Grande soddisfazione per la redazione di Città di Ariano per aver contribuito ad aiutare la signora Marie Renzulli Longo Ortel a ritrovare i suoi parenti di Ariano Irpino. Grazie all’articolo della nostra Flavia Squarcio, che aveva scovato questa bella storia, e al nostro portale, diventato ormai punto di riferimento per la comunità di Ariano Irpino, Marie presto potrà riabbracciare la sua famiglia italiana. Per ringraziarci, la signora Marie, dopo lo scambio di messaggi e email in inglese con la nostra Flavia, ha inviato in redazione questa bella lettera che noi pubblichiamo integralmente e in lingua originale.

May 13, 2015

Yesterday, I posted an old faded photograph I had just found. I gave a description of the family and date noted on the photograph. I included some other information hoping to connect to relatives in Italy. An Italian journalist, Flavia Squarcio, saw the post and asked me to elaborate on the story.

This morning I got a message with an attachment that Ms. Squarcio had published my story and photo on the Citta di Ariano newspaper. Almost immediately, people started to reach out to me offering their help and some even thought they might be distantly related and asked for any more information I might have. I was so impressed with the outpouring of interest.

Then the miraculous happened. A young woman wrote that she was the great-granddaughter of one of the young women in the photo! I thought I must be dreaming! I wasn’t. I sent her a photo of my grandfather and asked if she would like me to send a family tree and photos of the American-side of the family. She was very happy to know more about the family she didn’t know existed. I then received an image of a man that I recognized immediately. It was Antonio Renzulli, my great-grandfather. I sent her a photo of my great- grandparents together.

She then sent me another image of a woman…my great-grandmother! Imagine. A family In Ariano Irpino Italy has had two paintings in their home that were passed down through the generations. The names and relationships had long been forgotten but for respect, the paintings were kept on the walls nevertheless. Today they found out who they were. I am overwhelmed right now and so happy!

I want to thank, once again, Ralph’s amazing family in Italy who took me to Ariano Irpino during our trip in June 2014. Without that visit to the Ariano Irpino cemetery, this day would never have happened.

Marie Renzulli Longo Ortel