Joseph was born in the north of Italy, the closest big city being Turino. As a young man he left Italy for the United States. He was a copper miner in the Northern Peninusla of Michigan. I'm not sure when or how he and my great-grandmother met. She is much more of a mystery then him. She was born in the United States to Italian parents. When Italy joined the first world war Joseph and Minnie (Nataline) moved back to his village in Italy. While in Italy, just after the end of the war in 1919 their son Peter was born. My grandpa was an only child either this was an econmical decision or he was the only one to survive. After his son's birth Joseph moved back to Michigan this time going to work in the Crystler factory in Detroit. In 1921, Minnie and a 2 year old Peter followed him. Most of what I know about both Joseph and Minnie is from my grandma, aunt and mother. So the rest is just little facts and if you ask me it's the little facts that are the building blocks of a persons life. He smoked cheap cigars. Made his own wine (which was pretty bad from what I've heard). Brought liquor into the country from Canada during prohibition. He, like his son, was an only child. He was really nice to my grandma (his wife wasn't too put it kindly). The two of them fought, a lot. Picture the parents on Everybody Loves Raymond but without the understanding that they love each other. No one really knows when they stopped loving each other. Or maybe they did and just didn't express it. Their fights were lengendary. Once he back into her with the car. It was an accident he claimed but no one believed that, certainly not her. In the mid-1950's my grandfather got a job at TRW as an engineer so he and my grandma moved to southern California. My great-grandparents moved to California a little later. He died only 3 months after Minnie. I think he missed having someone to fight with. My mom says he was a nice guy and would have liked me. From the little I really know about him he sounds like an interesting person. Not a lot of people leave the safety of another country to go home and fight in a war. He must have been really proud of his heritage. I will try to put up a picture of him soon. I would also like to give a huge "thank you" to Mr. Bobby. I was shocked when I did a search on Nozero and saw my great-grandparents had been added by someone who wasn't me. It makes me believe there are some people out there who are kind even when it doesn't seem like it will gain them something.