Ice cream sellers and street musicians

[Carrie Ann]

On the 1881 Census our Joseph CAMPONICO is a Lodging house Keeper in Birmingham .
Some of his lodgers are
PACITTO Gianbatista  b Cassino(F) Italy musician
PACITTO Muriu  b Cassino(F) Italy musician
PACITTO Stefano b Cassino Italy(F) musician
PACITTO Genuro  b Cassino Italy(F) musician
MARANDELA Luigi  bCervari Italy,musician
MARANDELA  Angelu b Cervari Italy
MARANDELA Guiseppe 6 b Birmingham
MARANDELA Domenico 3 b Birmingham
CAPALDI Vincenzo b Cassino Italy musician
CAPALDI Nicolina Cassino Italy musician
CAPALDI Antonio Cassino Italy musician
VERRECHIA  Bernado CARDTO(F) Italy musician
VERRECHIA Pasquale Cardto (F) Italy
GIZZI Maria San Guiseppe Italy musician
GIZZI  Rita San Guissepe Italy musician
GIZZI FolomonaSan Guiseppe Italy musican
 GIZZI Geogina San Guiseppe Itlay musician
GIZZI Carmina 10 San Guiseepe musician
GIZZI Luigi 4 San Guiseppe musician
PERRECCHIA Pasquale Valerutonde Italy musician
PERRECCHIA Angelamaria Valerutonde Italy musician
PERRECCHIA Zillippo Valeratonda Italy musician
VERRECIA Rosa Valeretonda(F) musician
VERRECHIA Pepind 5 Valerotonda (F) scholar
PERRENHIA Pietro2 Birmingham
PERRENHIA Giuramella 5 Birmingham.

It seems to me "musician" gave them a legitimate occupation when they arrived -even a four year old one!

[Carrie Ann]

Thanks for that sm ,very helpful,Dad always said they came from North of Rome.

Carrie.

[Suffolk Mawther]

When I worked in Italy (many, many years ago as an Au Pair) I found it strange that towns I thought I knew about such as Leghorn were actually something completely different in Italian - in this case Livorno.

And yes I did spend some time in Genova 

Ended up with the same family in Roma.

Enjoying this thread even though I have no connections - a far cry from my own laundry women and Ag Lbs and husbands blacksmiths and wheelwrights 

SM ...

[Salford Lass]

Hi Gillg

I think there is a link between the Crolla's in Scotland yes, I will ask the person who knows more to post on here.

[Gillg]

The Granelli family from Ancoats, Manchester, have a fascinating site with photos and memories  http://www.italian-heritage-ancoats.org.uk/mcderm.htm  I remember their delicious ice cream from my childhood. 

http://www.italian-heritage-ancoats.org.uk/refs.htm#Issue1 is also interesting and refers to Italians in Northwest England.   

Ciao tutti
Gill

[Gillg]

Another winter occupation for ice cream sellers seems to have been selling hot chestnuts.  So many of the Italian immigrants were connected with food in some way, often at the rather more luxurious end of the market. 

I wonder when the pizza invasion began?      Just found this on Wikepedia, which I think must refer to the Edinburgh Crollas:

Most expensive pizza created was made by the restaurateur Domenico Crolla  who created a £2,000 priced Valentine pizza which included toppings such as sunblush-tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, medallions of venison, edible gold, lobster marinated in the finest cognac and champagne-soaked caviar.

Ugh! Sounds disgusting!  I'd much rather have an ice cream or a bag of hot chestnuts.

Gill

[J.J.]

Ich...bag of chestnuts, please!.. what a foul concoction...You'd probably have to pay me that much (or more) to make me eat it...! J.J.
 

Here's another perfect example of "writing was left to the literate twits"
in this example of social journalism....his views will likely have the same effect as what was served up in the last posting from Gill....and although some of it is descriptive of the era, the views of the writer will probably not compell you to read the publication...written in 1877...
http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications/thomson-31.htm

[Mr. MIGKY]

My wife side of the family use to be ice cream makers /sellers , but from a shop . This was back in the 1940's. They came from Italy and Sicily.
migky

[Gillg]

Hi Migky

Welcome to this thread.   

Interesting stuff, J. J.    The topic of child slavery is still relevant today, isn't it? 

And we still love Italian opera singers, or at least prefer to hear our opera sung in Italian.  Luciano Pavarotti or Andrea Bocelli are at their most appealing when singing simple Italian folk-type songs - somehow much more attractive than "Strawberry Fair" or "Annie Laurie".  No wonder people liked the catchy Italian songs.

Gill