Buried: 6 Jan 1939, Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA 4
Pasquale was born in the town of Campolieto in the small province of Campobasso, Italy on 21 Feb 18582 (his death certificate mistakenly shows a birthdate of 13 Mar 18593). Campolieto is on top of a mountain and the only way to reach the valley at that time was by donkey.
Pasquale and Michela lived at 4 v. Porta Da Piedi and after 1883 moved next door to number 5. Life was difficult for the Ialenti family, for they barely subsisted on the small amount of food available to them. In 1888 Pasquale overheard a fellow farmer talking about the "promised land", a ray of hope. Of course, this friend was referring to America. Many people at this time left all they had (which was not much) and emigrated to America.6
Pasquale decided to leave. According to the 1900 census, Pasquale emmigrated to the US in 1888.5 When the ship docked at Ellis Island, the immigrants were herded through gates to be processed. Having no relatives in New York, Pasquale took a train for Pennsylvania. It is not known why he chose to settle in the Pittsburgh area.6
Pasquale returned to Campolieto at least once, as his daughter Filomena was not born there until 1891.
His son Dominick came to the US in 1896 and finally Michela and the remaining four children followed in 1898.5
Pasquale found that the only opportunities open to immigrants were labourer and farming. In the 1900 census he is listed as a day laborour.5 His health began to fail him and he took up farming instead. In the 1910 census he and his family are listed on a farm on Saltsburg Road in Penn Hills, where he rented a small plot of land. He later rented land out near the old Oliver Kaufmann estate on Frankstown Road. There was a small six room wooden home with an outhouse. Although it was very crowded in the house, with the final four children being born here, they still took in boarders for additional income.6
The farm prospered and soon, Pasquale had enough money to buy the land and the farm became theirs.6
By 1920, Pasquale, Michela and three of their children can be found in the census back in the city.8 He was living with his daughter Mary and her family in the 1930 census. 9
Pasquale married Michela MATTAROCCHIA, daughter of Gennaro MATTAROCCHIA and Mariarufina IALENTI, in 1880 in Campolieto, Campobasso, Italy.1 (Michela MATTAROCCHIA was born on 1 Oct 1863 in Campolieto, Campobasso, Italy 61011, died on 21 Aug 1926 in Penn Township, Allegheny, PA 1112 and was buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA 11.)
Sources
1
Comune di Campolieto, Prov. di Campobasso, Marriage Record of Pasquale Ialenti and Michelina Mattarocchia, (Campolieto, Campobasso, Italy).
2
Comune di Campolieto, Prov. di Campobasso, Birth Record of Pasquale Ialenti, (Campolieto, Campobasso, Italy, 22 Feb 1858).
3
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate - Pasquale Yalenti, (4 Jan 1939).
5
Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1900 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 252, Sheet 1, Line 97.
6
Noelle Calabro, The Calabro and Yalenty Families (unpublished), (Pittsburgh, PA, 2 May 1977).
7
Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1910 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 191, Sheet 13, Line 23.
8
Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1920 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 520, Sheet 5, Line 64.
9
Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1930 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 2-218, Sheet 15, Line 48.
10
Comune di Campolieto, Prov. di Campobasso, Birth Record of Michela Mattarocchia, (Campolieto, Campobasso, Italy, 3 Oct 1863).
