An Italian Immigrant by Aurora Benincasa . . .

"I came to Danbury 55 years ago not being able to speak the English language and with no skills. I also came with no warm clothing or boots as I had come from a warmer climate. We lived in a cold water flat off Main Street. This meant we had no plumbing or electricity.    When we wanted hot water we heated water on top of the wood stove. My children can’t believe we went to all this work just to get hot water.   

I got a job in the local shirt factory for $.50 an hour and gave all my money to my mother. My mother took some of my paycheck and put the rest aside for me. Today children keep the money that they earn.    

Working in a shirt factory was very hard especially in the summer with no air conditioning.    My co-workers were nice, however, and helped me to learn English. We had no car, we had to walk to work and wherever we wanted to go. Riding the trolley was a real treat because it cost money.    

After the shirt factory closed I went to work at other factories, Bardens and Datacom. I have been back to Italy maybe three or four times since I came to Danbury. Italy is no longer my country. America is my country. I had a difficult start, but I came out OK.