only one of Roma’s children. John Miller (1926 - 1999) and his wife Charlotte Schwed Miller (living) had three children: David, Glenn and Karen. David (who works in real estate) and Glenn (a sports journalist) remain unmarried. Karen (a pharmacist) is currently single and is named Karen Miller Heidenreich. She has an adult son named David Walters, who is single. All but David reside in Florida as of this writing; David now lives near me in Virginia (by sheer and delightful coincidence).

The next of the sisters was Palma Mattia, born in 1903. All we know of her is some unpleasant hearsay stories … and what has been gleaned from US Census data and a 1938 Newark, NJ Directory when she lived at 285 Parker Avenue in the home of their parents, Peter and Jessie. We have a photo of what that house looks like today. In fact, we also have various other US census records telling who lived where, when. But no other substantive information about Palma. We have a beautiful “mystery portrait” which is either a lovely young Palma … or Lira. No one is sure.

Olive Mattia (1906 - 1983) was next. She and Effie Kellenberger Mattia (second wife of Olive’s brother Angelo) became very close friends. As a result, we have a number of photographs of Olive and her husband Guiseppe (Joe) Sileo (1891 - 1976). They did not have children that I know of … but I could be wrong.

Lira Mattia (1909 - 1996) married Raymond Blewett. They had two children: the late June Blewett (who was married to the late Martin McGrail, Sr.) and the late Peter Blewett. June and Martin had three children including Martin/Marti McGrail, Jr. who is the pastor of New Life Christian Church in Highlands, NJ.

Peter and his wife Clair Cribbin (both deceased) had four sons, all of whom live in Monmouth County. They have all been married and have families; we know their son Joseph Blewett best. He recently retired after many years as the Chief of Police in Highlands and currently works security somewhere in Manhattan. He and his wife Angela Wolcott have two children, Amy and Joseph, and one granddaughter, Aria. We have also met Jessica McGrail Saul, a daughter of June and Martin, who is a nurse.

Last to be born was Flora Mattia (1912 - 1982). She married Edward Strauss/Strouse (1912 - 1967). We have a framed photograph of Flora. Flora’s name also appears as a performer in the programs for the minstrel shows her father produced in the 1930s and we believe we can identify her in the production photograph [those materials have recently been donated to the NPL]. We know that Flora has some descendents, including a granddaughter in Red Bank, NJ, named Georgeanna Strouse Horn (who is married and has a daughter, Alexis). About the known descendents of Rizziere/Richard and his wife Filomena/Minnie — and a bit more about him. We have many portraits of Richard F Mattia (1872 - 1961). Many. And his name shows up in many records, clippings and such. He and his brother shared a photography and “crayon” (= pastel) portrait studio, and — we surmise from some of what we have heard and/or read — some sibling rivalry. A pair of pastel portraits of Richard and Minnie is in the home of one of his great grandsons (Edward Day); they are attributed to Richard. (Roma Mattia’s grandson Glenn Miller bears a remarkable resemblance to his great uncle; we have given some of our favorite portraits to him and his sister Karen who first observed the resemblance.) Rizziere/Richard married Filomena Parisi (1876 - 1968), who was born in Italy (we do not have the city as yet, but it may have been Lioni).

Eventually, Richard held public office, and was considered a mover/shaker not only in the Italian neighborhoods of Newark, but beyond. We have clippings, documents, photographs and memorabilia, including campaign materials and a medal or two. His obituary appeared in the New York Times. He and several of his sons became famous/infamous as a result of two familyowned printing companies. More on that as we roll along.

Here is more about their children (listed earlier) who survived infancy:

Filomena Mattia (1893 - 1987, known as Minnie), is fondly remembered by many members of the Mattia family; her longevity allowed many generations to know and love her. She married the very handsome and charming Vito Lovallo, with whom she had six children. Then he skipped out (we have a copy of their divorce papers). He appears in the delightful circa 1915 family group photograph at Coney Island, NY, as Minnie’s “escort.”

Their children were Evelyn, Lucy, Theodore, Marcus, Richard and Violetta Lovallo. Of these, we are familiar with the children of Evelyn Lovallo, who married Edward Donadio and was the mother of our cousin Edward Day (who was adopted by James Day, his late mother’s second husband, along with his siblings Marcus and Michelle). Of Minnie’s children, none are alive today. Eddie, Marcus and Michelle all married and had children. Eddie Day owns and operates a successful automobile restoration business in New Jersey; his wife’s name is Karen and their daughter is Gabriella. Dr. Marcus Day is an interesting one to Google — he leads an exciting life in the Caribbean; he has three grown children: Evelyn, Sabastian and Filomina. Michelle Day Labisi passed away in August 2018, at the age of 66; she left one son, LA-based filmmaker Joseph Labisi, who has a very young daughter, Mia Michelle Labisi.

Next was Richard Mattia (1898 - 1920). We may have a copy of his death certificate, but at this time it seems to be misfiled. He may have been married at the time of his death. Our information about him is sketchy. He may have died of TB.

Julietta Mattia (1899 - 1981) was next. She married Vito (Bill) Santarsiero (1897 - 1970). They had two children (both now deceased): Thomas Santarsiero and Winifred/Winnie Santarsiero Corbacho. I seem to remember something about artistic talent and “extra fingers” running in this family line, but the memory is fuzzy. Each of them has children still living. One of them is a political office holder in Pennsylvania: Steven Santarsiero.

Romeo G Mattia (1902 - 2001) married Mary Laudadio (1902 - 2000), a beautiful young woman from Manhattan, New York. They both lived long lives, and were married for more than 75 years. We have many photographs of them (some with famous and infamous people including Joe DiMaggio and Jimmy Hoffa). And some clippings and interesting documents as well. [Some of our photographs of them have been donated to the Museum of the Old First Ward of Newark, and some may be among the “bonus Tiffs.”]

Romeo had a printing company (The Mattia Printing Company --- often confused with his fatehr’s business, The Mattia Press) that ran afoul of the law around 1960 — and may have had loose Mafia connections as well. Google and learn. Our favorite photo of Romeo is one in which he is posing with his new 1929 automobile in a street in Newark. Or maybe it’s a portrait of him in a sort of sailor suit, at about age three. They are classics. Romeo and Mary had two children. Their first was Richard (the 2nd) Mattia (1920 - 1938) who died at age 18 as a result of a sports-related accident. We have one or two photographs of him, and his death certificate. His death was a horrific blow to his parents. Their second son was

Joseph Mattia (1930 - 2010) who entered the printing business AND went to prison for white collar crimes his father probably committed. Joseph was married briefly to a woman named Jean (we had their complete wedding album but sent it to a cousin who was in the wedding party). At the time of his death, he was in a common law marriage to a woman named Belle Lobur. Joey, as he was known, never had children, and so Romeo’s line came to an end. Leone F Mattia (1905 - 1986) was known as Leo and married a woman named Jean Corbo, who may still be living. They had at least one child, a daughter known as Teddy Mattia, who passed away recently. And that is all we have at this time. Cousins have suggested that all had not gone well for Teddy and her offspring. Leo and his younger brother operated a legitimate printing business, derived from their father’s busiess, The Mattia Press.

Violetta Eleonora Mattia (1907 - 1990) married Walter Perna (1906 - 1979), who may or may not have been involved in Romeo’s printing escapades (and resulting indictments in the 1960s). Their son Adam Perna is still living and is married to a woman named Yvonne. Adam is a good friend of Eddie Day.

Ettore/Hector Alberto Mattia (1909 - 1996) married Mary D’Amato, who is still living. They had two children, a son named Albert H. Mattia (who is living— and may have been adopted) and a daughter named Roselyn Mattia (known as Lynn) Hinz. Lynn and her husband Walter Hinz live in Boynton Beach, Florida and have three grown sons. We have photographs of this family, as well as clippings and photographs of Hector (but not of Mary, for sure— we think she is in some group shots). We are in sporadic contact with Lynn, who is a warm and kind person. Hector and his brothers Leo (and maybe Alfredo) had a successful (and 100% legitimate) printing company that was derived from their father’s business, and his obituary suggests that Hector led a very admirable and successful life.

Alfredo T Mattia (1912 - 2002) was the “baby” of the family. He married Geraldine Fiore (1916 - 2010), and they had two children who are still living (in Florida, I think): Alfred Mattia, who is married to Holly, and Gerry Mattia, whom I believe to be a psychologist or psychiatrist. I don’t think she has ever married.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Alfonso Ilaria (1853-1905). My great great grandma Filomena Ilaria (who, remember, was both the sister of my great grandma Gesummina Ilaria’s father Gaetano Ilaria AND the mother of Gesummina’s husband, our great grandpa Petrino Mattia) had many siblings, some of whom were pretty interesting. Foremost was her brother Alfonso Ilaria, who was among the first wave of Calibrittanos to arrive in Newark, NJ in the 1870s. Much has been written about him and his brother-in-law Angelomaria Mattia in various books about early Italians in Newark; he is also mentioned in Petrino’s memoir. Angelomaria and Alfonso ran a boarding house. They did “this or that” for others as they arrived from the villages of Calabritto and Caposele. He also was a musician and a saloon owner. [At least two photographs of him appear in the Immerso collection at the NPL.]

Less well-known is that he had wives and lovers and daughters (who appear not to have lived to adulthood) before marrying his eventual widow Adelina Russomanno, including Concetta d’Auria who seems to have died around the time Alfonso married Adelina. Alfonso and Adelina had five children, who have many descendents in New Jersey. We also know that from 1873-1875, he and a friend (and probable cousin) Alfonso Casiere served and played in the U.S. Navy band. (Casiere is the maiden name of Angelomaria Mattia’s mother.)

In Michael Immerso’s book, Newark’s Little Italy, there is a photograph of Adelina and Alfonso. We have tried in vain (through Immerso and other means) to track down the owners of the original, to no avail. We know without doubt that the picture was taken in the art and photography studio of Petrino and Rizziere, because the trompe l’oeil design on the back wall is identical to that of our photo of Petrino at work in that studio [This should be in the “bonus Tiffs.] We also have Alfonso’s NJ death certificate, indicating that he died relatively young of complications of … syphilis. And we have a newspaper report indicating that he was at least in part responsible for a Catholic St. Rocco’s feast day tragedy in September, 1891 that resulted in many deaths and maimings. The newspaper coverage, was quite disparaging of Italians — and does make you wonder a bit about Alfonso. Ironically or otherwise, Alfonso was known in Newark’s Little Italy as “King Alfonso.”

Maria Ilaria has just become known to us. She was a sister of Gessumina, and we have been in recent contact with one of her descendents — Alyson Azzara, who (by amazing coincidence) lives near me in Virginia — and her elderly grandmother (nee Matilda Perugino), who is in Toms River. Working on it! Rosino Ilaria (1898-1917).

We have an anonymous friend/genealogist known to us only as “Donna” who has been a huge help in our family research. Her personal project is to amass genealogical records for everyone who ever lived in Senerchia— a village close to Caposele and Calabritto, whose inhabitants often intermarried with residents of neighboring mountainside villages.

Donna is descended from another brother of Filomena Ilaria. Generoso Ilaria (1838 - 1914) married Giuseppa Napoliello (1863-1941) of Senerchia and had several children. The youngest of these was Rosino Ilaria, who joined the Italian armed forces to fight in WWI. He was felled almost immediately — by malaria. Donna found and shared his military portrait, which we consider a treasure. (She was also the researcher who turned up the St. Rocco’s Feast Day Disaster story, which none of us had ever heard about.) and that’s it for now …

Appendix 2A: THE GLASS PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES FROM THE MATTIA BROTHERS’ STUDIO - comments to accompany the thumb drive by Rita Mattia

BACKGROUND/PROVENANCE:

A trove of dry process glass plates was discovered in 2018 among things left behind decades earlier in the abandoned The Mattia Press building at 29 Park Ave. in Newark, New Jersey. We believe that all images were created between 1887 and 1915. Some are positive and some are negative. The negatives are reversed on the digital files provided; I have explained why in an email to Ms. Zak-Cohen. Each is a 600 dpi TIFF file.

All glass plates (but one) are approximately 5 x 7 inches. but the digitized images are all 7 x 9 with some white space around each. There are 20 files on the thumb drive, but only 19 glass plates in the box delivered to the NPL earlier this month. The family has kept one, which is noted below.

KEY TO THE UNRESTORED DIGITAL FILES OF THE GLASS PLATES FROM THE MATTIA BROTHERS STUDIO

MBS = Mattia Brothers Studio

MBS_001_Couple.TIF Gessumina ILARIA Mattia (1870 - 1946) and Petrino B. MATTIA (1869 - 1953) photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. The plate is a positive image.

MBS_002_Couple.TIF Gessumina ILARIA Mattia (1870 - 1946) and Petrino B. MATTIA (1869 - 1953) photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. The plate is a positive image. Except for condition and color tone; this plate is identical to MBS_001_Couple.TIF

MBS_003_Couple.TIF Gessumina ILARIA Mattia (1870 - 1946) and Petrino B. MATTIA (1869 - 1953) photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. The plate is a positive image and was hand-tinted by Petrino B. Mattia. The original glass plate has been retained by the Mattia Family. Except for condition and color tone; this plate is identical to MBS_001_Couple.TIF and

MBS_002.Couple.TIF

MBS_004_PBM.TIF Petrino B. MATTIA (1869 - 1953) photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, between 1910 and 1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. MBS_005_PBM_badge.TIF Petrino B. MATTIA (1869 - 1953) photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, between 1910 and 1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. We have been unable to decipher the badge on his pocket, nor are we certain of the uniform. Petrino did serve as a building inspector for the City of Newark during the early part of the 20th century. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Damage from mold was severe, but mold is NOT active.

MBS_006_Sailor.TIF A young unidentified man in a USN uniform consistent with the time of the Spanish American War, photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. He may have been an actor in a play written and produced circa 1897 by Petrino B. Mattia, called “Cuba Libre.” The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Damage from mold is moderate; mold is NOT active.

MBS_007_Sailor.TIF A young unidentified man in a USN uniform consistent consistent with the time of the Spanish American War, photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. He may have been an actor in a play written and produced circa 1897 by Petrino B. Mattia, called “Cuba Libre.” The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. This plate is nearly identical to

MBS_006_Sailor.TIF. Fading and damage from mold is moderate; mold is NOT active.

MBS_008_Filomena.TIF A portrait of Filomena ILARIA Mattia (1845 - 1915), mother of Petrino B and Rizziere F. Mattia, photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. Given the year of her death, we assume this was created prior to 1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Damage is mainly a single large scratch.

MBS_009_Filomena.TIF A portrait of Filomena ILARIA Mattia (1845 - 1915), mother of Petrino B and Rizziere F. Mattia, photographed in the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. Given the year of her death, we assume this was created prior to 1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. There is some fading, but damage is minimal. Manual retouching to the hair and dress are visible, which differentiates this plate from MBS_008_Filomena.TIF.

MBS_010_Letter.TIF A photo of a 1915 letter in reference to Peter B. Mattia’s appointment as a building inspector for the City of Newark. Image MBS_005_PBM_badge.TIF in this collection may or may not be the uniform he wore in this capacity. Note the pushpin in the upper left hand corner … which was invented in 1900. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive.

MBS_011_Sphinx.TIF This appears to be a retouching experiment, using a photograph of a page in a book. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Heavy “painting” is evident on the plate.

MBS_012_Woman_01.TIF Portrait of an unidentified woman, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Minimal damage.

MBS_013_Woman_02.TIF Portrait of an unidentified woman, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Severe mold damage, but the face remains intact and the mold is NOT active.

MBS_014_Man _01.TIF Portrait of an unidentified man, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Some mold damage and a corner is broken off the plate. the mold is NOT active.

MBS_015_Man _02.TIF Portrait of an unidentified man, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Damage is minimal.

MBS_016_Man _03.TIF Portrait of an unidentified man, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Some mold damage; mold is NOT active.

MBS_017_Man _04.TIF Portrait of an unidentified man, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Some serious mold damage; mold is NOT active.

MBS_018_Man _05.TIF Portrait of an unidentified man, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Extreme mold damage; mold is NOT active.

MBS_019_PossibleStefanelli.TIF Portrait of an unidentified man, photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ, circa 1910-1915. The glass plate contains a negative image; this file is positive. Mold damage moderate; mold is NOT active. It is possible that this gentleman is Luigi Stefanelli; his descendent John Rendfrey has compared this to a portrait of the man in his coffin and the face and suit are very similar, if not identical. For this reason, there is also a completely restored version of this particular image in the Mattia Family archives and is with Mr. Rendfrey.

MBS_020_RFMposter.TIF Political campaign poster/flyer for Richard F. (Rizziere) Mattia, circa 1911. The glass negative was created at the Mattia Brothers Studio. The poster itself was printed by The Mattia Press (founded and owned by Richard Mattia), on Crane Street in Newark, NJ. Mr. Mattia held this office for two terms.

Appendix 2B: KEY TO BONUS IMAGE TIFFS(from Mattia Family archives) by Rita Mattia These are images from family collections:

MATTIA_01_1912_Overbrook.tif The man on the far right is Angelo Maria Mattia (1889 - 1946) and the setting is what was then called the Essex County Insane Asylum (later, Overbrook) in Cedar Grove, NJ. The calendar on the wall is from February, 1912 and was printed by the Mattia Printing Company (owned and operated by Angelo’s uncle, Rizziere/Richard F. Mattia 1972 - 1961).

MATTIA_02_c1911_RFMCampaignButton.tif Among the glass plates now housed at the NPL is a campaign poster for Rizziere/Richard F. Mattia’s run for Freeholder of Essex County. This is a photograph of a campaign button. One original button is in family archives; another is in the Museum of the Old First Ward, in Newark, NJ.

MATTIA_03_RFM_Regalia.tif This undated photograph of Rizziere/Richard F. Mattia (1872 - 1961) shows him in military regalia which we believe may have been for the Columbian Guard in Newark, NJ. Several buttons, medals, etc from this man are now in the Museum of the Old First Ward, in Newark, NJ.

These are photographs we believe were taken in the Mattia Brothers Studio; the NPL now has the glass plate negative for one of these images. NOTE: The studio moved several times.

MBS_c1887_PBMinstudio.tif This treasure was created in 1887 and shows Petrino/Peter B. Mattia (1869 - 1952) at work in his studio. He is creating a painting (now lost to posterity) of himself and his wife Gesummina Ilaria Mattia (1870 - 1946) from a photograph taped to his easel. The glass plate for that photograph is now housed at the NPL.

MBS_c1893_AngeloMattia.tif This is Angelo Maria Mattia (1889 - 1946) as a small child. We believe he was photographed at the Mattia Brothers Studio in Newark, NJ. We do not have possession of an original; this was created from a cell phone photograph of a framed copy.

MBS_c1902_AngeloMattia.tif This is Angelo Maria Mattia (1889 - 1946) in 1902, in a portrait from the Mattia Brothers Studio. Their logo is visible; at this time, they were located on Orange Street.

MBS_c1910_AngelomariaAndFilomena.tif On the left is Angelomara Mattia (1841 - 1925) and on the right is his wife Filomena Ilaria Mattia (1843 - 1915). We believe both portraits were taken at the Mattia Brothers Studio — we are certain that hers was. The glass plate for her portrait is housed at the NPL. This double portrait was created for family members in 2010.

MBS_c1915_CarlottaPalmieriMattia.tif Carlotta Palmieri (1885 - 1923) married Angelo Maria Mattia (1889 - 1946) in 1907, after emigrating to Newark from Leoni, Italy in 1905. This portrait was probably created in the Mattia Brothers Studio, around 1915. A hand tinted original is in the family.

This is something a bit different

MBS_c1937_PBMinStudio_Clip.tif This is from a scan of an original newspaper clip in our archives; it contains the image seen in MBS_c1887_PBMinstudio.tif. We believe this was clipped from The Sunday Call in the summer of 1937, but have been unable to verify this.

THERE ARE MANY CONFLICTING TIDBITS IN THOSE CLIPS/OBITS (AND WITH OTHER INFORMATION I HAVE)… I HAVE SPENT THE LAST DECADE OR SO UNRAVELING SUCH THINGS … THAT SAID

Let’s see if this clarifies things (and we’ll ignore anything I’ve said about dates before) … STUDIO.

The studio moved around a lot … and was, I truly believe, an off-again/on-again thing. Both brothers had many other interests. (And, of course, the glass plates could have been created at any time, in any of those studios; I’ll get back to that in a moment) I respect accuracy, but I do think the facts are and may always be, a tad elusive.

One good-though-vague guide to when the studio probably began is in Petrino’s memoir. He and his younger brother seem to have gotten into the photography business around 1887, when they were very very young -- 18 and 15 years of age! Later --- when he was thoroughly immersed in politics (and, of course, had The Mattia Press and was publishing “La Rivista”), I think Richard/Rizziere drifted away from it. Which would have been circa 1909.

Meanwhile … among the glass plates now at the NPL is a letter dated May 21, 1915 indicating that Petrino had received an appointment to a job (as a photographer/inspector, actually) with the State of New Jersey. I think that was the end of the studio, period. The file on the thumb drive is MBS_010_letter.tif

So. Broadest scope of their photography studio years is probably 1887 - 1915.

GLASS PLATES.

This will give you a sense of what my thinking has been about the age of the plates themselves. I had pretty much always known that my great grandfather Petrino was, among many other things, a photographer. This is confirmed in his “Recollections.” And, we have several portraits in the family archives, including a dated 1902 portrait of my grandfather (Angelo M. Mattia -- 1889 - 1946), with a Mattia Brothers logo embossed on it. It is on the thumb drive as MBS_c1902_AngeloMattia.tif

Then, a few years ago, I came into two amazing items (provided to me by cousins): A photograph (undated and unattributed) of Petrino in his studio, painting a picture of himself and his wife Gessumina, from a photograph of them taped to his easel. We have shared this with NPL: it is image MBS_c1887_PBMinstudio.tif on the thumb drive. The second truly astounding item appears as image MBS_c1937_PBMinStudio_Clip.tif on the drive -- it is a newspaper clipping confirming the source/date of that photo (discovered in a yellowing scrapbook).

In fact, Petrino and Gessumina were married in 1886, and I believe that the photo of the two of them may have been at the time of that marriage. Did Rizziere take the photo? I have always assumed he did.

Moving right along … this appears as a POSITIVE image on three of the plates you now have (MBS_001_Couple.tif, MBS_002_Couple.tif, and MBS_003_Couple.tif) Why was it positive? My guess is that they were messing around with the original image years later, and created the positive images (and the hand-tinted one we kept for the family; it’s on the thumb drive but not in the box). Perhaps in the latter years of the studio. A pure guess. [Relevant Fun Fact: while at the NPL last month, we quickly leafed through a notebook that is part of the Michael Immerso photo collection. There we saw a photo of Alfonso Ilaria (and his wife Adelina Russomanno) --- brother of the brothers’ mother Filomena Ilaria Mattia -- obviously taken in the brothers’ studio because the trompe l’oiele (sp?) background is identical to that in the 1887 picture! That picture of Alfonso is not in our family archives. ]

Meanwhile. ALL of the plates were found together, a few years ago, and given to me last fall. That is an epic story in itself, which I will try to condense … but cannot omit because it contains historic hints.

Romeo Mattia (1902 - 2001) — a son of Rizziere — operated (occasionally shadily) The Mattia Printing Company, which was housed for many years on Park Avenue. When his only surviving son, Joseph, died in 2010 the business was long gone, but Cousin Joey still owned the building and all of its contents — which he left to our cousin Edward (Donadio) Day. Over the next several years, Eddie cleared out and eventually sold the building. Each time found a box filled with family memorabilia (there were many), he gave it to me. Except for one.

Which he hung onto until fall, 2018, when he handed it over.

Inside that box — among truly miscellaneous but sometimes fascinating other stuff — was a circa 1925 cigar box (I did some research and have dated it pretty closely) WITH NO LID. Stacked in the cigar box were the 20 glass plates. The box was filthy. The plates were filthy. And they were stacked one against another (augh!). On the side of the box, someone had shakily hand lettered: “OLD NEGATIVES.”

Beth, I screamed out loud when I saw what was in that cigar box.

So. Because one of the plates was for the reproduction of a campaign poster for Richard/Rizziere (MBS_020_RFMposter.tif on the thumb drive) I presumed that these were in Richard’s possession, probably in HIS printing company and then passed down to Romeo at some point. Perhaps in the 1920s. And --- in an exercise of pure conjecture , I guesstimated this would have been around 1910.

One of the plates (which you have; the digital file is MBS_009_Filomena.tif) is a portrait of Filomena Ilara Mattia, mother of the two brothers. She died in 1915. Taken with that plate of the 1915 letter, that seemed to give greater credence to an end date of 1915. Whew, huh?