Thank you to the people of Bernalda, Pisticci, and Matera for their help and generosity, particularly Angelo Tataranno, Francesco Montemurro, Imma Marzovilli, Giuseppe Blotti, Evaristo Ippoliti, Dino D’Angella, and Antonio Salfi, without whom there would be no book. Thanks to Olga and Antonio Braico and their family, to Leonardo Fuina, Natasa Coen, Maria Xenia Doria, Mariana Giannone, Rosanna Pastore, Alessio Ippoliti, Maria Gallitelli, Maria Natale, Dorothy Zinn, Antonio Panetta, Ferdinando, Mariangela and Flavia Forte, Rosaria Fabrizio, Domenico Marzovilli, Virginia Braico, Matteo Calciano, Antonio Santamaria, Emanuela Campa, Vincenzo Puntillo, Damiano Scalcione, Rocco Romano, Leonardo Leone, Antonio Biscaglia, Cynthia Karalla, Judith Edge, Mariateresa Cascino, Mariapia Ebreo, Graziella Sisto, Ersilia Troiano, Amy Weideman, Dr. Giuseppe Vena, Rosella DeFilippo, Rosario Mauro, Mr. and Mrs. DiBello, and Rosalba Corrado Delvecchio for their incredible hospitality and guidance. Thanks also to Rosa Parisi, Angelo Musco, Carmen Vicinanza, Stefano Luconi, Michael and Vivian Forte, Lisa Bauso, Bessie Jamieson, Walter and Kathy Jamieson, Barry Moreno, Jeffrey Dosik, Tom Pitoniak, and Carla Mastropierro. Special thanks to Tony Muia, for his research, interpreting skills, and laughter. To Dolores Stapinski and John and Anita Apruzzese for translating. To my mother, Irene Vena Stapinski, for her neverending stories and enthusiasm. To Mary Beth Vena Mancuso and Jamie Vena Gotschall for their family research. To Jennifer Rudolph Walsh for lighting the fire. To Steve Reddicliffe for sending me back again. To Lisa DiMona for her faith and dedication, and to Nora Long for her early insights. To Julia Cheiffetz for her confidence and brilliant revisions. To Stan Stapinski and Paula Christen, for their terrific memories. To Lauren Spagnoletti, for inadvertently taking Grandma to meet the pope. And most of all, thanks to my husband, Wendell Jamieson, for his innumerable edits and for believing even when I didn’t and to my wonderful talented, noncriminal offspring, Paulina and Dean. I love you guys.