THE RADICIONI’S

In 1906 Celeste Radicioni, his wife Palmena (Amagliani) and their 3 children Attilio, Rosina and Ernesto immigrated from Ancona, Italy to the United States for a chance to have a better future for them and their children. When they made the journey, Celeste was 37, Palmena 28, Attilio 7, Rosina 3 and Ernesto 10 mo.

They boarded the S.S. Italia in Naples, Italy on Dec. 5, 1906. The S.S. Italia was a merchant ship that normally carried supply goods and animals, it was 400 ft in length and 49 ft wide, with one steam turbine engine. It could do 14 knots (16 -17 mph). They arrived at Ellis Island in New York, on Dec. 21, 1906, and after being processed, Celeste and his family left New York in a railroad box car that took them to Mississippi. They were going to Mississippi to meet up with Palmena’s brother Guerrino Amagliani. He was their sponsor who had paid for their passage to come to America for a better future.

Celeste and seventeen other Italian families were headed to Trail Lake Plantation in Mississippi, to do sharecropping with the promise of owning the land at the end of their contract. In 1910 Celeste sent for his brother Giouse, his wife Emilia, and their family to come join him in America, (they also settled at Trail Lake). In 1911 Celeste and Palmena had another child John while in Mississippi. Trail Lake ended up being a place where a good number of Italian families passed through, but none of them remained permanently because it turned out that none of land was available for purchase. As the families saved a little money, they moved on to other places where they could purchase good farm land.

The Radicioni brothers made several moves northward in Mississippi from Trail Lake to Bourbon, Hollyknowe, and Dunleith. Celeste had heard that a lot of Italian families had settled in a small town in Texas called Dickinson, and that there was good farm land there that could be purchased. In 1915 Celeste and his family left Mississippi and moved to Dickinson, Texas to try to make a future there. His brother Giouse stayed in Mississippi. On December 10, 1918 Celeste bought a tract of land in Dickinson, Texas from Paul Lobit and this is where they raised their children and farmed the land. This is also where Celeste and Palmena had 2 more children, Giovanni and Joseph. They had a total of 5 children while living in Dickinson – Attilio, Rosina, John, Giovanni & Joseph.

Attilio married Lena Menotti - they lived and raised 4 children in Galveston, Texas. Rosina married Gabriel Galli - they lived and raised 4 children in Galveston, Texas Ernesto – not sure what happened to him. (he may have died on the voyage to America). John – not sure what happened to him.

Giovanni died at the early age of 18 in Dickinson, Texas.



Joseph married Josephine Menotti - they lived and raised 5 children in Dickinson, Texas.Attilio owned and operated a grocery store on the corner of 1602 Winnie (ave. G) in Galveston and their home was located across the street from the grocery store at 628 16th street. Attilio was also a part owner of a tavern in Galveston called “Big Brick” and it was located at 104 20th street. Attilio’s son Louis owned a service station and auto sales lot at 5028 Broadway in Galveston.

By Mitch Radicioni, great grandson of Celeste and Palmena Radicioni