Gian Battista Caito

09-11-1999: In an e-mail from Tom D'Amore of Providence, RI to Paul J. Caito:

Hi Paul,

I received the Genealogy of the John B Caito family over the phone tonite

from my sister Betty she confirmed that the parent's of John B. Caito and his sister, Sophie, were Gian B Caito born 1842-1874, was lost at sea, was a fisherman. His wife's name was Francesca (don't know her maiden name) John B Caito was only 2 months old when his father (Gian) was lost at sea. John B Caito and Sophie also had an older brother, his name was Francesco.

10-14-1999: Family History report from the Descendants of John B. and Margherita Caito indicate that Francesco "Frank" came to America in 1887 with his younger brother. He did not come with his sister and mother at that time. They arrived in the Port of Providence, Rhode Island; and lived on Federal Hill in Providence. Federal Hill was known as "Little Italy" and they started a fruit and vegetable business. After doing well and sending money to their mother and sister in Termini, their sister, Sophie, came to Providence with her husband Augostino D'Amore. Sophie went to work in a textile mill.

John returned to Termini when he was 21 and at age 23, married Margherita Caito as part of an arranged marriage. John and Margherita knew each other as children, but according to the family history, they were unrelated, even though they both had the surname of Caito.

John B. Started his own fruit and vegetable business separate from his brother Frank. His business prospered and he was very free with his money, always giving spare change to his sister Sophie's children and willingly lending money to his friends. often $100 at a time, a substantial sum at the turn of the century.

Although John B. had very little formal education (he went to grammar school a few years) he had a keen mind for figures and a very good business sense. Although he could neither read nor write (in fact, he signed all his documents with an "X") he could quickly calculate long lists of figures when selling his fruits and vegetables. He had a fantastic memory and remembered what his many customers owed him without keeping any books. He spoke English without much of an accent and even learned to speak French and Yiddish to his French and Jewish customers.

John B. had an easy-going style and made a lot of contacts and friends. He was especially known for his generosity. When his clients fell upon hard times and couldn't afford his produce, he would often give them the fruits and vegetables without charging them. Thre were many stories that showed his generosity. There was an Irishwoman who was having trouble paying him, yet he gave her enough produce for her family. Being a proud woman, she wanted to do something for his family in exchange. So, every Monday morning, she would come to the house and wash the family's clothes in a big washtub. At the time, there were seven children, and with the infant twins, it was a great help to Margherita.

A customer told John B. of a woman who was living in a cold apartment because she could not afford coal delivery. He made an arrangement with another of his customers, Mr. Fogarty, who owned a coal business, to deliver coal to this woman's house for free. In return, John B. supplied Mr. Fogarty's family with their weekly fruits and vegetables. At the end of each day, he would bring leftover produce to a number of people free of charge. The Bell Street nuns showed their appreciation for the free produce by giving embroidery lessons to his oldest daughter, Frances.

John B.'s produce business thrived and as soon as each of his sons was about 6 years old, they began to help him with his horse and wagon deliveries.

After living on Gessler Street on Federal Hill for many years, his wife and children wanted to move. He had the chance to purchase a house at 38 Oak Street from a customer by the name of "Little," only two houses from where his mother, Francesca Caito Cianciolo, was living with his step-brother, Joseph Cianciolo. John B. and his sister, Sophie, had an appraisal done for the value of the three houses they owned together on Gessler Street. It was decided by the toss of a coin that John B. would get half the value of the houses and Sophie would get the three family house in which they lived. John B. and his family were delighted with the lucky coin-toss because they wanted the money rather than the property. With the proceeds, they bought the house at 38 Oak Street in Providence, RI fro $9,000 in July,1920 with money to spare.

At the time of the move, their youngest child, Elena, was five-months old and their oldest, Jack, was 19. It was a predominately Irish neighborhood and the thought of a large Italian family of 10 children was cause for concern among the neighbors. The family was shunned at first, but once it was observed how quiet, clean and well behaved the children were, the neighbors were friendly and thought highly of them.

The family first lived on the 2nd floor with the first floor rented to three elderly Irish sisters who were also frantic at the thought of this large Italian family living upstairs. But the three Thornton sisters were quickly won over and were crazy about the kids. They were dressmakers and delighted in making little dresses for Mary, dressing her like a doll. To make things easier for Margherita and the children, the Caito's decided to move downstairs and the sisters had to move, which saddened them as they'd become very attached to the family.

Because of the need for more space, an additional bedroom was built behind the first floor kitchen as well as a pantry. The basement was fixed up with hardwood floors, and a playroom for the kids. There was also a second kitchen, a second bathroom, a bar and a wine cellar where John B., like most Italians, made his own wine. Helped by his sons, he made five or six barrels of red or white wine at a time.

On the first floor of the house, there was a total of three bedrooms for the 10 children and parents. The four boys slept in two beds in the newly built bedroom, the parents slept in the bedroom off the dining room and the three older girls slept in the third bedroom on a double bed and a couch. In the living room, the three youngest girls slept in a day bed that was opened up every night. One by one, as the older children married, there was a small celebration by the kids, as it freed up beds for the others!

The family was a traditional household; John B. was up between 3 AM and 4 AM to hitch up the horse and wagon and head for the produce warehouse where he purchased the fruits and vegetables he sold for the day. His wife took care of the children, kept a clean house, baked bread three times a week and produced nourishing meals for her family. The children were all well behaved and were never allowed to sit on the front steps. They played in the backyard, on the porch or in the basement playroom, the site of many parties when they were older. If John needed a clean shirt because the clothes on the line had been rained on during the night, his mother would get up early and sew him one. She made all the children's clothes.

Bushes and trees were planted in the side and back yards for privacy and there was always a pretty garden. In the back of the property was a barn where the white horse, "Babe," was kept, along with the wagon and a surrey. On Sundays, both on Gessler Street and Oak Street, the parents and younger kids would get in the fancy surrey with the red velvet seats and fringe on top and go for an afternoon ride.

As the boys got older, John B. bought them special Model T Fords for their own fruit and vegetable delivery with only John continuing the business. The boys eventually bought their own Fords and Packards and the garage was built next to the barn. In 1925, when Tom was 19, he talked his father into buying a large, fancy black 1924 Cadillac touring car - perfect for the family's Sunday afternoon drives. The convertible, with velvet seats, cost $1200. The boys saw it as the perfect flashy car to go out in. Maury even drove it to high school on occasion, and it was he and Josephine who got stuck with driving the folks around on Sunday afternoons. After many good years, the car was sold for $28!

John B. continued to prosper in his business. He bought a lot in back of the barn and garage and had Jack build him a three-family house as an investment. Jack had worked as a carpenter's apprentice when he was about 15 years old for the builder, Mr. Frazier, while going to school at night at Rhode Island School of Design to learn drafting and how to design and build houses. After a brief partnership with his cousin, Frank D'Amore, Jack started his own business. The house on 47-49 Willow Street in Providence was the first house that Jack built at a cost of $18,000 to his father in the mid-1920's.

During the Great Depression, the Caito family fared better than many families because of the type of business they were in, and because of the income from rental property.

In late 1939, John B. Caito was hit by a car, subsequently developed cancer and died in that year. His wife always stayed by his bedside, holding his hand and praying. She was a strong person and would not allow anyone to cry around her dying husband.