Tony Gargagliano's father came to New York from Italy and held on to many of his Old World ways

Time again for StoryCorps, the project that is travelling the country recording your stories. Today it's hailed from New York City, that is where Cathie Campbell spoke with her friend Tony Gargagliano. He remembers his father Paul who immigrated from Italy.

My father was a goat-herder in Sicily. When he came to this country he learned how to use the sewing machine and became a tailor, and he never approved of me being an artist. He used to say, "hey, look at the bum, he's drawn and painted dirty pictures, all of nude women. He is a bum."

My father one day, came to visit me and he was 84 at that time. He says "oh, you know my third wife, she's gone to Italy, she's left me all alone. I told her you go on, you no find me when you come back." So I said "well, you know you can get an annulment, dad." And he said "what's that?" I said "that is when one part of the marriage does not live up to the marriage for us. If your wife disappears in Italy, then you have a perfect right, that's not a marriage any more." He says "you will find me an Italian priest"

I found a monsignor, who was the head of the church. And I set a date, took my father. We entered the room, and the monsignor greets us. The first thing out of my father's mouth was "Eh, you know, father, it is not natural for a man to be without a woman." Just the monsignor was, just one look at me, I know he's accepted his celibacy. Yeah, my father continued telling his story. And he's just to speak like this and the monsignor, he would say to me "well, tell your father" you know, and before I know I was translating English into English, the monsignor said "tell your father that the church does not move very quickly." My father said "I, I am in no hurry."

Did he ever do it?
No, she wrote him a love letter and he sent her the money to come back.

Tony Gargagliano with his friend Cathie Campbell in New York City, this interview will be archived along with all StoryCorps interviews at the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress. And you can subscribe to the StoryCorps podcast at npr.org.