47.

Denver Court Documents

It is undisputed that Giuseppe Pecora (1827-1875) was killed on October 21, 1875 in the ramshackle house on Lawrence Street in Denver by mostly Italian perpetrators. The other three victims were youths.

Court documents obtained by Donna Faye Mott Turney and her brother Dr. Joseph Mott, contributor of articles to this blog, list the three young victims as John (Giovanni) Pecora, Domenico Fanelli, and Domenico D'Onofrio. 

Very strong possibilities I've found are:

(1) Giovanni Antonio Pecora b. 12 Sep 1863, Laurenzana

son of Sebastiano Pecora & Maria Carmela Abbate 

- age 12 in fall of 1875

(2) Domenico Egidio Fanelli b. 18 Oct 1856, Laurenzana

son of Francesco Fanelli & Rosagnesa Cafarella 

(younger brother of Maria Vittoria Fanelli who later married Vito Maria Sarli 

(Vito was older brother of Joseph Mott/AKA Rocco Vincenzo Sarli)

- age 19 in fall of 1875

(3) Domenico Antonio D'Onofrio b. 19 Nov 1857, Laurenzana

son of Rocco Giuseppe D'Onofrio & Maria Giovanna D'Esopo.

 - almost age 18 in fall of 1875

 46. 

Passing of Mott daughter

I'm sad to report the passing of Elsie Carol Mott January 2, 2022. I have just updated the list of the children of Jacob and Elsie Sowards Mott. Carol lived in Canon City, Colorado.

Here is her obituary:

Carol Mott, 89, passed away at home surrounded by family on January 2, 2022, after a short illness. She was born to Elsie and Jacob Mott of Romeo, Colorado on December 21, 1932. She received her education from Alamosa High School and Adams State College. She has resided in Canon City since 1963 and is a member of the Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Church.

She had a successful career working for Fremont National Bank from 1963 to June of 1990 and she retired as an Assistant Vice President Customer Relations Officer. Carol was active in the community volunteering with the Salvation Army, United Way, March of Dimes, and the Chamber of Commerce Prospectors. She enjoyed golf and was a member of Shadow Hills Country Club. 

Blessed with many talents, Carol was an expert seamstress, a wonderful cook, and an avid card player. She played in several Card Clubs through the years enjoying Bridge, Hand and Foot, and just about any other card game. She competed fiercely at Five Crowns regularly with her family.  She loved to read and the challenge of crossword puzzles. Most of all she enjoyed time with her family.

Carol is survived by her son, Gregory (Cheri) Stimack of Lakewood; daughter, Susan (Doug) Miller of Leadville; four grandchildren, Greg Stimack Jr. of Longmont, Nadia Stimack of Denver, Ryan (Michelle) Miller of Greeley, and Kendra (Shane) VanHandel of Medford, OR; and 6 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Mary Jo Miller of Canon City; 4 of her 11 siblings, Donna Turney of Alamogordo, NM, Kathleen (Jay) Jefferson of Grand Junction, Jeannie (Johnny) Brandis of Flagstaff, AZ, and Joseph Mott of Phoenix, AZ; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Due to Covid concerns, services will be held on Monday, May 23, 2022, at Holt Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Glycogen Storage Disease Association at https://agsdus.org.

 45.

COMING SOON - 

ARTICLE by guest ANNIE NICCOLAI BLACK

(Some of her beautiful photos from her recent trip to Laurenzana)

Castle and Church

Castle

                                                  Village

 44.

SITE OF SARLI HOUSE IN LAURENZANA

Giovanni Antonio De Carolis, our relative in Laurenzana, shared this photo on May 8, 2021. He says that this is the former location of the building that housed people on the top floor and animals on the first floor. It is where Vito Maria Sarli and Rocco Vincenzo Sarli watched over the feeding sheep. It is located in the countryside. The land is owned by two nephews of Maria Carmela Sarli, daughter of Vito Maria Sarli, and her husband Luigi De Carolis. One of the nephews is named Luigi De Carolis also.

 43.

Denver 1875, Hands Up!

THE ITALIAN BANDITTI

Back Row, L to R: Giuseppe Campagne, Leonardo Alesandro, John Arrata, Frank Valentine "the miner," Leonardo Deodato, Giuseppe Pinacchio "the ranchman," Henry Fernandez; Front Row, L to R: Filomeno Gallotti (alias Giuseppe Conti), Michele Ballotti. All were Italian except for Henry Fernandez who was Hispanic.

To read the account from the book Hands Up! beginning on page 57, here is the link: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43379/43379-h/43379-h.htm *graphic warning

 42.

Happy 2021!

I looked and realized that it has been several months since I have posted. My excuses? Let's see - the holidays, Covid-19, a highly contested Presidential election? I think that 2020 has taken a large toll on the world. Have these issues served to confirm the most important thing in the world - family? 

Yesterday and today I worked on the De Carolis family tree on my Ancestry account. Giovanni Antonio De Carolis had provided me with a link to the Laurenzana cemetery listings. Some of them included photos of headstones. I was able to zoom in to the photos on many of the headstones, so that now I know what Vito Maria Sarli, brother of my great-grandfather, looks like! He was a handsome man, and so was my great-grandfather Rocco Vincenzo Sarli AKA Joseph Louis Mott. 

Giovanni couldn't be nicer. I am asking him a lot of questions, thanks to Google Translate. Hopefully, I can fill in some blanks and make sure I am accurate on my documentation.

Best wishes to all who read this. May your 2021 be happy and productive, and may we all find sunshine where others only find clouds!

 41.

The Musical Thread

The love of music, whether it is appreciating the hearing of it, or the playing or singing of it, might be considered universal by many. The need for music is varied. It may fulfill the need for employment, or enough for a loaf of bread. It might fill lonely hours with solace or soothe the weary or troubled soul. It may be as beneficial to the provider as to the listener. The need to give of one's self, the need to create. The need to imagine or tell tales of the road or of the past or the future.

There seems to be a musical thread woven through many of the Sarli family ancestors and their associated family lines down to their modern day descendants. Is it in more abundance in comparison to the general population? Hard to say, but what a nice thing!

It is apparent that more than a handful of towns in Potenza fostered young musicians, especially stringed instrument players, including Viggiano, Laurenzana, Marsicovetere, Marsiconuovo, Calvello, Corleto Peticara, Brienza, and Montemurro (p. 37, Little Slaves of the Harp by John E. Zucchi).