Honoring the Dead of the Triangle Fire
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| From left to right: Caterina, Serafino, Lucia and Rosarea Maltese |
Yesterday marked the 99th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan, NY. The Triangle Fire Memorial and Historical Association held a tribute at Christ the King H.S. here in Queens in memory of the 146 victims who perished in the blaze. I was fortunate enough to attend.
The reflective event began with an introduction by M.C. Anthony Como, Esq. and an invocation by Msgr. Nicholas W. Sivillo of Our Lady of Hope Roman Catholic Church in Middle Village, Queens.
The crowd was welcomed by retired New York State Senator Serphin R. Maltese. I was always an admirer of Senator Maltese, not for the least of which is the fact that, like yours truly, he was born and raised in the (formerly) Italian-American neighborhood of Corona, Queens. How could one not admire a native son who made good?
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| Mr. Serphin Maltese welcoming those who came to pay their respects |
In his address Mr. Maltese revealed to us his personal connection to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. He lost his grandmother Caterina (aged 38) and two blood-aunts: Rosarea (18) and Lucia (14), fully half his family at the time, to the inferno! His grandfather, Serafino Maltese, was left alone to raise his two sons: Paul (Senator Maltese’s father) and Vito. Incredibly, Serafino Maltese stoically never spoke of this to his children or grandchildren. Senator Maltese only learned of it much later when he researched the fire. Since grief counseling was unknown at the time, one can only imagine the staggering psychological burden his grandfather was forced to shoulder by himself!
Without question, though, the most moving part of the evening was the reading of the list of names of the victims. Sitting there listening and realizing a large percentage of them were only teenagers; one would have had to have been a psychopath not to feel something.
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Reading of the list of names of the victims
Above photos courtesy of Niccolò Graffio
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After the reading of the list of names, a number of personages addressed us, including Vincent C. Maltese (V.P. of Italian Charities of America and brother of Serphin), and Cav. Tony Di Piazza, Chairman of ACINY (Associazione Culturale Italiana di New York). Marketing director, blogger (and Sicilian nationalist) Sotiris VanVakys read to us some original research he conducted on the identities of some of the victims.
After the remarks, we watched an excerpt from the movie Pane Amaro (It: “Bitter Bread”) by Gianfranco Norelli concerning the Triangle fire. This movie is a documentary on the Italian-American experience and it’s definitely on my list of things to get soon! The melodic voices of Christ the King’s Concert Chorus beautifully punctuated the evening.
If there was one thing that disappointed me, it was the low turnout. For such a horrific event that had such an everlasting impact on the history of this city, I expected many more people. Many might think I’m asking too much, considering the fire occurred 99 years ago, but I disagree. I’m especially disappointed with our people. If the dozens who were there last night could make it there’s no other reason than apathy why hundreds more couldn’t have made it.
There’s an old saying that goes: “You don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” To their credit, the Maltese family knows. They are a blessing to the memory of their ancestors. How many others can say the same?
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Memorial plaques mark the spot of the tragedy.
Mourners brought flowers and candles to remember the victims
Photos courtesy of New York Scugnizzo
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