Physical description: Seated, groom Rocco Marchese and bride Mary DeBell with attendants. Phil LaRocca (standing at left), best man and cousin to Mary. Maid of honor, Rose DeBell, a sister to Mary (Rose later married John Brancucci). Note: Rocco died in 1918 and Mary remarried in 1925. See below for more information.
This photograph is a digital scan of an original photograph lent for copying during the Italians of Colorado project. The original photograph is not owned by History Colorado. The digital scan was donated with permissions (see permissions in Registrar's file) and accessioned into the History Colorado collection.
Project description:
In 2002, the Colorado Historical Society (now known as History Colorado) founded the Colorado Italian American Preservation Association (CIAPA). A volunteer organization, CIAPA’s mission is to work collaboratively with the Society and other organizations to develop, support and coordinate projects that preserve, promote and celebrate Italian American culture and heritage. Since 2002, CIAPA has carried out its mission by meeting with people from the Colorado Italian American community, recording their stories and creating an archive of research materials that includes oral histories, photographs, moving images, sound recordings and artifacts. To date, CIAPA has helped the Society acquire over 200 oral histories, 600 artifacts and nearly 6,000 photographs. Since 2002, CIAPA has developed over 4,000 research files, all of which document the history, culture and traditions of Italian American families in Colorado.
Notes:
See MSS.02595 Mary DeBell and Ralph and Rosemary Mancinelli files for additional information and images.
From the book Italy in Colorado by Alisa DiGiacomo:
Antonio “Tony” Mancinelli
The youngest of five sons born to Antonia (Brancato) and Raffaele Mancinelli, Antonio “Tony” Mancinelli was born in Potenza, Italy in 1886. Growing up, he worked on his parents’ fruit and nut orchard and grape vineyard. After the death of his father in 1905 and because of the poor living conditions in Italy, Tony and his mother left their homeland for America. They arrived in New York in 1907 where they settled near Tony’s brothers. In 1912, Tony married Maria Gaetana LaTegana. Maria was also from the Basilicata region and came to the United States in 1912. While Tony worked as a tailor, Maria cared for the couple’s children: Raffaele Frederick “Fred,” Savino “Sam,” and Helen. Tragically, Maria contracted tuberculosis in 1921, and after being confined to a sanatorium for two years, died in 1923. After her death, doctors told Tony that the children had been exposed to tuberculosis, and recommended that they move to Colorado, where the clean air would give them a better chance of survival.
After settling in Denver near friends, Tony met Mary (DeBell) Marchese whose husband, Rocco, died in 1918, leaving Mary the single parent of two children: Mike “Smokey” and Clyde. After a brief courtship, Tony and Mary were married in 1925, and in 1935 their son Anthony “Butch” Mancinelli was born.
In Denver, Tony worked as a tailor until the Depression hit, and Tony returned to farming. He leased three acres of land around Thirty-eighth Avenue and Fox Street from the Burlington Railroad. He and Mary raised onions and radishes until around 1936, when Tony sold the lease to Mike Leprino Sr. Tony and Mary then opened the Pelican Club, a family restaurant in downtown Denver. Tony eventually returned to tailoring and retired in 1951.
In addition to fishing, hunting, gathering mushrooms and dandelions and passing the time with friends, playing bocce, morra and card games such as Tre-Sette (3-7), Tony was active in his community. He belonged to Potenza Lodge, St. Michael’s Lodge, the Eagle’s Lodge and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of American Union. Tony Mancinelli died in Denver in 1966, followed by Mary (DeBell) Mancinelli who died in Denver in 1981.