Nick and Katie Fatta
Nick and Katie's story began in, Sicily, Italy. Nick was bom Nicolo Di Fatta on August 13, 1889 in Cefalu. Katie was bom Concetta Immiti on January 1, 1895 in Palermo. Life in Cefalu was difficult at that time. Sicily was in turmoil politically and families struggled to put food on the table. In the early 1890s, Nick's father, Giuseppe and four other family members left for America. They settled in Tallulah, Louisiana established a thriving business by farming and selling goods in the DiFatta Brothers grocery store. Nick's mother, Antonina (Lena), along with Nick at the age of 10, were prepared to join Giuseppe when they learned that Giuseppe, and the other family members had been lynched by an angry mob in Tallulah.
The lynching triggered an international incident between the United States and Italy that almost resulted in war. The parties responsible for the lynchings went unpunished. However, after a thorough investigation, reparations were paid to Italy and Antonina. President William McKinley in his 1899 State of the Union Address, referred to the tragedy as "deplorable" and included a letter of apology. Nick and his mother stayed in Italy where he was the recipient of an excellent education in Palermo. In 1899 Nick completed his education and at age20 boarded a ship along with his mother to New York City. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, they boarded a train and joined Antoinia's family in Dickinson. He opened a small market and shoe store in Dickinson called the Gray Mule.
In l912, he married Katie Emmite, the daughter of Giuseppa (Josephine) and Simone (Sam) Emmite. In 1913, their son JosephAnthony was born.Later Nick began working in Houston for internationally renowned boot maker Vito Scardino. Nick made custom boots for famous movie stars and soon opened his own shop in Houston, on Harrisburg. While busy making boots, Nick began collaborating to establish a new ice company in Dickinson with brother-in-law Tony Emmite, Uncle Frank Emmite, and Tony's father-in-law, John Falco. Nick and Tony met John who was already operating a small ice house in Dickinson. Together with Nick's business sense, John's expertise in the industry and the families support, Dickinson Ice and Fuel was established. In 1922 Nick incorporated the "Dickinson Ice and Fuel Company" with John, Tony, Frank, and several other family members as stockholders. The company drilled an artisan well where the current water tower is today. In 1931 they welcomed a daughter, Antoinette Teresa Fatta. Antoinette would graduate from the University of Houston, College of Pharmacy. She was one of the first women to pursue a career in pharmacy and pioneered the path for women in pharmacy.
While attending the University, she met her husband Arch Helton, a geologist, and the two were married in 1956. They had two children, Frank and daughter Deborah Flores. The same year that Antoinette was born, Joe was accepted at Chicago Aft Institute, where he studied to be an artist. Upon completion, Joe returned to Houston and opened a Sign Company. He was a strong advocate of unions and became the union representative for the Artists and Sign Painters Union and Secretary of the AFLCIO. Joe served in the Army during World War II.
He met his wife, Sally Jewel Jones ("Jewel") and they were married n 1942, had two children, Nick Anthony and Linda Ott. In 1943 Nick purchased 9 acres on Pine Drive and the Dickinson Bayou. It was known as "the Pines" to the family. He built a home there which became the family's gathering place for decades. Nick lived his final years in Dickinson in the Pines and passed away in 1967. Katie passed away in 1989 in Houston.