Tony Di Cicco turned 90 on October 4, 2025. This is a small tribute to his legacy!

The ship Cristoforo Colombo was docked in the bay of Naples, Italy. May 20 was a warm day, the sun beating on the passengers patiently waiting for their turn to the ramp that would take them inside the massive vessel bound for New York City. Antonio Di Cicco was one of the passengers waiting in line for what must have been a journey filled with anxiety and uncertainties.

From this verse onward, we'll call him Tony, the American adopted name. This could be another typical story about an Italian immigrant leaving the country in search of a better tomorrow. Still, there is more, and you'll see further why I decided to write about Tony.

The Cristoforo Colombo arrived at Pier 42 West eight days later on May 28, 1955. Tony was 20 years old, full of energy, self-assured, and not intimidated. The American dream began in Rhode Island with a mixed bag of low-paying jobs as a construction helper, followed by a job as a jeweler polisher at UNCAS, a company owned and operated by Italians who hired many “freshly arrived” Italians. Uncas headquarters were located at the end of Atwells Avenue, near Valley Street toward Manton Avenue, near the center of Rhode Island's Little Italy, known across the country as Federal Hill. Just like any ethnic group, Italians sought places where the rest of their compatriots lived, almost like redesigning the life they had left behind, but in a new context.

Living abroad was already difficult due to integration and language assimilation, not to mention the social and economic disparities they faced every day, and adjusting was not always easy. But, like many resilient Italians, Tony found his waytheir compatriots lived, almost as if redesigning the lives they had left behind, secured a good apartment, and the job at Uncas began to pay well. He earned much more than most of the low-paying group because of the piece-work system that was in place- the more rings you polish, the more you make. His mother eventually joined him, and with his brother Carmelo, the family's reunification was partially completed. His father remained in Italy, working for the local municipality.

Tony was born on October 4, 1935, in the town of Sant'Ambrogio in the province of Cassino, southern territory of the Lazio region, near the river Garigliano. Early life took him to Albania, where he spent about 3 years. His father, at the time, was employed with the Italian government and stationed there, and to avoid being distant from his family, he decided to keep everyone together in the city of Durazzo. His father at the time was employed with the Italian government and stationed there, and to avoid the distancing from his family, decided to keep everyone together. The Second World War had just begun, and Albania provided a safe refuge from the bellicose confrontations.

One bright morning, Tony walked into Uncas for the daily shift and noticed a sign posted on a blackboard. A food store on Federal Hill was looking to hire young, energetic Italians as stock boys. Later that evening, Tony paid a visit to the store and, after an informal interview, was hired. Gregory Sabatini owned and operated Gregory's Colonial Foods, selling basic Italian imports, cold cuts, cheeses, and dry goods.

The store had been on the Hill since 1920, providing ingredients for the packed Italian community and their cooking rituals. In those days, the Hill counted about 40,000 residents, plenty of food stores, butcher shops, ice cream parlors, topped with a daily outdoor market on Balbo Avenue where vendors lined up their wooden carts selling anything from fresh chicken, fresh fish, fruits, and produce.

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