SIX YEAR FIRST FAMILY INDEX

Below are links to all our First Family Stories: from 2019 to 2024. Some families have been featured twice. In this case, there are two links, one to each year's profile. If you'd like a printed copy of any of the annual collections, you can order online. Thanks to all the families for sharing your stories with us and a huge thanks to Don Rampone for his six years of research and collecting these stories!

Alimonti, Gina and Max Yarrow 2023 
Alimonti, Joseph and Rosa Culos 2019 
Alimonti, Katie and Addy Klein 2023 
Alimonti, Nick and Sheila Paisley 2023 
Alimonti, Pasquale and Domenica Fulvimari 2019
Andreucci, Angelo and Anna Maria Biagioni 2022
Andreucci, Luciano 2022 
Arcuri, Girolamo and Caterina Filliponi 2020 
Arcduini, Nellie and Jim Campbell 2021 
Balagno, Carlo and Felicita 2020 
Banducci, Luigi and Ileana Galvani 2024
Barrera, Camillo and Nina Buscaino 2023 
Barrera, Pasquale and Francesca Alimonti 2019
Barrera, Peo and Mary Kolody 2023 
Bazzana, Celeste and Jean Schneider 2022 
Bazzana, Luigi and Lucia 2020 
Bazzana, Luigi and Regina Tomasini 2024
Bertoia, Riccardo (Dick) and Mary Casorso 2021
Bertolami, Sergio and Clelia Lunatici 2021 
Bertucci, Antonio and Sandra Crocetti 2022 
Bertucci, Cesare and Anna Cavani 2020 
Bertucci, Vincenzo and Valentina Bolotzky 2022
Betuzzi, Charles and Merrie Mulhern 2024
Biagioni, Alfredo and Domenica Lunardi 2020 
Biagioni, Giovanni and Giulia Tagliasacchi 2022 
Bianco, Ernesto Angelo and Sabina Chiola 2021 
Bigattini, Egisto 2021 
Borgnetta, Tony and Tina Cantino 2020 
Bossio, Armando and Doreen Lalonde 2024
Bregolisse, Ubaldo and Assunta Porfiri 2020 
Butt, Giovanni and Maria Franz 2020 
Butt, Giuseppe and Marie Joyal 2020 
Butticci, Jack and Lilly Woods 2019, 2024
Cacchioni, Agostino and Marietta Lauriente 2021
Calissi, Alfredo and Valentina Bachmann 2021 
Calissi, Lorenzo and Liliana Coli 2022 
Calissi, Pietro and Erika Petzold 2021 
Cagnoni, Umberto and Anna Maggi 2024 
Capozzi, Herb 2024
Capozzi, Joseph 2024
Capozzi, Pasquale and Maria Mussatto 2019, 2024
Capozzi, Tom and Gail Plecash 2023 
Casorso, August and Mary Millar 2019 
Casorso, August and Muriel Haines 2023 
Casorso, Carolina and Charles Fritz 2019 
Casorso, Charles and Mary McCunnin 2019, 2024 
Casorso, Felix and Veronica Reiter 2019, 2024
Casorso, Giovanni and Rosa Bevilacqua 2019
Casorso, Joseph and Ethel Winship 2019, 2024 
Casorso, Leo and Marian Prowse 2019 
Casorso, Louis and Caterina Dapavo 2019, 2024 
Casorso, Mary and Dick Bertoia 2023
Casorso, Pete and Alice Canty 2019, 2024
Casorso, Tony and Marguerite McGarrity 2019, 2024
Casorso, Velma and Bert Sperling 2023 
Cavani, Carlo and Silvia Grassi 2020 
Ceresi, Nicola (Nicholas) and Elizabeth Latka 2021
Cerminara, Mario and Sharon Chouinard 2024 
Ciaccia, Ambrogio and Concetta Ciancone 2019
Ciancone Family 2019 
Ciancone, Alessio and Laura Maria Guidi 2022
Cimbaro, Arrigo and Elsa Schneider 2022 
Cimbaro, Gino and Teresa But 2022 
Constantini, Armand and Lillian Mitchell 2023
Constantini, Louis and Lucia Alimonti 2019 
Culos, Mattia and Cestilia Bazzana 2019, 2024​
Dal Col, Carlo and Isabella Guidi 2022 
Dal Col, Fortunato and Gius. Santamaria 2020
Dapavo, Catarina and Louis Casorso 2019 
Dapavo, Dino and Rosa Gaspardone 2019 
Dapavo, Maria and Samuele Turri 2019 
Dapavo, Mario and Sabina Luperelli 2021 
Dapavo, Mike and Barbara Arnold 2023 
Dapavo, Rosa and Giovachino Lanfranco 2019 
Di Maria, Rosario and Giovanna Randazzo 2021
DiRenzo, Luigi and Silvia Vicaretti 2021 
Durante, Mike and Norma Moretti 2024 
Fabbro, Gelindo and Gina 2022 
Favali, Francesco and Elsie Comazzetto 2024 
Favali, Lawrence and Helen Seminoff 2023 
​Favali, Marita and Ernesto Comazzetto 2024 
Favali, Mike and Marjorie Thomson 2023 
Favali, Oreste and Luigia Lenzi 2019 
Favali, Roy 2024 
Fellini, Vincenzo and Maria 2022 
Filice, Giovanni 2022 
Filice, Rosario and Iolanda Russo 2021 
Francescutti, Oreste and Katie Lanfranco 2021
Gallucci, Elmo and Carmela Purificati 2022
Gaspardone, Angelo (Andy) and Agnes Burns 2021
Gaspardone, Luigi and Maria Bevilacqua 2019 
Ghezzi, Joseph and Linda Gobbi 2020 
Ghini, Victor, Gloria Ciancone and Pearl 2024 
Giordano, Bob and Edna Wilson 2023 
Giordano, Santo and Carmela Gallo 2020 
Grison, Florentino and Elizabeth Bazzett 2022
Guaschetti, Antonio 2020 
Guaschetti, Carlo and Delfina Balagno 2020 
Guidi Families 2019 
Guidi, Alfredo Gius. and Angelina Suffredini 2021
Guidi, Angelo and Maria Rosa Letizia Pellini 2021
Guidi, Ferruccio Pietro and Umile Coli 2020 
Guidi, Luigi and Ersillia Rossi 2021 
Guidi, Luigi Ralph and Clara Santina Guidi 2022 
Guidi, Pietro Nello and Ersillia Pellini 2020 
Iafrancesco, Pasquale and Vittoria Ficocelli 2021 
Iafrancesco, Joe and Bianca Russo 2022 
Lanfranco, Camillo 2019 
Lanfranco, Catherine and Tony Welder 2019
Lanfranco, Delphine and Wayne Slyter 2019
Lanfranco, Domenico and Alice Canty 2019
Lanfranco, Giovachino and Rosa Dapavo 2019
Lanfranco, Katie and Luigi Francescutti 2019
Lanfranco, Louisa and Mike Marchuck 2019
Lanfranco, Margaret and Carl Hewitt 2019 
Lanfranco, Mary and Ted Toombs 2019
Lanfranco, Paul and Mary Duggan 2019 
Lanfranco, Pete 2019 
Manderioli, Mario and Luisa 2024 
Manzocco, Giovanni 2022 
Marcanio, Frank and Romi Pantoli 2021 
Martin, Angelo and Teresa Quarin 2020 
Martinelli, Angelo and Clelia Turri 2020 
Mattioda, Andy and Helen Walker 2023 
Mattioda, Peter and Giuseppina Antonietta 2020
Menta, Giulio and Giovanna Fellini 2020 
Morello, Dominico and Olivia 2020 
Mussato Family 2019 
Nanci, Emilio and Lina Accili 2024 
Nobili, Father Giovanni 2020
Ongaro, Augusto and Luigia Maria Pavan 2021 
Ongaro, Max and Joan Turcotte 2024
Orlandi, Romeo and Ada 2024
Orsi, Egidio and Elsie Woods 2019
Pagliaro, Luigi and Elda Mele 2024 
Pellegrini, Arturo and Teresa Scodellaro 2020 
Petretta, Domenico and Maria Luperelli 2021 
Petretta, Giovanni and Gina Prioreschi 2021
Picco, Remi and Melcha 2024
Pioli, Angelo and Annunziata Mathilde 2019 
Porco, Giovanni and Luisa Altamare 2020 
Porco, Theresa and Phillip Pugliese 2020 
Pucci, Florindo and Anna Filice 2022 
Pugliese, Phillip and Theresa Porco 2020 
Puppato, Mario and Maria 2022 
Quirico, Gabriele and Pierina Boreo 2019 
Rampone, Albert and Rose Barrera 2023 
Rampone, Camillo and Emma Ducharme 2019
Rampone, Domenico and Gius. Borgnetta 2019 
Rampone, Dora and Roger Simoneau 2023 
Rampone, Ernie and Shirley Tallman 2023 
Rampone, Irene and Fred Gabel 2023 
Rampone, Louis and Phyllis Holland 2023 
Rampone, Luigi and Melania Rampone 2019
Rampone, Valentino and Elsie Russo 2023 
Rantucci, Carmine and Ida Ciancone 2019 
Rantucci, Elmo and Emma Turri 2023 
Reorda, Elsie and Jim Hagel 2023 
Reorda, John and Carolyn Ryder 2020 
Rinaldo, Bruno and Franca Spagnol 2022 
Risso, Alan 2023 
Risso, Antonio and Maria Ollino 2019 
Risso, Gaspar and Inez Hewer 2019 
Risso, Gundo and Lynnea Anderson 2023 
Risso, John and Toni Russo 2023 
Risso, Rhoda and Larry Weisgarber 2023 
Risso, Vincenzo and Annetta Rampone 2019 
Rossi, Josi 2020 
Rossi, Michele and Beatrice Covino 2024 
Russo, Amedeo (Andy) and Armerinda Pucci 2021
Russo, Geniale and Maria Filice 2021 
Russo, Giovanni and Genoveffa Pucci 2020 
Russo, Guerino (Gary) and Ida Fata 2021 
Russo, Louie and Marisa Verna 2024 
Siviglia, Lorenzo and Giuseppa Prioli 2021 
Sprovieri, Antonio and Letizia Grandinetti 2020 
Tade, Biagio 2022 
Tinto, Camillo and Adrianna Difabrizio 2024 
Tomasini, Celeste and Gianna Trevisan 2022 
Toombs, Sharon and Jim Clements 2023 
Truant, Leonardo and Maddalena Angela 2020 
Truant, Santo and Italia 2020 
Turri, Caesar and Nita Guidi 2023 
Turri, Luisa and Alfredo Bonaldi 2022 
Turri, Pietro and Esterina Gragnani 2021 
Turri, Samuele and Maria Dapavo 2019 
Ungaro, Orlando and Frances Lipovski 2024
Vaccaro, Beatrice and Ray Nicholls 2023 
Vaccaro, Renato and Renata Turri 2022 
Vaccaro, Silvio and Rosa Ducharme 2019
Vecchio, Albert and Ida Russo 2024
Vecchio, Michele and Giuseppina Maio 2020 
Verna, Emilio and Marianna Di Renzo 2021 
Zaino, Domenico and Nicolina Luprelli 2021 
Zol, Luciano and Maria Andreucci 2022

Michele and Giuseppina Vecchio were the first members of the Vecchio family to immigrate to Canada. They arrived in Fernie, BC, with their children, Battista and Mariantonia “Antonetta,” in 1920. Michele was a boiler room employee of the Crow’s Nest Pass Coal mine. He and Giuseppina moved to Winfield, BC, upon his retirement in 1949.

Their third child, Albert, was born in Fernie in 1922. Albert worked in the Crow’s Nest Company coal mines before following his sister, Antonetta, to Kelowna, BC. His first job in Kelowna was working for “Cap” Capozzi in his grocery store.

Ida was born in 1924, in Cleto, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. She was the daughter of Giovanni Russo and Genoveffa Pucci. Ida immigrated to Canada in 1938, helping her father homestead in Golden, BC. She and her sister, Elsie, who later married Valentino Rampone, cut logs into railroad ties for the CPR. In 1946, they moved to Winfield, BC, with her family and worked in the packinghouse. Ida married Albert Vecchio in 1948.

In 1947, Al built “Al’s Café” in Winfield. It was also the Greyhound bus stop, a popular truck stop, convenience store, and it had a billiards room on the bottom floor. Al built living quarters at the rear of the café. Their first daughter, Josephine (Joey), was born in 1957 and they all lived there until 1960, when Al and Ida built their family home in Rutland. A second daughter, Julie, arrived in 1961.

Al Vecchio was always involved in his community. He was director of the Winfield Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Independent Order of Foresters and the Winfield Volunteer Fire Department.

In 1975, Al and Ida sold the café and focused on land development and building rental units in the Rutland community.

After a short retirement, they built a commercial building and operated Café Bella Bimba from 1981 to 1989. Finally retired from the kitchen, Albert and Ida enjoyed their hobbies of bocce, curling, and travelling by motor home every year to California and Mexico.

Albert and Ida were actively involved in the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club. Albert served as its president from 1978 - 1980 and was instrumental in opening the bocce courts at Kelowna’s Parkinson Recreational Centre.

Ida was very proud of her Italian heritage and was an organizer and teacher of the Italian language school, director of the Italian dancers and organized the club's participation in many cultural events such as the Christmas Mosaic and Kelowna’s Folkfest.

Al passed away in 2006, following Ida's passing in 1999. They are both laid to rest at the Lakeview mausoleum in Kelowna.

Adapted from a 2020 Courier article written Joey Vecchio, daughter.

Orlando Ungaro was born in Natal, BC, on May 9, 1931 to Ninno Ungaro (who was born in Cellara, Cosenza, Italy) and Emma (Pugliese) Ungaro (daughter of Phillip and Theresa Pugliese). As a young boy, who lost his father at 16 years old, Orlando worked for the coal company in Michel, BC, to help support the family. There were two sisters (Eleanor and Ida) and one brother (Alfred), all younger than him. He grew up in the small town of “Middletown”, amongst so many other Italian families. After graduation, he attended Normal School, in Victoria, BC, where he received his teaching certificate. He came back to Natal and married Frances Lipovski in 1951. 

Orlando taught school for almost 20 years starting in Jaffray, BC (as a 19-year-old principal), and then Natal, Sparwood, Fernie and finally, Kelowna.  During that time, he was always very active in his community, being a member of the Kinsmen Club and the fire department, He became the town’s first mayor (Reeve) and then mayor of Sparwood back in the 1960s. Orlando was instrumental in spearheading an urban renewal program to relocate residents from Natal, Michel and Middletown to Sparwood.
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Orlando and Frances raised five children; Karyn, Allan, Joe, Don and Mary. They operated a clothing and shoe store together for many years in Natal. They suffered a total loss of store and home to a fire in 1961. They moved their family to Kelowna in 1968, where he taught at KSS High School. He often received letters or notes from former students who thanked him for his mentoring and encouragement, for more than 30 years after his teaching career. Orlando had membership in the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club, serving as its President in 1971 and 1973.

In 1970, Orlando decided to change careers and took his real estate course…running the very successful Hoover Realty Ltd for over 20 years.  As a real estate broker, he mentored and taught so many through the challenging decade of the 1980s, to become successful Realtors.  He never stopped teaching.  As well, Orlando and Frances were always cognizant of the needs and challenges of the less fortunate. They were very resourceful in reaching out to many families to give them a “leg up” and to help them realize their dreams. They never lost sight of their roots, and the perseverance, resilience and dedication required to rise from challenges that life brought along. 

After retiring from real estate, Orlando decided to have some retirement fun and started up a Music Box store in Kelowna…he loved nothing better than to demonstrate the music boxes and Rhythm Clocks  to all who would come in to his shop!

Orlando was predeceased by his wife, Frances, in December of 1999 and later passed away in January of 2006.

Contributed by Joe and Karyn, children.

Camillo Tinto was the second, of three sons, was born in Pennadomo, Abruzzo, Italy, to Antonio Tinto and Giovanna Lucci.   

In 1957, Camillo was 22 years old. The CN railway was looking for workers and promised a one year work contract in Canada, after which time, they could apply for landed immigrant status and Canadian citizenship.  Camillo and friend, Peter, both started working in Sicamous, BC, and ended up in Golden, BC. They met several Italian comrades, among them, Marziale DiFabrizio, a fellow Abruzzese. Come spring of 1958, the boys were looking for other work and Peter knew of a fellow Italian who had immigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and so off the boys went! 

The boys soon found work in the construction industry. By 1963, Camillo and Marziale were the head carpenters of McPhillips construction. That spring, Camillo’s parents asked him to come back to Italy for a few months to help out, while his brother, Alfredo, recuperated from an illness.  Camillo decided to visit his coworker, Marziale, who also had returned to Italy.  

It was April, 1963, when his friend, Marziale, introduced Camillo to his sister, Adriana Bambina Difabrizio.  Born in 1942, she was one of twelve children born to Mariano Difabrizio and Vincenza Teti, from the town of Torricella Peligna, Abruzzo, Italy.  

Her father, Mariano, was a prisoner of war during WWII, but managed to escape and evade the Nazi’s. He passed away in 1953, when she was only 11 years old.  Life was hard for the widow and her remaining children. The youngest, Guido, was only 5 years old.

At 20 years old, Adriana, took the opportunity to work at a shoe factory in Milan, Italy. After realizing the job wasn’t for her, she returned to Torricella. Shortly after, she met her brother’s friend, Camillo Tinto.   They were married in July, 1963.  By August 1963, Camillo and Adriana were  living in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Camillo resumed his job with McPhillips Construction.  They went on to buy a house there. They had four children: Joan, Diana, Claudia and Tony. 

In 1972, Camillo got a job offer from a Winnipeg friend, Paul, who had moved to Kelowna, BC. He was designing and building homes and was in need of a good foreman.  After much consideration, in the spring of 1974, the Tinto family moved  to Kelowna.  Adriana got a job at Sunrise Bakery and Camillo built amazing houses, designed by Paul.  Camillo was encouraged to join the Italian Club and through this, he met and became friends with Frank Marcanio and Emilio Nanci.  He helped with the parade floats, and many other activities at the club. He was also part of the renovation team at the clubhouse. His favourite activity was playing Bocce and keeping the lanes in good working order. 

In the late 1980’s, Camillo started his own contracting business, with his son and son-in-laws. During this time, Adriana worked as the head chef at Pizza Patio and later on, Smitty’s. In 1995, they both retired, but Camillo was soon offered a position working with the Callahan family as a handyman for their properties. He worked with them until his official retirement, in 2000. 

Camillo and Adrianna enjoyed time with their seven grandkids, and working on their garden. Camillo lent out his skills as a carpenter to whomever needed it. Downsizing to a condo did not stop their love for gardening, so they maintained garden plots there. 

Camillo passed away at the age of 88, on Dec 17, 2023 and was laid to rest at Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery. 

Contributed by Joan Tinto Sanders, daughter.

Louie (Luigi Giovanni) Russo was born in Golden, BC, on May 31, 1939. Louie is the son of Giovanni Russo, from Cleto, Italy, and Genoveffa (Pucci) Russo, from Cosenza, Italy.

The Russo family landed in New York and by railway,  made their way to Golden, BC. Giovanni was already in Golden and awaited his wife and two daughters. Louie had three sisters: Ida Vecchio, Erza (Elsie) Rampone and Cynthia Kenney.

At the age of 7, Louie’s family home (in Golden, BC) burnt down, consequently moving them to Fernie, BC. They stayed for a short time in Fernie, and then made their way to Winfield (Lake Country), BC, where they established the family home and orchard.

At the age of 14, Louie quit school and began working with his father. They worked in the McCullough Forest Region, cutting railway ties. They horse logged, cut logs and loaded railway ties onto box cars on the Kettle Valley railway. 

In 1948, Louie’s dad purchased 20 acres on Old Vernon Rd and began hauling logs to this property, where Giovanni and Louie cut railway ties. The railway ties were trucked and loaded onto box cars. 
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Marisa (Maria) Verna was born in Celano, Italy on November 13, 1939. Marisa is the daughter of Emilio Verna and Maria Anna DiRenzo, both from Celano, Italy. Her siblings are Giovanna (Romei), Romolo and Marcello.

In 1952, Marisa, with her mother and siblings, immigrated to Kelowna, BC. Marisa’s father, Emilio, and Uncle Giuseppe Verna had already made the passage to Kelowna. Upon arriving in Kelowna, Marisa’s family rented a house from Augusto and Marietta Caccione for several years, before purchasing a 4-acre farm on Brookside Avenue, near the Capri Mall. In 1957 the Verna family’s roots were established here and remained until the passing of Marisa’s parents in 1984.

Marisa went to Kelowna High School for a short period of time and then went on to work with her family doing various orchard duties.  One of them was picking peaches in the Casa Loma orchard region of West Kelowna. She continued working in orchards until landing employment with Gem Cleaners, located on Bernard Avenue.

Marisa met Louie in August, 1958, at the Kelowna Regatta and began dating. They married on December 28, 1959 and moved to Winfield, BC. Louie and Marisa purchased the 20-acre property from Louie’s dad in 1960. At this time, Louie began to build a small portable sawmill to cut railway ties. This was the site where Russo Sawmills was established by Louie and Marisa Russo. Following this, they purchased two orchards, one in Glenmore and the other in Ellison.

Louie and Marisa have five children: John (Kathyrn), Tony (Kathleen), Geneen (Thomas), Gloria (Norman) and Robert (Lyn).

Louie passed away on March 24, 2008, and rests in the Kelowna cemetery. Marisa lives in Ellison.

Contributed by Robert Russo, son.