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Husbands left Fallo for the city or for America. When they were away many of them had mistresses. Their long absences sometime were a blessing for the wives who at least escaped the potential abuses. Occasionally there were trysts in the village and in some instances children were born from these illicit love affairs. These poor children, although raised and well cared for like any other children, were insensitively and brutally, but without
real malice, labeled "mules " followed by the name of the alleged fathers, or more often by that of the mother, especially when the father was unknown: e.g. the mule of John the lefty; the mule of Elvira.

The 1930s, as I remember, were marked by the political and economic influence of the Fascist Regime. In spite of some of the histrionics of local politicians, Mussolini was trying to better the conditions of the Italian people, improve literacy, ameliorate working conditions, and provide health and retirement benefits. Unfortunately this also increased bureaucracy and corruption in all public offices. The tragic results of political mistakes led to WW II which caused so much suffering in Italy and which also changed the direction of Italian life.
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CHAPTER THIRD

- The patience of the weak -

As I mentioned before, I was born September 8, 1929 in Fallo. In the Christian calendar this is the day of the Virgin's Nativity, and because of this I was called Mario. I grew up in two houses, my father's house and my maternal grandfather's house. My father's house was on the floor above zia Bambina's house. The two floors of this house were connected by an iron spiral staircase which I always remember vividly. This whole house originally belonged to the family of Don Antonio Castracane, a famous priest from Fallo. He was the brother-in-law of Bambina Di Vito, who was the sister of my maternal grandmother Brigida (Di Vito) Di Gironimo. Bambina was the wife of Federico Castracane, Don Antonio's brother.

Federico Castracane soon after the marriage to Bambina Di Vito left for the United States, settled in Philadelphia and was never heard of thereafter. The priest Don Antonio felt very badly about this and in his will left all his estate to the diocese of Chieti with the stipulation that Bambina Di Vito would be allowed to live in his portion of the house and would also receive a modest pension for life from the diocese.