FAMILY NICKNAMES Pg. 1

Nicknames Pg. 1 Nicknames Pg. 2

In Lettomanoppello and Roccamorice, as elsewhere in Italy, the same families remained in the same towns for generations, resulting in very large extended families.  Soprannomi--dialect nicknames--distinguished one branch of the family from another, and/or one individual from another with the same name.  We think it would be fun to share our family nicknames.  If you would like to have your family's sopranomme posted on this page, please email it to Bonnie & Sara, giving us: the family name, the sopranomme and what it means (if you know), which of the two towns the family lived in, and your email and/or snailmail address, which we will also post so that others can contact you.

Click here to email Bonnie & Sara!

ADDARIO Sara Addario lettesi@adelphia.net "CECA LOPE" ("blind wolf"--cieco lupo in Italian) is the nickname for our branch of the Addario family in Lettomanoppello.  The name was given to an Addario shepherd ancestor because he threw something at a wolf and hit it in the eye--or because he threw his hat and hit one of the sheep in the eye, depending on which version of the story you subscribe to.

BLASIOLI Gina Di Pietrantonio Ferrante girolulett@msn.com "LA PELLASTR' "("the hen") or "GIANPITR' " are the nicknames for my mother's family, Blasioli, in Lettomanoppello.  There there are only two Blasioli families in Lu Lette, but many more in Manoppello.

CONTE Costantino Conte c/o roccalett@hotmail.com "TAMBURRA" ("drummer") is the nickname of my branch of the Conte family in Lettomanoppello; it was given because someone in the family played the drum. Concezio Di Matteo c/o roccalett@hotmail.com "TAMBURRA" (drummer) is the nickname of my Conte family in Lettomanoppello; I am the cousin of Costantino Conte, above. Fernanda de Tavernier detavernier.fernanda@towerautomotive.com "CINQUE LIBRE" ("five pounds") was the nickname of my father's branch of the Conte family in Lettomanoppello.  My father was Pasquale Ferdinando Conte, the son of Antonio Conte and Filomena d'Alfonso.  The nickname came about because my father's father, or his grandfather, weighed just 5 pounds at birth, and it was considered a miracle that such a small baby survived and grew up.

CONTE Pat Palumbo patpalcan@yahoo.com "ZAPPATA" My mother was a Conte from La Rocca; her family nickname was "zappata" which means to hoe the ground.

D'ALFONSO Sara Addario lettesi@adelphia.net "SCOPITO" (cleaner or polisher) is the nickname of our branch of  the D'Alfonso family in Lettomanoppello. Antonio D'Alfonso ADALFONSO86@prodigy.net "PANNAROLO" is the nickname of my branch of the D'Alfonso family in Lu Lette. Gino D'Alfonso pazzomondo@msn.com "COCCICAVIOLL" ("horse head") is the soprannome for a branch of the D'Alfonso family most of whose members once lived in the Pietranera section of Lettomanoppello.  Included are the families of Giovanni, Camillo, Corrado, Cesar, Ettore, Enzo, Ercole, Pierino, Gabriel,  Tonino,  Donato and Adriano D'Alfonso, and probably many others. Nadia Mancini pazzarella22@hotmail.com Christina Rulli christinarulli@yahoo.ca COCCIA CAVALLO Our grandfather Saverio D'Alfonso of Lettomanoppello had this nickname James McCartney jamesmccartney@netzero.net "WATERBOY" was the nickname given to my wife's grandfather, Costantino D'Alfonso, when he first worked in construction in the US; it was his first job; he came to the US in 1910 from Lettomanoppello.  He was also called "Charlie."   He formed a construction company with either Camillo Di Biase or Camillo Aceto.  He married Georginta Sabatino, who came to the US in 1920.  If anyone knows his origins, please contact me. Connie Brun connieb@lycos.com "STORTO" and "CRISPINELLE" are the soprannomi of my father, Pantaleone D'Alfonso, who is from Lettomanoppello. Adelina mapleez@hotmail.com "LU SHTORT" is the soprannome for my branch of the D'Alfonso family in Lettomanoppello; I am the granddaughter of Adelina D'Alfonso.

D'ALIMONTE Linda D'Alimonte venture@neptune.on.ca "BATTA LA MATTS" is the nickname for my father, John D'Alimonte, whose family came from La Rocca. "DI SCANNO" is the nickname for my grandfather, Rocco D'Alimonte from La Rocca. Connie Brun connieb@lycos.com 'LIZZO" is the soprannome of my maternal grandfather, Giuseppe D'Alimonte, who was from Roccamorice. Mario D'Alimonte dalimonte@rogers.com "LU LONG" is the nickname  that my grandfather Luigi D'Alimonte passed on to my father Antonio D'Alimonte of Roccamorice. Susan D'Alimonte Curtis alansue@sympatico.ca "PUNDAROLE" is the nickname of my father Donato D'Alimonte who was born in Roccamorice. Graciella Oller graciella.oller@va.sts.siemens.com "LUCANNARRATO" is the nickname of my great grandfather Rocco D'Alimonte who was from Roccamorice.

D'ANGELO Iolanda Flaiani aflaiani@interlynx.net COCCIALONGA" ("Long Head") is the nick name of my paternal great grandfather from La Rocca,  My father's name is Biagio D'Angelo.  His grandfather, received this name when he went to purchase a hat and the store owner could not find one to fit his head. Frank D'Angelo dangelo@cogeco.ca "SETTE COPPA" is the nickname for my grandfather Donato and my father Giovanni D'Angelo both born in Roccamorice. Salvatore D'Angelo sal@dangelowinery.com I am named after my great grandfather . My family's nick name is "sette coppa" which means seven measures. When my great grandfather went to the town mill to have his grain crushed into flour the mill owner informed him he would take one of every 6 sack's as one of his own for payment . My great grandfather successfully  argued for 1 for every 7 not 6 . From then on he was refered to as here comes "sette coppa '' Ettorino DiGiovanni ett.digiovanni@kvaerner.com "DE YOOK" is the nickname of my mother Maria D'Angleo who was born in Roccamorice.

D'ASCANIO Mario Di Giovanni digiovanni@sympatico.ca "MALICIA"   is the nickname of my mother, Assunta D'Ascanio Di Giovanni, who is from La Rocca. Mary Vespa mvespa@emporium.on.ca "MALIZIE" was the nickname for my grandfather, Antonio D'Ascanio, from Costa del Colle in Roccamorice.

DE FAZIO Costantino Conte village29@webtv.net "CELUCCI" ("birds") is the nickname for our branch of the de Fazio family in Lettomanoppello.  My mother said it was because they were very active, and moved swiftly, like little birds.

DE FAZIO Elda Pucci elda.pucci@shaw.ca "PATANELLA" ("potato or "little potato") was the nickname for my grandmother, Antonietta De Fazio, who was from Lettomanoppello and who passed away in 1942.

DI BIASE Tony Ferrante antonfer@idirect.com "LUSINICO" ("Sindaco", or "mayor")  After World War II a Di Biase family in Lettomanoppello acquired the nickname LuSinico because they had a knack for becoming mayors of Lu Lette; even today, the mayor of Lettomanoppello, who is Osvaldo Trovarelli, is a Di Biase on his mother's side. Nunzio Carlo Di Paolo - Di Biase Reika@infoline.wtfe.com Caracas, Venezuela "CAPELACCIO" is the nickname for my mother's Di Biase family in Lettomanoppello; my mother is Lucia Di Biase, daughter of Antonio Di Biase and Givana Conchetina Ferrante; my parents lived on via Canavine before they emigrated. Sara Addario roccalett@hotmail.com "TECCHIO" My husband's great-grandmother was Maria Di Biase of Lettomanoppello, and 'tecchio', meaning short and stout, like a barrel, was her family's nickname.

DI CECCO Alessandra Di Cecco aleandra78@virgilio.it? "CICCHEPAOLO" ("little Paul") is the nickname for my family in Lettomanoppello.

DI CLEMENTE Rita DiClemente rita.d.diclemente@bakernet.com "PAOLUCCE" was the nickname for my father-in-law, Vittorio DiClemente, who was the blacksmith in La Rocca before emigrating to Canada in the late '50s.

DI FABIO Ferdinanda de Tavernier detavernier.fernanda@towerautomotive.com "GRILLETO" ("Trigger" or some part of a gun); this was the nickname for the family of my mother, Lucia di Fabio, who was born in Lettomanoppello.  Her parents were Rafaelo di Fabio (who was originally from San Valentino) and Maria Giusti.   I believe the nickname was given to the family because one of the ancestors was a hunter.

DI FLORIO Linda D'Alimonte venture@neptune.on.ca "LA FRODIO" is the nickname of my paternal grandmother, Anna Di Florio, from Roccamorice.

DI GIOVANNI Mario Di Giovanni digiovanni@sympatico.ca Angelo DiGiovanni digfam@sympatico.ca "BOLLINO" is the nickname of our father, Donato Di Giovanni, who is from La Rocca. Left Roccamorice in 1954 with little money and big dreams. Ettorino Di Giovanni ett.digiovanni@kvaerner.com "BULEEN" is the nickname of my father Agostino Di Giovanni born in Roccamorice. Franco Pietrangelo fpietrangelo@internet.lu "ZA SANTA" is the nickname of my grandfather Solidea Di Giovanni born in Roccamorice. Rita DiMillo ritadimillo@hotmail.com "CIAMARICONI" is the nickname of my grandfather Luigi Antonio DiGiovanni of Roccamorice. Leo Chiarot leoc38@hotmail.com "CIAMARICON" is the nickname of my grandfather Pantaleone DiGiovanni of Roccamorice.

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Nicknames Pg. 2

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