Michele De Lucia (pictured at right), was born in 1882 and lived in the Maddaloni / Caserta / Campania town(s) of Italy. His wife, Angela Marie Castaldo (pictured below, left), was born in 1884 and was also from the Maddaloni / Caserta / Campania town(s) of Italy. (Angela had a brother Alphonse Castaldo. He was believed to be a University Professor and a conductor at LaScala. He married a Romanian woman.)

Michele and Angela had six children: Pietro, Francesco, Marie, Antonio, Filomena and Nunzio. Pietro, Francesco and Marie were all born in the Maddaloni / Caserta / Campania town(s) of Italy between 1911 and 1914.

Once in the United States, they settled in New York City's Little Italy in a two room “cold water” flat and ran a candy store on Mulberry Street. Antonio, Filomena and Nunzio were born between 1921 and 1924 in New York, NY. With just two rooms you'd have to imagine things must have been a bit crowded, and in 1926 they moved to a three room apartment just next door.

Nunzio returned to Italy as a young soldier, defending America's honor in World War II. Unfortunately he was killed in 1944, six months shy of his 20th birthday, during the battle for Monte Cassino. Ironically, he died just a few miles from Maddaloni — the very same town his family originally emigrated from. Nunzio has been remembered as a World War II Honoree with the National WWII Memorial organization in Washington, D.C..

In over 65 years together, Frank and Josephine have had the pleasure of watching their De Lucia family grow and grow (and grow). With nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, they sit atop a family tree of 28 individuals! Always providing unconditional love and support, they are the quintessential “family elders,” setting the example for our future De Lucia generations to follow.

For a visual tour of our bloodline, climb our Family Tree.