She was sixteen years old

My grandmother, Maria Pernici grew up in the "comune di Scordia, provincia di Catania, Sicilia." Perhaps "grew up" is not quite accurate. She was whisked away to America at a young age. She was not even 18 years old, as her marriage certificate says, she was 16. I wonder if she had ever traveled beyond Scordia, "Città delle Arance Rosse" (the City of the Red Orange). Was her trip to the Port of Palermo her first venture across the island of Sicily? She did not even sign her own passport. She was accompanied by a 38 year old laborer named Giuseppe Liggerio. Were her father, Luigi Pernici, and her mother, Giuseppa Barchetta, there to wave goodbye as the S. S. Berlin (above left) pulled away from the dock on April 4th? What was this 5' 3" fair-skinned sixteen year old Sicilian girl thinking? How did she spend her time on the 12 day voyage?

My grandfather Giuseppe had already been in New York for almost a year. He had arrived on May 16, 1913. The manifest of his ship, the S.S. Calabria (right), bears some strange news for the Ribera family. His name "Giuseppe Ribera" age 25, appears on line 12 of the manifest; below his name on line 13, is one Francesca Ippolito. At 17 years old she is listed as "his wife." Column 13 of the manifest asks, "By whom was passage paid?" For Giuseppe it says, "self," for Francesca it says, "husband." Column 18 asks for the name and address of the relative or friend the immigrant is going to join. For my grandfather it says, "Brother-in-law, Ippolito Salvatore 125 Olive Street, New York." For Francesca it simply says, "Brother." Stranger still, for place of birth, for both Giuseppe and Francesca it says, Sicily, Francofonte. Now, I have not yet received my grandfather's birth certificate, but every other document I have seen (passport, U.S. marriage certificate, U.S. military registration) indicates that he was born in Scordia. Francofonte is about 13 kilometers south east of Scordia, about a 2-3 hour walk. I wonder how they met? Did they sail to America with their families' blessings? When were they married? Was this a family arrangement? What happened to Francesca? Did she die? How did Giuseppe get a new bride so fast? Did Maria Pernici know Francesca Ippolito? Was the marriage to Maria a family arrangement?

What was Maria thinking as the S.S. Berlin docked in New York harbor? Was she awed by the Statue of Liberty? The night of April 16, 1914, was she sheltered at the St. Raphael Society for Italian immigrants, which is listed as her residence on her marriage certificate? Did she sleep that night? The next day, did Giuseppe walk the mile and a half from 14 Monroe Street, on the lower east side of Manhattan, cross town to 10 Charlton Street where they were married? Prior to the ceremony, I imagine she was told to say "diciotto anni," (eighteen years) for her age. That's why the marriage certificate says 18. I don't know what the law was in 1914, but to get married in New York today: "If either applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, such applicant(s) must present the written consent of both parents. If both applicants are 18 years of age or older, no consents are required."

Maria bore four children by Giuseppe between 1916 and 1921. My father was the youngest. In 1923, she passed away at 26; my father was only two. My grandfather remarried (again?); and that too is another story.