A new heritage initiative is proving that sometimes, you don’t have to go far to find where you come from - - sometimes, you just have to check the seat next to you.
“In the Italian culture, and in most other cultures, the stories are really the growth of a set of values and a set of beliefs,” said Anthony Carfang.
Carfang, known as Tony, is the 74-year-old director of the Naples Italian American Foundation and the driving force behind a new five-part series focused on tracing family roots. On Feb. 4, the foundation held its “Discovering Your Family Story” workshop. There were cookies, water and, of course, coffee. About 18 people attended, and for a few of them, the discoveries came early.
“Joe Carlucci and Vince Melito - - the guy sitting next to him, discovered their maternal grandmothers came from the same town and had the same surname,” Carfang said. “They discovered that here.”
That’s exactly the kind of moment Carfang hopes the series will create. Attendees expressed a higher interest in family legacies rather than traditional genealogy reports.
“There is a certain ethic that gets passed down from generation to generation,” he said. “If there’s one thing that describes Italian culture, it’s respect. And that gets passed down in these stories.”
The series is open to the public, with a $25 fee for nonmembers and free admission for Naples Italian American Foundation members. Registration details are available on the foundation’s website.
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