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Royal Act: Marie Abate and Teresa Caravelli, rear left to right, looked on, as Chauncy Tramutolo, of the Tricarico Men's Club, crowned Margaret Battaglia Bersano queen in 1946.
Photograph courtesy Cookie Curci-Wright
Remember When
Queen For A Day
Tricarico club crowns queen in ancient rite
By Cookie Curci-Wright
In the spring of every year, the Tricarico Men's Social Club, in association with the Maria Di Fonti Ladies club, hosts an annual picnic celebration and festival. Club members must be descendants, or married to descendants, of those born in Tricarico, Italy. A queen of the festival is chosen from among the club's family members.
An early morning high Mass is celebrated alfresco and kicks off the festivities, after which the queen is crowned in ancient ritual.
The festival, observed in June of every year, originated, centuries ago, in the little town of Tricarico, Italy, and has remained remarkably unchanged through the generations.
In 1939, Ann Vincequerra was the first young girl to be crowned queen of the Tricarico club's local festival. As the lucky young girl to be chosen "queen for a day" Ann remembers with pride and nostalgia the day she wore the crown.
"I was dressed all in white, with veil to match. On my head, I wore a huge tiara of glittering rhinestones. A white robe lined in red satin completed the royal ensemble. My mama and papa were bursting with pride," recalls Ann. It was, and still is, considered a great family honor to have your child chosen as queen of the Tricarico club picnic celebration.
Today, 62 years later, Ann Vincequerra remains an active member in the Maria Di Fonti Ladies club. Ann's son, Leo Vincequerra, longtime member of the Tricarico men's social club, is the proprietor of the Willow Street Market. The market supplies clubs, restaurants and local residents with traditionally made Italian sausages and delicacies.
On June 10, a bountiful aroma of flavors and scents will fill the air at the festival. Picnic tables will abound with traditionally prepared foods. Ficassia (a rolled dough filled with tomato sauce and spices) is expertly made by Mary Bartoldo, Sara Curci and Chris Francisco. Calzoni, a pocket style bread, filled with onions and olives, is served on warm wooded trays. Baskets of bread sticks, that have been deep fried in hot oil and dusted generously with sugar are passed from table to table. Tangy, garlic and pimento salads, pungent dried black olives, fried hot green peppers, sausages and tasty mustard greens are served in huge platters.
Every table will have a different family favorite. The fragrance of garlic and smoky grilled sausages will permeate the open air and stir appetites for miles around.
"You never have to wear a 'kiss me, I'm Italian button' around here," says Ann Vincequerra of her friendly club members. "We're an animated group of people who love to hug and kiss-one big happy family."
Sarah Curci, a 50-year member, credits her mother-in-law, Maria Dinapoli, with keeping her family ties to the club so strong. "Mama was a tenacious woman of great character and religious beliefs. She instilled in her family the desire to carry on her devotion and commitment."
Chris Francisco, president of the ladies club, recalls when her three sons were youngsters and how they took part in the club's annual picnic celebrations at Soda Springs. "Our kids felt good to be a part of something so special. They proudly joined the long procession line of men and boys, dressed in dark suits, white shirts and ties, so they could carry the statue of Mary, the club's patron saint."
Now their grandchildren participate in this traditional ceremony and procession that has remained unchanged through the centuries and is remarkably the same as it was in centuries past.
"Our boys are all grown up now with children and grandchildren of their own," says Chris. "But all three sons still reserve some time in their busy schedules to attend club meetings and family activities."
The ladies club was formed in 1946. The men's club, whose current president is Rocky Infantino, originated in 1934.
Many of the early members of the club were among the young immigrants to make that long sea voyage from the little town of Tricarico and settle in the Santa Clara valley. They found work on valley ranches and in the local canneries, where they earned three cents for every bucket of tomatoes they peeled and five cents for every crate of apricots they sliced.
Few of the prime lands farmed by these Tricarico immigrants still exist today. The fertile valley ranches have long since been replaced by shopping centers, strip malls, condominiums and housing projects.
This columnist's grandmother, Maria Curci-Dinapoli, was born in Tricarico, Italy, and was a charter member of the Maria DiFonti Club, as were many of her relatives and friends. I remember asking grandma how she found the courage to make that long journey of a lifetime across the seas. Her answer was invariably the same. It's an old Italian saying, translated it goes something like this, "The inevitability of death, the possibility of romance and the certainty of love inspires the heart to seek out new worlds and new people."
In a constantly changing world, where few things remain the same, this group of dedicated Italian men and women, of Tricarico descent, have continued, for more than 66 years, to preserve the beliefs and traditions inspired by their old world ancestors, centuries ago, in the little village town of Tricarico, Italy.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
