Caterina Mannello

Caterina Iezzi Mannello was a natural leader whose winning presence allowed her to take control of various situations with ease. Equipped with a clear and calculating focus, she possessed a tough-minded, ‘take charge’ attitude. She had the ability to make even routine situations seem exciting, and she was at ease with the role of playing problem solver. Caterina always sought out the scene of where the action was. Sociable, analytical and pleasant, Caterina was an individual who enjoyed life’s challenges.

Caterina was born on September 28, 1924 in Chiaravalle Centrale in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. Her parents were Maria Grazia Cunsolo and Vincenzo Iezzi. Her paternal grandparents were Domenico Iezzi and Maria Caterina Garieri. Vincenzo had seven siblings: Francesco Iezzi married to Luisa Penna was father to; Domenico, Bettina, Franco, Liberata (Petrolo), Caterina, Joe, and Tony. Giuseppe Iezzi married to Chiara Tino, was father to Caterina, Vincenza, Nicola and Domenico. Rosa was married to Nicola Rauti, and had three daughters; Maria, Pina (Facciolo), and Nicolina. Anna was married to Nicola Penna, and had seven children; Bettina, Caterina, Francesco, Iolanda (Sgro) who moved to Connecticut U.S., Fiorina, Maria and Antonio. Maria Concetta married to Domenico Cortese, was mother of Lella and Franco. Three other siblings who died young were Chiara, Giuseppe, and Giuseppa. Caterina’s maternal grandparents were Nicola Cunsolo and Maria Posca. Her mother, Grazia had eight siblings: Chiara married Giuseppe Martelli, Concetta married Salvatore Sgro, Giuseppina married Antonio Tropea, Teresa married Giuseppe Nocita, then Francesco Squillaciotti, Giuseppe Cunsolo married Maria Caterina Daniele and moved to Argentina, Francesco Cunsolo married Rosaria Squillacioti, Domenico Cunsolo married Filomena Martino, and Nicola Cunsolo, who died a baby.

Caterina was raised with eight siblings. She was the eldest sister of Maria who was never wed or had children, Domenico (Mico) married Giulia Gulli, had seven children: Vincenzo, Nicola, Marcello, Maria Grazia, Caterina, Francesco and Alessandro; Anna who died tragically at the age of seven; Nicola who married Chiara Magisano had three daughters: Maria Grazia, Lisa and Angela; Pino married Teresa Procopio had seven children: Maria Grazia, Concetta, Vincenzo, Franco, Ida, Maurizio, and Roberto; Antonio (Tony) married Janet Spina had four children: Vincent, Anna, Anthony and Catherine; Francesco (Ciccio) who died tragically in an auto accident at the age of 26; and Anna the namesake of her sister who died as a child, married Sergio Marson and had three children: Marcellina, Alex and Andrew. The death of her first younger sister Anna was a story that was not only heartbreaking but a history of early medical practices. Anna was running to school in the morning in tennis shoes when she tripped and stubbed her toe. Not long after classes began, Anna’s teacher sent her home as she seemed ‘fluish’. Doctor’s treatments were not working, the cause of her ailment was not quickly known and Anna began to fail. All they could do was wait and hope. Grazia, her mother was desperate to save her daughter and went as far as to bring in a priest to perform an exorcism. It was determined that Anna had died as the result of a blood infection caused by a broken artery she attained when she stubbed her toe. Penicillin would have saved her life, but it was still in the early stages of research and unavailable to the general public. Francesco (Ciccio) also had a tragic fate. After making an acquaintance in a coffee shop while living in Rome, the friend would offer Ciccio a ride home. Sadly his friend ran a red light and Ciccio was hit on the passenger side and was fatally injured. He had been celebrating with friends the night before as he would soon immigrate to Canada and join his brothers Tony and Nicola and sisters Caterina and Anna. It was most devastating for his younger sister Anna who had recently immigrated to Canada and was very close to her brother.

Caterina grew up in Chiaravalle Centrale where she lived until she immigrated to Canada in 1953. Sponsored by her brother Mico, who was living in Canada she landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia December 14. The rest of the journey was by train to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The voyage across the Altantic Ocean from Italy to Canada was difficult for Caterina as she was in the third trimester of her pregnancy with Mario, and became seasick. Giovanni however was unaffected by the motion of the ship and enjoyed the trip with much anticipation of their arrival in the ‘New Country’. Mico and Nicola would later return to Italy, marry and raise their families while Caterina’s brothers Tony and Anna remained in Sault Ste. Marie. Although most of Caterina’s family stayed in Italy, she had close cousins in Sault Ste. Marie who were dear to her heart. These were her first cousins Pina Rauti who married Nino Facciolo, Liberta Iezzi and husband Pino Patrolo, Joe Iezzi and his wife Nella and Tony Iezzi and wife Lisa. Caterina was extremely proud of her family and missed those overseas deeply. Caterina would receive letters monthly from her father in Italy updating her other on the wellness of family. Occasionally there would be very short phone conversations as overseas calls were quite costly. Always able to express herself well, Caterina possessed strong interpersonal skills. She was optimistic in her outlook on life and was able at all times to be open and direct in her communication. Armed with great wit, Caterina was raised to be accepting of others and to implement a strong personal work ethic.

As a young child, Caterina showed her creative ability in many ways. She was outgoing and animated. She enjoyed new activities and pursued a variety of interests. Her adoration for babies and small children lead her to volunteer at the local nursery school (asilo). This was also a place where she was sent as a toddler when her mother needed to do her work and her father was off with the army in North Africa. In her spare time she enjoyed sewing, crocheting, knitting and embroidery. Caterina along with her sister Maria, helped their mother bake bread daily, sixty-five loaves to be exact. This meant getting up in the middle of the night to make the dough (impasta). They then rested until it was leavened and ready for kneading and baking in the stone oven located at the back of the house. Each loaf weighed half a kilogram and sold at their home in Maria Grazia Cunsolo’s Paneficio Spaccio (bakery shop). Her father Vincenzo, was a proprietor as were his two brothers Francesco and Giuseppe. He purchased parcels of forested land, logged and sold the lumber. In 1935, Vincenzo along with his brother-in-law Nicola Rauti, enlisted in the Legion of Blackshirts in the Italian Army, were sent to the Abyssinian War in East Africa. Tragically Nicola was mortally injured by a gunshot wound to the forehead. Reported missing on 29 of February 1936 in the locality of Acab Saat and following a reconnaissance, on 31 March, Rauti Nicola, 29 years old, was found. He left behind his wife Rosa and two daughters Maria, Pina and another child on the way. Hopeful of an Italian victory, Rosa planned on naming the new baby Vittorio or Vittoria, but in light of her husband’s death, the baby girl was named Nicolina. Pina eventually married Nino Facciolo and moved to Sault Ste. Marie and had three daughters of their own, Marisa, Silvana and Rita.

In 1965, Caterina, Giovanni and her three children at the time along with Pina, Nino and their daughters travelled together to their homeland on a summer vacation. The next time she returned was in 1980 with Giovanni and daughter Lori. In 1987 Caterina She returned to Italy with her sister Anna when their mother Grazia became sick and wished to see her daughters. Grazia passed away in May of 1987. Another family crisis would bring her back in 1987 as her treasured brother Domenico, the one who sponsored her immigration to Canada fell ill. Domenico (Mico) would later travel to Canada in 2003 along with his brother Pino when their younger brother Tony began having serious health issues. In 2004 Caterina and Giovanni took the trip which would become their last visit to Italy.

Singing Italian folk songs was healing for Caterina as she missed her family overseas immensely. One of her favourites was Mario Lanza’s ‘La Spagniola’… Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor La spagnola s'amar cosi' Bocca bocca la notte e il di'. Her Napolean favourites were one by Toni Santagata she loved to sing ‘Lu Primmo Ammore’ … Quant'è bello lu primmo ammore Lu secondo è cchiù bello ancor, and the most popular ‘O Mari’ composed by Eduardo Di Capua … O Mari, O Mari Quanto sonno agiu perso per te, Famme' durmi, una notte abbraciata cu te. One of the classics ‘Al di La’ by Luciano Tajoli had lyrics she was moved by… Aldilà delle cose piu belle Aldilà delle stelle ci sei tu. When the cousins got together, her brother Nicola, an accomplished musician, would play his accordion along with other musical friends and there was singing, dancing to classic Italian folk songs and much laughter, food and beverage. They had little money, but they had each other, and family was priceless. Caterina always had an inspiring Italian phrase, motto, or quote… "A ogni uccello il suo nido è bello" (To every bird his nest is beautiful) that was her legacy.

Blessed with a balanced attitude, Caterina was able to relate well with others. Her occasional role as family mediator gave her the opportunity to ease tense situations when they occurred. Caterina was a great storyteller. Her tales of growing up in Italy were detailed and colourful. She recounted the time during World War II when they had to evacuate their home as there was a bomb threat to the local train station which was located next to their house. With bread just out of the oven and her mother expectant with Anna, the family fled to their aunt Teresa Cunsolo Nocita’s villa (al Vignale) where they would remain for one month. Anna was born September 27, 1943 in that villa. When they returned home they found the train station hadn’t been bombed and the returning soldiers had slept in their beds and they ate all the bread. In return for their unprecedented stay, the soldiers left a large sack of flour along with a thank you note to the family. The war brought many challenges to Caterina’s family. Because the bridges were destroyed by the bombings, many spices became unavailable under contraband. Caterina’s mother Grazia, unwilling to compromise the flavour of her bread, sent the family out to the ocean to fill pails with sea water to replace the salt. The sea was 15.4 kilometers from Chiaravalle, a beautiful and popular tourist spot called Soverato which sits on the Ionian Sea. The train known as the Littorina would make daily runs to the beach.

On August 16, 1952 Caterina was legally married at the City Hall due to the time frame of immigrating to Canada. This in her father Vincenzo’s belief was not a proper marriage so in February of 1953 Caterina exchanged wedding vows with Giovanni Mannello in a Catholic church called Chiesa Matrice in Chiaravalle Centrale. Caterina was attentive to Giovanni's feelings, and she charmed Giovanni and others with her gift for being able to give freely and generously. A good listener with an engaging personality, Caterina was able to bring pleasure and unexpected humour to the relationship. Her brother Domenico (Mico), was the first to immigrate to Canada and sponsored his brother Nicola and then Caterina and Giovanni`s move to Sault Ste. Marie. In just a couple of years, Antonio (Tony) made the move to Canada. Nicola was a carpenter by trade who helped build homes in the local community as well as other parts of the country. Tony was a mechanic’s helper and would eventually have a license and his own garage ‘Tony’s Auto Service’. Caterina spoke of how he was intrigued by cars as a young boy in Italy and was proud to see the success he had in his trade. Her sister Anna, a talented seamstress arrived many years later in 1966 and the two sisters were reunited. Anna worked in the bridal/formal wear industry and also out of her home. Although the family parish was Blessed Sacrament, Caterina and Anna would sometimes attend Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church as they offered masses in the Italian language.

Their first residences were at 157 and 180 James Street. This area at the time was known as ‘Little Italy’. James Street, Queen and Albert Street West were self-sufficient with various businesses and services. There were furniture and appliance stores, clothing and footwear stores, shoe repair, even a professional photography studio. Owned by Rosa Gasparelli , the West End Meat Market provided the staple foods for the locals that were not available in the mainstream grocery stores. Rosa`s was a favourite meeting place, little Italy was flourishing and the relationships grew.

Very much like a kid herself, Caterina identified with the inquisitive and creative side of her children’s personalities. She was able to direct her energy and spontaneity towards helping her children acquire added common sense skills. Caterina and Giovanni were blessed with four children, two sons, Mario and Robert and two daughters, Joyce and Lori. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Rick, Jay, Brandon, Nicholas and Jason. Special occasions brought her family together, with extra chairs and tables joined, her kitchen and dining area was filled with love and pride. The menu was extended to suit everyone’s pallet. Starting with soup, beef or chicken, depending on the meat entrée, as she did not eat chicken, sauce with her perfect meatballs, braciole and ribs, chicken and potatoes, cutlets, scaloppini, green vegetables and always salad lastly were top choices. Her unmistakable signature bread was always the talk of the table. If you were lucky to drop by while it was out of the oven, you would not go home empty-handed.

Caterina had a strong desire to be treated fairly and would readily offer others the same fairness in return. Friends and acquaintances found Caterina an easy woman to get to know, and those close to her would often praise her open, practical style of communication and a relaxed approach to life in general. Caterina was uncomplicated and straightforward in her relationships, which allowed her to accept people for what they were.

While growing up in Italy, some of her best friends were her cousins, namely Liberata (Iezzi) Petrolo, Pina (Rauti) Facciolo and Iolanda (Penna) Sgro. Later in life, when she moved to Canada she became friends with Tina and Alfredo D'Ettorre whom she met at the apartment building they lived in on 531 North Street and would eventually work with for many years at the G. Verdi Lodge as cooks. Her friends (Paesani) from her home town who now lived in the Sault were Annunziata and Vincenzo Vavala, Peppino , also a cousin and his wife Maria Cirillo who were next door neighbours for many years, the Pitaro, Iozzo, Fabiano, Gulli, and Ritrovato families. These families treated one another with the utmost respect. They were a close-knit group who understood the struggles and sacrifices that came with immigration and supported each other through thick and thin. Other close friends who were equally cherished were Antonietta Panico, Emma Caria, Giovannina (Marta) Martella, Robert’s godmother, Rita and Adolfo Ingribelli and Cecchina Fata to name a few. In the bonding of Baptism, her extended family became Eugenia and Franco Coccimiglio who worked with Giovanni at Roddis Lumber. Comare Eugenia and compare Franco were Joyce’s godparents from whom Caterina and Giovanni rented the second-floor apartment at 397 John Street. In November of 1958 Caterina and Giovanni bought the house at 323 North Street, located on the corner of St. Andrews Terrace. It became a central meeting place, a walk or drive by would likely include a drop-in. She met a special neighbour on North Street, Filomena Mammarella, who was like a second mother to her. Filomena made sure Lori was home safe from school when Caterina was out at work at Mike’s Lunch on Gore Street.

Having numerous friends and acquaintances of different ethnical backgrounds, the English language became a needed means of communication. Caterina who was naturally eloquent with words quickly picked up enough English through her friends and sewing patrons. Although she knew the right words, her accent was pronounced and was occasionally misunderstood. One day she took a walk down to the S.S. Kresge store on Queen Street in search of a new washboard. The clerk sent to her to the back of the store, down a long set of stairs to the basement. It seemed like a strange place to store this item but she followed the instructions only to find she was sent to the washroom. Somewhat embarrassed but angry, she left and went home with no washboard. The word sale in Italian means salt, so when Caterina saw so many signs in store windows she said, ``they sure like salt around here``. Many other cultural groups also immigrated to Sault Ste. Marie. This made learning the English language more challenging as most of the immigrants only spoke their native language. The Yugoslavian (now Croatian) and Polish immigrants however, sought refuge in Italy during WWII by way of the Adriatic Sea and thus became fluent in Italian.

Caterina was a flexible worker who was able to draw the best from others around her. A persuasive individual who was quick to make necessary decisions, Caterina’s strengths included being able to think on her feet. She could be a leader who sought impact on her decisions. Gifted with an incredible ability to read body language, Caterina was able to positively manipulate situations and motivate others in order to get a task completed. She was a good negotiator who enjoyed new challenges. Caterina could multi-task, working tirelessly in her porch while maintaining the household. Caterina was a talented seamstress and worked out of her home for several years. She was taught the art of tailoring in Italy through her uncle Domenico Cortese who was married to her aunt Maria Concetta Iezzi. Maria was also a seamstress who was nicknamed `Singer`. Caterina applied those skills in designing and creating her own wedding dress. When she came to Canada, she took on the role of a mother not only to her newborn but to three brothers as well. Her hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Her brothers saved up some earnings and together bought her a new Singer sewing machine.

Caterina along with Giovanni started their tailoring shop in the porch of their house on North Street. Soon people would bring their patterns and material for dresses, suits, blouses and so on. The pattern was not the way they were trained to make clothing, and frankly, they didn’t know how to use them. They looked at the picture on the cover, measured the body, then drew the pieces on the cloth with chalk. The outfit always came out just the way the customer expected it, like the picture. The pattern packages were never opened. Caterina made many garments for her family including dresses, shirts, pants and winter coats. In the 1960s flour was sold in sacks of printed coloured fabric. Two products that ultimately made for Caterina, her friends who didn’t sew would bring freshly washed flour sack cloth that would be transformed into lovely dresses, shirts or just plain tea towels, a win-win for all. When her brother Tony introduced Janet to her, she made her a stylish white and black polka dotted dress as a gift. There was enough material left so her daughter Joyce who was three at the time had one made too. When aunt Janet was out with Joyce wearing those dresses, people thought they were mother and daughter.

Later in life, when her youngest daughter Lori started school, Caterina took a position as cook outside the house at Mike's Lunch and then the G. Verdi Lodge. The skills she learned under her mother’s guidance in Italy proved to make her an accomplished cook. At Mike’s Lunch she became close friends with the owner Percy Rinaldo. She learned new dishes with ease and would introduce new menu items at home as well. Among the colleagues at the Verdi were aforementioned Tina D’Ettorre, Maria, Ida Brunetta, Dorothy Albanese, Emma Denardo, Joe Celetti and Mike Sansosti.

Travel and vacations were experiences that Caterina truly enjoyed. She preferred to seek out excitement wherever she went and she was partial to vacations that were casual and laid back with an atmosphere of “live and let live.” She was willing to leave her plans open and flexible, just in case something more interesting came along. Favorite vacations included trips back to Italy to see her beloved family. In Canada she enjoyed trips to the beach with family and friends where they could engage in good conversation and share food and drink.

Caterina was a lover of animals and cherished her pet. She so was fond of the family dog of 17 years, Muttley, a Spaniel mix that she often prepared meals especially for. Her soft spot for animals also deterred her from eating lamb. The cry of a lamb sounded like a child calling for their mother to her, but she did cooked it for the family and it was delicious.

When Caterina’s retirement finally came in 1989, she was well prepared. She used logical analysis of her retirement options in order to ensure her retirement would be fulfilling. She was able to easily adapt to possible changes and enjoyed just having fun and being relaxed. She continued to sew mostly for family and friends and crotched many blankets and slippers for her growing family. Caterina took pride in her cooking and sewing. Her philosophy was, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

Caterina passed away on February 27, 2018 at Sault Area Hospital. She contracted an infection that sent her into respiratory and kidney failure. She is survived by her children Mario, Joyce, Robert and Lori, and her grandchildren Rick, Jay, Brandon, Nicolas and Jason. Services were held at Arthur Funeral Home. Caterina was laid to rest in Holy Sepulchre Mausoleum. She had been the Matriarch of her family and her surviving brother Pino, the Patriarch passed away in Italy June 26 of 2018.

Caterina was the kind of person who could win others over easily. A concrete communicator, she relied on her senses to increase her involvement and awareness of others. She was always able to provide amusing repartee to her friends and acquaintances, offering a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories. If Caterina had a theme song written about her, it might well have been ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy.’ She showed strength and perseverance in tough times. Respect, integrity, and unconditional love were the lessons learned from this remarkable lady. She enjoyed her life and the experience of living it. This is how everyone will remember Caterina Iezzi Mannello.

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MANNELLO, Caterina (nee Iezzi) - With broken hearts we said goodbye to our adoring mother and grandmother on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. She was born September 28, 1924 in Chiaravalle Centrale, Italy. She is now reunited with the love of her life Giovanni who predeceased her last October. They immigrated to Canada in 1953 and became parents to Mario (Wendy), Joyce Uhl (Robert), Robert (Karen Bourgeois) and Lori. She was a loving and proud nonna to Rick, Jay (Ashley), Nicholas, Brandon and Jason. She was the eldest of nine siblings, and is survived by Pino Iezzi and numerous family members in Italy. In Sault Ste. Marie she was sister of the late Tony Iezzi (Janet), late Anna Marson (Sergio), caring Zia to their children as well as extended family overseas. Caterina was genuine and kind, loved her company and welcomed everyone to her home. Her signature homemade bread was one of her many gifts as well as sewing and cooking. We will be forever grateful for the sacrifices she made for us. Friends are invited to visit at the Arthur Funeral Home – Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. East 705-759-2522) on Friday, March 2, 2018 from 5 – 9 pm. Funeral service in the chapel on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 10 am. Rev. Hamish Currie officiating. Entombment Holy Sepulchre Mausoleum. Memorial donations may be made to the Sault Area Hospital. A sincere thank you to the ER and staff of 3C at Sault Area Hospital.